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At least 55 records · Page 3

CoSb(sub 3)-IrSb(sub 3)Solid Solutions: Preparations and Characterization

The binary antimonide compounds of the skutterudite family have a good potential for thermoelectric applications as recent results at JPL have shown. However, the room temperature thermal conductivity of these materials is about 10 Wm(sup -1)K(sup -1) with an 80 % contribution from the lattice. To achieve maximum ZT values, the lattice thermal conductivity needs to be lowered. Because the lattice thermal conductivity of solid solutions can substantially decrease due to the addition of point defect phonon scattering (all state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials are solid solutions), a study of the formation of solid solutions between the antimonide skutterudite compounds is of interest. The preparation and characterization of both p-type and n-type CoSb(sub 3)-IrSb(sub 3) solid solutions by several techniques is reviewed in this paper. Experimental results showed that solid solutions were successfully formed in a wide range of compositions. The changes in the thermoelectric properties indicated the influence of a strong point defect scattering, resulting in large decreases in Hall mobility and thermal conductivity. The potential for high ZT values in CoSb(sub 3)-IrSb(sub 3) solid solutions is discussed.

mobility↗

A Study of the Growth of Single Crystals

Research on the growth of single crystals of the III-V compound indium antimonide was pursued in order to gain a firsthand knowledge of some factors which govern the growth of single crystals of this compound. These studies were conducted using a standard Czochralski crystal pulling furnace. This type of furnace allows crystals to be formed without being constrained to a crucible. Several factors were found to have a large detrimental effect on the growth of single crystals of indium antimonide, the most important of which seems to be the degree to which the environment surrounding the crystal during growth can be controlled. Ways to overcome these effects were determined and are outlined.

Desmet, D. J.↗

Monotectic and syntectic alloys: ASTP experiment MA-044

A postflight preliminary technical evaluation is presented of the returned samples of aluminum antimonide (AlSb) syntectic compound and lead-zinc (PbZn) monotectic immiscible processed during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission. The returned cartridges, extracted ampoules, and removed samples were examined in detail. A genesis of the experiment is given along with a summary of the efforts and various scheduled tests up to the ASTP mission. A tentative characterization plan is developed from the postflight preliminary examination which makes use of the limited number of available samples and is based on the initial observations. It is indicated that a higher degree of compositional homogeneity in aluminum antimonide was achieved under flight test conditions.

Ang, C. Y.↗

Skylab M518 multipurpose furnace convection analysis

An analysis was performed of the convection which existed on ground tests and during skylab processing of two experiments: vapor growth of IV-VI compounds growth of spherical crystals. A parallel analysis was also performed on Skylab experiment indium antimonide crystals because indium antimonide (InSb) was used and a free surface existed in the tellurium-doped Skylab III sample. In addition, brief analyses were also performed of the microsegregation in germanium experiment because the Skylab crystals indicated turbulent convection effects. Simple dimensional analysis calculations and a more accurate, but complex, convection computer model, were used in the analysis.

Bourgeois, S. V.↗

Monotectic and syntectic alloys. Experiment MA-044

The flight test furnace run of the monotectic and syntectic alloys experiment was successfully performed during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission in July 1975. Examination of the returned sample cartridges and the formal comparative characterization of the low-g and one-g processed samples of lead-zinc and aluminum antimonide were completed. The results for aluminum antimonide show that polycrystalline and multiphased material can be homogenize in space under low-g conditions. Microstructural study on the lead-zinc flight samples shows that complete interdiffusion of lead and zinc had not been achieved, even though the flight data indicated a soak temperature in the miscible region that was 40 K above the published consolute temperature.

Lacy, L. L.↗

Infrared Imagery of Shuttle (IRIS). Task 1

Assessment of available IR sensor technology showed that the four aerothermodynamic conditions of interest during the entry trajectory of space shuttle can be accommodated by an aircraft flying parallel to the orbiter reentry ground track. Thermal information from the sides of the vehicle can be obtained with degraded performance (temperatures below 800 K) by flying the C-141 aircraft on the opposite side of the shuttle ground track and in the direction opposite that which is optimum for lower surface viewing. An acquisition system using a 6.25-cm aperture telescope and a single indium antimonide detector were designed to meet the acquisition requirements and interface with the 91.5-cm telescope with minimum modification. An image plane system using 600 indium antimonide detectors in two arrays which requires no modification to the existing telescope was also designed. Currently available components were used in a data handling system with interfaces with the experimentors station and the HP2100 computer.

Chocol, C. J.↗

Modelling directional solidification

An improved understanding of the phenomena of importance to directional solidification is attempted to enable explanation and prediction of differences in behavior between solidification on Earth and in space. Emphasis is now on experimentally determining the influence of convection and freezing rate fluctuations on compositional homogeneity and crystalline perfection. A correlation is sought between heater temperature profiles, buoyancy-driven convection, and doping inhomogeneities using naphthalene doped with anthracene. The influence of spin-up/spin-down is determined on compositional homogeneity and microstructure of indium gallium antimonide. The effect is determined of imposed melting - freezing cycles on indium gallium antimonide. The mechanism behind the increase of grain size caused by using spin-up/spin-down in directional solidification of mercury cadimum telluride is sought.

Wilcox, William R.↗

Epitaxial growth of InSb (111) on sapphire (0001)

Indium antimonide has been epitaxially grown directly on sapphire. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction, TEM, and SEM data are presented to show that the indium antimonide layer is epitaxial, has an abrupt interface with the sapphire, and grows in the 111-line direction. Mobility data show room-temperature mobilities as high as 10,000 sq cm/V s from some regions on the wafer.

Jamison, K. D.↗

Modelling directional solidification

The long range goal is to develop an improved understanding of phenomena of importance to directional solidification, to enable explanation and prediction of differences in behavior between solidification on Earth and in space. Emphasis during the period of this grant was on experimentally determining the influence of convection and freezing rate fluctuations on compositional homogeneity and crystalline perfection in the vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger technique. Heater temperature profiles, buoyancy-driven convection, and doping inhomogeneties were correlated using naphthalene doped with azulene. In addition the influence of spin-up/spin-down on compositional homogeneity and microstructure of indium gallium antimonide and the effect of imposed melting-freezing cycles on indium gallium antimonide are discussed.

Wilcox, William R.↗

Metallization for Yb14MnSb11-Based Thermoelectric Materials

Thermoelectric materials provide a means for converting heat into electrical power using a fully solid-state device. Power-generating devices (which include individual couples as well as multicouple modules) require the use of ntype and p-type thermoelectric materials, typically comprising highly doped narrow band-gap semiconductors which are connected to a heat collector and electrodes. To achieve greater device efficiency and greater specific power will require using new thermoelectric materials, in more complex combinations. One such material is the p-type compound semiconductor Yb14MnSb11 (YMS), which has been demonstrated to have one of the highest ZT values at 1,000 C, the desired operational temperature of many space-based radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). Despite the favorable attributes of the bulk YMS material, it must ultimately be incorporated into a power-generating device using a suitable joining technology. Typically, processes such as diffusion bonding and/or brazing are used to join thermoelectric materials to the heat collector and electrodes, with the goal of providing a stable, ohmic contact with high thermal conductivity at the required operating temperature. Since YMS is an inorganic compound featuring chemical bonds with a mixture of covalent and ionic character, simple metallurgical diffusion bonding is difficult to implement. Furthermore, the Sb within YMS readily reacts with most metals to form antimonide compounds with a wide range of stoichiometries. Although choosing metals that react to form high-melting-point antimonides could be employed to form a stable reaction bond, it is difficult to limit the reactivity of Sb in YMS such that the electrode is not completely consumed at an operating temperature of 1,000 C. Previous attempts to form suitable metallization layers resulted in poor bonding, complete consumption of the metallization layer or fracture within the YMS thermoelement (or leg).

Firdosy, Samad↗