Improving the Efficiency of Solid State Light Sources

This proposal addresses the national need to develop a high efficiency light source for general illumination applications. The goal is to perform research that would lead to the fabrication of a unique solid state, white-emitting light source. This source is based on an InGaN/GaN UV-emitting chip that activates a luminescent material (phosphor) to produce white light. White-light LEDs are commercially available which use UV from a GaN chip to excite a phosphor suspended in epoxy around the chip. Currently, these devices are relatively inefficient. This research will target one technical barrier that presently limits the efficiency of GaN based devices. Improvements in efficiencies will be achieved by improving the internal conversion efficiency of the LED die, by improving the coupling between the die and phosphor(s) to reduce losses at the surfaces, and by selecting phosphors to maximize the emissions from the LEDs in conversion to white light. The UCSD research team proposes for this project to develop new phosphors that have high quantum efficiencies that can be activated by the UV-blue (360-410 nm) light emitted by the GaN device. The main goal for the UCSD team was to develop new phosphor materials with a very specific property: phosphors that could be excited at long UV-wavelengths ({lambda}=350-410 nm). The photoluminescence of these new phosphors must be activated with photons emitted from GaN based dies. The GaN diodes can be designed to emit UV-light in the same range ({lambda}=350-410 nm). A second objective, which is also very important, is to search for alternate methods to fabricate these phosphors with special emphasis in saving energy and time and reduce pollution

Minerals Form a Continuum Phase in Mature Cancellous Bone

Bone is a hierarchically structured composite consisting of a protein phase (type I collagen) and a mineral phase (carbonated apatite). The objective of this study was to investigate the hierarchical structure of mineral in mature bone. A method to completely deproteinize bone without altering the original structure is developed, and the completion is confirmed by protein analysis techniques. Stereoscopy and field emission electron microscopy are used to examine the structural features from submillimeter- to micrometer- to nanometer-length scales of bovine femur cancellous bone. Stereoscopic images of fully deproteinized and demineralized bovine femur cancellous bone samples show that fine trabecular architecture is unaltered and the microstructural features are preserved, indicating the structural integrity of mineral and protein constituents. SEM revealed that bone minerals are fused together and form a sheet-like structure in a coherent manner with collagen fibrils. Well-organized pore systems are observed at varying hierarchical levels. Mineral sheets are peeled off and folded after compressive deformation, implying strong connection between individual crystallites. Results were compared with commercially available heat-deproteinized bone (Bio-Oss®), and evidence showed consistency in bone mineral structure. A two-phase interpenetrating composite model of mature bone is proposed and discussed

Swelling negation during sintering of sterling silver: An experimental and theoretical approach

One of the main challenges of the sintering of sterling silver is the phenomenon of swelling causing de-densification and a considerable reduction of the sintering kinetics. This swelling phenomenon opposes sintering and it needs to be addressed by a well-controlled processing atmosphere. In the present study, the pressure-less sintering behavior of sterling silver is investigated in air, argon, and vacuum. A specially modified spark plasma sintering mold is designed to study the pressure-less sintering of sterling silver in a high vacuum environment. The conducted analysis is extended to the new constitutive equations of sintering enabling the prediction of the swelling phenomena and the identification of the internal equivalent pressure that opposes the sintering. Keywords: Silver, Sintering, Swelling, Modeling, Dilatometry, Atmosphere contro

Keratin: Structure, mechanical properties, occurrence in biological organisms, and efforts at bioinspiration

A ubiquitous biological material, keratin represents a group of insoluble, usually high-sulfur content and filament-forming proteins, constituting the bulk of epidermal appendages such as hair, nails, claws, turtle scutes, horns, whale baleen, beaks, and feathers. These keratinous materials are formed by cells filled with keratin and are considered 'dead tissues'. Nevertheless, they are among the toughest biological materials, serving as a wide variety of interesting functions, e.g. scales to armor body, horns to combat aggressors, hagfish slime as defense against predators, nails and claws to increase prehension, hair and fur to protect against the environment. The vivid inspiring examples can offer useful solutions to design new structural and functional materials. Keratins can be classified as α- and β-types. Both show a characteristic filament-matrix structure: 7 nm diameter intermediate filaments for α-keratin, and 3 nm diameter filaments for β-keratin. Both are embedded in an amorphous keratin matrix. The molecular unit of intermediate filaments is a coiled-coil heterodimer and that of β-keratin filament is a pleated sheet. The mechanical response of α-keratin has been extensively studied and shows linear Hookean, yield and post-yield regions, and in some cases, a high reversible elastic deformation. Thus, they can be also be considered 'biopolymers'. On the other hand, β-keratin has not been investigated as comprehensively. Keratinous materials are strain-rate sensitive, and the effect of hydration is significant. Keratinous materials exhibit a complex hierarchical structure: polypeptide chains and filament-matrix structures at the nanoscale, organization of keratinized cells into lamellar, tubular-intertubular, fiber or layered structures at the microscale, and solid, compact sheaths over porous core, sandwich or threads at the macroscale. These produce a wide range of mechanical properties: the Young's modulus ranges from 10 MPa in stratum corneum to about 2.5 GPa in feathers, and the tensile strength varies from 2 MPa in stratum corneum to 530 MPa in dry hagfish slime threads. Therefore, they are able to serve various functions including diffusion barrier, buffering external attack, energy-absorption, impact-resistance, piercing opponents, withstanding repeated stress and aerodynamic forces, and resisting buckling and penetration. A fascinating part of the new frontier of materials study is the development of bioinspired materials and designs. A comprehensive understanding of the biochemistry, structure and mechanical properties of keratins and keratinous materials is of great importance for keratin-based bioinspired materials and designs. Current bioinspired efforts including the manufacturing of quill-inspired aluminum composites, animal horn-inspired SiC composites, and feather-inspired interlayered composites are presented and novel avenues for research are discussed. The first inroads into molecular-based biomimicry are being currently made, and it is hoped that this approach will yield novel biopolymers through recombinant DNA and self-assembly. We also identify areas of research where knowledge development is still needed to elucidate structures and deformation/failure mechanisms

Phosphors for near UV-Emitting LED's for Efficacious Generation of White Light

1) We studied phosphors for near-UV (nUV) LED application as an alternative to blue LEDs currently being used in SSL systems. We have shown that nUV light sources could be very efficient at high current and will have significantly less binning at both the chip and phosphor levels. We identified phosphor blends that could yield 4100K lamps with a CRI of approximately 80 and LPWnUV,opt equal to 179 for the best performing phosphor blend. Considering the fact that the lamps were not optimized for light coupling, the results are quite impressive. The main bottleneck is an optimum blue phosphor with a peak near 440 nm with a full width half maximum of about 25 nm and a quantum efficiency of >95%. Unfortunately, that may be a very difficult task when we want to excite a phosphor at ~400 nm with a very small margin for Stokes shift. Another way is to have all the phosphors in the blend having the excitation peak at 400 nm or slightly shorter wavelength. This could lead to a white light source with no body color and optimum efficacy due to no self-absorption effects by phosphors in the blend. This is even harder than finding an ideal blue phosphor, but not necessarily impossible. 2) With the phosphor blends identified, light sources using nUV LEDs at high current could be designed with comparable efficacy to those using blue LEDs. It will allow us to design light sources with multiple wattages using the same chips and phosphor blends simply by varying the input current. In the case of blue LEDs, this is not currently possible because varying the current will lower the efficacy at high current and alter the color point. With improvement of phosphor blends, control over CRI could improve. Less binning at the chip level and also at the phosphor blend level could reduce the cost of SSL light sources. 3) This study provided a deeper understanding of phosphor characteristics needed for LEDs in general and nUV LEDs in particular. Two students received Ph.D. degrees and three undergraduates participated in this work. Two of the undergraduate students are now in graduate school. The results were widely disseminated – 20 archival journal publications (published, accepted or in preparation) and three conference proceedings resulted. The students presented their work at 11 different national/international conferences (32 oral or poster presentations) and the PI’s delivered 12 invited, keynote or plenary lectures

Rapid solidification of oxides : ZrO2-containing ceramics and high Tc̳ superconductors

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 1988.On t.p. "c̳" is subscript.Includes bibliographical references.by Joanna Marie McKittrick.Ph.D