Browsing by Author "Franco, N."
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- CdTe nano-structures for photovoltaic devicesPublication . Corregidor, V.; Alves, L. C.; Franco, N.; Barreiros, M. Alexandra; Sochinskii, N. V.; Alves, E.CdTe nano-structures with diameter of ∼100 nm and variable length (200–600 nm) were fabricated on glass substrates covered with conductive buffer layers such as NiCr, ZAO (ZnO:Al2O3 + Ta2O5) or TiPd alloys. The fabrication process consisted of the starting vapour deposition of metal catalyst dropped layer followed by the isothermal catalyst-prompted vapour growth of CdTe nano-structured layer of controllable shape and surface filling. The effect of buffer layers on the crystallographic orientation and thickness of CdTe nano-structured layers is investigated by means of IBA techniques, SEM and X-ray diffraction. It was shown that the formed CdTe nano-layers have a cubic structure, mainly oriented towards the [1 1 1] crystallographic direction, except for those grown on ZAO layer where the X-ray diffraction signal is very weak to be associated to any crystallographic form. The RBS spectra recorded on different areas of each sample type showed an almost constant thickness and SEM images revealed an homogeneous and dense distribution of the structures. It was also possible to study the first stage of the nano-structures grown on the Bi2Te3 seeds.
- Effects of helium and deuterium irradiation on SPS sintered W–Ta composites at different temperaturesPublication . Mateus, R.; Dias, Marta; Lopes, J.; Rocha, J.; Catarino, N.; Franco, N.; Livramento, Vanessa; Almeida Carvalho, Patricia; Correia, J.B.; Hanada, K.; Alves, E.Energetic He+ and D+ ions were implanted into different W–Ta composites in order to investigate their stability under helium and deuterium irradiation. The results were compared with morphological and chemical modifications arising from exposure of pure W and Ta. Special attention was given to tantalum hydride (Ta2H)formation due to its implications for tritium inventory. Three W–Ta composites with 10 and 20 at.% Ta were prepared from elemental W powder and Ta fibre or powder through low-energy ball milling in argon atmosphere. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was used as the consolidation process in the temperature range from 1473 to 1873 K. The results obtained from pure elemental samples and composites are similar. However, Ta2H is easily formed in pure Ta by using a pre-implantation stage of He+, whereas in W–Ta composites the same reaction is clearly reduced, and it can be inhibited by controlling the sintering temperature.
- Microstructural characterization of the ODS Eurofer 97 EU-batchPublication . Mateus, R.; Carvalho, Patricia Almeida; Nunes, D.; Alves, L. C.; Franco, N.; Correia, J.B.; Alves, E.Four as-processed forms (Plate 16, Plate 6, Rod 20 and Rod 12.5) of the ODS Eurofer 97 EU-batch produced under different thermomechanical conditions have been investigated by scanning nuclear microprobe, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron backscattered diffraction, hightemperature X-ray diffraction and microhardness measurements. The materials presented a ferritic microstructure with a homogeneous distribution of Y. The thicker plate presented a fine carbide dispersion while the other forms showed carbide morphologies corresponding to pseudo-pearlitic and pseudo-bainitic transformations with wellmatched hardness values. Hot rolling induced crystallographic textures of the {101}<101> type, rotary swaging resulted in a complex texture, and extrusion produced a strong <101> fiber texture. X-ray diffraction experiments at high temperature showed that at a cooling rate of 5 ºC/min the complete austenite-to-ferrite transformation occurs between 760 and 750 ºC compromising the material quenchability.
- Microstructure characterization of ODS-RAFM steelsPublication . Mateus, R.; Carvalho, P.; Nunes, D.; Alves, L. C.; Franco, N.; Correia, J.B.; Fernandes, H.; Silva, C.; Alves, E.; Lindau, R.Results of the microstructural characterization of four different RAFM ODS Eurofer 97 batches are presented and discussed. Analyses and observations were performed by nuclear microprobe and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. X-ray elemental distribution maps obtained with proton beam scans showed homogeneous composition within the proton beam spatial resolution and, in particular, pointed to a uniform distribution of ODS (yttria) nanoparticles in the Eurofer 97 matrix. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy made evident the presence of chromium carbide precipitation. Precipitates occurred preferentially along grain boundaries (GB) in three of the batches and presented a discrete distribution in the other, as a result of different thermo-mechanical routes. Additional electron backscattered diffraction experiments revealed the crystalline textures in the ferritic polycrystalline structure of the ODS steel samples.
- Synergistic helium and deuterium blistering in tungsten–tantalum compositesPublication . Dias, Marta; Mateus, R.; Catarino, N.; Franco, N.; Nunes, D.; Correia, J.B.; Carvalho, Patricia Almeida; Hanada, K.; Sârbu, C.; Alves, E.Tungsten–tantalum composites with 10 and 20 at.% Ta were prepared by ball milling W powder with Ta fibers and by consolidating the milled materials with spark plasma sintering. The composites were implanted at room temperature with He+ (30 keV with a fluence 5 1021 at/m2) and/or D+ (15 keV with a fluence 5 x 1021 at/m2) ion beams. The materials were studied by scanning and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, both coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and by X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and nuclear reaction analysis. The microstructure observations revealed that the milling operation resulted in severe fragmentation of the Ta fibers. Furthermore, during the consolidation process the Ta phase acted as oxygen getter and reduced theWoxide present in the original material. The surface of the tungsten–tantalum composites implanted with D+ remained essentially unaltered, while the materials implanted with He+ evidenced blisters on the Ta-rich regions. D retention in the composites increased with He+ pre-implantation.