This thesis focuses on improving the adhesion of electroless metal layers plated to pit contacts in interdigitated, backside buried contact (IBBC) solar cells. In an electrolessly plated, pit contact IBBC cell, the contact grooves are replaced with lines of pits which are interconnected by the plated metal. It is shown, however, that electroless metal layers, plated by the standard IBBC plating sequence, are not adherent on pit contact IBBC solar cells. The cause of this adhesion problem is investigated by examining the adhesive properties of each of the metal layers in the electroless metallization sequence on planar test structures. This investigation reveals that Pd activation of heavily P diffused Si impedes Ni silicide growth and that, in the absence of a silicide at the Ni/Si interface, an electrolessly plated Cu layer will cause the underlying Ni layer to peel away from the substrate. It is also found that the Ni silicidation process itself intermittently causes the unreacted Ni to spontaneously peel away from the substrate. An electroless metallization sequence that results in thick, adhesive Cu deposits on planar &lt 100&gt surfaces is developed in this thesis. It is shown that this process leads to the formation of a Ni silicide on both n- and p- type, heavily diffused surfaces. Fully plated, pit contact IBBC solar cells were not able to be fabricated during the course of this work but it is reasonable to expect that the modified plating sequence developed in this work will result in the metal layers being adhesive on these cells.

<p>The aim of this study is to synthesize a material with high thermal conductivity and a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), useful as a heat sink. Carbon nanofibres (CNF) are first coated with copper by an electroless plating technique and then sintered to a solid sample by either spark plasma sintering (SPS) or hot pressing (HP). The final product is a carbon nanofibre reinforced copper composite. Two different fibre structures are considered: platlet (PL) and herringbone (HB). The influence of the amount of CNF reinforcement (6-24 %wt), on the thermal conductivity and CTE is studied. CNF has an excellent thermal conductivity in the direction along the fibre while it is poor in the transverse direction. The CTE is close to zero in the temperature range of interest. The adhesion of Cu to the CNF surface is in general poor and thus improving the the wetting of the copper by surface modifications of the fibres are of interest such that thermal gaps in the microstructure can be avoided. The poor wetting results in CNF agglomerates, resulting in an inhomogeneous microstructure. In this report a combination of three different types of surface modifications has been tested: (1) electroless deposition of copper was used to improve Cu impregnation of CNF; (2) heat treatment of CNF to improve wetting; and (3) introduction of a Cr buffer layer to further enhance wetting. The obtained composite microstructures are characterized in terms of chemical composition, grain size and degree of agglomeration. In addition their densities are also reported. The thermal properties were evaluated in terms of thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and CTE. Cr/Cu coated platelet fibres (6wt% of CNF reinforcement) sintered by SPS is the sample with the highest thermal conductivity, ~200 W/Km. The thermal conductivity is found to decrease with increasing content of CNFs.</p>

The aim of this study is to synthesize a material with high thermal conductivity and a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), useful as a heat sink. Carbon nanofibres (CNF) are first coated with copper by an electroless plating technique and then sintered to a solid sample by either spark plasma sintering (SPS) or hot pressing (HP). The final product is a carbon nanofibre reinforced copper composite. Two different fibre structures are considered: platlet (PL) and herringbone (HB). The influence of the amount of CNF reinforcement (6-24 %wt), on the thermal conductivity and CTE is studied. CNF has an excellent thermal conductivity in the direction along the fibre while it is poor in the transverse direction. The CTE is close to zero in the temperature range of interest. The adhesion of Cu to the CNF surface is in general poor and thus improving the the wetting of the copper by surface modifications of the fibres are of interest such that thermal gaps in the microstructure can be avoided. The poor wetting results in CNF agglomerates, resulting in an inhomogeneous microstructure. In this report a combination of three different types of surface modifications has been tested: (1) electroless deposition of copper was used to improve Cu impregnation of CNF; (2) heat treatment of CNF to improve wetting; and (3) introduction of a Cr buffer layer to further enhance wetting. The obtained composite microstructures are characterized in terms of chemical composition, grain size and degree of agglomeration. In addition their densities are also reported. The thermal properties were evaluated in terms of thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and CTE. Cr/Cu coated platelet fibres (6wt% of CNF reinforcement) sintered by SPS is the sample with the highest thermal conductivity, ~200 W/Km. The thermal conductivity is found to decrease with increasing content of CNFs.

The material and device characteristics of InGaN/GaN heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition are examined. Two structures grown on sapphire with different p-InxGa1-xN base-region compositions, xIn = 0.03 and 0.05, are presented in a comparative study. In a second experiment, NpN-GaN/InGaN/GaN HBTs are grown and fabricated on free-standing GaN (FS-GaN) and sapphire substrates to investigate the effect of dislocations on III-nitride HBT epitaxial structures. The performance characteristics of HBTs on FS-GaN with a 20×20 m2 emitter area exhibit a maximum collector-current density of ~12.3 kA/cm2, a D.C. current gain of ~90, and a maximum differential gain of ~120 without surface passivation. For the development of deep-ultraviolet optoelectronics, several various structures of optically-pumped lasers at 257, 246, and 243 nm are demonstrated on (0001) AlN substrates. The threshold-power density at room temperature was reduced to as low as 297 kW/cm2. The dominating polarization was measured to be transverse electric in all cases. InAlN material was developed to provide lattice matched, high-bandgap energy cladding layers for a III-N UV laser structure. This would alleviate strain and dislocation formation in the structure, and also mitigate the polarization charge. However, a gallium auto-doping mechanism was encountered which prevents the growth of pure ternary InAlN, resulting instead in quaternary InAlGaN. This phenomenon is quantitatively examined and its source is explored.

A contaminação por biofilmes bacterianos tem um forte impacto negativo, especialmente quando aderidos na superfície de próteses, implantes, pinos e outros dispositivos médico-cirúrgicos. Neste trabalho foram produzidas amostras metálicas de titânio e AISI 304 com íons Ag+ implantados por IPD a diferentes energias: 2 e 4 keV; e com diferentes tempos de implantação: 30, 45, 60 e 90 min visando a obtenção de superfícies com propriedades bactericidas. A profundidade e o perfil de distribuição dos íons implantados foram estimados por simulação de Monte Carlo utilizando o software SRIM 2008, juntamente com a determinação da concentração de prata incorporada nas amostras por técnicas espectroscópicas. A atividade bactericida das amostras de titânio com diferentes concentrações de prata foi avaliada por meio do tratamento de um efluente industrial líquido, que foi submetido à contagem de Escherichia coli antes e depois do contato do efluente com as amostras. O ângulo de contato foi medido para avaliação da molhabilidade das amostras de titânio que apresentaram as maiores concentrações de prata, fator determinante na adesão de bactérias e células humanas. A citotoxidade foi avaliada através de teste de viabilidade celular e análise morfológica. Obteve-se uma redução de 27% de E.coli no efluente industrial tratado com a amostra implantada a 4 keV por 45 min, com concentração inicial de 3,35 × 1015 átomos cm-2.Não foi detectado efeito tóxico da prata para células humanas MG63, mesmo considerando as maiores concentrações prata, uma vez que não houve redução na adesão e proliferação celular em relação ao titânio não tratado. Para as amostras de AISI 304, os ensaios de adesão microbiana foram realizados para as bactérias Listeria monocytogenes e Salmonella Enteritidis, resultando em uma redução de 65,9 e 69,8%, respectivamente. Por fim, os resultados mostraram que o tratamento estudado para obtenção de materiais metálicos com ação bactericida é promissor para aplicações na área médica, no entanto é necessário uma avaliação em longo prazo para garantir a segurança de sua utilização. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2017-07-05T14:10:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Tatiana Pacheco Soares Zamboni.pdf: 2896094 bytes, checksum: a93cbf9d375f0634bd1237b20bc12d83 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-05T14:10:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Tatiana Pacheco Soares Zamboni.pdf: 2896094 bytes, checksum: a93cbf9d375f0634bd1237b20bc12d83 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-05 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, CAPES. / Contamination by bacterial biofilms has a strong negative impact, especially when given on the surface of prostheses, implants, pins and other medical-surgical devices. In this study metal samples of Titanium cp and AISI 304 were produced with Ag+ ions implanted by IPD at different energies: 2 and 4 keV and different implantation times: 30, 45, 60 and 90 min to obtain surfaces with bactericidal properties. The depth and the distribution profile of the implanted ions were estimated by Monte Carlo simulation using the SRIM 2008 software. The Ag+ ions concentration incorporated in the samples was determinate by spectroscopic techniques. Bactericidal activity of the titanium samples with different concentration of Ag+ ions was evaluated by the treatment of a liquid industrial waste. It was submitted to Escherichia coli counting before and after the contact of the waste with the samples. The contact angle was measured to evaluate the wettability of the titanium samples that presented the highest silver concentration. Wettability is a determinant factor in the adhesion of bacteria and human cells. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by cell viability test and morphological analysis. A 27% reduction of E. coli in the industrial waste treated with the sample implanted at 4 keV was achieved for 45 min with an initial concentration of 3.35 × 1015 atoms cm2. No toxic effect of silver was detected on human MG63 cells, even considering the higher concentration of silver, since there was no reduction in cell adhesion and proliferation c to untreated titanium. For the AISI 304 samples, the microbial adhesion assays were performed for the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Enteritidis, resulting in a reduction of 65.9 and 69.8%, respectively. Finally, the results showed that the treatment studied to obtain metallic materials with bactericidal action is promising for applications in the medical field, however a long term evaluation is necessary to guarantee the safety of its use.

A contaminação por biofilmes bacterianos tem um forte impacto negativo, especialmente quando aderidos na superfície de próteses, implantes, pinos e outros dispositivos médico-cirúrgicos. Neste trabalho foram produzidas amostras metálicas de titânio e AISI 304 com íons Ag+ implantados por IPD a diferentes energias: 2 e 4 keV; e com diferentes tempos de implantação: 30, 45, 60 e 90 min visando a obtenção de superfícies com propriedades bactericidas. A profundidade e o perfil de distribuição dos íons implantados foram estimados por simulação de Monte Carlo utilizando o software SRIM 2008, juntamente com a determinação da concentração de prata incorporada nas amostras por técnicas espectroscópicas. A atividade bactericida das amostras de titânio com diferentes concentrações de prata foi avaliada por meio do tratamento de um efluente industrial líquido, que foi submetido à contagem de Escherichia coli antes e depois do contato do efluente com as amostras. O ângulo de contato foi medido para avaliação da molhabilidade das amostras de titânio que apresentaram as maiores concentrações de prata, fator determinante na adesão de bactérias e células humanas. A citotoxidade foi avaliada através de teste de viabilidade celular e análise morfológica. Obteve-se uma redução de 27% de E.coli no efluente industrial tratado com a amostra implantada a 4 keV por 45 min, com concentração inicial de 3,35 × 1015 átomos cm-2.Não foi detectado efeito tóxico da prata para células humanas MG63, mesmo considerando as maiores concentrações prata, uma vez que não houve redução na adesão e proliferação celular em relação ao titânio não tratado. Para as amostras de AISI 304, os ensaios de adesão microbiana foram realizados para as bactérias Listeria monocytogenes e Salmonella Enteritidis, resultando em uma redução de 65,9 e 69,8%, respectivamente. Por fim, os resultados mostraram que o tratamento estudado para obtenção de materiais metálicos com ação bactericida é promissor para aplicações na área médica, no entanto é necessário uma avaliação em longo prazo para garantir a segurança de sua utilização. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, CAPES. / Contamination by bacterial biofilms has a strong negative impact, especially when given on the surface of prostheses, implants, pins and other medical-surgical devices. In this study metal samples of Titanium cp and AISI 304 were produced with Ag+ ions implanted by IPD at different energies: 2 and 4 keV and different implantation times: 30, 45, 60 and 90 min to obtain surfaces with bactericidal properties. The depth and the distribution profile of the implanted ions were estimated by Monte Carlo simulation using the SRIM 2008 software. The Ag+ ions concentration incorporated in the samples was determinate by spectroscopic techniques. Bactericidal activity of the titanium samples with different concentration of Ag+ ions was evaluated by the treatment of a liquid industrial waste. It was submitted to Escherichia coli counting before and after the contact of the waste with the samples. The contact angle was measured to evaluate the wettability of the titanium samples that presented the highest silver concentration. Wettability is a determinant factor in the adhesion of bacteria and human cells. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by cell viability test and morphological analysis. A 27% reduction of E. coli in the industrial waste treated with the sample implanted at 4 keV was achieved for 45 min with an initial concentration of 3.35 × 1015 atoms cm2. No toxic effect of silver was detected on human MG63 cells, even considering the higher concentration of silver, since there was no reduction in cell adhesion and proliferation c to untreated titanium. For the AISI 304 samples, the microbial adhesion assays were performed for the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Enteritidis, resulting in a reduction of 65.9 and 69.8%, respectively. Finally, the results showed that the treatment studied to obtain metallic materials with bactericidal action is promising for applications in the medical field, however a long term evaluation is necessary to guarantee the safety of its use.

In the present investigation, surface coatings employing laser surface alloying (LSA) and plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) processes have been prepared on Mg alloys. The coatings have been investigated for corrosion and wear behaviour. Two important Mg alloys based on Mg–Al system were selected namely, MRI 230D and AM50 as substrates. LSA coatings have been prepared employing Al and Al2O3 as precursors using different laser scan speeds. PEO coatings were prepared in standard silicate and phosphate based electrolytes employing unipolar, pulsed DC. Hybrid coatings using a combination of the two processes were also produced and investigated for corrosion and wear behaviour. Hybrid coatings of LSA followed by PEO (LSA+PEO) were investigated for effectiveness of sealing the cracks in the LSA coatings by subsequent PEO process and consequent improvement in the corrosion resistance. Hybrid coatings of PEO followed by LSA (PEO+LSA) were prepared with an objective of sealing the pores in the PEO coating LSA treatment. In an attempt to produce more compact PEO coatings, electrolyte containing montmorillonite clay additives was employed for the PEO process of AM50 Mg alloy. The coatings were produced employing different current densities and the effect of current density on the microstructure and corrosion behaviour of coating was investigated. Electrochemical corrosion tests of uncoated and coated alloys were carried out in 3.5 wt.% (0.6M)NaCl, neutral pH, solution with an exposed area of 0.5 cm2 for a time duration of 18.5 h. For the PEO coatings with clay additives, corrosion tests were conducted additionally in 0.5 wt.% (0.08 M) NaCl, neutral pH, solution for a time duration of 226.1 h. Wear behaviour of LSA coatings was analyzed by employing a pin on disc tribo–tester conforming to ASTM G–99 standard at ambient conditions with ground EN32 steel disc of hardness Rc 58 as the counterface. Tests were conducted under dry sliding conditions for a sliding distance of 1.0 km at a sliding velocity of 0.837 m/s employing normal loads of 10, 20, 30 and 40 N. Friction and wear behavior of PEO and PEO+LSA coatings were analyzed at ambient conditions by employing a ball−on−flat linearly oscillating tribometer conforming to ASTM G–133 standard. AISI 52100 steel ball of diameter 6 mm was employed as the friction partner. Wear tests were conducted under dry sliding conditions for a total sliding distance of 100 m at normal loads of 2 N and 5 N with oscillating amplitude of 10 mm and mean sliding speed of 5 mm/s. LSA coatings could not improve the corrosion resistance of MRI 230D Mg alloy. This was attributed to the presence of cracks in the LSA coating, which resulted in the accelerated galvanic corrosion of the substrate. LSA coatings improved the wear resistance at all loads. The improved wear resistance was attributed to β (Mg17Al12) phase and Al2O3 particles in the coating which increased the hardness of the LSA layer. No trend in corrosion and wear resistance with laser scan speed was observed for LSA coatings. PEO coatings improved the corrosion resistance of the MRI 230D Mg alloy significantly. The improved corrosion resistance was attributed to the enhanced barrier protection provided by dense barrier layer formed at the substrate/coating interface and to the insoluble phase constituents in the coatings. PEO coating was effective in improving the wear resistance at low loads/contact pressures. At higher loads, the coating underwent micro–fracture as a result of the porosity in the coatings. Hybrid coatings of LSA followed by PEO (LSA+PEO) in silicate based electrolyte improved the corrosion resistance of LSA coatings. However, the corrosion resistance was not improved to the extent of PEO coatings on as–cast alloy as a result of cracks in the primary coatings, which were not fully sealed by the plasma conversion products. No trend in corrosion resistance with laser scan speed was observed for LSA+PEOcoatings. In hybrid coatings of PEO followed by LSA (PEO+LSA), primary PEO coating was completely melted and mixed with applied precursor to form a single composite LSA layer. The corrosion resistance of the hybrid coatings was observed to be lower than that of the as–cast alloy. The presence of solidification cracks reduced the barrier properties and resulted in the accelerated galvanic corrosion of the substrate similar to LSA coatings. Hybrid (PEO+LSA) coatings exhibited improved wear resistance as compared to as–cast alloy at lower loads as a result of increase in the hardness due to β (Mg17Al12) phase and oxide/ceramic particles in the hybrid layer. At higher loads, hybrid coatings exhibited higher wear rate as compared to as–cast alloy and PEO coatings. This was attributed to three–body abrasive wear as a result of dislodged hard oxide/ceramic particles in the wear tracks. No trend in corrosion and wear resistance with laser scan speed was observed for PEO+LSA coatings. PEO coatings on AM50 Mg alloy by employing clay additives in the electrolyte resulted in the reactive uptake of clay particles producing a predominantly amorphous coating at low current density. Clay additives were effective in improving the compactness of the coating at lower current density. At higher current densities, the porosity of the coatings increased. The clay particles got re–constituted producing increasing amount of crystalline phases with increase in current density. Long term impedance measurements showed that clay addition as well as increased current density employed for the PEO process was not effective in improving the corrosion resistance of the coatings. At low current density, even though the coating with clay additives was more compact, it was deficient in MgO and consisted predominantly of an amorphous phase, which underwent fast dissolution in electrolyte thereby resulting in an early loss of barrier properties. At higher current densities, even though the coatings consisted of increased amount of MgO and crystalline phases, which resist dissolution in the electrolyte, the increased porosity and defective barrier layer resulted in easy permeation of the electrolyte into the substrate/coating interface, which resulted in much earlier loss of barrier properties and inferior corrosion resistance.

Os resíduos sólidos galvânicos despertam especial atenção, devido à sua composição tóxica. Tais resíduos geralmente são estocados nas empresas de galvanoplastia, criando um preocupante passivo ambiental, em particular, nas áreas densamente povoadas, como a zona leste da cidade de São Paulo, que, por sua vez, possui um pólo de empresas de galvanoplastia do setor de cromação. Face ao pressuposto, na primeira parte do trabalho, um estudo foi realizado com a compilação dos dados de empresas galvânicas situadas na zona leste de São Paulo, abordando aspectos socioeconômicos e de processo, que influenciam na geração e na destinação dos resíduos sólidos industriais. Na segunda parte do trabalho, amostras selecionadas de resíduos sólidos foram avaliadas quanto às suas características químicas e físico-químicas e foi apresentada a viabilidade do uso tecnológico visando o aproveitamento destes resíduos. Os principais resultados obtidos mostraram que nas dezessete empresas visitadas são geradas 106 toneladas de resíduos sólidos por ano e estes são armazenados em condições precárias, podendo afetar a população vizinha em caso de acidentes ambientais. Os resíduos constituídos majoritariamente por Ni, Cr, B, Cu, Ca, S, C, Na, Fe e Zn, quando aquecidos até 1400°C, apresentaram formações de compostos identificados como Ca2Cr2O5, BaCrO4, NiCr2O4, CuCrO2, CaSO4, Ni2SiO4, NiO e CuO. Estes compostos são difíceis de serem obtidos e, por si só, apresentam potencial para comercialização como matérias-primas para a produção de produtos cerâmicos. Os resíduos sólidos galvânicos foram incorporados em matrizes vítreas, indicando uma alternativa satisfatória e de baixo custo para a inertização dos constituintes nocivos à saúde. Os vidros obtidos apresentaram aspectos coloridos, podendo ser utilizados como produtos finais ou como matérias-primas para a produção de esmaltes cerâmicos ou pigmentos inorgânicos. Existem diversas possibilidades de destinação dos lodos galvânicos e, independente de qual seja adotada, conclui-se que é de extrema importância a sua retirada de dentro das empresas, para eliminar o enorme e crescente passivo ambiental. / Solid galvanic waste has attracted special attention due to its toxic composition. These wastes are usually stored in galvanic companies, creating a worrying environmental liability, especially in densely populated areas, as eastern side of São Paulo city, which area has many galvanic companies of chroming sector. Therefore, on the first part of this research, a study was made with the collection of informations of the galvanic companies situated on the eastern side of São Paulo, considering the socioeconomics aspects and process, which interfere on the destination and generation of the industrials solid waste. On the second part of the research, selected samples of the solid waste were analyzed related to its chemical and physical-chemical characteristics and it was showed the viability of technological using viewing the utilization of this waste. The main results show that in the seventeen companies visited, 106 tons/year of solid waste have been produced and being stored in precarious conditions, may affecting the neighbor population in case of environment accidents. The waste mainly composed of Ni, Cr, B, Cu, Ca, S, C, Na, Fe and Zn, when heated up to 1400°C, showed compounds formations identified such as Ca2Cr2O5, BaCrO4, NiCr2O4, CuCrO2, CaSO4, Ni2SiO4, NiO and CuO. This compounds are difficult to obtain and are economically important as raw materials for the ceramic products production. The solid galvanic waste were incorporated into the glassy matrix, indicating that this technique is a good alternative and with low cost for the inertization of these chemical compounds, which are harmful to the health. The glasses are colorful, and can be used as final products or as raw materials for the production of ceramic enamel or inorganic pigments. There are many possibilities of destination of the galvanic waste and, independent of which one is adopted, it may be concluded that is of extreme importance to take it out of the companies, to eliminate the enormous and growing environmental liability.

Composite coatings have great potential due to the possibility to combine properties of two different materials in one coating. This way, new surface properties can be tailored and applied to any material's surface. Among different manufacturing routes, electrodeposition has the biggest potential in creating composite metal matrix coatings, especially nanocomposites. Nevertheless, there is a knowledge gap between the deposition of composite coatings in laboratory conditions, described in the literature, and those that are now in place on an industrial level. While micro-composites have been industrialised for about ten years, the production of Ni/SiC nanocomposite coatings by electroplating is still far from an industrial manufacturing floor. This is due to the lack of understanding of the mechanisms of nanoparticles codeposition leading to scattering results. The production of nanocomposite coatings is much more sensitive to the process parameters compared to microcomposite. The correlation between parameters and their influence on the codeposition are still not fully identified and understood. The codeposition models proposed in the literature are only valid in specific conditions, but composite depositions behave differently, or even opposite if some of the variables are modified. The main objective of this work is to identify the particle-current-electrocrystallization interactions in the production of Ni/SiC nanocomposites. A series of experiments are designed to isolate single variables and identify the controlling parameters of these interactions and their impact on the final properties. In this thesis, the effect of current density, type of current and particles size are identified as primary variables controlling the metal crystallisation and coatings properties. Among many parameters, a specific current waveform in pulse reverse mode proved to increase the codeposition rate effectively, doubling the content of nanoparticles compared to other techniques. Ultrasound assistance is also considered as stirring method when particles are suspended in the deposition bath to increase their stability and dispersion. The effect of Ultrasound on the particles codeposition and metal crystallisation is studied and compared to silent condition. Moreover, a surface treatment for the particle has been proven successful in making any particle to behave similarly in the Ni deposition bath. Furthermore, the codeposition rate doubled or tripled compared to untreated ones thanks to this treatment. Both ultrasonic agitation and surface treatment reduce the formation of aggregates, improving the particle dispersion and metal microstructure thus increasing the final hardness. The work proved the synergistic effect between particle and metal microstructure which affected the final properties of the coating. Therefore, when tailoring the composite coating to improve hardness, it is not only the amount of the particles that should be considered but also their influence on the electrocrystallisation process. / Kompositbeläggning har stort potential tack vare möjligheten att kombinera två material i samma ytskikt. På detta sätt kan nya ytegenskaper skräddarsys och appliceras på ett materials yta. Elektrodeposition är den tillverkningsmetod som har störst potential att uppnå kompositbeläggningar, i synnerhet nanokompositer. Ett kunskapsgap existerar mellan elektrodeposition under laboratorieförhållanden, som beskrivet i vetenskaplig litteratur, och hur processen går till i industriell miljö. Medan industriell tillämpning av mikrokompositer pågått ungefär tio år, så har produktion av Ni/SiC nanokompositbeläggningar fortfarande inte nått fabriksgolvet. Detta är en konsekvens av bristande förståelse kring mekanismer för samdeposition av nanopartiklar som leder till varierande resultat. Produktion av nanokompositbeläggningar är mycket mer känslig för processparametrar jämfört med mikrokompositer. Korrelationer mellan parametrar och dess inverkan på samdeposition är fortfarande inte fullt identifierade och förstådda. Modeller för samdeposition som föreslås i vetenskaplig litteratur är endast giltiga under särskilda förhållanden. Kompositdeposition kan uppvisa avvikande eller till och med motsatt beteende om variabler förändras. Huvudmålet med detta arbete är att identifiera interaktioner mellan partikel, ström och elektrokristallisering under tillverkning av Ni/SiC nanokompositer. En serie av experiment är utvecklade för att isolera variabler och identifiera de parametrarna som kontrollerar dessa interaktioner och dess inverkan på ytans egenskaper. I denna avhandling identifieras strömtäthet, typ av ström, och partiklars storlek som primära variabler som kontrollerar metallkristallisering och beläggningens egenskaper. Bland många parametrar, visades en specifik vågform på strömmen i omvänd pulsläge öka samdepositionen effektivt, ledande till en fördubbling av andelen nanopartiklar jämfört med andra tekniker. Ultraljud tillämpades som metod för omrörning av depositionsbadet för förbättrad stabilitet och fördelning. Effekten av ultraljud på samdepositionen av metallkristallisering studeras och jämfört med tyst tillstånd. Dessutom har en ytbehandling för partiklarna visats framgångsrik för att få godtyckliga partiklar att bete sig likt Ni i depositionsbadet. Detta ledde till att samdepositionens takt ökade med en faktor av två till tre jämfört med obehandlade partiklar. Både ultraljud och ytbehandling av partiklarna ledde till minskad aggregation vilket förbättrade fördelningen av partiklar och metallstruktur och därigenom ökad hårdhet. Arbetet bevisar synergieffekten mellan partiklar och metallstruktur vilket påverkar beläggningens slutliga egenskaper. Vid utveckling av nya ytbeläggningar ska därför inte bara mängden partiklar beaktas utan även dess interaktion med elektrokristalliseringsprocessen.

This thesis deals with problems with manufacturing of high frequency elliptic and hyperbolic optic mirrors, which makes one of the most important functional parts of parabolic satellites made for biggest and highest placed international astronomical radio-telescope in the world - ALMA, which is built on Chajnantor plateau in Chille in South America. Individual chapters are designed in the flow of technological process of manufacturing, containing theoretical and practical analysis of the problems. Content of the thesis leads especially to description and clarification of individual causes of problems during manufacturing.