In the last years, intensive research on new tunable solid state laser materials has been carried out. For the spectral range from 1300 to 1600 nm the Cr4+ ion seems to be the most promising laser-ion. In order to meet the the demand of broad-band devices, we employed the Cr4+ doped YAG crystal fibers with high optical quality thin films design and coating (high index material TiO2, low index material SiO2) to achieve the development of high efficiency crystal fiber lasers. In this thesis, crystal fiber was used as the laser gain medium, and coated with optical thin films at both end faces (input face 900-1100 nm AR and 1300-1600 nm HR; output face 1300-1600 nm HR) as the laser cavity to reduce the loss and promote laser efficiency. During the experiment, we tried to optimize the coating conditions to acquire high density, stable index and low absorption coefficient thin films. With different thin film thickness and stacking designs, the electric field distribution was designed to be away from the laser interface and high index region to increase the laser-induced damage threshold and lifetime for high power pumping. In addition, CaO and Cr2O3 were deposited on Cr4+:YAG source rods before the laser-heated-pedestal growth to increase CaO and Cr2O3 doping concentration for higher fluorescence efficiency and signal saturation power.

"Catalytic growth of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) provides important advantages of controlling their diameters and possibly chirality. Our work involved growing CNT on model and supported catalyst by catalytic decomposition of carbon source such as benzene, methane and propylene. On supported catalyst, iron nitrate was deposited on alumina and reduced to form metallic iron clusters. These were reacted at 700 - 950 C under varying benzene concentrations. Multi Walled CNT (MWNT) grew below 800 C and Single Wall CNT (SWNT) are observed at 850 C and above as confirmed by TEM and Raman. Model catalysts were studied by producing CNT from ferrocene which acted as the carbon and catalyst source on Silica/Si (100). Large yield of MWNT was observed at 900 C. MWNT grew perpendicular to the model support as seen by SEM. In another model catalyst study, iron salt clusters were deposited on silica/Si (100) by spin coating, controlling their diameters by solution concentration and speed of spinning. Agglomeration of clusters at high temperatures produces only MWNT on silica/Si (100). Cluster agglomeration can be reduced with strong support metal interaction such as with alumina. We deposited alumina on silica/Si (100) by atomic layer deposition, with conformal coatings on surface and low relative roughness. Alumina film was stable under reaction temperatures of 900 C. Cluster deposition on alumina by spin coating was difficult because of different surface acidity compared to silica. Clusters on alumina did not agglomerate at high reaction temperatures. We report effect of parameters such as the temperature of reaction, conditions of pretreatment such as reduction and oxidation of catalyst precursor, type of precursor, type of carbon source, and type of support material on growth of CNT. The role of spin coating in controlling the diameter of salt clusters deposited is discussed. We also report deposition of alumina on top of silica/Si (100) by atomic layer deposition and the effect of deposition and calcination temperatures on the alumina film integrity."

Bidirectional reflectance is a fundamental radiative property of rough surfaces. Knowledge of the bidirectional reflectance is crucial to the emissivity modeling and heat transfer analysis. This thesis concentrates on the modeling and measurements of the bidirectional reflectance for microrough silicon surfaces and on the validity of a hybrid method in the modeling of the bidirectional reflectance for thin-film coated rough surfaces. The surface topography and the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the rough side of several silicon wafers have been extensively characterized using an atomic force microscope and a laser scatterometer, respectively. The slope distribution calculated from the surface topographic data deviates from the Gaussian distribution. Both nearly isotropic and strongly anisotropic features are observed in the two-dimensional (2-D) slope distributions and in the measured BRDF for more than one sample. The 2-D slope distribution is used in a geometric-optics based model to predict the BRDF, which agrees reasonably well with the measured values. The side peaks in the slope distribution and the subsidiary peaks in the BRDF for two anisotropic samples are attributed to the formation of {311} planes during chemical etching. The correlation between the 2-D slope distribution and the BRDF has been developed. A boundary integral method is applied to simulate the bidirectional reflectance of thin-film coatings on rough substrates. The roughness of the substrate is one dimensional for simplification. The result is compared to that from a hybrid method which uses the geometric optics approximation to model the roughness effect and the thin-film optics to consider the interference due to the coating. The effects of the film thickness and the substrate roughness on the validity of the hybrid method have been investigated. The validity regime of the hybrid method is established for silicon dioxide films on silicon substrates in the visible wavelength range. The proposed method to characterize the microfacet orientation and to predict the BRDF may be applied to other anisotropic or non-Gaussian rough surfaces. The measured BRDF may be used to model the apparent emissivity of silicon wafers to improve the temperature measurement accuracy in semiconductor manufacturing processes. The developed validity regime for the hybrid method can be beneficial to future research related to the modeling for thin-film coated rough surfaces.

In this thesis, two MFC based films Carboxymethylated-Microfibrillated Cellulose (MFC) and Enzymatic-MFC were characterized and metalized in order to improve the barrier properties at high relative humidity. Several methods were used for the characterization process, which were Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Contact Angle (CA), Energy Dispersive Spectra (EDS), Light Microscopy (LM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR). Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) system was used for the metalization of film, a thin layer of aluminium with a thickness of 200 nm was deposited on the films. The results revealed that ENZ-MFC exhibit a higher roughness and lower OTR values, compared to CM-MFC. The contact angle values proved that both non-metalized MFC films exhibited a hydrophilic surface with values around 50 degrees. SEM and EDS images showed that both films exhibited surface defects with dimensions in the order of a micrometer. The best barrier improvement by metalization was achieved for the metalized CM-MFC, where the OTR values were decreased by one order of magnitude after metalization. However, for ENZ-MFC metalization did not improve OTR at high RH. The protective layer was successfully protecting the MFC film as long as the surface roughness of the film was not too high. The limit is between 40 and 140nm (in root mean square roughness values). / I denna avhandling karakteriserades två MFC-baserade filmer Carboxymethylated-MFC och   Enzymatic-MFC som metalliserades för att förbättra barriäregenskaperna vid hög relativ fuktighet. Flera metoder har används för karaktäriseringsprocessen, vilka var Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Contact Angle (CA), Energy Dispersive Spectra (EDS), Light Microscopy (LM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), och Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR). Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) systemet användes för metalliseringen av filmerna, där ett tunt skikt aluminium med en tjocklek av 200 nm deponerades. Resultaten visade att ENZ-MFC har högreråhet och lägre OTR-värden jämfört med CM-MFC. Kontaktvinkelvärdena påvisade att bådaicke-metalliserade MFC-filmer har en hydrofil yta med värden omkring 50 grader. SEM- och EDS-bilder visade att båda filmerna har ytdefekter i storleksordningen en mikrometer. Den bästa barriärförbättringen genom metallisering uppnåddes för den metalliserade CM-MFC, där OTR-värdena minskade med en storleksordning efter metallisering. För ENZ-MFCförbättrade dock metallisering inte OTR vid hög RH. Det skyddande skiktet skyddar effektivt MFC-filmen så länge som filmens ytråhet inte var för hög. Gränsen är intervallet mellan 40 och140 nm (Kvadratiskt medelvärde för ytråhet).

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Die Solarstromerzeugung mit Photovoltaikmodulen entwickelt sich zu einer wesentlichen Säule der Energieversorgung. Dabei kann die Integration der Module in die Gebäudehülle die Nachhaltigkeit der Systeme verbessern und neue Anwendungen in der Architektur erschließen. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die bautechnischen Anforderungen, die sich bei der gebäudeintegrierten Verwendung von Photovoltaikmodulen im Hinblick auf die Sicherheit von Bauteilen aus Glas ergeben. Diese Anforderungen betreffen die materielle Zusammensetzung als Bauprodukt, die Konstruktionsweise und die zu erbringenden Nachweise. Die alleinige Produktqualifizierung nach der elektrotechnischen Normung und die üblichen Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahmen in der Modulproduktion bieten hierfür keine hinreichende Grundlage, da sie keine charakteristischen Materialkennwerte liefern. Infolgedessen bedarf die Integration von Photovoltaikmodulen in die Gebäudehülle in vielen Fällen gesonderter Zustimmungs- oder Zulassungsverfahren. Resttragfähigkeitsprüfungen an Glas-Glas-Photovoltaikmodulen verfolgten das Ziel, die mechanischen Sicherheitseigenschaften gängiger Modulaufbauten im Vergleich zu Verbund-Sicherherheitsglas zu ermitteln. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse lassen sich die untersuchten Aufbauten als mindestens gleichwertig beurteilen. Mit einer bauaufsichtlichen Einstufung geeigneter Modulaufbauten als Verbund-Sicherherheitsglas könnte sich der zusätzliche Nachweisaufwand für gebäudeintegrierte Photovoltaik erheblich reduzieren. Im Vierpunkt-Biegeversuch wurde der Einfluss der Glasbeschichtung mit Dünnschichtsolarzellen auf die Festigkeit der verwendeten Gläser analysiert. Die für eine praktikable Qualitätssicherung durch die Hersteller wünschenswerte Prüfung im Fertigungsformat der Module erforderte eine Modifikation der Probengeometrie. Numerische Berechnungen konnten die Anwendbarkeit des Prüf- und Auswertungsverfahrens auf die vergrößerte Probenbreite nachweisen. Bei beiden untersuchten Dünnschichttechnologien ließ sich die Randentschichtung als Ursache für eine leichte Reduzierung der Biegezugfestigkeit identifizieren. Dabei blieben Mindestwerte für das Basisprodukt Floatglas eingehalten. Die Arbeit leistet einen Beitrag zum Nachweis der mechanischen Leistungseigenschaften von Photovoltaikmodulen, die für den Einsatz als Bauprodukt erforderlich sind. Darüber hinaus können die entwickelten Empfehlungen für die photovoltaikspezifischen Entwurfs- und Planungsaufgaben einen ganzheitlichen und interdisziplinären Planungs- und Bauablauf erleichtern. / Solar electricity produced by photovoltaic systems will play a major role in future energy supply systems. Integrating photovoltaic modules into the envelopes of buildings can improve the sustainability of these systems and stimulate new architectural applications. This thesis investigates the structural requirements related to building-integrated photovoltaic modules with regard to the structural safety of architectural glazing components. These requirements apply to the materials used, the structural design and the verification procedures. Neither type approval according to the electrical engineering standards nor customary quality control in module production provides characteristic material properties. Therefore, these standards are not sufficient to determine and declare the performance of a construction product. As a result, building-integrated photovoltaic modules require individual approval in many cases. Residual strength testing of glass-glass photovoltaic modules was carried out with the aim of determining the mechanical safety properties of common module configurations in comparison with laminated safety glass. Based on the results, the configurations tested can be evaluated to provide an equivalent safety level. The classification of suitable module configurations as laminated safety glass in the building codes could significantly reduce the need for additional testing and approval, and thus facilitate the use of building-integrated photovoltaics. The influence of photovoltaic thin-film coatings on the bending strength of the float glass used as a substrate or superstrate was analysed by applying four-point bending tests. As the direct use of full-size photovoltaic-coated glass sheets as samples would simplify quality control by the manufacturers, the dimensions of the specimens were modified with respect to the existing testing standard. Numerical calculations demonstrated the applicability of the test and evaluation procedures when the larger specimen width was used. For both types of investigated thin-film PV technology, edge ablation was determined to cause a slight reduction in the bending strength. The specimens tested still met the minimum values for float glass. The thesis contributes to knowledge on the mechanical performance of photovoltaic modules that are required for use as construction products. In addition, recommendations on the specific design and planning tasks for building-integrated photovoltaics were developed to promote a holistic and interdisciplinary planning and construction process.

Die Solarstromerzeugung mit Photovoltaikmodulen entwickelt sich zu einer wesentlichen Säule der Energieversorgung. Dabei kann die Integration der Module in die Gebäudehülle die Nachhaltigkeit der Systeme verbessern und neue Anwendungen in der Architektur erschließen. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die bautechnischen Anforderungen, die sich bei der gebäudeintegrierten Verwendung von Photovoltaikmodulen im Hinblick auf die Sicherheit von Bauteilen aus Glas ergeben. Diese Anforderungen betreffen die materielle Zusammensetzung als Bauprodukt, die Konstruktionsweise und die zu erbringenden Nachweise. Die alleinige Produktqualifizierung nach der elektrotechnischen Normung und die üblichen Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahmen in der Modulproduktion bieten hierfür keine hinreichende Grundlage, da sie keine charakteristischen Materialkennwerte liefern. Infolgedessen bedarf die Integration von Photovoltaikmodulen in die Gebäudehülle in vielen Fällen gesonderter Zustimmungs- oder Zulassungsverfahren. Resttragfähigkeitsprüfungen an Glas-Glas-Photovoltaikmodulen verfolgten das Ziel, die mechanischen Sicherheitseigenschaften gängiger Modulaufbauten im Vergleich zu Verbund-Sicherherheitsglas zu ermitteln. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse lassen sich die untersuchten Aufbauten als mindestens gleichwertig beurteilen. Mit einer bauaufsichtlichen Einstufung geeigneter Modulaufbauten als Verbund-Sicherherheitsglas könnte sich der zusätzliche Nachweisaufwand für gebäudeintegrierte Photovoltaik erheblich reduzieren. Im Vierpunkt-Biegeversuch wurde der Einfluss der Glasbeschichtung mit Dünnschichtsolarzellen auf die Festigkeit der verwendeten Gläser analysiert. Die für eine praktikable Qualitätssicherung durch die Hersteller wünschenswerte Prüfung im Fertigungsformat der Module erforderte eine Modifikation der Probengeometrie. Numerische Berechnungen konnten die Anwendbarkeit des Prüf- und Auswertungsverfahrens auf die vergrößerte Probenbreite nachweisen. Bei beiden untersuchten Dünnschichttechnologien ließ sich die Randentschichtung als Ursache für eine leichte Reduzierung der Biegezugfestigkeit identifizieren. Dabei blieben Mindestwerte für das Basisprodukt Floatglas eingehalten. Die Arbeit leistet einen Beitrag zum Nachweis der mechanischen Leistungseigenschaften von Photovoltaikmodulen, die für den Einsatz als Bauprodukt erforderlich sind. Darüber hinaus können die entwickelten Empfehlungen für die photovoltaikspezifischen Entwurfs- und Planungsaufgaben einen ganzheitlichen und interdisziplinären Planungs- und Bauablauf erleichtern. / Solar electricity produced by photovoltaic systems will play a major role in future energy supply systems. Integrating photovoltaic modules into the envelopes of buildings can improve the sustainability of these systems and stimulate new architectural applications. This thesis investigates the structural requirements related to building-integrated photovoltaic modules with regard to the structural safety of architectural glazing components. These requirements apply to the materials used, the structural design and the verification procedures. Neither type approval according to the electrical engineering standards nor customary quality control in module production provides characteristic material properties. Therefore, these standards are not sufficient to determine and declare the performance of a construction product. As a result, building-integrated photovoltaic modules require individual approval in many cases. Residual strength testing of glass-glass photovoltaic modules was carried out with the aim of determining the mechanical safety properties of common module configurations in comparison with laminated safety glass. Based on the results, the configurations tested can be evaluated to provide an equivalent safety level. The classification of suitable module configurations as laminated safety glass in the building codes could significantly reduce the need for additional testing and approval, and thus facilitate the use of building-integrated photovoltaics. The influence of photovoltaic thin-film coatings on the bending strength of the float glass used as a substrate or superstrate was analysed by applying four-point bending tests. As the direct use of full-size photovoltaic-coated glass sheets as samples would simplify quality control by the manufacturers, the dimensions of the specimens were modified with respect to the existing testing standard. Numerical calculations demonstrated the applicability of the test and evaluation procedures when the larger specimen width was used. For both types of investigated thin-film PV technology, edge ablation was determined to cause a slight reduction in the bending strength. The specimens tested still met the minimum values for float glass. The thesis contributes to knowledge on the mechanical performance of photovoltaic modules that are required for use as construction products. In addition, recommendations on the specific design and planning tasks for building-integrated photovoltaics were developed to promote a holistic and interdisciplinary planning and construction process.