Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “sputtering”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Darkening of silicate rock powders by solar wind sputtering.

Hydrogen ion irradiation of powdered igneous rocks, including Apollo rocks, has been observed in the laboratory to darken the powders and to make their optical properties similar to the moon's. An extensive series of investigations shows that this darkening is not spurious. These results are consistent with those of other investigators, including Nash (1967). Darkening of lunar igneous rock powders by the formation of solar wind-sputtered glass films is a real process which occurs on the moon. The time scale for darkening of undisturbed lunar soil is of the order of 50,000-100,000 yr. Comparison of the rates of the formation of glasses on the lunar surface by solar wind sputter-deposition, meteorite impact melting, and impact vaporization-deposition indicates that these processes are of comparable importance under the present flux of meteorites.

Hapke, B.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Property investigation and sputter deposition of dispersion-hardened copper for fatigue specimen fabrication

Sputter-deposited alloys of dispersion-hardenable Cu-0.25 vol% SiC and Cu-0.50 vol% SiC and precipitation-hardenable Cu-0.15 wt% Zr and Cu-0.05 wt% Mg-0.15 wt% Zr-0.40 wt% Cr were investigated for selection to evaluate fatigue specimen performance with potential application in fabricating regeneratively cooled rocket thrust chambers. Yield strengths in the 700 to 1000-MN/sq m range were observed with uniform elongation ranging from 0.5 to 1.5% and necking indicative of greater ductility. Electrical conductivity measured as an analog to thermal conductivity gave values 90% IACS for Cu-0.15 wt% Zr and Cu-0.05 wt% Mg-0.15 wt% Zr-0.40 wt% Cr. A 5500-g sputtered deposit of Cu-0.15 wt% Zr alloy, 12.29 mm (0.484 in.) average thickness in the fatigue specimen gage length, was provided to NASA on one of their substrates.

Mcclanahan, E. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Destruction of dirty ice mantles by sputtering

Dirty ice mantles are destroyed efficiently by sputtering of He atoms when clouds encounter shock velocities greater than 13-15 km/sec. Destruction due to grain-grain collisions is found to be about .001 times less efficient. Sputtering in the hot intercloud medium should make intercloud grains smaller than cloud grains.

Aannestad, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

High-temperature, low-cycle fatigue of advanced copper-base alloys for rocket nozzles. Part 2: NASA 1.1, Glidcop, and sputtered copper alloys

Short-term tensile and low-cycle fatigue data are reported for five advance copper-base alloys: Sputtered Zr-Cu as received, sputtered Zr-Cu heat-treated, Glidcop AL-10, and NASA alloys 1-1A and 1-1B. Tensile tests were performed in argon at 538 C using an axial strain rate of 0.002/sec. Yield strength and ultimate tensile strength data are reported along with reduction in area values. Axial strain controlled low-cycle fatigue tests were performed in argon at 538C using an axial strain rate of 0.002/sec to define the fatigue life over the range from 100 to 3000 cycles for the five materials studied. It was found that the fatigue characteristics of the NASA 1-1A and NASA 1-1B compositions are identical and represent fatique life values which are much greater than those for the other materials tested. The effect of temperature on NASA 1-1B alloy at a strain rate of 0.002/sec was evaluated along with the effect of strain rates of 0.0004 and 0.01/sec at 538 C. Hold-time data are reported for the NASA 1-1B alloy at 538 C using 5 minute hold periods in tension only and compression only at two different strain range values. Hold periods in tension were much more detrimental than hold periods in compression.

Conway, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Measurement of sputtered efflux from 5-, 8-, and 30-cm diameter mercury ion thrusters

A study was undertaken to investigate the sputtered efflux from 5-, 8-, and 30-cm diameter mercury ion thrusters. Quartz crystal microbalances and fused silica samples were used to analyze the sputtered flux. Spectral transmittance measurements and spectrographic analysis of the samples were made after they were exposed to different thruster effluence by operating the thrusters at various conditions and durations of time. These measurements were used to locate the source of the efflux and determine its accumulated effect at various locations near the thruster. Comparisons of in situ and ex situ transmittance measurements of samples exposed to thruster efflux are also presented.

Weigand, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Measurement of sputtered efflux from 5-, 8-, and 30-cm diameter mercury ion thrusters

A technique has been developed which uses spectral transmittance of samples exposed to thruster efflux to determine and characterize the effect of the efflux on spacecraft surfaces and optical devices. An investigation of facility backsputter revealed that efflux samples must be protected (e.g., by small shield boxes) from materials from tank walls and targets. The composition of the sputter efflux deposited on the samples was mostly molybdenum with trace amounts of tantalum, iron and/or mercury. The efflux from a 5-cm diameter thruster was deposited on samples located in the plane of the accelerator grid; the 8-cm diameter thruster efflux results showed that the location of ion beam sputtering and efflux deposition equilibrium occurred at 57 deg with respect to the thruster axis; and the 30-cm diameter thruster had an ion beam erosion-efflux deposition equilibrium at 45 deg.

Weigand, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Deposition rate and substrate temperature effects on the structure and properties of bulk-sputtered OFHC Cu and Cu-0.15Zr

Bulk-sputtered OFHC Cu and Cu-0.15 Zr used as inner walls of advanced regeneratively cooled thrust chambers are evaluated as to microstructure, surface topography, and fractography. It is found that under conditions of low substrate temperature, crystallite size and openness of the structure increase with increasing deposition rate for both materials. At elevated temperatures, an equiaxed ductile structure of OFHC Cu is produced only at low deposition rates; at higher deposition rate, open structures are observed with recrystallized equiaxed grains within large poorly bonded crystallites. The Cu-0.15 Zr alloy sputtered from the hollow cathode using a diode discharge shows open-type structures for all conditions evaluated. The use of a triode discharge in generating a dense non-voided structure of Cu-0.15 Zr is discussed.

Hecht, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Ion beam sputter modification of the surface morphology of biological implants

The surface chemistry and texture of materials used for biological implants may significantly influence their performance and biocompatibility. Recent interest in the microscopic control of implant surface texture has led to the evaluation of ion beam sputtering as a potentially useful surface roughening technique. Ion sources, similar to electron bombardment ion thrusters designed for propulsive applications, are used to roughen the surfaces of various biocompatible alloys or polymer materials. These materials are typically used for dental implants, orthopedic prostheses, vascular prostheses, and artificial heart components. Masking techniques and resulting surface textures are described along with progress concerning evaluation of the biological response to the ion beam sputtered surfaces.

Weigand, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Tests of a sputtered MoS2 lubricant film in various environments

This paper discusses conditions and results of several tests of a DC sputtered MoS2 dry lubricant film. The test components were miniature precision ball bearings and rings and blocks; the surrounding atmospheres were laboratory air, pure helium, vacuum to 10 to the -8th power torr, and a perfluoroalkylpolyether oil. The results showed that the lubricant would perform satisfactorily under lightly loaded (450 gm) ball bearings in vacuum and would not perform well under a 66-kg load in air, a 132-kg load in helium, or a 330-kg load under oil. These tests and others show that the sputtered MoS2 film has some desirable features for space applications as well as some definite limitations.

Vest, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Ion-beam sputtering increases solar-cell efficiency

Ion-beam sputtering, fabrication of oxide-semiconductor-on-silicon (OSOS) solar cells, results in cells of 12% efficiency. Ion-beam sputtering technique is compatible with low-cost continuous fabrication and requires no high-temperature processing.

Burk, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Energy spectrum of sputtered uranium

The fission track technique for detecting uranium 235 was used in conjunction with a mechanical time-of-flight spectrometer to measure the energy spectrum in the region 1 eV to 1 keV of material sputtered from a 93% enriched U-235 foil by 80 keV Ar-40(+) ions. The spectrum was found to exhibit a peak in the region 2-4 eV and to decrease approximately as E to the -1.77 power for E is approximately greater than 100 eV. The design, construction and resolution of the mechanical spectrometer are discussed and comparisons are made between the data and the predictions of the ramdom collision cascade model of sputtering.

Weller, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Ion-beam-sputter modification of the surface morphology of biological implants

The surface chemistry and texture of materials used for biological implants may significantly influence their performance and biocompatibility. Recent interest in the microscopic control of implant surface texture has led to the evaluation of ion-beam sputtering as a potentially useful surface roughening technique. Ion sources, similar to electron-bombardment ion thrusters designed for propulsive applications, are used to roughen the surfaces of various biocompatible alloys or polymer materials. These materials are typically used for dental implants, orthopedic prostheses, vascular prostheses, and artificial heart components. Masking techniques and resulting surface textures are described along with progress concerning evaluation of the biological response to the ion-beam-sputtered surfaces.

Weigand, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Critical currents in sputtered copper molybdenum sulphide

Critical currents in a sputtered Chevrel-phase copper molybdenum sulfide have been measured at 4.2 K as a function of applied magnetic field. Self-field critical-current values up to 10 to the 9th A/sq m were found, decreasing to 10 to the 8th A/sq m at 3 T. Graphs of pinning forces versus field were found to be independent of field direction, and the pinning mechanism is sample independent. Critical-current densities for sputtered lead molybdenum sulphide are estimated to be about 10 to the 8th A/sq m at 26 T based on a scaling law for pinning.

Alterovitz, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Effect of surface texture by ion beam sputtering on implant biocompatibility and soft tissue attachment

The objectives in this report were to use the ion beam sputtering technique to produce surface textures on polymers, metals, and ceramics. The morphology of the texture was altered by varying both the width and depth of the square pits which were formed by ion beam erosion. The width of the ribs separating the pits were defined by the mask used to produce the texture. The area of the surface containing pits varies as the width was changed. The biological parameters used to evaluate the biological response to the texture were: (1) fibrous capsule and inflammatory response in subcutaneous soft tissue; (2) strength of the mechanical attachment of the textured surface by the soft tissue; and (3) morphology of the epidermal layer interfacing the textured surface of percutaneous connectors. Because the sputter yield on teflon ribs was approximately an order of magnitude larger than any other material the majority of the measurements presented in the report were obtained with teflon.

Gibbons, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of radiofrequency-sputtered refractory compound steel interfaces

Radiofrequency sputtering was used to deposit Mo2C, Mo2B5, and MoSi2 coatings on 440C steel substrates. Both sputter etched and preoxidized substrates were used, and the films were deposited with and without a substrate bias of -300 V. The composition of the coatings was measured as a function of depth by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with argon ion etching. In the interfacial region there was evidence that bias produced a graded interface in Mo2B5 but not in Mo2C. Oxides of iron and of all film constituents except carbon were presented in all cases but the iron oxide concentration was higher and the layer thicker on the preoxidized substrates. The film and iron oxides were mixed in the MoSi2 and Mo2C films but layered in the Mo2B5 film. The presence of mixed oxides correlates with enhanced film adhesion.

Wheeler, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Friction and wear of radiofrequency-sputtered borides, silicides, and carbides

The friction and wear properties of several refractory compound coatings were examined. These compounds were applied to 440 C bearing steel surfaces by radiofrequency (RF) sputtering. The refractory compounds were the titanium and molybdenum borides, the titanium and molybdenum silicides, and the titanium, molybdenum, and boron carbides. Friction testing was done with a pin-on-disk wear apparatus at loads from 0.1 to 5.0 newtons. Generally, the best wear properties were obtained when the coatings were bias sputtered onto 440 C disks that had been preoxidized. Adherence was improved because of the better bonding of the coatings to the iron oxide formed during preoxidation. As a class the carbides provided wear protection to the highest loads. Titanium boride coatings provided low friction and good wear properties to moderate loads.

Brainard, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Sputter metalization of Wolter type optical elements

An analytical task showed that the coating thickness distribution for both internal and external optical elements coated using either electron beam or sputter sources can be made uniform and will not affect the surface figure of coated elements. Also, sputtered samples of nickel, molybdenum, iridium and ruthenium deposited onto both hot and cold substrates showed excellent adhesion.

Ledger, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Application of ESCA to the determination of stoichiometry in sputtered coatings and interface regions

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to characterize radiofrequency sputter deposited films of several refractory compounds. Both the bulk film properties such as purity and stoichiometry and the character of the interfacial region between the film and substrate were examined. The materials were CrB2, MoS2, Mo2C, and Mo2B5 deposited on 440C steel. It was found that oxygen from the sputtering target was the primary impurity in all cases. Biasing improves the film purity. The effect of biasing on film stoichiometry is different for each compound. Comparison of the interfacial composition with friction data suggests that adhesion of these films is improved if a region of mixed film and iron oxides can be formed.

Wheeler, D. R.↗