Filmes de carbeto de silício, SiC, cristalinos foram depositados sobre peças de mulita por meio da técnica de deposição química por vapor (CVD) a pressão atmosférica. As características da superfície do substrato determinam se o filme será denso ou poroso, enquanto a temperatura define a cristalinidade e a taxa de nucleação para formação do filme. Durante os procedimentos de preparação do substrato de mulita para a deposição do filme, observou-se o fenômeno da formação de whiskers de mulita quando adicionados 3%mol de terras raras a peça. O fenômeno de crescimento destes whiskers foi sistematicamente estudado para sua caracterização e compreensão do mecanismo de formação. A adição de terras raras promoveu um abaixamento na temperatura de mulitização e a formação de whiskers com uma composição cuja razão alumina / sílica é de 1,3, uma das mais baixas observadas. / Crystalline silicon carbide, SiC, films were deposited on mullite by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The characteristic of substrate surface determinate if the film will be dense or porous, while the deposition temperature defines its crystalinity and nucleation rate in film formation. During the mullite substrate preparation process for film deposition, it was observed a whisker formation phenomenon when the piece was doped with 3%mol of rare earth. The growth phenomenon of these whiskers was studied systematically to its characterization and comprehension of its formation mechanism. The addiction of rare earth promote a reduction in mullitization temperature and the formation of whiskers with a composition that alumina / silica ration was 1.3, one of the lowest one ever observed.

Diesel #2 is used to heat nearly 400,000 dwellings in Virginia. Home heating oil released from leaking underground tanks located adjacent to homes and residing in unsaturated soil adjacent to houses poses a potentially serious health risk. Specifically, the migration of hazardous vapors into buildings, known as vapor intrusion, can negatively impact indoor air quality in homes and public buildings (USEPA 2015). In this look-back study, we assessed the potential for petroleum vapor intrusion by sampling soil vapor at 25 previously remediated spill sites. Residual contaminants, in particular total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and naphthalene, were detected in approximately 1/3 of the samples. Concentration levels were correlated to site variables (building type, remediation time, physiographic region) including previous abatement measures. Spill category as assigned by the remediation contractor was investigated in conjunction with these three site variables. Remediation time was the most promising predictive site variable, with visible trends downward in DEQ Category 2 sites with increased remediation time. Higher contaminant concentrations were found near basement-style dwellings, which we hypothesize is due to the wall of the basement blocking horizontal migration of contaminants and the flow of oxygen to the release source zone. We found that many sites exceeded the sub-slab risk target threshold in naphthalene concentration, which has negative implications on previous abatement strategy efficacy. / Master of Science / Diesel is used to heat nearly 400,000 residences in Virginia. Diesel released from leaking underground tanks located adjacent to homes and residing in soil adjacent to houses poses a potentially serious health risk. Specifically, the migration of hazardous vapors into buildings can negatively impact indoor air quality in homes and public buildings (USEPA 2015). In this study, we assessed the potential for vapor migration by sampling soil vapor at 25 previously remediated spill sites. Residual contaminants were detected in approximately 1/3 of the samples. Concentration levels were compared to site variables (building type, time since spill, soil type) including previous remediation activity. Spill category as assigned by the remediation contractor was investigated in conjunction with these three site variables. Remediation time was the most promising as a predictive site variable. Higher contaminant concentrations were found near dwellings with basements, which we hypothesize is due to the wall of the basement blocking horizontal migration of vapors. We found that many sites exceeded the target threshold in naphthalene concentration, which has negative implications on previous remediation effectiveness.

Water vapour is the principle source of opacity at infrared wavelengths in the Earth’s atmosphere. In support of site testing for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), we have used La Silla and Paranal as calibration sites to verify satellite measurements of precipitable water vapour (PWV). We reconstructed the PWV history over both sites by analysing thousands of archived high-resolution echelle calibration spectra and compared that to satellite estimates for the same period. Three PWV measurement campaigns were conducted over both sites using several independent measurement techniques. Radiosondes were launched to coincide with satellite measurements and provide a PWV reference standard allowing intercomparison between the various instruments and methods. This multi-faceted approach has resulted in a unique data set. Integral to this analysis is the internal consistency provided by using a common atmospheric model. / xvii, 206 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm

Die vorliegende Dissertation befasst sich mit dem Wachstum und der Charakterisierung von Silizium- und Germanium-Nanodrähten. Diese Strukturen gelten als aussichtsreiche Komponenten für zukünftige Bauelemente. Für die Anwendung ist die genaue Kenntnis der Größe, der kristallographischen Orientierung und der Position der Nanodrähte erforderlich. Ziel dieser Arbeit war daher die Untersuchung von Si- und Ge-Nanodrähten im Hinblick auf ihre Größe, Orientierung und Position. Die Herstellung erfolgte durch Physikalische Gasphasenabscheidung (PVD) im Ultrahochvakuum nach dem Vapor-Liquid-Solid (VLS)-Verfahren, das auf dem Wachstum aus Lösungsmitteltröpfchen basiert. Die Größe der Nanodrähte konnte im Falle von Silizium auf Si(111) mit Gold als Lösungsmittel durch die Parameter des Experiments reproduzierbar bestimmt werden. Höhere Goldbedeckung und höhere Substrattemperaturen führten zu Tröpfchen mit größerem Duchmesser und somit zu dickeren Drähten. Längere Si-Verdampfungszeiten und höhere Si-Verdampfungsraten führten zu längeren Drähten. Dünnere Drähte wuchsen schneller als dickere. Als zweites Lösungsmittel wurde Indium untersucht, da es sich im Vergleich zu Gold nicht nachteilig auf die elektronischen Eigenschaften von Silizium auswirkt. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen zur Tröpfchenbildung konnten die besseren Wachstumsresultate mit Gold erklärt werden. Germanium-Nanodrähte, die aus Goldtröpfchen auf Ge(111) gezüchtet wurden, zeigten im Gegensatz zu den Si-Nanodrähten nicht die kristallographische [111]-Orientierung des Substrates, sondern eine -Orientierung, was durch Berechnungen von Keimbildungsenergien auf verschiedenen Kristallflächen erklärt werden konnte. Zur Anordnung von Metalltröpfchen und damit von Nanodrähten wurden Substrate mithilfe von fokussierten Ionenstrahlen (FIB) vorstrukturiert, um die Tröpfchenbildung an bestimmten Stellen zu begünstigen. Es gelang, aus angeordneten Goldtröpfchen epitaktisch gewachsene Si- und Ge-Nanodrähte zu züchten. / This dissertation deals with the growth and the characterization of silicon and germanium nanowhiskers, also called nanorods or nanowires. The investigation of these structures is of great interest as they represent promising building blocks for future electronic devices. With regard to a possible application, the knowledge of size, crystallographic orientation and position of the nanowhiskers is essential. The purpose of this work was, therefore, to investigate the growth of Si and Ge nanowhiskers with regard to their size, orientation and position. The nanowhiskers were grown via physical vapor deposition (PVD) in ultra-high vacuum using the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism which is based on growth from solution droplets. The size of the nanowhiskers could be reproducibly determined by the experimental parameters in the case of Si nanowhiskers on Si(111) with gold as the solvent. A higher gold coverage as well as a higher substrate temperature led to larger droplet diameters and thus to thicker whiskers. A longer silicon evaporation time and a higher silicon rate led to longer whiskers. Thinner whiskers grew faster than thicker ones. A second material used as the solvent was indium as it is more suitable for electronic application compared to gold. Based on results of droplet formation of the two solvents on silicon, the better results of whisker growth using gold could be explained. Ge nanowhiskers grown from gold droplets on Ge(111) did not show the [111] orientation of the substrate as in the case of Si nanowhiskers on Si(111) but a orientation. By calculating nucleation energies on different crystal facets, the experimental findings could be explained. To position nanodroplets of the solvent material and thus to obtain a regular arrangement of nanowhiskers, substrates were pre-structured with nanopores by focused ion beams (FIB). Silicon and germanium nanowhiskers could be epitaxially grown from ordered arrays of gold droplets.

[Truncated abstract] This study investigates the thermal stability of Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposited (PECVD) silicon nitride thin films. Effects of heat-treatment in air on the chemical composition, atomic bonding structure, crystallinity, mechanical properties, morphological and physical integrity are investigated. The chemical composition, bonding structures and crystallinity are studied by means of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The mechanical properties, such as hardness and Young’s modulus, are determined by means of nanoindentation. The morphological and physical integrity are analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) . . . The Young’s modulus (E) and hardness (H) of the film deposited at 448 K were measured to have E=121±1.8 GPa and H=11.7±0.25 GPa. The film deposited at 573 K has E=150±3.6 GPa and H=14.7±0.6 GPa. For the film deposited at 573 K, the Young’s modulus is not affected by heating up to 1148 K. Heating at 1373 K caused significant increase in Young’s modulus to 180∼199 GPa. This is attributed to the crystallization of the film. For the film deposited at 448 K, the Young’s modulus showed a moderate increase, by ∼10%, after heating to above 673 K. This is consistent with the much lower level of crystallization in this film as compared to the film deposited at 573 K. In summary, low temperature deposited PECVD SiNx films are chemically and structurally unstable when heated in air to above 673 K. The main changes include oxidation to SiO2, crystallization of Si3N4 and physical cracking. The film deposited at 573 K is more stable and damage and oxidation resistant than the film deposited at 448 K.

The work carried out as a part of this thesis has been focussed on understanding different aspects of the chemical vapor deposition process namely, ALD / MOCVD. A large part of the thesis is aimed at solving the problem of a single-source precursor for the MOCVD process to obtain substituted metal oxide thin films. For a chemical vapor deposition technique, it is important to understand the requisite salient features of precursor for deposition of thin films. For this purpose, not only is the structural characterization of the chemical precursor is required but also an in-depth thermal analysis of the precursor to know its vapor pressure. Vapor pressure of a metalorganic complex is one of the important properties to evaluate the applicability of a metalorganic complex as a MOCV/ALD precursor. The thesis discusses a novel approach to use thermal analysis as a tool to gauge the viability of substituted metal “single source” precursor for MOCVD/ALD. The other half deals with material characterization of thin films grown by an ALD process using hydrogen and Ti(OiPr)2(tbob)2 as precursors. The films were further studied for their potential application as high-k dielectric in DRAM applications. The first chapter is an overview of topics that are relevant to the work carried out in this thesis. The chapter focuses on the description of techniques used for thin film deposition. A detailed review of CVD-type techniques (ALD/ MOCVD) is then given. Chapter1 reviews the various process parameters involved in ALD,i.e. film growth(specifically as a function of the reactant pulse length, the nature of the chemical reactant/precursor and that of the metal precursor, and purge length) and growth temperature. Following the discussion of ALD, CVD and its growth kinetics are also discussed. Chapter 1 then outlines a holistic understanding of precursors, followed the differences in requirement for using them in ALD and MOCVD. Further, an introduction to the titanium oxide (Stoichiometric titanium dioxide and various Magneli phases) system, its phase diagram, oxide properties and their applications is given. Chapter 1 concludes by delineating the scope of the work carried out which is presented in the thesis. The second chapter deals with the synthesis of a series of substituted metal “single source” precursors to be used for MOCVD of substituted metal oxides thin films. The precursor complexes were of the type AlxCr1-x (acac)3 where 0<x<1. The complexes were synthesized using the novel approach of co-synthesis and were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. Single crystal X-ray diffraction at low temperature was carried out to understand the substitution of metal in the complex crystallographically. The substituted metal complexes synthesized and characterized in chapter 2 were further evaluated for their viability as single source precursors for MOCVD application, using thermo-gravimetry as discussed in chapter 3. Vapor pressure of these complexes was determined by using the Langmuir equation, while the enthalpies of submission and evaporation were calculated using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. One of the composition of the series of substituted metal complexes, viz., Al0.9Cr0.1(acac)3, was employed on MOCVD reactor as precursor to obtain thin films on three substrates, Si(100), fused silica, and polycrystalline x- alumina, simultaneously. The resultant thin films were characterized using XRD, electron microscopy, FTIR, EDS, X-ray mapping, and UV-vis spectroscopy. Chapter 4 deals with the growth of titanium oxide thin films using ALD. The metal precursor used was Ti(OiPr)2(tbob)2 and the reactant gas was hydrogen. Hydrogen, a reducing gas, was deliberately used to obtain the reduced defect oxide phases of titanium, commonly called Magneli phases. The growth rate of films grown on p-Si(100) was studied with respect to the substrate temperature, vaporizer temperature, pulse duration of metal precursor and pulse duration of the reactive gas. Also, the concept of complementarity of a reaction and self-limiting behavior in a true ALD process was illustrated. The deposition conditions such as substrate temperature and reactive gas flows have been varied to optimize the phase content and the morphology of the films. The films grown were characterized to determine the various phases of titanium oxide present using XRD, TEM, FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The presence of carbon was revealed by Raman spectroscopy. By using these characterization techniques, it was concluded that the film grown is a composite made of stiochiometric TiOx matrix embedded with crystallites of (reduced) Magneli phases. Chapter 5 deals with the electrical properties of the composite thin films grown in chapter 4. the films behave as percolative capacitor which could be used for application as novel high-k dielectric material for DRAM. The effect of change in flow rates of reactive gas (H2) on the dielectric constant (k) and leakage current of the film were studied. It was found that phase composition of the film plays an important role in tuning the dielectric properties of the film was also studied. The effect of thickness of the film also studied on the dielectric properties of the film. The trend observed was correlated to the morphology of the film as a function of its thickness and the grain growth mechanism as observed from high resolution scanning electron microscopy. Further, the effect of change in substrate temperature, metal precursor pulse length, and of the metal used as top electrode, on C-V and I-V characteristics were studied. It was interesting to see that the presence of the more conductingTi5O9 (than Ti3O5) enhances the dielectric constant, which is a requisite for a high-k material for DRAM application. On the other hand, the presence of Ti5O9 also increased the leakage current in the film, which was not desirable. It therefore suggested itself that an optimum embedment of Ti5O9 in the composite helps in enhancing the dielectric constant, while maintaining a low leakage current. Under optimum conditions, a dielectric constant of 210 at 1MHz was measured with a leakage current of 17 nA. The effect of the presence of carbon in the film was studied using Raman Spectroscopy, and it was found that a high leakage was associated with films having greater carbon content. In this chapter, electrical properties of composite thin films were also compared with those of stoichiometric titanium dioxide (a known dielectric). Further, a multilayer sandwich structure was proposed, such that it had a 53 mm thick stoichiometric TiO2 layer followed by 336nm thick composite film and again a 53nm thick stoichiometric titanium dioxide layer. The dielectric characteristics of this structure were found to be better than those of either of the other two.viz., stoichiometric titanium dioxide film or the composite thin film of titanium oxide.

No description available.

This thesis presents rubidium packaging methods for integration using anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs) on a planar chip. The atomic vapor ARROW confines light through rubidium vapor, increases the light-vapor interaction length, decreases the size of the atomic cell to chip scales, and opens up possibilities for waveguide systems on chips for additional optoelectronic devices. Rubidium vapor packaging for long-life times are essential for realizing feasibly useful devices. Considerations of outgassing, leaking and chemical compatibilities of materials in rubidium vapor cells lead to an all-metal design. The effect of these characteristics on the rubidium D2 line spectra is considered.

Um filme polimérico utilizado na fabricação de curativos adesivos não perfurados deve ter baixo módulo de elasticidade e boa permeabilidade ao vapor d\' água. O baixo módulo de elasticidade garante sensação de maior conforto do produto em contato com a pele quando a pessoa que o está utilizando movimenta a parte do corpo sobre a qual está aplicado o curativo, principalmente a região das articulações, como joelhos e cotovelos. A importância de uma boa permeabilidade ao vapor d\' água está relacionada, principalmente em curativos não perfurados, ao fato de que a pele perde água constantemente e, se o filme polimérico não permitir a saída dessa água ao meio ambiente, ocorrerá um fenômeno denominado maceração, que é a sensibilização excessiva da pele, causada pela hiper hidratação da mesma. O presente trabalho apresenta um estudo da permeabilidade ao vapor d\' água, bem como a caracterização vibracional e térmica de um filme polimérico constituído por três polímeros diferentes, desenvolvido para substituir a poliuretana utilizada atualmente na produção de curativos adesivos não perfurados, com custo inferior. Os polímeros que constituem o filme foram caracterizados separadamente e alguns resultados obtidos, como Tm e a estrutura química dos polímeros Lotader® e Lotryl® foram comparados aos dados fornecidos pelo fabricante. Verificou-se que as propriedades de módulo de elasticidade e permeabilidade ao vapor d\' água do filme desenvolvido são inferiores às da poliuretana inviabilizando a substituição. Entretanto, o trabalho proporcionou um melhor entendimento dos fatores que influenciam o módulo de elasticidade e a permeabilidade do novo material ao vapor d\' água. / A polymeric film must have low elasticity modulus and good water vapor permeation to be used in the production of non perforated adhesive tapes. Low modulus is desirable to provide comfort sensation as the consumer moves the part of his or her body in which the tape is applied on, mainly in the articulations regions, as elbows and knees. The importance of good water vapor permeation is related, mainly in the case of non perforated adhesive tapes with the continuous loss of water by the skin. If the film does not allow the release of the water continuously lost by the skin to the environment, the skin will become very sensitiveness as a result of over hydration. This work presents a study of water permeability and a thermal and vibrational characterization of a polymeric film composed of three different polymers developed to replace the adhesive not perforated polyurethane tape providing lower cost. Besides characterization a test of Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) was performed. Each polymer present in the film composition was analyzed and the results as Tm and chemical structure of Lotader® e Lotryl® were compared with the producer data. It was verified that the properties of elasticity modulus and water vapor permeability of the new material developed are worse than polyurethane so the substitution can not be performed. However, the work provided a better understanding of the factors that influences the elasticity modulus and water vapor permeability of the new material.

O Mercúrio (Hg) é um dos mais tóxicos poluentes do meio ambiente. Ele existe basicamente em três formas: Mercúrio elementar (Hg0), ou Hg metálico, mercúrio inorgânico (Hg-i), principalmente o cloreto mercúrico e o mercúrio orgânico (Hg-o), representado principalmente pelo metilmercúrio (MeHg) e etilmercúrio (EtHg), sendo que as formas orgânicas do Hg são mais tóxicas. Sendo assim, é de suma importância que se tenha métodos de fracionamento (Hg t, Hg-i e Hg-o pela diferença) e de especiação de mercúrio (Hg-i, MeHg, EtHg) para diferenciação das espécies de mercúrio em matrizes biológicas. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho teve como objetivos o desenvolvimento de três métodos analíticos rápidos, simples e sensíveis para: i) fracionamento entre Hg-t e Hg-i em sangue/plasma (Hg-o pela diferença) utilizando sistema de geração de vapor frio em linha com ICP-MS (CV ICP-MS); ii) especiação de Hg em amostras de sangue e plasma utilizando o acoplamento HPLC-ICP-MS; iii) especiação de Hg em amostras de sangue utilizando o acoplamento GC-ICP-MS. No método de fracionamento de mercúrio foi feito o preparo de amostras utilizando hidróxido de tetrametilamônio (TMAH) à temperatura ambiente. No método de especiação por HPLC-ICP-MS foi feita a extração das espécies utilizando banho ultrassônico, ao passo que no método GC-ICP-MS foi feita a extração das espécies assistida por microondas. O método CV ICP-MS foi comparado com a geração de vapor utilizando absorção atômica (CV AAS) não tendo diferença estatística entre os dois métodos. Para validação dos métodos foi utilizado Material de Referência Certificado (NIST 966) e outros Materiais de Referência. Os métodos foram aplicados para análise de amostras de sangue de populações Ribeirinhas da Amazônia brasileira expostas ao mercúrio. Os métodos demonstraram ser simples e rápidos, podendo facilmente serem implantados em rotina de laboratórios clínicos. / Mercury (Hg) is one of the most toxic environmental pollutants. It exists primarily in three forms: elemental mercury (Hg0), or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury (Hg-i), particularly mercuric chloride and organic mercury (Hg-o), mainly represented by methylmercury (MeHg) and ethylmercury (EtHg), and the organic forms of mercury are more toxic than the inorganic ones. Then, it is very important the development of simple and fast methods for mercury fractionation (T-Hg, Hg-i and Hg-o by the difference) or speciation (Hg-i, MeHg, EtHg) in biological samples. Then, the aims of this work were to evaluate three analytical methods for: i) mercury fractionation in blood/plasma samples (Hg-t, Hg-i and Hg-o by difference) by using a ICP-MS on line coupled to a cold-vapor generation system (CV ICP-MS), ii) Hg speciation in blood and plasma by using LC coupled to ICP-MS; iii) Hg speciation in blood samples with the use of GC coupled to ICP-MS. For the fractionation method, samples were previously incubated with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) at room temperature. On the other hand, for the speciation of Hg in blood/plasma by using HPLC-ICP-MS the extraction of Hg species was carried out with the use of ultrasonic energy. For the speciation methodology with GC-ICP-MS the extraction of Hg species was carried out with the use of microwave-assisted extraction. Validation of the proposed methods were evaluated based on the analysis of the SRM NIST 966 and ordinary blood samples collected from riparians living in the Brazilian Amazon exposed to mercury. In general the proposed methodologies proved to be simple, fast and easily applied in routine analysis by clinical laboratories.