Curtis A. Wong

Effects of micro-?and nano-structures on the self-cleaning behaviour of lotus leaves

When rain falls on lotus leaves water beads up with a high contact angle. The water drops promptly roll off the leaves, collecting dirt along the way. This self-cleaning ability or lotus effect has, in recent years, stimulated much research effort worldwide for a variety of applications ranging from self-cleaning window glasses, paints, and fabrics to low friction surfaces. What are the mechanisms giving rise to the lotus effect? Although chemical composition and surface structure are believed important, a systematic experimental investigation of their effects is still lacking. By altering the surface structure of the leaves while keeping their chemical composition approximately the same, we report in this study the influence of micro- and nano-scale structures on the wetting behaviour of lotus leaves. The findings of this work may help design self-cleaning surfaces and improve our understanding of wetting mechanisms.

Stress-induced growth of bismuth nanowires

We report a method of making nanowires of bismuth (Bi) with diameters ranging from 30 to 200 nm and lengths up to several millimeters. The nanowires are extruded spontaneously at the rate of a few micrometers per second at room temperature from the surfaces of freshly grown composite thin films consisting of Bi and chrome–nitride. The high compressive stress in these composite thin films is the driving force responsible for the nanowire formation. This mechanism can also be used to create nanowires of other materials.

Rapid thermal annealing of high Tc superconducting thin films formed by metalorganic deposition

Thin‐film superconductors of Y‐Ba‐Cu and Yb‐Ba‐Cu have been formed by the nonvacuum method of metalorganic deposition (MOD). The films produced in this manner were homogeneous and free of voids and cracks over large dimensions. A two‐step rapid thermal annealing of the MOD films, in oxygen, at 850 °C for 60 s followed by a second annealing at 920 °C for 30 s enhanced grain growth in the films and reduced the effects of substrate interaction. Preferred epitaxial grain growth, in the high Tc films, with the c axis both perpendicular and parallel to the substrate surface, occurred on 〈100〉 SrTiO3. Both the Y‐Ba‐Cu and Yb‐Ba‐Cu films showed superconducting onset temperatures above 90 K and zero resistance at 86 K.

Vapor deposited thin gold coatings for high temperature electrical contacts

Using electron beam evaporation, thin films of Au over Ni and Au over Pd/sub 80/Ni/sub 20/ have been deposited on stainless steel and copper alloy substrates for high temperature electrical contact studies. The structure and composition of the films were studied in detail using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) with sputter depth profiling. The contact properties, such as contact resistance, fretting wear resistance, and thermal stability have been measured. The Ni and Pd/sub 80/Ni/sub 20/ layers of about 200 to 300 nm thickness have been shown to be effective in maintaining high temperature stability up to 340/spl deg/C in air by blocking the diffusion of elements in the substrates to the Au surface. These coatings also show good fretting wear resistance. These desired properties have been achieved with the thickness of the Au, Ni, and Pd/sub 80/Ni/sub 20/ layers substantially less than that of the conventional electroplated coatings.

Characterization of potassium tantalum niobate films formed by metalorganic deposition

Thin films of potassium tantalum niobate, KTa0.6Nb0.4O3, with a Curie temperature of 20 °C were deposited on a variety of substrates by metalorganic deposition. These films had peak relative permittivities of 16 000 at 20 °C. Hysteresis plots of electric displacement as a function of electric field, taken at 0 °C, revealed a coercive field of 800 V/cm, a spontaneous polarization of 3.9 μC/cm2, and a remnant polarization of 0.5 μC/cm2. The hysteresis loops did not change significantly as the temperature was varied down to −100 °C.

Spotting of Automotive Finishes from the Interactions Between Dry Deposition of Crustal Material and Wet Deposition of Sulfate

During the summer of 1988, General Motors Research Laboratories operated a mobile atmospheric research laboratory in Jacksonville, Florida to determine the cause of environmentally- related damage that occurs on automotive finishes In many parts of the U.S. The damage occurs as circular, elliptical, or irregular spots that appear as deposits or precipitates. The results of the present study show that a wetting event (rain or dew) is a prerequisite for damage to occur. Sulfuric acid contained in the rain or dew reacts on surfaces with drydeposited calcium which Is a common constituent of soli. As the droplets evaporate, a calcium sulfate precipitate forms on horizontal surfaces around the perimeter of the droplet. Subsequent washing of the surface may remove the precipitate, but on clearcoats, where the calcium sulfate was present, scars remain.

Grain growth of rapid-thermal-annealed Y-Ba-Cu oxide superconducting thin films

A study of the microstructure of Cu‐rich and stoichiometric Y‐Ba‐Cu oxide thin‐film superconductors is presented. The films were deposited on 〈100〉 SrTiO3 by the nonvacuum technique of metalorganic deposition followed by rapid thermal annealing in oxygen. Analysis showed that for annealing temperatures below 900 °C, grain size increased with increased annealing temperature, with an enhancement in grain growth for the Cu‐rich films. Annealing near or above the melting point of the 1‐2‐3 phase causes only a slight increase in the rate of grain growth and no detectable effects of the excess Cu. Annealing above 920 °C produces segregated CuO islands 5–10 μm in size in the Cu‐rich films. Oriented grain growth was found for the 1‐2‐3 grains with their c axis perpendicular and parallel to the SrTiO3 substrates. Sheet resistivity measurements were correlated with grain size, phase separation, and oriented grain growth. An anomalous behavior in the resistance‐temperature plot at 220–240 K of the Cu‐rich films is s...

Tests for fluorocarbon and other organic vapor release by fluorocarbon film bags

Tests were performed on several bags made from fluorinated ethene-propene copolymer film, commonly referred to as FEP-Teflon, to see if they release fluorocarbon vapors, as was recently reported by others. Special attention was given to determining if tetrafluoroethene and hexafluoropropene, the monomer units used to synthesize the film, were released. By use of an instrument that measured total gas-phase carbon, it was determined that at most 0.06 ppm of C of non-methane organic contamination was released into bags of clean air stored outdoors for up to 2 days. A more sophisticated technique was used to confirm that neither of the two precursor fluorocarbons was released into the bag at concentrations above the detection limit of approx.25/sup 0/C in a room as well as one stored in an irradiated chamber at 30-40/sup 0/C. These findings are contrary to those recently reported by another group who found large releases of fluorocarbon contaminants, especially hexafluoropropene, from similar bags. We conclude that no all FEB-Teflon film releases fluorocarbon vapors.