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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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Gold undercoat prevents blistering in the silver plating of Inconel 718 seals from steam at high temperatures. The undercoat is diffused into the surface of the parent metal by baking prior to silver plating.
Terminal burn-in or baking step time in the processing of planar silicon devices is extended to reduce their inversion tendencies. The collector-base junction of the device is also cyclically biased during the burn-in.
Rejuvenation of AgMg electron multipliers by outgassing and baking techniques
Special technique for applying silicide coatings to refractory metal alloys improves their high-temperature protective capability. Refractory metal powders mixed with a baked-out organic binder and sintered in a vacuum produces a porous alloy layer on the surface. Exposing the layer to hot silicon converts it to a silicide.
Fabrication method for cathode ray tubes uses low-cost siloxane resin formulations. The resins contain sufficient methyl or phenyl groups for solubility in organic solvents. After vaporization and baking, the polymerized material is stable under vacuum and under temperatures required for tube fabrication.
Photocathode for the 8500 angstrom through 9000 angstrom range, improving efficiency by an order of magnitude, is achieved with a gallium arsenide cesium oxide photocathode. Protection of the GaAs surface from contamination during bake-out is another important function.
The work being carried out at the University of Florida Solar Energy and Energy Conversion Laboratory in converting solar energy, our only income, into other needed and useful forms of energy is described. A treatment such as this demonstrates, in proper perspective, how solar energy can benefit mankind with its many problems of shortages and pollution. Descriptions were given of the conversion processes, equipment, and performance. The testing of materials, solar water heating, space heating, cooking and baking, solar distillation, refrigeration and air-conditioning, work with the solar furnace, conversion to mechanical power, hot air engines, solar-heated sewage digestion, conversion to electricity, and other devices will be discussed.
It is shown that deposition of contamination films on satellite optics can be controlled by the following means: isolating critical optical surfaces from the rest of the spacecraft; avoiding or minimizing the use of nonmetallic material, particularly near or in line of sight of optical surfaces; avoiding materials with high vapor pressures; subjecting materials to vacuum baking prior to use, to drive off the volatile outgassing products; keeping the critical surfaces at temperatures above the ambient; avoiding elevated operational temperatures for nonmetallic materials; paying special attention to optics exposed to intense UV-, X-ray, or particular radiation; avoiding water-vapor sources; and directing RCS plumes away from critical surfaces. Methods of controlling particulate contaminants are also proposed.
Mass spectral analyses were made of gases desorbed from carbon samples at increasing temperatures up to 2200 K. Samples were initially outgassed above 2000 K, exposed to air for several hours at room temperature, and then tested in ultrahigh vacuum following a 24-hr bake at 300 C. Four forms of carbon tested were pyrolytic carbon, Grafoil, vitreous carbon, and pyrolyzed-phenolic fibers. The equivalent of several monolayers of gas (mostly H2 and CO) are evolved from all of the carbons except vitreous carbon. Less than a monolayer of gas is evolved from vitreous carbon during outgassing to 2000 K.
A method and apparatus for thermally growing stable silicon dioxide layers on silicon is disclosed. A previously etched and baked silicon nitride tube placed in a furnace is used to grow the silicon dioxide. First, pure oxygen is allowed to flow through the tube to initially coat the inside surface of the tube with a thin layer of silicon dioxide. After the tube is coated with the thin layer of silicon dioxide, the silicon is oxidized thermally in a normal fashion. If the tube becomes contaminated, the silicon dioxide is etched off thereby exposing clean silicon nitride and then the inside of the tube is recoated with silicon dioxide. As is disclosed, the silicon nitride tube can also be used as the ambient for the pyrolytic decomposition of silane and ammonia to form thin layers of clean silicon nitride.
Spacecraft systems are baked-out under vacuum to remove occluded and adsorbed gases, solvents, water, plasticizer, and other materials acquired during their manufacture. Two bakeouts of solar panels were carried out. Quartz crystal microbalances installed in the vacuum chamber during the tests and held at 273 K (0 C) provided an ongoing measure of the panels' outgassing. From these data, the panels' material weight losses versus time were obtained. A comparison of the total weight loss expected during a relatively long bakeout with that accomplished during a reasonable period of time was used as a criteria for an acceptable duration of the bakeout in order to optimize cost effectiveness.
Studies of narrow-band interference filters have shown that two mechanisms exist that cause drift to shorter wavelengths. One is dependent on the thermal history of the filter, and the other depends on the radiation history. The present paper presents experimental results on thermal effects; and it is shown that by a proper bake cycle, ZnS-cryolite filters are stable for years if stored at less than 38 C.
Various factors in Schottky barrier solar cell fabrication are evaluated in order to improve understanding of the current flow mechanism and to isolate processing variables that improve efficiency. Results of finger design, substrate resistivity, surface finishing and activation energy studies are detailed. An increased fill factor was obtained by baking of the vacuum system to remove moisture.
Various hybrid processing steps, handling procedures, and materials are examined in an attempt to identify sources of contamination and to propose methods for the control of these contaminants. It is found that package sealing, assembly, and rework are especially susceptible to contamination. Moisture and loose particles are identified as the worst contaminants. The points at which contaminants are most likely to enter the hybrid package are also identified, and both general and specific methods for their detection and control are developed. In general, the most effective controls for contaminants are: clean working areas, visual inspection at each step of the process, and effective cleaning at critical process steps. Specific methods suggested include the detection of loose particles by a precap visual inspection, by preseal and post-seal electrical testing, and by a particle impact noise test. Moisture is best controlled by sealing all packages in a clean, dry, inert atmosphere after a thorough bake-out of all parts.
A proof-of-concept solar cell process has been developed that is adaptable to automation. This involved the development of a new contact system, a new antireflection coating system, a drift field cell design and a new contoured surface treatment. All these processes are performed without the use of vacuum chambers and expensive masking techniques, thus providing the possibility of reduced costs by automation using conventional semiconductor processing machinery. The contacts were printed on the cells by conventional silk screen machinery. The P(+) back field was formed by diffusing in aluminum from a printed aluminum back contact. The antireflection coating was formed by spinning on and baking a TiO2-SiO2 glass film. Air-mass-zero efficiencies of over 10% were achieved using this completely vacuum-free process.
The performance characteristics and design of an ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) gate valve intended for experiments on high-power microwave tubes are described. Tests run on the valve indicate open/close cycles can run into the hundreds or thousands without trouble. The valve was baked at 450 C or higher for at least 4 h. Applications of the valve include evaluation of NASA-design multistage depressed collectors for high-power PPM focused helix-type traveling-wave tubes.
A system for sealing vacuum baked hybrids in a dry inert atmosphere using an overlapping spot resistance weld is described. A unique electrode configuration and fixturing that permits sealing of large and irregularly shaped gold plated Kovar packages to the hermeticity requirements of MIL-STD-883 was discussed. Metallurgical considerations and comparisons to laser sealing were made. Problems encountered during the development and optimization of the process were highlighted. Solutions to plating, fixturing, warpage, weld splatter and cracked bead problems are presented.
The test procedure used and the results obtained from an evaluation test program, conducted to obtain thermal performance data on a Solaron double glazed air solar collector under simulated conditions in a solar simulator are described. A time constant test and incident angle modifier test were also conducted to determine the transient effect and the incident angle effect on the collector. These results and the results of the collector load test are also discussed. The Solaron collector absorber plate is made of 24-gage steel, the coating is baked-on black paint, the cover consists of two sheets of 1/8-inch low-iron tempered glass, and the insulation is one thickness of 3 5/8-inch fiberglass batting.