Suppressing Effects of Ag Wetting Layer on Surface Conduction of Er Silicide/Si(001) Nanocontacts

Current-voltage electrical characteristics of Er silicide/Si（001） nanocontacts are measured in situ in a scanning tunneling microscopy system. Introduced as a new technique to suppress surface leakage conduction on Si（001）,a silver wetting layer is evaporated onto the substrate surface kept at room temperature with Er Si2 nanoislands already existing. The effects of the silver layer on the current-voltage characteristics of nanocontacts are discussed.Our experimental results reveal that the silver layer at coverage of 0.4–0.7 monolayer can suppress effectively the current contribution from the surface conduction path. After the surface leakage path of nanocontacts is obstructed, the ideality factor and the Schottky barrier height are determined using the thermionic emission theory, about 2 and 0.5 eV, respectively. The approach adopted here could shed light on the intrinsic transport properties of metal-semiconductor nanocontacts.

Effect of Wet Surface Treated Nano-SiO_2 on Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Composite

Nano-SiO2/polypropylene composite was prepared by melt-blending process. The nano-SiO2 particles were organized by wet process surface treatment with silane coupling agent KH-570. The effect of mass fraction of nano-SiO2 particles and dosage of KH-570 on the toughening and strengthening of PP matrix were investigated based on the fractography of impact notch and the analysis of crystal structure by X-ray and dispersive structure of nano-SiO2 by TEM. Results show that the impact and flexural strength and modulus of the composite are improved obviously with low loading of nano-SiO2 （3 wt%-5 wt%）, and the izod impact strength of PP increases twice with 4 wt% nano-SiO2. The nano-SiO2 particles treated can disperse into the matrix resin, which has evident heterogeneous nucleation effects on the crystallization of PP. The optimal toughening and strengthening effects of PP matrix can be obtained when the content of nano-SiO2 and KH-570 are 4 wt% and 3 wt%, respectively.

Triangle Method for Estimating Soil Surface Wetness from Satellite Imagery in Allahabad District, Uttar Pradesh, India

Soil surface wetness is indispensable land surface parameter in agriculture, hydrology and environmental engineering. This paper explores the relationship between surface radiant temperature and fractional vegetation cover derived from satellite imagery to estimate soil surface wetness (triangle method) in Allahabad district. The pixel distributions create triangular shapes because the range of surface radiant temperature decreases as the amount of vegetation cover increases and sufficient number of pixels exists. A very weak correlation is found between the simulated soil surface wetness and ground measured soil moisture at deeper soil layers (R2 < 0.15) on all the dates under investigation. This is because the drying rates at the surface discontinue to be linearly correlated to that at lower levels (depths). The standing water pixels distort the shape of the triangle especially at lower left edge of the triangle. This distortion is removable. The spatial and temporal inhomogeneity of soil surface wetness is examined.

Hydrodynamic Analysis and Shape Optimization for Vertical Axisymmetric Wave Energy Converters

The absorber is known to be vertical axisymmetric for a single-point wave energy converter （WEC）. The shape of the wetted surface usually has a great influence on the absorber＇s hydrodynamic characteristics which are closely linked with the wave power conversion ability. For complex wetted surface, the hydrodynamic coefficients have been predicted traditionally by hydrodynamic software based on the BEM. However, for a systematic study of various parameters and geometries, they are too multifarious to generate so many models and data grids. This paper examines a semi-analytical method of decomposing the complex axisyrnmetric boundary into several ring-shaped and stepped surfaces based on the boundary discretization method （BDM） which overcomes the previous difficulties. In such case, by using the linear wave theory based on eigenfunction expansion matching method, the expressions of velocity potential in each domain, the added mass, radiation damping and wave excitation forces of the oscillating absorbers are obtained. The good astringency of the hydrodynamic coefficients and wave forces are obtained for various geometries when the discrete number reaches a certain value. The captured wave power for a same given draught and displacement for various geometries are calculated and compared. Numerical results show that the geometrical shape has great effect on the wave conversion performance of the absorber. For absorbers with the same outer radius and draught or displacement, the cylindrical type shows fantastic wave energy conversion ability at some given frequencies, while in the random sea wave, the parabolic and conical ones have better stabilization and applicability in wave power conversion.

Metal surface wettability modification by nanosecond laser surface texturing:A review

Laser surface texturing(LST)is a non-contact manufacturing process for fabricating functional surfaces in a manner that improves the corresponding wettability,and is widely used in biomedicine and industry.Laser surface texturing is a facile approach that is compatible with various materials,can result in a hierarchical texture,and enables a high degree of surface wetting(i.e.,extreme wetting).In addition to surface structures,surface chemical modification is a primary factor in producing extreme wetting surfaces.This review discusses the effects of various surface textures and surface chemistries on wettability.Optimal laser parameters for the desired surface texture are based on the fundamental wettability and laser mechanism.In particular,bumps in the morphology are conducive to obtaining extreme wetting.Diverse surface chemical strategies result in extreme wetting by different mechanisms.This paper makes a rigorous evaluation of the laser parameters and optimal surface chemical modifications by elucidating the relationships between the surface structure,surface chemical modification,and wettability,and in so doing,determines the final wettability.The unresolved problems of LST are presented in the conclusion.This review provides guidance,development directions,and an integrated framework for LST,which will be useful for fabricating extreme wetting surfaces on various metals.

Surface characteristics of Y3Al5O12：Ce^3＋ phosphor with greatly enhanced photoluminescence after chemical defect-selective etching

The surface of a commercial Y3Al5O12：Ce^3＋ phosphor was modified by 99% NH_4F＋CH_3COOH solution in a supersonic bath with water temperature of 80 oC for 4 h. The scanning electron microscopy（SEM） results showed that the edge angles were not as sharp as the unmodified particles and the flat surfaces turned rough with many micro-structures covered. Positron lifetime measurements quantitatively showed that surface defects were removed away by more than 50%. As a result, the photoluminescence determinations showed that the backscatter loss was reduced by 4.2% and the emission power was enhanced by 5.6% after the surface modification. The conversion efficiency was greatly improved from 47.3% to 51.1%, as presented by the fluorescence images. Therefore, it would be greatly helpful for the improvement of efficiency, transparency and stability of pc-LED. Moreover, this method was significantly suitable for mass production due to its easy operation and low cost.

Biomimetic Capillary Inspired Heat Pipe Wicks

The possibility of mimicking desirable properties from nature accelerates material improvement and generates commercial interests. For heat pipe development, many attempts have been made in heat pipe wicks to enhance its capillary performance by mimicking biology. Constructing biporous, composite, or nanopillar wicks with aim of achieving hierarchical structure has been found in many studies. Mimicking beetle shell surface to obtain hybrid wettability shows biomimetic potential in heat pipe wicks. This paper firstly reviews some fundamental studies in biomimetics, establishing a general idea of surface wetting and capillary effect. MR/scanning of two live plants （Musa X Paradisiaca and Salix Flamingo） provides the possibility of visualising internal structures in vivo and obtaining rates of water transport in xylem vessels. In addition, by investigating the work inspired directly or indirectly from biomimetics, the role that biomimetics plays in modern heat pipe technology is revealed. Our innovation which syntheses a low level of hierarchical structure and integrates integral wicks for different heat pipe sections including evaporator, adiabatic, and condenser is introduced. Mathematical modelling in terms of capillary pressure and capillary rise rate to characterise such new structure is provided.

On large scale CFD-DEM simulation for gas-liquid-solid,three-phase flows

Particulate flows in a mixture of gas and liquid,i.e.gas-liquid-solid three-phase flows,are frequently encountered both in nature and industry.In such flows,complex interactions between multiple phases,i.e.particle-particle interactions,fluid-particle interactions and interfacial interactions(such as surface tension and particle wetting),play a crucial role.In literature,simulations of three-phase flows are sometimes performed by incorporating interface capturing methods(e.g.VOF method)into the CFD-DEM coupling model.However,it is practically impossible to perform large(industrial)scale simulation because of the high computational cost.One of the strategies often employed to reduce the computational cost in CFD-DEM is to upscale particle size,which is applied mainly to particle single-phase and fluid-solid two-phase flows.The present work is focused on the scaled-up particle model for gas-liquid-solid three-phase flows.The interaction forces between multiple phases are scaled using the general criteria derived from the continuum assumption of particulate flow.A colour function based interface-capturing method with improved interface smoothness is developed,and the diffusion based coarse graining is employed to ensure sufficient space resolution in CFD even when particle size is increased.It is shown that the model developed is capable of predicting the both particles and fluid behaviour in the original system.

The influence of substrate and atmosphere on the properties of FeSiB(Cu,Nb) alloy melts

The surface tensions and contact angles of Fe_(78)Si_9B_(13) and Fe_(73.5)Cu_1Nb_3Si_(13.5)B_9 alloy melts were studied as a function of temperature in various atmospheres(vacuum, Ar and N_2 gas) and on different substrates(Si C, Al_2O_3 and BN). It is indicated that Si_3N_4, NbN, Fe_2 Al B and B_(13)C_2 are generated as new phases at the interface between the melt and substrate, and reactive wetting behaviour exists during the heating process. The surface tensions of two alloy melts on BN substrate both firstly decrease and then increase along with increasing temperature, leading to V-shaped surface tension versus temperature, which results from atomic diffusion effects in the surface layer during the oxidation of BN and formation of C-rich layer. Comparably, the surface tensions on Al_2O_3 and Si C substrates decrease with increasing temperature throughout the entire temperature range. Among three substrates, BN exhibits the mildest wetting behaviour. The vacuum environment has the strongest protective effect on melt stability among the tested atmospheres. These findings enrich our knowledge about the effects of the substrate and atmosphere on Fe-based alloy melts at a high temperature, and provide theoretical reference for designing jet nozzles in melt-spinning techniques.