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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 55 records · Page 3

Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition of Aluminum Oxide as a Passivating Hole Contact for Silicon Solar Cells

In this work, tunneling aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) passivation layers are demonstrated to be a candidate for hole collecting, passivating contacts when coupled with a boron-doped surface. Here, these very thin Al 2 O 3 films (1.5-3 nm) are deposited using spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) on boron diffused (110-115 Ω –1 ) hydrophilic surfaces operating as metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) contacts. Emitter saturation current density values of approximately ≈57 fA cm 2 are achieved for Al 2 O 3 film thicknesses of 2 nm before metallization. At this same thickness, contact resistivity values of 33 mΩ cm 2 are obtained after metallization. Most importantly, the boron diffusion, wet chemical surface preparation, and spatial ALD of Al 2 O 3 used to create these MIS structures were all performed with industrially relevant equipment on Cz wafers.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Nucleation Effects in the Atomic Layer Deposition of Nickel–Aluminum Oxide Thin Films

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has become an important technique to synthesize a wide variety of materials on the subnanometer length scale. Expanding the library of ALD for ternary materials is vital for applications in which ternary materials allow for tuning of physical, optical, and electronic properties. In this work reported herein, we demonstrate the first report of nickel–aluminum oxide (Ni–Al–O) films deposited by ALD using nickeloceneozone and trimethylaluminum-water as reactants. While deposition of a wide range of compositions is achieved, the observed growth per cycle (GPC) did not follow the simple combination of GPCs measured for the binary ALD processes. Nucleation studies performed to better understand this behavior reveal that the deposition of aluminum oxide is greatly enhanced on a NiO surface prepared by nickelocene and ozone. A model is developed that considers nucleation effects to predict composition and thickness as a function of supercycle recipe. Characterization of the deposited films shows that Al-doping of NiO results in contraction of the NiO lattice, decreased crystallinity, and reduced density, and that films become completely amorphous at compositions with less than 50% Ni. In addition, Al-doped NiO films deposited by ALD are investigated as a hole-selective transport layer in lead-based perovskite solar cells. An Al doping of ~4% improves power conversion efficiency of the perovskite-based devices over that of NiO primarily through increases in fill factor.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Aluminum oxide barriers in MCrAlY superalloy systems

An investigation was made of sputtered aluminum oxide diffusion barriers to protect gas turbine engine blade and vane alloys from their coatings. MAR M200 + Hf coated with sputtered NiCoCrAlY and MAR M509 coated with sputtered FeCrAlY were obtained both with and without 1 and 2 micron sputtered Al2O3 barrier layers. Electron dispersive X-ray analysis was used to determine the concentration profiles of as-received and heat treated samples.

Kreider, Kenneth G.↗

Fabrication of anodic aluminum oxide on silica optical fiber with nanopore channels oriented off surface normal

Abstract Aluminum coating on silica optical fiber was anodized by applying an electric field off‐axis to surface normal of the fiber coating with simulation of the electric field lines between angularly positioned anode and cathode as a guide. The nanostructure features, including nanopore orientation, of the resultant anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. This unique off‐axis electric field arrangement enabled the formation of AAO with uniformly tilted nanopore channel arrays. Nanopore channels with tilting angles around 10°–20° relative to surface normal of AAO were obtained. These results are in general agreement with the simulated electric field lines between the anode and cathode.

Materials Science↗

Aluminum Spent Fuel Performance in Dry Storage Task 4 Aluminum Oxide Sampling of ATR Dry Stored Fuel

Milestone report on sampling of long-term dry-stored ATR spent fuel elements. It describes tooling, sample acquisition methods and analysis of the aluminum oxide samples by scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The observations provide input to projections on controls necessary for maintaining the integrity of the fuel during extended interim storage.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Aircraft water vapor measurements utilizing an aluminum oxide hygrometer

A hygrometer for water vapor measurements from an aircraft was developed. An aluminum oxide hygrometer mounted in an aircraft Rosemount air temperature scoop was flown on the NASA Convair 990 and on a USAF B-57 aircraft. Water vapor measurements from the Convair 990 were conducted up to 40,000 ft with penetration into the stratosphere. Good agreement was obtained with simultaneously flown remote sounders of water vapor. During transcontinental flights the hygrometer demonstrated adequate response to measure the natural variability of water vapor near the tropopause. Rapid response was demonstrated in pursuit of the jet wake of an F-104 at 35,000 ft.

Hilsenrath, E.↗

Adsorption and chemical reaction of gaseous mixtures of hydrogen chloride and water on aluminum oxide and application to solid-propellant rocket exhaust clouds

Hydrogen chloride (HCl) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) are major exhaust products of solid rocket motors (SRM). Samples of calcination-produced alumina were exposed to continuously flowing mixtures of gaseous HCl/H2O in nitrogen. Transient sorption rates, as well as maximum sorptive capacities, were found to be largely controlled by specific surface area for samples of alpha, theta, and gamma alumina. Sorption rates for small samples were characterized linearly with an empirical relationship that accounted for specific area and logarithmic time. Chemisorption occurred on all aluminas studied and appeared to form from the sorption of about a 2/5 HCl-to-H2O mole ratio. The chemisorbed phase was predominantly water soluble, yielding chloride/aluminum III ion mole ratios of about 3.3/1 suggestive of dissolved surface chlorides and/or oxychlorides. Isopiestic experiments in hydrochloric acid indicated that dissolution of alumina led to an increase in water-vapor pressure. Dissolution in aqueous SRM acid aerosol droplets, therefore, might be expected to promote evaporation.

Cofer, W. R., III↗

Solid propellant exhausted aluminum oxide and hydrogen chloride - Environmental considerations

Measurements of gaseous hydrogen chloride (HCl) and particulate aluminum oxide (Al2O3) were made during penetrations of five Space Shuttle exhaust clouds and one static ground test firing of a shuttle booster. Instrumented aircraft were used to penetrate exhaust clouds and to measure and/or collect samples of exhaust for subsequent analyses. The focus was on the primary solid rocket motor exhaust products, HCl and Al2O3, from the Space Shuttle's solid boosters. Time-dependent behavior of HCl was determined for the exhaust clouds. Composition, morphology, surface chemistry, and particle size distributions were determined for the exhausted Al2O3. Results determined for the exhaust cloud from the static test firing were complicated by having large amounts of entrained alkaline ground debris (soil) in the lofted cloud. The entrained debris may have contributed to neutralization of in-cloud HCl.

Cofer, W. R., III↗