Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Electron spectroscopy”

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 91 records · Page 5

Vapor phase diamond growth technology

Ion beam deposition chambers used for carbon film generation were designed and constructed. Features of the developed equipment include: (1) carbon ion energies down to approx. 50 eV; (2) in suit surface monitoring with HEED; (3) provision for flooding the surface with ultraviolet radiation; (4) infrared laser heating of substrate; (5) residual gas monitoring; (6) provision for several source gases, including diborane for doping studies; and (7) growth from either hydrocarbon source gases or from carbon/argon arc sources. Various analytical techniques for characterization of from carbon/argon arc sources. Various analytical techniques for characterization of the ion deposited carbon films used to establish the nature of the chemical bonding and crystallographic structure of the films are discussed. These include: H2204/HN03 etch; resistance measurements; hardness tests; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; scanning auger microscopy; electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis; electron diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis; electron energy loss spectroscopy; density measurements; secondary ion mass spectroscopy; high energy electron diffraction; and electron spin resonance. Results of the tests are summarized.

Angus, J. C.↗

Microwave spectroscopy

Electronic contribution to 9 GHz ultrasonic attenuation studied in thin tin films at low temperatures

THIN FILM↗

In Situ Mg/Ca Measurements on Foraminifera: Comparison Between Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Wavelength-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy by Electron Probe Microanalyzer

We present a comparison of two different techniques: Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and wavelength-dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy by electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) for obtaining Mg/Ca ratios in individual foraminifera shells. The goal is to assess the use of EPMA as an alternative technique for Mg/Ca analyses of single foraminiferal calcite shells. Foraminifera obtained from sediments (benthic, Uvigerina spp.) and from plankton tows (planktonic, Orbulina universa) were analyzed. All specimens were prepared in epoxy mounts and exposed in cross-section such that multiple high-resolution analyses could be completed on the shells using both techniques. We examined our data using statistical methods designed for the assessment and comparison of measurement techniques. In the case of Uvigerina, the mean difference for ratios obtained using EPMA and LA-ICP-MS is very small (−0.046 mmol mol−1) and scale independent. The Limits of Agreement (LoA, the standard deviation of the bias plus the mean bias) is [−0.315, 0.223] mmol mol−1. For samples with ratios lower than 13 mmol mol−1, we found a mean EPMA–LA-ICP-MS bias of −2.44 mmol mol−1 and a corresponding LoA of [−3.85, −1.04] mmol mol−1. For ratios higher than 13 mmol mol−1, there appears to be a scale dependent bias, meaning that the EPMA measured ratios become progressively larger than those of LA-ICP-MS as the Mg/Ca ratio increases, so the mean bias and LoA metrics are not meaningful. Results indicate that it is possible to use EPMA to collect Mg/Ca data, if the ratios are lower than ∼13 mmol mol−1.

EPMA↗

Investigation of Alpha Silicon Carbide / Carbon Fiber Proposed (2H & 6H-SiC) / C

A commercially available alpha silicon carbide coated carbon 12k fiber tow was subjected to rigorous inspection and testing. The pyrolized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber had gone through a conversion process that resulted in a thin layer of SiC forming on the exterior of the fiber. The fibers? surface was characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Powdered x-ray diffraction (XRD) examined the bulk material properties. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) examined the crystallinity of the SiC. A number of pristine samples were used to determine elongation rate and tensile strength.

Trunek, Andrew↗

A fundamental approach to adhesion: Synthesis, surface analysis, thermodynamics and mechanics

Adherend surfaces and fractography were studied using electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive analysis of X-rays. In addition, Auger Electron Spectroscopy with depth profiling capability was used. It is shown that contamination of adhesion systems plays an important role not only in determining initial bond strengths but also in the durability of adhesive bonds. It is concluded that the analytical techniques used to characterize and monitor such contamination.

Chen, W.↗

Surface hardening of steel by boriding in a cold rf plasma

Scanning electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Auger electron spectroscopy, and microhardness measurements, are used to study the surfaces of 4340-steel samples that have been borided in a cold RF plasma which had been initiated in a gas mixture of 2.7 percent diborane in Ar. As a result of the dislocation of the diborane in the plasma, boron is deposited on the surface of the steel substrate and two crystalline phases, tetragonal Fe2B and orthorhombic FeB, are formed. The formation of boride phases then increases the surface microhardness from 2650 MPa to a maximum value of 7740 MPa.

Finberg, I.↗

A comparative review of optical surface contamination assessment techniques

This paper will review the relative sensitivities and practicalities of the common surface analytical methods that are used to detect and identify unwelcome adsorbants on optical surfaces. The compared methods include visual inspection, simple reflectometry and transmissiometry, ellipsometry, infrared absorption and attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (ATR), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and mass accretion determined by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The discussion is biased toward those methods that apply optical thin film analytical techniques to spacecraft optical contamination problems. Examples are cited from both ground based and in-orbit experiments.

Heaney, James B.↗

Surface characterization of LDEF materials

The NASA Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), a passive experimental satellite, was placed into low-Earth orbit by the Shuttle Challenger in Apr. 1984. The LDEF spent an unprecedented 69 months in space. The flight and recovery of the LDEF provided a wealth of information on the longterm space environmental effects of a variety of materials exposed to the low-Earth orbit environment. Surface characterization of LDEF materials included polymers, composites, thermal control paints, and aluminum. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contact angle analysis were used to document changes in both the surface composition and surface chemistry of these materials. Detailed XPS analysis of the polymer systems, such as Kapton, polyimide polysiloxane copolymers, and fluorinated ethylene propylene thermal blankets on the backside of the LDEF revealed significant changes in both the surface composition and surface chemistry as a result of exposure to the low-Earth orbit environment. Polymer systems such as Kapton, polyimide polysiloxane copolymers, and polysulfone showed a common trend of decreasing carbon content and increasing oxygen content with respect to the control sample. Carbon 1s curve fit XPS analysis of the composite samples, in conjunction with SEM photomicrographs, revealed significant ablation of the polymer matrix resin to expose the carbon fibers of the composite during exposure to the space environment. Surface characterization of anodized aluminum tray clamps, which were located at regular intervals over the entire LDEF frame, provided the first results to evaluate the extent of contamination with respect to position on the LDEF. The XPS results clearly showed that the amount and state of both silicon and fluorine contamination were directly dependent upon the position of the tray clamp on the LDEF.

Wightman, J. P.↗

High-resolution threshold photoelectron spectroscopy by electron attachment

A new technique for measuring high-resolution threshold photoelectron spectra of atoms, molecules, and radicals is described. It involves photoionization of a gaseous species, attachment of the threshold, or nearly zero electron to some trapping molecule (here SF6 or CFCl3), and mass detection of the attachment product (SF6/-/ or Cl/-/ respectively). This technique of threshold photoelectron spectroscopy by electron attachment was used to measure the spectra of argon and xenon at 11 meV (FWHM) resolution, and was also applied to CFCl3.

Ajello, J. M.↗

Diamond Analyzed by Secondary Electron Emission Spectroscopy

Diamond is a promising semiconductor material for novel electronic applications because of its chemical stability and inertness, heat conduction properties, and so-called negative electron affinity (NEA). When a surface has NEA, electrons generated inside the bulk of the material are able to come out into the vacuum without any potential barrier (work function). Such a material would have an extremely high secondary electron emission coefficient o, very high photoelectron (quantum) yield, and would probably be an efficient field emitter. Chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) polycrystalline diamond films have even more advantages than diamond single crystals. Their fabrication is relatively easy and inexpensive, and they can be grown with high levels of doping--consequently, they can have relatively high conductivity. Because of these properties, diamond can be used for cold cathodes and photocathodes in high-power electronics and in high-frequency and high-temperature semiconductor devices.

Krainsky, Isay L.↗

Surface analysis of anodized aluminum clamps from NASA-LDEF satellite

Surface analysis results of selected anodized aluminum clamps containing black (Z306) and white (A276) paints which received nearly six years of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) exposure on the Long Duration Exposure Facility are reported. Surface analytical techniques, including x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive analysis by x-ray (SEM/EDAX), showed significant differences in the surface composition of these materials depending upon the position on the LDEF. Differences in the surface composition are attributed to varying amounts of atomic oxygen and vacuum ultraviolet radiation (VUV). Silicon containing compounds were the primary contaminant detected on the materials.

Grammer, H. L.↗

Liquid oxygen LOX compatibility evaluations of aluminum lithium (Al-Li) alloys: Investigation of the Alcoa 2090 and MMC weldalite 049 alloys

The behavior of liquid oxygen (LOX) compatibility of aluminum lithium (Al-Li) alloys is investigated. Alloy systems of Alcoa 2090, vintages 1 to 3, and of Martin Marietta Corporation (MMC) Weldalite 049 were evaluated for their behavior related to the LOX compatibility employing liquid oxygen impact test conditions under ambient pressures and up to 1000 psi. The developments of these aluminum lithium alloys are of critical and significant interest because of their lower densities and higher specific strengths and improved mechanical properties at cryogenic temperatures. Of the different LOX impact tests carried out at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), it is seen that in certain test conditions at higher pressures, not all Al-Li alloys are LOX compatible. In case of any reactivity, it appears that lithium makes the material more sensitive at grain boundaries due to microstructural inhomogeneities and associated precipitate free zones (PFZ). The objectives were to identify and rationalize the microstructural mechanisms that could be relaxed to LOX compatibility behavior of the alloy system in consideration. The LOX compatibility behavior of Al-Li 2090 and Weldalite 049 is analyzed in detail using microstructural characterization techniques with light optical metallography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron microprobe analysis, and surface studies using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), electron spectroscopy in chemical analysis (ESCA) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Differences in the behavior of these aluminum lithium alloys are assessed and related to their chemistry, heat treatment conditions, and microstructural effects.

Diwan, Ravinder M.↗

Group theoretical selection rules for electron-impact spectroscopy.

Simple group theoretical principles are applied to the consideration of electron scattering off atoms and diatomic and polyatomic molecules. This approach is also used to estimate relative strengths of electron-impact-induced transitions of diatomic and polyatomic molecules.

Goddard, W. A., III↗

Geometry and Unoccupied Electronic States of Ba and BaO on W(001)

A study aimed at understanding the geometrical and electronic properties of barium and oxygen coadsorbed on the tungsten(001) surface has been carried out by means of work-function measurements (Delta-phi), Auger-electron spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, inverse photoelectron spectroscopy, and relativistic-electronic-structure calculations. A report of the experimental measurements and a comparison with theoretical results from embedded-cluster-model calculations are presented. Our experimental studies show that the work function of the W(001) surface (phi = 4.63 eV) is lowered to approximately 2.3-2.4 eV by coadsorption of 1 ML of Ba and O regardless of the order of deposition of these two species. The technique of IPS in the isochromat mode was used to determine the unoccupied electronic-energy band structure for ordered c (2 X 2) Ba and O layers on W(001). Several spectral features are observed above the Fermi level (E(F)), which we assign to transitions into Ba and W d-states. The measured two-dimensional electronic band structure is independent of the order of Ba and O deposition. Using embedded-cluster-model calculations, we investigated two possible adsorption configurations of an ordered c(2 X 2) adlayer of Ba and O on W(001): 'tilted,' where Ba and O are placed on alternate fourfold-hollow sites, and 'upright,' where the adsorbed atoms lay above the same site with Ba outer-most. The calculated densities of states for the tilted geometry show distinct peaks above E(F) originating from Ba and W d-orbitals and are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Lamouri, A.↗

Surface and Interface Study of PdCr/SiC Schottky Diode Gas Sensor Annealed at 425 C

The surface and interface properties of Pd(sub 0.9)Cr(sub 0.1/SiC Schottky diode gas sensor both before and after annealing are investigated using Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). At room temperature the alloy reacted with SiC and formed Pd(sub x)Si only in a very narrow interfacial region. After annealing for 250 hours at 425 deg. C, the surface of the Schottky contact area has much less silicon and carbon contamination than that found on the surface of an annealed Pd/SiC structure. Pd(sub x)Si formed at a broadened interface after annealing, but a significant layer of alloy film is still free of silicon and carbon. The chromium concentration with respect to palladium is quite uniform down to the deep interface region. A stable catalytic surface and a clean layer of Pd(sub 0.9)Cr(sub 0.1) film are likely responsible for significantly improved device sensitivity.

Chen, Liang-Yu↗

Surface and Interface Properties of PdCr/SiC Schottky Diode Gas Sensor Annealed at 425 C

The surface and interface properties of Pd(0.9)Cr(0.1)/SiC Schottky diode gas sensors both before and after annealing are investigated using Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). At room temperature the alloy reacted with SiC and formed Pd(x)Si only in a very narrow interfacial region. After annealing for 250 hours at 425 C, the surface of the Schottky contact area has much less silicon and carbon contamination than that found on the surface of an annealed Pd/SiC structure. Palladium silicides (Pd(x)Si) formed at a broadened interface after annealing, but a significant layer of alloy film is still free of silicon and carbon. The chromium concentration with respect to palladium is quite uniform down to the deep interface region. A stable catalytic surface and a clean layer of Pd(0.9)Cr(0.1) film are likely responsible for significantly improved device sensitivity.

Chen, Liang-Yu↗

Surface and Interface Properties of PdCr/SiC Schottky Diode Gas Sensor Annealed at 425 C

The surface and interface properties of Pd(0.9,)Cr(0.1)/SiC Schottky diode gas sensors both before and after annealing are investigated using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). At room temperature the alloy reacted with SiC and formed Pd,Si only in a very narrow interfacial region. After annealing for 250 h ,It 425 C, the surface of the Schottky contact area his much less silicon and carbon contamination than that found on the surface of an annealed Pd/SiC structure. Palladium silicides (Pd(x)Si) formed at a broadened interface after annealing, but a significant layer of alloy film is still free of silicon and carbon. The chromium concentration with respect to palladium is quite uniform down to the deep interface region. A stable catalytic surface and a clean layer of Pd(0.9)Cr(0.1) film are likely responsible for significantly improved device sensitivity.

Chen, Liang-Yu↗