InP obtained by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy, with properties similar to GaAs, shows mobilities approaching the theoretical maxima at low temperatures. However, the corresponding values remain abnormally low at room temperature where a pronounced electronic excitation to the conduction band is observed simultaneously. This reduction of the mobility is attributed to the presence of deep centers that are electrically inactive at low temperatures but become excited when the temperature increases. A model based on an iterative solution to the Boltzmann equation and accounting for the usual scattering mechanisms, including inelastic interactions, is able to explain the data perfectly and shows that a very high mobility at low temperature is not a sufficient measure of the purity for this material. The binding energy of the deep centers depends on the organo-metalic source used for the growth. This links the solution of this problem to the purification of the chemicals. Depletion effects at the interfaces did not appear to be significant. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

In the framework of the two-band (Dirac) model, we analyze the electronic structure of nanoscale systems, based on narrow-gap semiconductors of Pb,_xSnx (Se, S) type. Themain attention is paid to the influence of properties of the surface, encoded in appropriate boundary conditions, on the size-quantized spectrum. From this point of view we consider two types of systems: spherical (quantum dots) and quasi one-dimensional (films).It is shown that the spectrum of the spherical quantum dot consists not only of usual size-quantized states, located above the gap edge, but also surface modes residing inside the gap. Such states manifest themselves in the far infrared part of the absorption spectrum, the measurement of which allows one to extract information about the dot surface.Next, we consider a film with the energy gap modulated in the <111> (growth) direction. It is shown that the spectrum of the infinite crystal possesses a supersymmetrical structure. The film boundaries, generally speaking, destroy the supersymmetry, i.e. size-quantized subbands turn out to be spin-split. However, there exists a class of boundary conditions that do not lift spin degeneracy. Physically, in this case there is no band mismatch at interfaces. Our central statement, therefore, consists of the following: even when the inversion symmetry is destroyed by the bulk inhomogeneity, the spin-splitting of the spectrum is a purely surface effect. This is illustrated on a simple example, when the energy gap varies linearly over the film width.Finally, we investigate the role of boundary conditions in the problem of scattering of spinor waves by a quantum dot. It is shown that the existence of surface states greatly modifies the scattering data; in particular, outgoing waves may turn out to be fully polarized. / Department of Physics and Astronomy

Thick-section austenitic stainless steels have widespread industrial applications, especially in nuclear power plants. The joining methods used in the nuclear industry are primarily based on arc welding processes. However, it has recently been shown that the Narrow Gap Laser Welding (NGLW) technique can be used to join materials with thicknesses that are well beyond the capabilities of single pass autogenous laser welding. The heat input for NGLW is much lower than that of arc welding, as are the expected levels of residual stress and distortion. The multi-pass laser welding technique, based on the narrow gap approach, is an emerging welding technology which can be applied to thick-section welds using a relatively low-power laser, but the process is more complicated than autogenous laser welding, since it is necessary to introduce filler wire to narrow gap weld configurations. Despite this complexity, the technique is very promising for improving the penetration capabilities of the laser welding process. However a limited amount of research has been conducted on the development of the NGLW technique; the control and optimization of weld bead quality inside the narrow gap is still an area of weakness. The research described in this thesis involves investigations on NGLW of AISI grade 316L austenitic stainless steel, and the performance of the resulting welds. Design-of-experiments and statistical modelling techniques were employed to understand and optimize the welding process. A statistical model was used in order to understand the significant process parameters and their interactions, allowing improved control of the weld quality in ultra-narrow gap (1.5 mm gap width) welds. The results show a significant improvement in weld quality can be achieved through the use of statistical modelling and multi-variable optimisation. The microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties (e.g. tensile strengths, fatigue, bending strength and fracture toughness) of the NGLW samples were examined and compared with those of other welding techniques - autogenous laser welding and gas-tungsten arc welding (GTAW). The work shows that NGLW of 316L steel sheets up to 20 mm thickness have generally better or comparable mechanical properties than those of GTAW but with much higher welding productivity. The results of detailed investigations of the 2D residual stress distributions, material distortions, and plastic strain characteristics of the NGLW technique are described. The contour method was employed for residual stress evaluation of the NGLW technique, and the results were validated using X-Ray and neutron diffraction measurements. The results were compared with those obtained with GTAW. The results suggest that the longitudinal tensile residual stresses in NGLW joints are 30-40% lower than those for GTAW joints. The influence of the laser power and number of passes for the NGLW technique, on the developed residual stress and plastic strain has been investigated, and the influence of welding strategy and the use of restraint during welding were also investigated. To understand the thermal history in NGLW and its effect on residual stress, finite element analysis was carried out using ABAQUS to numerically model the behaviour of residual stress across the multipass NGLW weld joints. The model has been validated with the experiments using temperature measurements and in terms of residual stresses the model is compared with neutron diffraction and the contour method. There is a very good correlation between the model and experimental results. The influence of both the laser power and welding speed on the induced residual stress during the NGLW process was also investigated using the model. The aqueous, pitting and stress corrosion cracking behaviour of the NGLW joints were investigated, and the results compared to those for GTAW joints under the same conditions. The results show that NGLW joints have better resistance to pitting corrosion than the GTA welds. Preliminary results also suggest that NGLW has better resistance to stress corrosion cracking.

No description available.

Several methods have been developed and used to characterize the narrow gap semiconductors Hg^_xCdxTe (HgCdTe) (0.20<x<0.32) and InSb both in the presence of CO2 laser radiation and in the dark. The results have allowed the determination of certain band parameters including the fundamental energy bandgap Eg which is directly related to x, the mole fraction of Cd. In the dark, characterization of several different samples of HgCdTe and InSb were carried out by analyzing the temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient and the magnetic field positions of the magnetophonon extrema from which their x-values were determined. The quality of the magnetophonon spectra is also shown to be related to the inhomogeneity Ax of the HgCdTe samples. One-photon magneto-absorption (OPMA) spectra have been obtained for x ~ 0.2 samples of p-HgCdTe thin films and n-HgCdTe bulk samples. Analysis of the OPMA transition energies allows the x-value to be determined to within « ±0.001. A method is also discussed which can be used to estimate the sample inhomogeneity Ax. Nonlinear optical properties of semiconductors are not only scientifically interesting to study, but are also proving to be technologically important as various nonlinear optical devices are being developed. One of the most valuable nonlinear optical characterization method uses twophoton absorption (TPA). Two techniques using TPA processes were developed and used to measure the cut-off wavelength of several different samples of HgCdTe (x ~ 0.3) from which x-values were determined to within «± 0.0005. Intensity and temperature dependent measurements on impurity and TPA processes have also been carried out and the results are compared with rate equations describing the photo-excited carrier dynamics. These results have yielded important information about the optical and material properties of HgCdTe such as the detection of impurity and trapping levels, TPA coefficients, carrier lifetimes, and recombination mechanisms. TPA and impurity absorption studies were also carried out on n— and p—InSb in order to obtain information about impurity levels, carrier lifetimes, and recombination mechanisms.

A Aproximação de Massa Efetiva para a função evnvelope multi-componente, na presença de uma interface, desenvolvida por Marques e Sham, será utilizada aqui, para materiais de gap estreito do grupo II-VI, da seguinte maneira: A) A forte interação entre bandas de condução e valência, nestes materiais, é justificada em um Hamiltoniano de Kane (6x6) modificado, contendo todas as ondas de Bloch propagantes e evanescentes. Na presença de uma interface, a função de onda eletrônica, &#936, é composta de uma onda de Bloch incidente, uma refletida e duas evanescentes, com a mesma energia E e momento paralelo k. Já que a estrutura da maioria dos isolantes utilizados são desconhecidos, a interface semicondutor-isolante por ser considerada como uma barreira infinita, de modo que, &#936, se anule na interface. Existe uma fina região de espessura &#945 na interface, onde o decaimento das ondas evanescentes é indispensável. Distante desta região, as ondas evanescentes possuem um papel insignificante e eventualmente anulam-se. O limite de &#945 &#8594 0 determina as condições de contorno para cada componente da função de onda envelope na interface. B) As condições de contorno são usadas para computar a estrutura de subbandas e o potencial auto-consistente para o Hg1-xCdxTe. A mais interessante característica é o afastamento dos estados de spin duplamente degenerados. Estes resultados serão utilizados para encontrarmos a dependência da energia das subbandas com um campo magnético perpendicular à interface. C) A magneto-condutividade longitudinal é calculada como função do campo magnético B &#8869. Efeitos das interações elétron-elétron e elétrons-impureza são levadas em conta nas aproximações de Hartee-Foch e auto-consistente de Born, respectivamente. Para uma interação elétron-impureza finita, encontram-se fatores de preenchimentos críticos dos níveis de Landau, onde transições de fase são observadas. Estes resultados explicam as descontinuidades presentes, em medidas experimentais, na magneto-resistividade longitudinal e transversal (Hall), em MISFET de Hg (Cd)Te. / The Effective Mass Approximation for multi-component envelope wave function in the presence of an interface in the MOSFET system, developed by Marques and Sham, will be used here, for II-VI narrow-gap semiconductors, in the following way: A) The strong interaction between conduction and valence bands, in these materials, is justified. The (6x6) Kane type modified Hamiltonian is used and the total wave function contains every propagating and evanescent waves. For an interface, the total function, &#936, is composed of one incident and one reflected and two evanescent Bloch waves, with energy E and parallel wave-vector k. Since the band structure of the most used insulators is usually not well known, the insulator-semiconductor interface can be assumed as an infinite barrier; therefore, the total wave-function there can set to zero. The semiconductor evanescent Bloch waves are indispensable in a thin layer, of thickness &#945, close to this region. Far away from the interface their role are insignificant and can be neglected. In the limit &#945 &#8594 0, the boundary condition for each the limit the total Bloch wave function, are derived. B) These boundary conditions are used to calculate the self-consistent electric subband and potential for MISFET of Hg1-xCdxTe. The subbands present a very important spin splitting, due to the internal electric field. C) The effect of a perpendicular magnetic field is also studied and the longitudinal magneto-conductivity are calculated. The effect of electron-electron and electron-impurity interactions are respectively accounted for in the Hartee-Fock and self-consistent Born approximations. For critical electron-impurity interaction, the Landau level filling shows a phase transition at a given fractional occupation (or magnetic field). These results are experimentally observed in both longitudinal and transverse (Hall) magneto-resistance for Hg(Cd)Te.

Konstanz, Univ., Diss., 2000.

Konstanz, Univ., Diplomarb., 2001.

A Aproximação de Massa Efetiva para a função evnvelope multi-componente, na presença de uma interface, desenvolvida por Marques e Sham, será utilizada aqui, para materiais de gap estreito do grupo II-VI, da seguinte maneira: A) A forte interação entre bandas de condução e valência, nestes materiais, é justificada em um Hamiltoniano de Kane (6x6) modificado, contendo todas as ondas de Bloch propagantes e evanescentes. Na presença de uma interface, a função de onda eletrônica, &#936, é composta de uma onda de Bloch incidente, uma refletida e duas evanescentes, com a mesma energia E e momento paralelo k. Já que a estrutura da maioria dos isolantes utilizados são desconhecidos, a interface semicondutor-isolante por ser considerada como uma barreira infinita, de modo que, &#936, se anule na interface. Existe uma fina região de espessura &#945 na interface, onde o decaimento das ondas evanescentes é indispensável. Distante desta região, as ondas evanescentes possuem um papel insignificante e eventualmente anulam-se. O limite de &#945 &#8594 0 determina as condições de contorno para cada componente da função de onda envelope na interface. B) As condições de contorno são usadas para computar a estrutura de subbandas e o potencial auto-consistente para o Hg1-xCdxTe. A mais interessante característica é o afastamento dos estados de spin duplamente degenerados. Estes resultados serão utilizados para encontrarmos a dependência da energia das subbandas com um campo magnético perpendicular à interface. C) A magneto-condutividade longitudinal é calculada como função do campo magnético B &#8869. Efeitos das interações elétron-elétron e elétrons-impureza são levadas em conta nas aproximações de Hartee-Foch e auto-consistente de Born, respectivamente. Para uma interação elétron-impureza finita, encontram-se fatores de preenchimentos críticos dos níveis de Landau, onde transições de fase são observadas. Estes resultados explicam as descontinuidades presentes, em medidas experimentais, na magneto-resistividade longitudinal e transversal (Hall), em MISFET de Hg (Cd)Te. / The Effective Mass Approximation for multi-component envelope wave function in the presence of an interface in the MOSFET system, developed by Marques and Sham, will be used here, for II-VI narrow-gap semiconductors, in the following way: A) The strong interaction between conduction and valence bands, in these materials, is justified. The (6x6) Kane type modified Hamiltonian is used and the total wave function contains every propagating and evanescent waves. For an interface, the total function, &#936, is composed of one incident and one reflected and two evanescent Bloch waves, with energy E and parallel wave-vector k. Since the band structure of the most used insulators is usually not well known, the insulator-semiconductor interface can be assumed as an infinite barrier; therefore, the total wave-function there can set to zero. The semiconductor evanescent Bloch waves are indispensable in a thin layer, of thickness &#945, close to this region. Far away from the interface their role are insignificant and can be neglected. In the limit &#945 &#8594 0, the boundary condition for each the limit the total Bloch wave function, are derived. B) These boundary conditions are used to calculate the self-consistent electric subband and potential for MISFET of Hg1-xCdxTe. The subbands present a very important spin splitting, due to the internal electric field. C) The effect of a perpendicular magnetic field is also studied and the longitudinal magneto-conductivity are calculated. The effect of electron-electron and electron-impurity interactions are respectively accounted for in the Hartee-Fock and self-consistent Born approximations. For critical electron-impurity interaction, the Landau level filling shows a phase transition at a given fractional occupation (or magnetic field). These results are experimentally observed in both longitudinal and transverse (Hall) magneto-resistance for Hg(Cd)Te.

With the retreating sources of carbon based fuels, thermoelectric materials can play an important role in the future of environmentally friendly power generators. Sb based framework have in some cases shown some promising properties as thermoelectric materials. The physical properties may be modified with doping or incorporation of new elements. Zn4Sb3 and Cd4Sb3 are structurally related with a Sb-based network and Zn/Cd occupying the rest of the positions. Both structures undergo order-disorder α–β transition of the Zn/Cd positions, at 254 K and ~355 K respectively. The previously ordered interstitial atoms become distributed in the structure and the two high temperature phases are isostructural (R-3c). Cd4Sb3 was synthesized from melt-quench, flux synthesis with Sn, Bi and In. The syntheses made with In resulted in interstitial-free β-Cd4Sb3 with the composition Cd11.7In1.5Sb10. This compound exhibits no phase transitions until decomposition. ZnSnSb2 and InSb both exhibit the cubic sphalerite structure. ZnSnSb2 is metallic and InSb narrow band-gap semiconductor. Attempts were made to fine-tune the electrical properties by probing the mutual solid solubility range. The formula [ZnSnSb2]x[2(InSb)]1-xSn4 and 0&lt;X&lt;1 with 0.1 increments for the whole composition range was used. Resistivity changes from semiconducting to metallic conduction between x=0.9 and x=0.8. In the attempt to dope Zn4Sb3 by In a novel metastable compound with the composition Zn9Sb6In2 was found. Another novel phase was discovered with the composition Zn5Sb4In2-δ (δ=0.15).  The two phases have the same Sb-framework with a CuAl2 structure. Zn and In arrangements fill the square antiprisms formed by the stacking of 32434 nets in anti configuration. The filling of the antiprisms in the two phases are different, in Zn9Sb6In2 the antiprisms have two filling arrangements, an In or Zn3 triangles. In Zn5Sb4In2-δ the antiprisms are filled with an In and a Zn that occupies a split position to form a hetero-atomic dimers.