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NASA NTRS2000

Characterization of Electronic Materials HgZnSe and HgZnTe Using Innovative and Conventional Techniques

HgZnSe and HgZnTe are electronic materials of interest for potential IR detector and focal plane array applications due to their improved strength and compositional stability over HgCdTe, but they are difficult to grow on Earth and to fully characterize. Conventional contact methods of characterization, such as Hall and van der Paw, although adequate for many situations are typically labor intensive and not entirely suitable where only very small samples are available. To adequately characterize and compare properties of electronic materials grown in low earth orbit with those grown on Earth, innovative techniques are needed that complement existing methods. This paper describes the implementation and test results of a unique non-contact method of characterizing uniformity, mobility, and carrier concentration together with results from conventional methods applied to HgZnSe and HgZnTe. The innovative method has advantages over conventional contact methods since it circumvents problems of possible contamination from alloying electrical contacts to a sample and also has the capability to map a sample. Non- destructive mapping, the determination of the carrier concentration and mobility at each place on a sample, provides a means to quantitatively compare, at high spatial resolution, effects of microgravity on electronic properties and uniformity of electronic materials grown in low-Earth orbit with Earth grown materials. The mapping technique described here uses a 1mm diameter polarized beam of radiation to probe the sample. Activation of a magnetic field, in which the sample is placed, causes the plane of polarization of the probe beam to rotate. This Faraday rotation is a function of the free carrier concentration and the band parameters of the material. Maps of carrier concentration, mobility, and transmission generated from measurements of the Faraday rotation angles over the temperature range from 300K to 77K will be presented. New information on band parameters, obtained by combining results from conventional Hall measurements of the free carrier concentration with Faraday rotation measurements, will also be presented. One example of how this type of information was derived is illustrated in the following figure which shows Faraday rotation vs wavelength modeled for Hg(l-x)ZnxSe at a temperature of 300K and x=0.07. The plasma contribution, total Faraday rotation, and interband contribution to the Faraday rotation, are designated in the Figure as del(p), FR tot, and del(i) respectively. Experimentally measured values of FR tot, each indicated by + , agree acceptably well with the model at the probe wavelength of 10.6 microns. The model shows that at the probe wavelength, practically all the rotation is due to the plasma component, which can be expressed as delta(sub p)= 2pi(e(sup 3))NBL/c(sup 2)nm*(sup 2) omega(sup 2). In this equation, delta(sub p) is the rotation angle due to the free carrier plasma, N is the free carrier concentration, B the magnetic field strength, L the thickness of the sample, n the index of refraction, omega the probe radiation frequency, c the speed of light, e the electron charge, and m* the effective mass. A measurement of N by conventional techniques, combined with a measurement of the Faraday rotation angle allows m* to be accurately determined since it is an inverse square function.

Tanton, George↗

NASA NTRS1979

Model for breakdown process in dielectric discharges

A heuristic model to explain the blowoff of charge during an electron-induced dielectric discharge is presented. It is proposed that blowoff of charge is initiated by a punchthrough or a flashover. The discharge time is assumed to be governed by an LC time constant where L is the inductance of the electrons flowing in the branches of the Lichtenberg figures at an electron range below the irradiated surface and C is the capacitance between the trapped electrons and the substrate for the discharged area. Experiments to verify that blowoff is a consequence of punchthrough or flashover and to measure the punchthrough current and the variation of discharge time with the sample area and thickness were conducted.

Leadon, R.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Experimental simulation of space plasma interactions with high voltage solar arrays

Operating high voltage solar arrays in the space environment can result in anomalously large currents being collected through small insulation defects. Tests of simulated defects have been conducted in a 45-cm vacuum chamber with plasma densities of 100,000 to 1,000,000/cu cm. Plasmas were generated using an argon hollow cathode. The solar array elements were simulated by placing a thin sheet of polyimide (Kapton) insulation with a small hole in it over a conductor. Parameters tested were: hole size, adhesive, surface roughening, sample temperature, insulator thickness, insulator area. These results are discussed along with some preliminary empirical correlations.

Stillwell, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Hydrogen outgassing considerations for an orbiting aluminum molecular shield

A molecular shield and associated hardware made of pure aluminum is shown to have an outgassing rate sufficiently low so that operations in orbit would undergo less density contributions than that present from the upper atmospheric atomic hydrogen contribution. Measurements of the atomic hydrogen outgassing from baked-out 6061 aluminum cylindrical samples 3 mm thick are demonstrated to be less than 1/100 trillion l/sec per sq cm, comparable to that of austenitic stainless steels. Calculations of the density distribution with a hemispherical molecular shield are presented, and the elimination of porosity in the aluminum shells is recommended by means of vacuum melting.

Outlaw, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Composite structural materials

Progress and plans are reported for investigations of: (1) the mechanical properties of high performance carbon fibers; (2) fatigue in composite materials; (3) moisture and temperature effects on the mechanical properties of graphite-epoxy laminates; (4) the theory of inhomogeneous swelling in epoxy resin; (5) numerical studies of the micromechanics of composite fracture; (6) free edge failures of composite laminates; (7) analysis of unbalanced laminates; (8) compact lug design; (9) quantification of Saint-Venant's principles for a general prismatic member; (10) variation of resin properties through the thickness of cured samples; and (11) the wing fuselage ensemble of the RP-1 and RP-2 sailplanes.

Ansell, G. S.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Pyroelectric materials as electronic pulse detectors of ultraheavy nuclei

The design and testing of ultraheavy-nucleus pulse detectors based on pyroelectric materials are reported, extending the preliminary findings of Tuzzolino (1983) and Simpson and Tuzzolino (1983). Uranium-ion beams of about 240 MeV/u are detected by a 39.5-micron-thick Si detector, degraded to about 175 MeV/u by Al absorbers, and then strike 700-micron-thick polyvinylidene fluoride or 1000-micron-thick LiTaO3 pyroelectric samples. Both detector systems are connected to a coincidence circuit via charge-sensitive preamplifiers, shaping amplifiers with 30-microsec effective time constants, and electronic discriminators. Sample spectra are shown, and the pulse heights measured are found to agree with theoretical calculations to within a factor of about 2. The response of the pyroelectric materials is found to be unaffected by exposure to about 10 Mrad of 2-7-MeV/u heavy ion radiation. With further study and improvement of the detection sensitivity, devices of this type could be applied to large-area space measurements of low ultraheavy-ion fluxes.

Simpson, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Composite structural materials

Progress is reported in studies of constituent materials composite materials, generic structural elements, processing science technology, and maintaining long-term structural integrity. Topics discussed include: mechanical properties of high performance carbon fibers; fatigue in composite materials; experimental and theoretical studies of moisture and temperature effects on the mechanical properties of graphite-epoxy laminates and neat resins; numerical investigations of the micromechanics of composite fracture; delamination failures of composite laminates; effect of notch size on composite laminates; improved beam theory for anisotropic materials; variation of resin properties through the thickness of cured samples; numerical analysis composite processing; heat treatment of metal matrix composites, and the RP-1 and RP2 gliders of the sailplane project.

Ansell, G. S.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Quantification of the effects of generation volume, surface recombination velocity, and diffusion length on the electron-beam-induced current and its derivative Determination of diffusion lengths in the low micron and submicron ranges

A systematic and quantitative analysis is carried out to investigate the effects of the shape (point, cube, Gaussian) and size of the generation volume, the surface recombination velocity, and the diffusion length on the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) and its derivative (DEIC). Thick homogeneously doped samples exhibiting diffusion lengths in the low micron and submicron range are considered. The results are presented in computed EBIC curves as a function of scanning distance and of the ratio true diffusion length/effective diffusion length. Shown using these curves are: (1) a simple and yet rigorous method for the determination of the true diffusion length, taking into consideration all of the factors cited above, (2) a method for the rapid determination of the surface recombination velocity, (3) the condition under which the source shape becomes insignificant, and (4) a new value for the lower limit of the diffusion length which can be determined by the EBOC technique.

Luke, K. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Quantitative thermal diffusivity measurements of composites

A remote radiometric technique for making quantitative thermal diffusivity measurements is described. The technique was designed to make assessments of the structural integrity of large composite parts, such as wings, and can be performed at field sites. In the measurement technique, a CO2 laser beam is scanned using two orthogonal servo-controlled deflecting mirrors. An infrared imager, whose scanning mirrors oscillate in the vertical and the horizontal directions, is used as the detector. The analysis technique used to extract the diffusivity from these images is based on a thin infinite plate assumption, which requires waiting a given period of time for the temperature to equilibrate throughout the thickness of the sample. The technique is shown to be accurate to within two percent for values of the order of those for composite diffusivities, and to be insensitive to convection losses.

Heath, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Numerical analysis of supersonic flow through oscillating cascade sections by using a deforming grid

A finite difference code was developed for modeling inviscid, unsteady supersonic flow by solution of the compressible Euler equations. The code uses a deforming grid technique to capture the motion of the airfoils and can model oscillating cascades with any arbitrary interblade phase angle. A flat plate cascade is analyzed, and results are compared with results from a small-perturbation theory. The results show very good agreement for both the unsteady pressure distributions and the integrated force predictions. The reason for using the numerical Euler code over a small-perturbation theory is the ability to model real airfoils that have thickness and camber. Sample predictions are presented for a section of the rotor on a supersonic throughflow compressor designed at NASA Lewis Research Center. Preliminary results indicate that two-dimensional, flat plate analysis predicts conservative flutter boundaries.

Huff, Dennis L.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Diffusion of Si in thin CoSi2 layers

Evidence of silicon diffusion in 100-A CoSi2 layers grown by room-temperature codeposition and annealing on Si(111) substrates was from Auger peak height ratios, which were interpreted in terms of a Si overlayer. It was found that this layer could be removed by chemical etching and reformed by subsequent annealing. By measuring the intensity of the plasmon energy loss peak associated with the CoL23 VV Auger peak, the effective thickness of the Si overlayer was measured as a function of annealing temperature, by calibrating the plasmon loss data against known overlayer thicknesses on unannealed samples. Similar results were found for samples grown both with and without the addition of a 10-A Si cap to prevent pinhole formation in the CoSi2; moreover, Si diffusion was also observed at temperatures well below the point where pinhole formation is first found, suggesting that Si diffusion does not depend on the presence of observable pinholes.

Schowengerdt, F. D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Numerical analysis of supersonic flow through oscillating cascade sections by using a deforming grid

Huff, Dennis L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Numerical simulations of supersonic flow through oscillating cascade sections

A finite difference code was developed for modeling inviscid, unsteady supersonic flow by solution of the compressible Euler equations. The code uses a deforming grid technique to capture the motion of the airfoils and can model oscillating cascades with any arbitrary interblade phase angle. A flat plate cascade is analyzed, and results are compared with results from a small perturbation theory. The results show very good agreement for both the unsteady pressure distributions and the integrated force predictions. The reason for using the numerical Euler code over a small perturbation theory is the ability to model real airfoils that have thickness and camber. Sample predictions are presented for a cascade of loaded airfoils and show appreciable differences in the unsteady surface pressure distributions when compared with the flat plate results.

Huff, Dennis L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Photoionization modeling of Magellanic Cloud planetary nebulae. I

The results of self-consistent photoionization modeling of 38 Magellanic Cloud PNe are presented and used to construct an H-R diagram for the central stars and to obtain both the nebular chemical abundances and the physical parameters of the nebulae. T(eff)s derived from nebular excitation analysis are in agreement with temperatures derived by the classical Zanstra method. There is a linear correlation between log T(eff) and the excitation class. The majority of the central stars in the sample with optically thick nebulae have masses between 0.55 and 0.7 solar mass and are observed during their hydrogen-burning excursion toward high temperatures. Optically thin objects are found scattered throughout the H-R diagram, but tend to have a somewhat smaller mean mass. Type I PN are found to have high core masses and to lie on the descending branch of the evolutionary tracks. The nebular mass of the optically thick objects is closely related to the nebular radius, and PN with nebular masses over one solar are observed.

Dopita, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Numerical simulations of supersonic flow through oscillating cascade sections

A finite difference code has been developed for modeling inviscid, unsteady supersonic flow by solution of the compressible Euler equations. The code uses a deforming grid technique to capture the motion of the airfoils and can model oscillating cascades with any arbitrary interblade phase angle. A flat plate cascade is analyzed, and results are compared with results from a small-perturbation theory. The results show very good agreement for both the unsteady pressure distributions and the integrated force predictions. The reason for using the numerical Euler code over a small-perturbation theory is the ability to model 'real' airfoils that have thickness and camber. Sample predictions are presented for a cascade of loaded airfoils and show appreciable differences in the unsteady surface pressure distributions when compared with the flat plate results.

Huff, Dennis L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Constitutive parameter extraction for heated materials

The focus is the determination of the electrical constitutive paramaters of materials with general complex epsilon and mu values at elevated temperatures. Measurement fixtures and techniques are evaluated for frequencies between 8 and 12 GHz using a rectangular waveguide with the sample completely filling the fixture. Three different measurement techniques are evaluated to obtain the necessary measured quantities for parameter extraction. The most desirable technique used two reflection measurements from material samples of different thickness backed with a short. Temperatures up to 600 F were investigated.

Munk, J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Laser welding in a reduced gravity environment

Preliminary results on the effects of reduced gravity on laser welding of stainless steel and other materials are reported. Laser welding experiments using a low power (10-18 watts) Nd-YAG laser have been performed on the NASA KC-135, which flies parabolic maneuvers to simulate reduced gravity conditions. Experiments on 0.005-0.010 inch thick stainless steel samples displayed a pronounced change in weld bead width, depth of penetration and surface ripple with changes in gravity level.

Workman, Gary L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

LEO spacecraft leakage current and discharging phenomena - TRW LDEF SP-HVDE (space plasma-high voltage drainage experiment)

Two identical SP-HVDE trays were flown in the NASA 5.75-year LDEF (Long Duration Exposure Facility), one near the leading edge and the other near the trailing edge, in the LEO (low earth orbit) environment. Each experiment tray consisted of six assemblies with each made of Kapton dielectric samples of varying thicknesses (i.e., 2 mils, 3 mils, and 5 mils) biased under +/- 300 V, +/- 500 V, and +/- 1000 V. The objectives have been successfully achieved by measuring the first post-flight long-term (i.e. roughly 8-month experiment) average leakage current through 95 percent measurable coulombmeters and surface materials.

Yaung, J. Y.↗