SiO2 Layer Research Articles

An Innovative Fuel Design for HTGRs: Evaluating a 10-Hour High-Temperature Oxidation of the SiC Fuel Matrix During Air Ingress Accident Conditions

Preventing severe corrosion incidents caused by air ingress accidents in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) while improving heat removal efficiency from the core is of paramount importance. To enhance both safety and efficiency, a sleeveless silicon carbide (SiC)-matrix fuel compact has been proposed. This study evaluates the 10-hour oxidation of reaction-sintered SiC (RS-SiC)-matrix fuel compact under the conditions of an air ingress accident within the temperature range of 1000 to 1400 °C. The oxidation tests were conducted in a stagnant air environment without flow. As a result, it is demonstrated that RS-SiC exhibits exceptional resistance to air oxidation up to 1400 °C, as shown by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), with minimal mass loss due to the oxidation of free carbon. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX) analysis reveals that the morphology and thickness of the SiO2 layer formed on the RS-SiC surface vary with temperature. At 1400 °C, uniform oxide layer thickness ranging from 1.59 to 4.10 μm and localized nodule-like oxide formations of approximately 10 μm are observed. In contrast, at 1000–1200 °C, thinner oxide layers are identified, indicating that oxide growth accelerates at higher temperatures. The oxidation rates measured provide insights into the mechanisms of oxide growth.

Simulation of silicon conical field effect GAA nanotransistors with stack SiO2/HfO2 dielectric of gate

The issues of modeling the electrophysical characteristics of a silicon conical field effect GAA nanotransistor are discussed. An analytical model of the drain current of a transistor with a fully enclosing conical gate with a stack sub-gate oxide SiO2/HfO2 has been developed, taking into account the effect of the charge of the interphase trap at the Si/SiO2 interface. To simulate the potential distribution in a conical working area under the condition of constant trap density, an analytical solution of the Poisson equation was obtained using the method of parabolic approximation in a cylindrical coordinate system with appropriate boundary conditions. The potential model was used to develop an expression for the GAA drain current of a nanotransistor with a stack gate oxide. The key electrophysical characteristics are numerically investigated depending on the density of traps and the thicknesses of SiO2 and HfO2 layers.

Water vapor oxidation of SiC layer of tristructural isotropic particles

AbstractTristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles, developed for use in high‐temperature gas‐cooled nuclear reactors, can be subjected to oxidizing environments in off‐normal accident scenarios. In this study, surrogate TRISO fuel particles were oxidized at 1000–1350°C for 4 h in 20 kPa water vapor atmosphere balanced with ultrahigh‐purity helium gas. The oxide scale morphology and thickness were studied via scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and transmission electron microscopy. The oxide thickness increased as the oxidation temperature was increased. Although the oxide scale at 1000°C was completely amorphous, pockets of crystalline oxide were observed on particles oxidized at 1200 and 1300°C. Kinetic analysis was performed to deduce the oxidation mechanism by determining the apparent activation energy using linear regression analysis. The oxidation mechanism was consistent for temperatures from 1000 to 1200°C with an activation energy of 412.4 ± 8.8 kJ/mol. The activation energy then dropped to approximately 201 ± 7.1 kJ/mol for temperatures 1200–1350°C. Therefore, there is a change in oxidation mechanism at ∼1200°C. This change is attributed to the existence of a network of significant bubbles in the oxide layer at higher temperatures, which serve as rapid diffusion pathways for the transport of oxidants from the surface to the SiC/SiO2 interface, instead of relying on the bulk diffusion through the SiO2 layer at lower temperatures where only small bubbles are present along the SiC/SiO2 interface.

Double Layer SiO2-Coated Water-Stable Halide Perovskite as a Promising Antimicrobial Photocatalyst under Visible Light.

Halide perovskite nanocrystals (HPNCs) have emerged as promising materials for various light harvesting applications due to their exceptional optical and electronic properties. However, their inherent instability in water and biological fluids has limited their use as photocatalysts in the aqueous phase. In this study, we present highly water-stable SiO2-coated HPNCs as efficient photocatalysts for antimicrobial applications. The double SiO2 layer coating method confers long-term structural and optical stability to HPNCs in water, while the in situ synthesis of lead- and bismuth-based perovskite NCs into the SiO2 shell enhances their versatility and tunability. We demonstrate that the substantial generation of singlet oxygen via energy transfer from HPNCs enables efficient photoinduced antibacterial efficacy under aqueous conditions. More than 90% of Escherichia coli was inactivated under mild visible light irradiation for 6 h. The excellent photocatalytic antibacterial performance suggests that SiO2-coated HPNCs hold great potential for various aqueous phase photocatalytic applications.

Intense violet electroluminescence of thin SiO2 layers with SnO2 nanocrystals

It has been shown that Sn implantation with subsequent annealing in air leads to an increase in the electroluminescence (EL) intensity of SiO2/Si structure by two orders of magnitude. Intense violet EL with a maximum at 3.21 eV was observed at room temperature by the naked eye at forward bias. The observed emission was attributed to radiative recombination in SnO2 nanocrystals synthesized in SiO2 layers. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) increased with decreasing Sn concentration The maximum external quantum efficiency was found to be 0.7 % for the silica film Sn-implanted at the lowest fluence of 2.5 × 1016cm−2. The non-radiative charge transport (shunt current) through the sample and mechanism of EL excitation are discussed. It has been concluded that the Poole–Frenkel mechanism, or tunneling between traps are the most likely mechanisms of charge transport to light-emitting centers.

Sodium-based plasmonic waveguides with high confinement factors and ultra-low gain thresholds.

The noble metal-based hybrid plasmon mode features low loss and strong field localization, making it widely applicable in the field of nanophotonic devices. However, due to the high loss of noble metals, the gain threshold is unacceptably high, usually larger than 0.1 µm-1. Here we present a hybrid plasmonic waveguide consisting of a SiO2 layer coated Na nanowire and a hexagonal semiconductor nanowire. Based on the high performance of the proposed waveguide, the Purcell factor exceeding 120 and a confinement factor above 90% are achieved, leading to an ultra-low gain threshold of 0.02117 µm-1. In addition, the proposed waveguide exhibits an extremely low cross talk, making it highly suitable for applications in compact photonic integrated devices. The proposed waveguide may contribute to the development of low-threshold nano-lasers and promote other applications in nanophotonics.

Electron Irradiation on Metal Oxide Silicon Field Effect Transistors in Space Applications

The space environment is hostile to most semiconductor electronic devices and components used for space applications. The radiation generally encountered in space are α, β, γ, x-ray, energetic electrons, protons, neutrons and ions of various kinds. Especially the Van Allen Belts consist of high energy electrons which are in continuous motion. Satellites systems operating in Low Earth Orbits (LEO) are prone to get exposed to high energy electrons. This paper describes the effect of electron beam irradiation on MOSFETs planned for space applications. The devices selected for the study are 2N6768 n- channel MOSFETs (JANTXV) procured from ISAC, Bangalore. The decapped MOSFETS are exposed to a beam of electrons for various doses ranging from 50 Gy to 10 KGy in the electron energy range 7 – 10 MeV using the electron accelerator facility at RRCAT, Indore. Pre and post- irradiation measurements of the electrical characteristics are undertaken to investigate the electron induced device degradation and damage. The dominant mechanism of the interaction of the electrons with semiconductors is to produce atomic displacement which can have serious impact on electrical characteristics. MOS (Metal oxide semiconductor) devices are the most sensitive of all semiconductor devices to radiation showing considerable degradation even for a relatively low dose of exposure to high energy electrons. The energy dissipated by electrons in semiconductors is sufficient to displace silicon atoms and causes a shift in the threshold voltage and leakage current. The study indicates that the gate threshold voltage substantially decreases with the increase in electron dose. The leakage current increases with dose which could have an impact on the performance of the device. The transconductance of the MOS transistor is found to decrease with increase in electron dose. The observed changes in the electrical characteristics upon electron irradiation are analysed and interpreted as due to trapped charges in the SiO2 layer and at the interface. The present investigation reveals that there is a remarkable degradation in threshold voltage and the leakage current displays substantial increase when the devices are exposed to electrons. This increase in leakage current can have significant impact on device performance in a radiation environment.

Ski S. V. Influence of gamma irradiation on the reverse current-voltage characteristics of silicon photomultipliers

The study investigated the effect of Co60 gamma-quanta on the reverse current-voltage characteristic (IV) of silicon photomultiplier (SiPMs) with 1004 cells, which themselves were optically isolated from each other n+ –p–p+ -structures. The cells were optically isolated from each other by trenches filled with tungsten after passivation of the walls with SiO2 and Si3N4 layers. Two variants of structural design of SiPMs were studied. Two variants were tested for the trench metal connection in the SiPMs: variant BI connected the trench metal to the n+-region of the cell through a quenching polysilicon resistor, while variant BII connected it to the p+-region. The breakdown voltage of the investigated SiPMs was Ubr = 34 ± 1.0 V. The samples were irradiated in both the active electrical mode (avalanche breakdown mode) and the passive mode (reverse bias Ub = 0 V). It was discovered, that at dose of D = 106 rad, the dark current for SiPM (BI) and (BII) increased by 6–7 times when irradiated in passive mode and by 15–16 times for SiPM (BII) when irradiated in active mode. For SiPM (BI) irradiated in the avalanche breakdown mode, the dark current increased by 104 times at D = 105 rad. The research demonstrates that the radiation-induced degradation of the dark current in the SiPMs under study is due to an increase in the generation and, primarily, surface components. This is a result of the accumulation of positive charge in the insulating layer of the separating trenches.

Enhancement of Near‐Infrared Photovoltaic Response of Si/Au Schottky‐Junction Structure by Band‐Bending Approaches

A combined approach of band bending is employed to enhance the near‐infrared (NIR) photovoltaic (PV) response of a Si/Au Schottky junction (SHJ) device. As a reference, the basic architecture of the SHJ device consists of textured n‐Si and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). Its photoelectric conversion efficiency at 1319 nm wavelength is 0.0302%. A series of band‐bending approaches are then applied to the reference device in sequence, aiming to minimize the electric loss of the structure by strengthening built‐in electric field. These approaches include introductions of an Al2O3 layer for front field passivation, a p+‐Si layer to form a p+n‐like junction at the front of the device and a SiO2 layer for rear field passivation. With these modifications, under 1319 nm illumination, the open‐circuit voltage eventually increases by 14%, the short‐circuit current increases by 18% and the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the device increases by 66% to reach 0.0501%. The results of this work propose a strategy to minimize the electric loss in an NIR PV device.

LSPR Sensitivity of Ag-X NRs Core-Shell (X=Au, Al, TiO2, ZnO, SiO2): A Boundary Element Method Simulation Study

Abstract Silver nanorods (Ag NRs) have garnered significant attention in sensor applications due to their exceptional sensitivity to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), facilitating the detection of minute changes in the surrounding environment. However, the inherent instability of silver in various environmental conditions poses a considerable challenge to the long-term reliability and reproducibility of Ag NR-based sensors. Core-shell structure Ag NRs by coating with Au, Al, TiO2, ZnO, and SiO2 layers reduce instability. These coatings act as protective barriers, shielding the underlying Ag NRs from environmental factors while preserving their LSPR properties. In this study, we employ the Boundary Element Method (BEM) simulation to investigate the sensitivity of coating Ag NRs with different materials (Au, Al, TiO2, ZnO, and SiO2) in enhancing both their stability and sensitivity for LSPR-based sensing applications.

Mathematical modeling study to optimize the production of molybdenum and silica absorbing thin films

Reducing costs in renewable energy technologies, such as solar energy, can be achieved by optimizing manufacturing processes to enhance the performance of solar absorbers. This study investigates the optical characteristics of molybdenum (Mo) films deposited on AISI 304 stainless steel substrates, both with and without a silicon dioxide (SiO2) anti-reflective layer. The work involves optimizing film thickness and deposition conditions to improve solar absorption and minimize thermal emission. A mathematical model was developed to determine the optimal film thickness for achieving high optical selectivity, and this model was validated through experimental deposition and characterization. The results show that a 53 nm Mo film achieved a selectivity factor of 10.35, with an emissivity of 9.30 % and an absorptivity of 96.28 %. The addition of an 18 nm SiO2 layer further increased the spectral selectivity to 13.95, with an absorptivity of 98.00 % and an emissivity of 7.02 %. These findings confirm that the theoretical predictions align with the experimental data, validating effectiveness of the optimized deposition parameters in enhancing the performance of solar absorbers.

Effect of external surface barriers over hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite on n-heptane catalytic cracking

To better understand external surface barriers on hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite, SiO2 layers were constructed over zeolite nanocrystal by using chemical liquid depositions (CLD). Diffusion measurement showed that the apparent diffusion rate over the zeolite was increased by up to 142 % after SiO2 deposition, indicating that the external surface barriers had been significantly reduced. The performance of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite for n-heptane catalytic cracking indicated that the catalytic activity (TOF) was increased from 0.55 to 0.91 s−1 after 3 nm layer of SiO2 deposition, leading to a total yield increase of ethylene and propylene by up to 23 %. The strong positive correlation of catalytic activity with apparent diffusion rate suggests that reducing external surface barriers can improve the utilization efficiency of active sites in micropores and enhance the catalytic activity of the zeolite. These results demonstrate that CLD of SiO2 can reduce external surface barriers on hierarchical zeolite, thereby improving its cracking performance.

Effect of О<sub>2</sub><sup>+</sup> Ion Implantation on the Elemental and Chemical Composition of the Si(111) Surface

Using the methods of secondary ion mass spectrometry, elastic peak electron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy, the elemental and chemical composition of the surface, concentration profiles of the distribution of atoms over the depth of silicon implanted with O2+ ions with energy E0 = 1 keV at a dose of D = 6 × 1016 cm–2 were studied. It was found that oxides and suboxides of Si (SiO2, Si2O and SiO0.5) were formed in the ion-doped layer, and it also contained unbound O and Si atoms. Post-implantation annealing at 850–900 K led to the formation of a stoichiometric SiO2 layer ~25–30 Å thick.

Fabrication of core–shell Fe3O4@SiO2/graphite catalyst to improve the charge separation for enhanced photocatalytic toluene oxidation

Magnetite (Fe3O4) has been regarded as a potential photocatalyst for VOCs degradation. Nevertheless, the magnetism of Fe3O4 always leads to the aggregation of particles, which is adverse for gaseous VOCs degradation. Meanwhile, the fast charge recombination of Fe3O4 seriously limits the photocatalytic activity. Herein, a layer of SiO2 was coated on the surface of Fe3O4, and Fe3O4@SiO2 particles were combined with graphite to prepare the core–shell catalyst for photocatalytic toluene oxidation. Fe3O4@SiO2/G catalyst showed the toluene degradation efficiency of 85.09%, which was 3.2 and 1.3 times than those of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/G. The coating of SiO2 prevented the aggregation of Fe3O4 and greatly enhanced the specific surface area. Experimental and theoretical calculation proved that the existence of SiO2 promoted the spatial charge separation and inhibited the charge recombination, resulting in the generation of abundant reactive oxygen species. These findings offered an insight into the catalyst design for photocatalytic VOCs oxidation.

Efficiency study of nickel-containing glass-fiber catalysts for CO2 methanation

The work is dedicated to the synthesis and investigation of Ni-containing catalysts based on glass-fiber carriers (GFC) with an additionally deposited secondary layer of porous SiO2 for the process of carbon dioxide methanation. Ni-based GFCs were prepared using the surface thermosynthesis (STS) and pulse surface thermosynthesis (PSTS) methods, involves heat treatment of the catalyst with the supported Ni precursor at a high heating rate; such procedure was not applied earlier for production of CO2 methanation catalysts. The GFC sample prepared by the PSTS method with a fuel additive in the precursor composition is characterized by a more uniform distribution of Ni particles on the catalyst surface and better dispersion of Ni, smaller crystallite size: NiO crystallites in this freshly prepared GFCs are smaller than 10 nm and Ni crystallites in reduced catalysts are <30 nm. As a result, this sample demonstrated the highest apparent activity in the methanation reaction among all synthesized GFCs, it has also showed a significantly higher specific activity per unit mass of nickel compared to the commercial Ni-Al2O3 analogue. The synthesized catalysts are original, they can be effectively applied for development of novel highly efficient technologies for energy conversion/storage systems and greenhouse gas emission control.

High-Performance CsPbI3 Quantum Dot Photodetector with a Vertical Structure Based on the Frenkel-Poole Emission Effect.

The selection of photoactive materials and the design of device structures are critical to the photoelectronic performance of photodetectors. This study reports on a vertically structured photodetector device with rapid, stable, and efficient photoelectric performance across the UV-visible broadband range based on the Si++/SiO2/Au/single-layer graphene/CsPbI3 quantum dots (QDs) configuration. In this specific device structure, a relatively high conductivity Si++/SiO2 wafer was used as the substrate, a CsPbI3 QD film with high light absorption was used as the photoactive layer, and a monolayer graphene with high conductivity was inserted between the substrate and the CsPbI3 QD film to form a heterojunction with the QD film. Based on the Frenkel-Poole emission effect arising from the high trap state density within the SiO2 layer, the device exhibited excellent photoelectric performances. Especially at a wavelength of 365 nm, a photocurrent responsivity of 2319 A/W, a specific detectivity of 1.15 × 1014 Jones, an external quantum efficiency of 7883%, and an on/off time of 39/36 ms at a Si++ terminal voltage of -80 V and an optical power density of 84.03 nW/cm2 can be achieved.

Silicon-based perovskite plasmonic diode with highly polarized emission

Abstract Here, we propose and develop a silicon (Si)-based perovskite plasmon-emitting diode (PED) with controlled linear polarization in this study. Such polarization originates from the efficient excitation of surface plasmons by excitons in the active layer of the device and the efficient outcoupling by a wedged boundary of a metal electrode. Furthermore, a p-type Si substrate serves as an anode of the diode, and a hole blocking layer of SiO2 is introduced in the PEDOT:PSS/Si heterojunction for carrier injection balance. Pure green emission light has been achieved from devices with varied thicknesses of the emitting layer, and the maximum degree of polarization is measured to be 0.79. The field distribution and polarization of the PED were simulated and measured. Such a low-cost Si-based plasmonic diode provides a promising way to realize simpler and more compact multiple-functional light sources, which are extensively demanded for optoelectronic integration.

Enhanced the sensing sensitivity of the metamaterial absorbers with patterned convex graphene in the terahertz

Abstract In this paper, a patterned graphene metamaterial terahertz absorber is theoretically designed. The proposed absorber consists of a gold layer, a dielectric layer of SiO2, and graphene. The sensing sensitivity of the proposed absorber is simulated for the absence and presence of a square convex nanostructure, trapezoidal convex nanostructure, and rounded convex nanostructure. The sensitivity comparison between convex and absent convex nanostructures is studied, compared to no convex nanostructure, the simulated results show that the sensing sensitivity can be improved with the convex nanostructures, it is found that the absorber has two obvious absorption peaks, and it is insensitive to TE and TM polarization, and the maximum sensitivity corresponding to low-frequency and high-frequency modes is 0.911 THz RIU−1 and 1.561 THz RIU−1, respectively. Our work will play an important role in improving the sensing sensitivity of the graphene metamaterial absorber. Meanwhile, it can also greatly promote the application of biological sensing, modulation, integrated photodetectors, frequency selectors, sensors, filters and so on.

Electrically pumped random laser device based on Pd/SiO2/ZnO nanorods MIS structure

Electrically pumped random lasing based on Pd/SiO2/ZnO nanorods (NRs) structures is demonstrated. Chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique was used to synthesize the ZnO NRs. Then, an insulating layer of SiO2 was deposited via radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. After that, direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering was used to deposit palladium (Pd) metal contacts on the sample through a shadow mask. The electrical, morphological as well as optical characteristics of the ZnO NRs were analyzed. The device exhibits typical Schottky diode current–voltage (I-V) characteristics at a turn-on voltage of 6.18 V. The electroluminescence (EL) spectra shows good random lasing behavior with lasing peaks centered at approximately 380 nm and exhibited a threshold current of 37.5 mA. This report reveals Pd as a relatively cheaper material and low-cost CBD fabrication method is sufficient to fabricate electrically pumped random laser devices. Furthermore, this report also present a new way to interpret the mechanism of random lasing in the device.

Oxidation mechanism of the Si-X (X=HfO2, Yb2O3 or HfO2+Yb2O3) composite systems in air and water vapor at 1300 ℃

The formation rate of SiO2 during oxidation of Si bond layer is a key issue to determine the lifetime of environmental barrier coatings. The oxidation kinetics and mechanism of Si and Si-X (X=HfO2, Yb2O3 or HfO2+Yb2O3) composite systems were investigated systematically. The thickness of the SiO2 layer was greatly reduced by the dynamic formation of silicates (HfSiO4, Yb2SiO5 and Yb2Si2O7) in air and water vapor, benefiting for long-term servicing. However, the addition of HfO2 promoted the oxidation of Si with an increased total SiO2 thickness, while that of Yb2O3 not. These results provide a guidance for the design of next generation bond layers.