Substrate Effects on the Micro/Nanomechanical Properties of TiN Coatings

Nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests were performed for titanium nitride (TiN) coatings on different tool steel substrates to investigate the indentation/scratch induced deformation behavior of the coatings and the adhesion of the coating–substrate interfaces and their tribological property. In this work, TiN coatings with a thickness of about 500 nm were grown on GT35, 9Cr18 and 40CrNiMo steels using vacuum magnetic-filtering arc plasma deposition. In the nanoindentation tests, the hardness and modulus curves for TiN/GT35 reduced the slowest around the film thickness 500 nm with the increase of indentation depth, followed by TiN/9Cr18 and TiN/40CrNiMo. Improving adhesion properties of coating and substrate can decrease the differences of internal stress field. The scratch tests showed that the scratch response was controlled by plastic deformation in the substrate. The substrate plays an important role in determining the mechanical properties and wear resistance of such coatings. TiN/GT35 exhibited the best load-carrying capacity and scratch/wear resistance. As a consequence, GT35 is the best substrate for TiN coatings of the substrate materials tested.

Fine scale structures from deformation of aluminium containing small alumina particles

Microstructures and mechanical properties have been studied in aluminium containing a fine dispersion of alumina particles, deformed by cold-rolling to strains between 1.4 and 3.5. The microstructure was characterised by TEM. The deformation structures evolved very rapidly, forming a nanostructured material, with fine subgrains about 0.2 μm in diameter and a fraction of high-angle boundaries which was already high at a strain of 1.4, but continued to increase with rolling strain. The yield stress and ductility of the rolled materials were measured in tension, and properties were similar for all materials. Yield stress measurements were correlated with estimates made using microstructural models. The role of small particles in forming and stabilising the deformation structure is discussed. This nanostructured cold-deformed alloy has mechanical properties which are usefully enhanced at comparatively low cost. This gives it, and similar particle-strengthened alloys, good potential for commercial exploitation. © 2002 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluación de los factores de la ecuación universal de pérdidas de suelo en la micro cuenca "D", de la Cuenca Sur del Lago de Managua

El presente estudio se realizó en la micro cuenca "D", de la Cuenca Sur del Lago de Managua. Se determinaron los factores de la E.U.P.S., las pérdidas de suelo reales estimadas por la metodología de Coschoton y la influencia de la cobertura vegetal de los cultivos de maíz (60,81 l pts/ha) y frijol (225,225 pts/ha) en rotaciones únicas sembradas a curvas a nivel. Se utilizaron 6 parcelas de escurrimiento bajo la metodología de Wishmeier, con dimensiones de 2 m de ancho y 22.2 m de largo por cada parcela. Las variables evaluadas fueron las pérdidas de suelo reales por evento lluvioso, y los factores de la E.U.P.S. La información se presenta de forma descriptiva. Según datos obtenidos en el estudio demostraron que las parcelas desnudas presentaron las mayores pérdidas de suelo reales en el ciclo de primera como postrera, las parcelas cultivadas con maíz resultó ser más efectivo que las parcelas cultivadas con frijol en la época de primera, en postrera las pérdidas de suelo disminuyeron sustancialmente siendo las parcelas cultivadas con frijol las más efectivas dado que no presentó pérdidas de suelo. Los meses de Junio, Agosto y Septiembre son los meses con mayor susceptibilidad a las pérdidas de suelo coincidiendo éstas en la fase de germinación y plántula cuando la protección del cultivo es baja o nula Dicha rotación presentó valores de pérdidas de suelo por arriba de los niveles de tolerancia anuales propuestos por Mennering (1981) y Schertz (1993), recomendando implementar otras técnicas de conservación de suelo adicional a la práctica de cultivos en contornos para reducir las pérdidas de suelo.

Design and coupled-effect simulations of CMOS micro gas-sensors built on SOI thin membranes

This paper describes coupled-effect simulations of smart micro gas-sensors based on standard BiCMOS technology. The smart sensor features very low power consumption, high sensitivity and potential low fabrication cost achieved through full CMOS integration. For the first time the micro heaters are made of active CMOS elements (i.e. MOSFET transistors) and embedded in a thin SOI membrane consisting of Si and SiO2 thin layers. Micro gas-sensors such as chemoresistive, microcalorimeteric and Pd/polymer gate FET sensors can be made using this technology. Full numerical analyses including 3D electro-thermo-mechanical simulations, in particular stress and deflection studies on the SOI membranes are presented. The transducer circuit design and the post-CMOS fabrication process, which includes single sided back-etching, are also reported.

Design and simulations of SOI CMOS micro-hotplate gas sensors

This paper describes a new generation of integrated solid-state gas-sensors embedded in SOI micro-hotplates. The micro-hotplates lie on a SOI membrane and consist of MOSFET heaters that elevate the operating temperature, through self-heating, of a gas sensitive material. These sensors are fully compatible with SOI CMOS or BiCMOS technologies, offer ultra-low power consumption (under 100 mW), high sensitivity, low noise, low unit cost, reproducibility and reliability through the use of on-chip integration. In addition, the new integrated sensors offer a nearly uniform temperature distribution over the active area at its operating temperatures at up to about 300-350°C. This makes SOI-based gas-sensing devices particularly attractive for use in handheld battery-operated gas monitors. This paper reports on the design of a chemo-resistive gas sensor and proposes for the first time an intelligent SOI membrane microcalorimeter using active micro-FET heaters and temperature sensors. A comprehensive set of numerical and analogue simulations is also presented including complex 2D and 3D electro-thermal numerical analyses. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro-Scale Gas Flows

了解微尺度气体流动特点是微机电系统设计和优化的基础.有关的研究可以上溯到20世纪初Knudsen的平面槽道流动质量流量的测量和Millikan的小球阻力系数的测量,实验结果揭示了稀薄气体效应即尺度效应对气体运动的重要影响.由于流动特征长度很小,微尺度气流经常处于滑流区甚至过渡领域,流动的相似参数为Knudsen数和Mach数.因此可以考虑利用相似准则,通过增大几何尺寸、减小压力的途径,解决微机电系统实验观测遇到的困难.为解决直接模拟MonteCarlo方法分析微机电系统中低速稀薄气流遇到的统计涨落困难,我们提出了信息保存法(IP),该方法能够有效克服统计散布,并已成功用于多种微尺度气流.

Fourier Transform Method for Measuring the Micro Amplitu of Water Surface Waves

采用一种非接触的光学方法傅立叶变换莫尔法(Fourier transform method),结合数字图像处理技术,对微幅振荡的水表面波的振幅进行测量.它是对全场中每一个像素点进行测量,比接触测量法具有更高的灵敏度.它为微幅水表面波振幅的测量提供了一种手段.通过将计算机生成的周期性光栅图像经投影机直接投影到被测物体的参考平面,经CCD摄像头、图像板捕捉存储形成数字化的光栅图像,利用傅立叶变换莫尔法处理光栅图像,从而获得包含有水表面波的振幅的相位信息,再经适当的几何变换获得振幅信息.我们在垂直振荡装置上进行了不同激励频率和不同振幅的表面波的振幅测量.

Numerical Simulation on the Micro-Scale Bending Induced by Pulsed Laser Beam

利用自行研制的含热传导、冲击动力学大、变形有限元程序,模拟了小尺寸梁在脉冲激光加热条件下的变形过程。在此基础上,利用商用程序模拟了冷却及残余应力的产生,研究了激光参数（强度及分布）等对于微弯曲的影响。数值模拟结果与文献中的实验观察相吻合。

Characteristics of Gas Flow Within a Micro Diffuser/Nozzle Pump

英文摘要: The gas flow characteristics for various shapes of micro diffuser/nozzles have been experimentally investigated. The micro diffuser/nozzles with the lengths of 70 mu m, 90 mu m, 125 mu m and the taper angles of 7 degrees, 10 degrees, 14 degrees are designed and fabricated based on silicon micromachining technology for optimizing and comparing. The flat-wall diffuser/nozzle is 40 mu m x 5 mu m in depth and width. An experimental setup is designed to measure the gas flow rates under controlled temperature and pressure condition. Optimized values for the taper angle and the length of the diffuser/nozzle are experimentally obtained.

Size Effects in Micro-bending Deformation of MEMS Devices Based on the Discrete Dislocation Theory

In the present research, the discrete dislocation theory is used to analyze the size effect phenomena for the MEMS devices undergoing micro-bending load. A consistent result with the experimental one in literature is obtained. In order to check the effectiveness to use the discrete dislocation theory in predicting the size effect, both the basic version theory and the updated one are adopted simultaneously. The normalized stress-strain relations of the material are obtained for different plate thickness or for different obstacle density. The prediction results are compared with experimental results.

ZnO film based surface acoustic wave micro-pump

In this study, a micro-pump unit based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) on piezoelectric ZnO film is designed and fabricated as a micro-fluidic device. It employs a mechanical wave, which is generated electrically using an aluminum interdigital transducer (IDT), and propagates on the surface of the ZnO film. The ZnO film was used in this study because it has a high electromechanical coefficient and an excellent bonding with various substrate materials, in particular silicon. The sputtering parameters for ZnO film deposition have been optimized, and the ZnO films with different thickness from 1 micron to 5.5 microns were prepared. The film properties have been characterized using different methods, such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Aluminum IDT with a finger width and spacing of 8 microns was patterned on the ZnO film using a lift-off process. The frequency generated was measured using a network analyzer, and it varies from 130 MHz to 180 MHz as a function of film thickness. A signal generator was used to generate the frequency with a power amplifier to amplify the signal, which was then applied to aluminum IDT to generate the surface acoustic wave. If a liquid droplet exists on the surface carrying the acoustic wave, the energy and the momentum of the SAW will be coupled into the fluid, causing the liquid to vibrate and move on film surface. The strength of this movement is determined by the applied voltage and frequency. The volume of the liquid drop loaded on the SAW device in this study is of several hundreds of nanoliters. The movement of the liquid inside the droplet and also on the ZnO film surface can be demonstrated. The performance of ZnO SAW device was characterized as a function of film thickness. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Different methods of manufacturing FE-based oxygen carrier particles for reforming via chemical looping, and their effect on performance

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a means of combusting carbonaceous fuels, which inherently separates the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the remaining combustion products, and has the potential to be used for the production of high-purity hydrogen. Iron-based oxygen carriers for CLC have been subject to considerable work; however, there are issues regarding the lifespan of iron-based oxygen carriers over repeated cycles. In this work, haematite (Fe2O3) was reduced in an N2+CO+CO2 mixture within a fluidised bed at 850°C, and oxidised back to magnetite (Fe3O4) in a H2O+N2 mixture, with the subsequent yield of hydrogen during oxidation being of interest. Subsequent cycles started from Fe3O4 and two transition regimes were studied; Fe3O4↔Fe0.947O and Fe 3O4↔Fe. Particles were produced by mechanical mixing and co-precipitation. In the case of co-precipitated particles, Al was added such that the ratio of Fe:Al by weight was 9:1, and the final pH of the particles during precipitation was investigated for its subsequent effect on reactivity. This paper shows that co-precipitated particles containing additives such as Al may be able to achieve consistently high H2 yields when cycling between Fe3O4 and Fe, and that these yields are a function of the ratio of [CO2] to [CO] during reduction, where thermodynamic arguments suggest that the yield should be independent of this ratio. A striking feature with our materials was that particles made by mechanical mixing performed much better than those made by co-precipitation when cycling between Fe3O4 and Fe0.947O, but much worse than co-precipitated particles when cycling between Fe3O 4 and Fe.

Size Effect and Geometrical Effect of Solids in Micro-Indentation Test

Micro-indentation tests at scales of the order of sub-micron show that the measured hardness increases strongly with decreasing indent depth or indent size, which is frequently referred to as the size effect. At the same time, at micron or sub-micron scale, another effect, which is referred to as the geometrical size effects such as crystal grain size effect, thin film thickness effect, etc., also influences the measured material hardness. However, the trends are at odds with the size-independence implied by the conventional elastic-plastic theory. In the present research, the strain gradient plasticity theory (Fleck and Hutchinson) is used to model the composition effects (size effect and geometrical effect) for polycrystal material and metal thin film/ceramic substrate systems when materials undergo micro-indenting. The phenomena of the "pile-up" and "sink-in" appeared in the indentation test for the polycrystal materials are also discussed. Meanwhile, the micro-indentation experiments for the polycrystal Al and for the Ti/Si_3N_4 thin film/substrate system are carried out. By comparing the theoretical predictions with experimental measurements, the values and the variation trends of the micro-scale parameter included in the strain gradient plasticity theory are predicted.

Archaeometric evidence for the authenticity of the Jehoash inscription tablet

A gray, fine-grained arkosic sandstone tablet bearing an inscription in ancient Hebrew from the First Temple Period contains a rich assemblage of particles accumulated in the covering patina. Two types of patina cover the tablet: a thin layer of black to orange iron-oxide-rich layer, a product of micro-biogenic processes, and a light beige patina that contains feldspars, carbonate, iron oxide, subangular quartz grains, carbon ash particles and gold globules (1 to 4 microns [1 micron = 0.001 millimeter] in diameter). The patina covers the rock surface as well as the engraved lettering grooves and blankets and thus post-dates the incised inscription as well as a crack that runs across the stone and several of the engraved letters. Radiocarbon analyses of the carbon particles in the patina yield a calibrated radiocarbon age of 2340 to 2150 Cal BP. The presence of microcolonial fungi and associated pitting in the patina indicates slow growth over many years. The occurrence of pure gold globules and carbon ash particles is evidence of a thermal event in close proximity to the tablet (above 1000 degrees Celsius). This study supports the antiquity of the patina, which in turn, strengthens the contention that the inscription is authentic.

Micro-systems for Optical Protein-Chip

Protein-Chip as micro-assays for the determination of protein interaction, the analysis, the identification and the purification of proteins has large potential applications. The Optical Protein-Chip is able to detect the multi-interaction of proteins and multi-bio-activities of molecules directly and simultaneously with no labeling. The chip is a small matrix on solid substrate containing multi-micro-area prepared by microfabrication with photolithography or soft lithography for surface patterning, and processed with surface modification which includes the physical, chemical, and bio-chemical modifications, etc. The ligand immobilization, such as protein immobilization, especially the oriented immobilization with low steric hindrance and high bio-specific binding activity between ligand and receptor is used to form a sensing surface. Each area of the pattern is corresponding to only one bioactivity. The interval between the areas is non-bioactive and optically extinctive. The affinity between proteins is used to realize non-labeling microassays for the determination of protein identification and protein interaction. The sampling of the chip is non-disturbing, performed with imaging ellipsometry and image processing on a database of proteins.