This thesis is a sandwich thesis composed of three papers that are published in refereed journals or conferences. The first paper is a systematic experimental study conducted to identify the first phase to form during cobalt germanidation. Hexagonal β-Co5Ge3 was the first phase to form at temperatures as low as 227°C followed by monoclinic CoGe as the second phase at the same temperature. We also report for the first time that both phases that formed were highly ordered partial epitaxial crystal orientations suggesting that both of those low-temperature phases could potentially serve as high quality contacts for germanium based devices with a very low thermal budget which is advantageous for the process design. Those results contributed to a better understanding of cobalt germanidation leading to the first multiphase technology computer aided design model presented in the second paper. This kinetic model for cobalt germanide growth can predict the resulting phase based on anneal time, temperature, and ambient. The model has been calibrated to experimental results. This predictive model can help in the design of cobalt germanide contacts with low resistance and can serve as a general modeling framework for multiphase solid state reaction binary systems. A comprehensive survey of the experimental results for formation of cobalt germanides is discussed and the data are reconciled in the third paper. Factors affecting the resulting phases and their quality are identified and some optimum choices for the experimental parameters are pointed based on the survey. The role of germanium crystal orientation in ohmic and Schottky properties of the contact is analyzed. Fermi level pinning plays a role mainly on metal/(100) n-type Ge interfaces and its role is minimal on p-type Ge and other crystalline orientations. Schottky Barrier Heights for cobalt germanide contacts reported in the literature are surveyed. Crystalline cobalt germanides, forming when Co is deposited at high temperatures, are expected to have lower interface resistivities compared to those reported. The work is important because contact resistance has become one of the most important factors in advanced complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology and advanced devices already include germanium (Ge) in the source/drain regions of devices. It is also important because heating at the interface due to contact resistance is one of the key challenges in power devices and cobalt germanide can be used both for Si and Ge based devices as well as for gallium nitride (GaN) devices. The latter application is possible because cobalt germanide is lattice-matched to GaN. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The main goal of this thesis is to create predictive empirical, mathematical, and physical models to help the designer of the semiconductor process technology to design high quality electric contacts, namely cobalt germanides, to their semiconductor devices, germanium based. The choice of cobalt germanides is motivated by their expected superior quality given the possibility of growing them in crystalline form. We settled a theoretical and experimental controversy regarding the first phase to form by conducting experiments demonstrating that low-temperature forming cobalt germanide phases are highly ordered and could serve as high quality contacts. A predictive physical based mathematical model was developed to assist the designer in obtaining the desired cobalt germanide phase for its needed electrical properties by design. Factors affecting the quality of the germanide were identified based on an extensive survey and the optimum choices for the parameters to obtain high quality contact were pointed.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden Schichten des Hochtemperatursupraleiters YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) untersucht, die epitaktisch mittels gepulster Laserabscheidung auf texturierten metallischen Templaten abgeschieden wurden. Dabei kamen ionenstrahltexturiertes ABAD-YSZ-Band und walztexturiertes NiW-Band zum Einsatz. Für Anwendungen solcher sogenannten Bandleiter ist die Fähigkeit zum Transport möglichst hoher kritischer Ströme Ic essentiell. Dies kann durch das Wachstum möglichst dicker Schichten, eine Verbesserung der Flussschlauchverankerung (Pinning), sowie die Reduzierung der durch Korngrenzen verursachten Stromlimitierung erreicht werden. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wurden strukturelle und supraleitende Eigenschaften in bis zu 5 µm dicken YBCO-Schichten auf ABAD-YSZ-Band untersucht. Dazu wurden neben nicht-fremdphasendotierten (undotierten) YBCO-Schichten auch BaHfO3- und BaY(NbTa)O6-dotierte YBCO-Schichten herangezogen. Die Untersuchungen erfolgten mittels Röntgenbeugungs-methoden (XRD), Rasterelektronen- und Rasterkraftmikroskopie (REM, AFM), sowie resistiver und induktiver Methoden zur Bestimmung der Sprungtemperatur Tc und der kritischen Stromdichte Jc. Schichtdickenabhängige Messungen konnten u. a. zeigen, dass Ic in undotierten YBCO-Schichten bei einer Dicke oberhalb von 2,8 µm nicht weiter anstieg, während Ic in den dotierten Schichten bis zu einer Dicke von 5 µm nicht limitiert war. Darüber hinaus konnte in temperatur- und feldabhängigen Jc-Messungen ein verbessertes Pinningverhalten bei tiefen Temperaturen und in hohen äußeren Magnetfeldern gefunden werden. Mit Hilfe von transmissionselektronenmikroskopischen Untersuchungen (TEM) und Messungen der Jc-Anisotropie wurde zusätzlich ein Strukturschema herausgearbeitet, das eine Verknüpfung von Herstellungsparametern, Mikrostruktur und Pinningeigenschaften ermöglicht. Der zweite Teil befasste sich mit der Analyse der Mikrostruktur und der lokalen Textur von undotierten YBCO-Schichten auf ABAD-YSZ- und NiW-Band. Die lokale Textur wurde dabei mittels Rückstreuelektronenbeugung (EBSD) aufgelöst. Die Ergebnisse wurden mit orts-aufgelösten Magnetisierungsmessungen (Raster-Hall-Sonden-Mikroskopie) korreliert, mit denen der lokale Stromfluss untersucht werden kann. Auf beiden Templaten zeigte sich eine granulare Struktur, die durch gegeneinander verkippte bzw. verdrehte YBCO-Körner gekennzeichnet war. Während die granulare Struktur auf ABAD-YSZ-Band durch hauptsächlich in-plane missorientierte YBCO-Bereiche mit einem Durchmesser < 1 µm charakterisiert war, konnten auf NiW-Band hauptsächlich out-of-plane missorientierte Bereiche mit einer typischen Größe von 20-50 µm nachgewiesen werden. Auf NiW-Band hing die YBCO-Mikrostruktur und die Schärfe der lokalen Textur von der individuellen out-of-plane Missorientierung des darunter-liegenden NiW-Korns ab, was auf eine bereits im unbeschichteten NiW-Band vorhandene Facettierung zurückgeführt werden konnte. Zu deren Beschreibung wurde ein Facettenmodel entwickelt, das durch TEM-Untersuchungen bestätigt werden konnte. Abschließend wurde auf einkristallinen Substraten und auf ABAD-YSZ-Band ein homogener Stromfluss nachgewiesen, während die supraleitenden Eigenschaften in YBCO-Schichten auf NiW-Band von der lokalen Mikrostruktur und Textur bestimmt wurden. Damit konnte gezeigt werden, dass die globalen Eigenschaften der Bandleiter vom Zusammenspiel eines über Korngrenzen miteinander verbundenen Ensembles von Körnern mit individuellen Eigenschaften bestimmt werden.

<p>Low angle grain boundary (LAGB) mobility is an essential parameter for developing the analytical models that describe the kinetics of recovery and predict the nucleation of recrystallized grains. The thesis is aimed at the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations study of LAGB mobility determination in pure Al and Al-Mg alloys. All the previous experimental studies reported that the presence of several defects, such as solutes and dislocations, retard the boundary motion and provide lower mobility. However, very few studies have been conducted in MD simulation to capture the interactions of those defects with the migrating grain boundary. This thesis is focused on providing complete understanding of LAGB determination along with a comprehensive explanation of solute and dislocation retarding effects on boundary motion.</p> <p>The LAGB mobility in pure Al was computed from two different MD techniques as a function of temperature and misorientation. Within numerical uncertainties, both techniques provide the same magnitude of mobility at 300K for 7.785^o boundary and at 700K for 23.07^o boundary. It was observed that ADF method is not applicable to determine LAGB mobility at high temperature due to failure of order parameter computation. The MD derived activation energy is found to be approximately ten times lower than the experimental observations.</p> <p>A strong solute pinning effect on boundary motion was observed at all misorientations and solute concentrations studied in Al-Mg alloys. An approximate linear relationship is found between the restraining force and the solute concentration in a distributed solute approach. In addition, the extrinsic dislocations are found to completely pin both 7.785^o and 23.07^o boundary motion at low driving forces in pure Al at 300K. The MD results do not reveal significant qualitative differences of the pinned boundary structure for the low and high angle boundaries and will be discussed in terms of the previous experimental observations.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Esta tese visa o estudo das propriedades magnéticas de um sistema formado por um substrato de alumina nanoporosa contendo um arranjo organizado de nanofios de Ni sob o qual é depositado um filme supercondutor de Nb. Os substratos foram obtidos através da técnica de anodização em dois passos, seguida de uma eletrodeposição AC do material ferromagnético. O filme de Nb foi depositado via magnetron sputtering. A resposta magnética deste sistema foi investigado num amplo intervalo de temperaturas através de medidas de susceptibilidade magnética AC, magnetização DC e imagens de magneto-ótica (MOI). Inicialmente foram estudadas as propriedades magnéticas do sistema de nanofios de Ni. Para isto, realizamos medidas de magnetização a temperaturas acima da temperatura de transição supercondutora do Nb, no intervalo de 10 a 300 K, onde o filme supercondutor não contribui a magnetização. Estes resultados mostraram o forte caráter uniaxial da anisotropia efetiva neste tipo de sistemas, assim como também a sua dependência com a temperatura e com os diferentes parâmetros estruturais dos nanofios. Medidas de curvas de inversão magnética de primeira ordem (FORC) evidenciaram a presença predominante de interações magnéticas desmagnetizantes, assim como efeitos não lineares nos campos de interações. Propriedades supercondutoras do filme de Nb foram estudadas a partir de medidas de susceptibilidade AC e curvas de magnetização M(H) para diferentes temperaturas abaixo de Tc. As curvas de histerese magnéticas mostraram claramente anomalias em altos campos, comportamento que é atribuído a efeitos de correspondência (matching) entre a rede de vórtices no filme de Nb e o arranjo poroso com nanofios do substrato. As medidas mostraram que o substrato gera um forte potencial de aprisionamento de vórtices no filme supercondutor, o qual incrementa a sua eficiência a medida que a temperatura é diminuída. A análise das curvas de inversão de primeira ordem realizada na região supercondutora mostraram uma distribuição de eventos mais complexa do que o normalmente observado para um ferromagneto. Por causa disso, realizamos medidas FORC num sistema mais simples formado por um filme de Nb crescido num substrato de Si. No diagrama de níveis se observaram regiões negativas associadas a eventos de queda na magnetização, e regiões positivas fortemente localizadas como consequência da mudança na densidade de vórtices no supercondutor quando o campo é variado. Uma análise através de imageamento magneto-ótico (MOI) mostra que em baixas temperaturas e baixos campos as amostras apresentam um padrão de penetração de fluxo conhecido como avalanches de vórtices, efeito que aparece como consequência de um processo de instabilidade termomagnética em diferentes regiões do filme supercondutor. Esta penetração de fluxo é suave quando a temperatura é próxima à Tc do supercondutor, mas quando a temperatura é diminuída a penetração de fluxo adota um perfil dendrítico aleatório. / In this work we have studied the magnetic properties of a system formed by a Nb thin film deposited on top of an array of ferromagnetic Ni nanowires embedded in a ordered porous alumina membrane as substrate. The substrates were obtained by the two-step anodization technique, followed by an electrodeposition AC of the ferromagnetic material. The Nb film was deposited via magnetron sputtering. The magnetic response of this system was investigated over a wide range of temperatures through AC susceptibility, DC magnetization and magneto-optical images (MOI) measurements. Initially, the magnetic properties of Ni nanowire system were studied. We perform magnetization measurements above the superconducting transition temperature of Nb, in the range of 10 to 300 K where the superconducting film does not contribute to magnetization. These results showed the strong uniaxial character of the effective anisotropy in such systems, as well as its dependence on the temperature and the different structural parameters of the nanowires. First order reversal curves measurements showed the predominant of demagnetizing magnetic interactions, as well as non linear effects in the interaction fields. Superconducting properties of Nb thin film were studied from AC susceptibility and magnetization DC measurements at different temperatures below Tc. Magnetic hysteresis curves clearly showed anomalies in high fields, a behavior that is attributed to matching effects between the network of vortices in the Nb film and the porous arrangement with nanowires in the substrate. These measurements show that the substrate generates a strong vortex potential pinning which increases its efficiency as the temperature is decreased. Because of this, we performed FORC measurements on a simpler system consisting of a Nb film grown on a Si substrate. In the diagram of levels we observed negative regions associated with events of magnetization drop, and positive regions strongly localized as a consequence of the variation in density of vortices in the superconductor when the field is changed. An analysis using magneto-optical imaging (MOI) shows that at low temperatures and low magnetic fields the samples exhibit a flux penetration pattern known as vortex avalanches, an effect that appears as a consequence of a thermomagnetic instability process in different regions of the superconductor. This flux penetration is smooth when the temperature is close to Tc, but when the temperature is decreased the flux penetration adopts a random dendritic profile.

Em Janeiro de 2001, um supercondutor totalmente novo foi apresentado por Nagamatsu, o diboreto de magnésio (MgB2), com uma temperatura crítica, Tc, surpreendentemente alta de 39 K. Atualmente, o MgB2 é considerado o condutor de alto campo do futuro. É claramente aceito que os valores excepcionais de altos campos magnético crítico superior, Hc2, (Hc2 + (0) ? 40 T para Tc ? 35 - 40 K) mostram que o MgB2 é capaz de substituir o Nb3Sn (Hc2 (0) ? 30 T para Tc ? 18 K) como a escolha para aplicações de altos campos magnéticos. Neste trabalho foram preparadas pastilhas supercondutoras de MgB2 utilizando adições de diboretos metálicos de ZrB2, TaB2, VB2 e AlB2 e adições simultâneas de diboretos metálicos e fontes diversas de carbono, como carbeto de silício, grafite e nanotubos de carbono. O objetivo da adição desses novos elementos foi criar mecanismos para melhorar a capacidade de transporte do material, tanto pela dopagem substitucional como pela geração de defeitos na matriz supercondutora, atuando como eficientes centros de aprisionamento das linhas de fluxo magnético. Para isso foram utilizados dois diferentes métodos de preparação de amostras, insitu e ex-situ. O método de preparação in-situ seguiu padrões convencionais, como mistura em moinho de bola e tratamento térmico em fluxo de argônio. Para a preparação das amostras utilizando-se o método ex-situ foram utilizadas técnicas mais sofisticadas, como moagem de alta energia e tratamento térmico em altas pressões (Hot Isostatic Press, HIP). Em geral, as adições dos diboretos metálicos melhoraram a capacidade de transporte do material em baixos campos, as fontes de carbono aumentaram os valores de densidade de corrente crítica em altos campos magnéticos, enquanto que as combinações das duas adições melhoram a capacidade de transporte, para algumas amostras, em toda a faixa de campo magnético medida. / In January 2001, a new superconductor was presented by Nagamatsu, the magnesium diboride (MgB2), with a critical temperature, Tc, extremely high of 39 K. MgB2 is considered the high field conductor of the future. The exceptional high values of upper critical magnetic field, Hc2, (Hc2 + (0) ? 40 T for Tc ? 35 - 40 K) show that the MgB2 is able to replace the Nb3Sn (Hc2 (0) ? 30 T for Tc ? 18 K) as the choice for applications in high magnetic fields. In this work, superconducting pellets of MgB2 were prepared with addition of other metal diborides of ZrB2, TaB2, VB2, and AlB2, and simultaneous additions of metal diborides and different carbon sources, such as silicon carbide, graphite and carbon nanotubes. The objective of these additions of new elements was to create mechanisms to improve the transport capacity of the material, by substitutional doping and by generation of defects in the superconducting matrix, acting as effective pinning centers of magnetic flux lines. Two different methods for sample preparation were used, the in-situ and the ex-situ method. The in-situ preparation method followed conventional standards, such as powder mixing in a ball mill and heat treatment in argon flow. The ex-situ preparation method used more sophisticated techniques, such as high energy ball milling and heat treatment under high pressures (Hot Isostatic Press, HIP). In general, the additions of metal diborides improved the transport capacity of the material at low fields, the carbon sources increased the critical current density at high magnetic fields, whereas the combination of these two additions improved the transport capacity, for some samples, in all range of applied magnetic field.

Em Janeiro de 2001, um supercondutor totalmente novo foi apresentado por Nagamatsu, o diboreto de magnésio (MgB2), com uma temperatura crítica, Tc, surpreendentemente alta de 39 K. Atualmente, o MgB2 é considerado o condutor de alto campo do futuro. É claramente aceito que os valores excepcionais de altos campos magnético crítico superior, Hc2, (Hc2 + (0) ? 40 T para Tc ? 35 - 40 K) mostram que o MgB2 é capaz de substituir o Nb3Sn (Hc2 (0) ? 30 T para Tc ? 18 K) como a escolha para aplicações de altos campos magnéticos. Neste trabalho foram preparadas pastilhas supercondutoras de MgB2 utilizando adições de diboretos metálicos de ZrB2, TaB2, VB2 e AlB2 e adições simultâneas de diboretos metálicos e fontes diversas de carbono, como carbeto de silício, grafite e nanotubos de carbono. O objetivo da adição desses novos elementos foi criar mecanismos para melhorar a capacidade de transporte do material, tanto pela dopagem substitucional como pela geração de defeitos na matriz supercondutora, atuando como eficientes centros de aprisionamento das linhas de fluxo magnético. Para isso foram utilizados dois diferentes métodos de preparação de amostras, insitu e ex-situ. O método de preparação in-situ seguiu padrões convencionais, como mistura em moinho de bola e tratamento térmico em fluxo de argônio. Para a preparação das amostras utilizando-se o método ex-situ foram utilizadas técnicas mais sofisticadas, como moagem de alta energia e tratamento térmico em altas pressões (Hot Isostatic Press, HIP). Em geral, as adições dos diboretos metálicos melhoraram a capacidade de transporte do material em baixos campos, as fontes de carbono aumentaram os valores de densidade de corrente crítica em altos campos magnéticos, enquanto que as combinações das duas adições melhoram a capacidade de transporte, para algumas amostras, em toda a faixa de campo magnético medida. / In January 2001, a new superconductor was presented by Nagamatsu, the magnesium diboride (MgB2), with a critical temperature, Tc, extremely high of 39 K. MgB2 is considered the high field conductor of the future. The exceptional high values of upper critical magnetic field, Hc2, (Hc2 + (0) ? 40 T for Tc ? 35 - 40 K) show that the MgB2 is able to replace the Nb3Sn (Hc2 (0) ? 30 T for Tc ? 18 K) as the choice for applications in high magnetic fields. In this work, superconducting pellets of MgB2 were prepared with addition of other metal diborides of ZrB2, TaB2, VB2, and AlB2, and simultaneous additions of metal diborides and different carbon sources, such as silicon carbide, graphite and carbon nanotubes. The objective of these additions of new elements was to create mechanisms to improve the transport capacity of the material, by substitutional doping and by generation of defects in the superconducting matrix, acting as effective pinning centers of magnetic flux lines. Two different methods for sample preparation were used, the in-situ and the ex-situ method. The in-situ preparation method followed conventional standards, such as powder mixing in a ball mill and heat treatment in argon flow. The ex-situ preparation method used more sophisticated techniques, such as high energy ball milling and heat treatment under high pressures (Hot Isostatic Press, HIP). In general, the additions of metal diborides improved the transport capacity of the material at low fields, the carbon sources increased the critical current density at high magnetic fields, whereas the combination of these two additions improved the transport capacity, for some samples, in all range of applied magnetic field.

No description available.

No description available.

The study presented in this dissertation concerns the evaporation, in normal ambient conditions, of sessile droplets (pinned and freely receding) of various HFE liquids (instead of the widely used water), which are considered so far as environmentally friendly and are often used as heat-transfer fluids in thermal management applications. They are pure perfectly-wetting and volatile liquids with low thermal conductivity and high vapor density. These properties affect in their own way many aspects concerning droplet evaporation such as the evaporation-induced contact angles, evaporation rate of a droplet, contact line pinning and Marangoni flow, all of which are treated in the present dissertation.<p>In general, the thesis starts with a general introduction including but not limited to sessile droplets (Chapter 1). In Chapter 2 we provide a general overview of capillarity-related concepts. Then, in Chapter 3 we present the interferometric setup, along with the liquids and the substrate that is used in the experiments, and also explain the reasons why this particular method is chosen. In Chapter 4 we address, among others, the issue of evaporation-induced contact angles under complete wetting conditions. The behavior of the global evaporation rate is also examined here, whereas in Chapter 5 we discuss the influence of thermocapillary stresses on the shape of strongly evaporating droplets. Finally, before concluding in Chapter 7, we address in Chapter 6 the still open question of the influence of non-equilibrium effects, such as evaporation, on the contact-line pinning at a sharp edge, a phenomenon usually described in the framework of equilibrium thermodynamics. The experimental results obtained are also compared with the predictions of existing theoretical models giving rise to interesting conclusions and promising perspectives for future research.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering / PhD / Unrestricted