209 research outputs found
In-situ defect detection systems for R2R flexible PV films
The atomic layer deposition technique (ALD) is
used to apply a thin (40-100 nm thick) barrier
coating of Al2O3 on polymer substrates for flexible
PV cells, to minimise and control the degradation
caused by water vapour ingress. However,
defects appearing on the film surfaces during the
Al2O3 ALD growth have been seen to be highly
significant in deterioration of the PV module
efficiency and lifespan [1]. In order to improve the
process yield and product efficiency, it is
desirable to develop an inspection system that
can detect transparent barrier film defects in the
production line during film processing. Off-line
detection of defects in transparent PV barrier
films is difficult and time consuming.
Consequently, implementing an accurate in-situ
defects inspection system in the production
environment is even more challenging, since the
requirements on positioning, fast measurement,
long term stability and robustness against
environmental disturbance are demanding. For
in-situ R2R defects inspection systems the
following conditions need to be satisfied by the
inspection tools. Firstly the measurement must
be fast and have no physical contact with the
inspected film surface. Secondly the
measurement system must be robust against the
environmental disturbance inspection. Finally the
system should have sub-micrometre lateral
resolution and nanometre vertical resolution in
order to be able to distinguish defects on the film
surface. Optical interferometry techniques have
the potentially to be used as a solution for such
application. However they are extremely sensitive
to environmental noise such as mechanical
vibration, air turbulence and temperature drift.
George [2] reported that a single shot
interferometry system “FlexCam” developed by
4D Technology being used currently to detect
defects for PV barrier films manufactured by R2R
technology. It is robust against environmental
disturbances; but it has a limited vertical range,
which is restricted by the phase ambiguity of the
phase shift interferometry. This vertical
measurement range (a few hundreds
nanometres) is far less than the normal vertical
range of defects (a few micrometres up to a few
tens micrometres). It is not possible to detect the
majority of defects in the R2R flexible PV barrier
films
In-situ defect detection systems for R2R flexible PV barrier films
Film processing procedures by means of Roll-to-Roll (R2R) for barrier coatings can often result in PV barrier films being manufactured with significant quantities of defects, which resulting in lower efficiency and a short life span. In order to improve the process yield and product efficiency it is desirable to develop an inspection system that can detect transparent barrier film defects in the production line during the film processing. Off-line detection of defect in transparent PV barrier films is difficult and time consuming. Consequently implementing an accurate in-situ defects inspection system in the production environment is even more challenging, since the requirements on positioning, fast measurement, long term stability and robustness against environmental disturbance are demanding. This paper reports on the development and deployment of two in-situ PV barrier films defect detection systems, one of them is based on wavelength scanning interferometry (WSI) and the other one is based on White Light Channeled Spectral Interferometry (WLCSI), and the integration into an R2R film processing line in the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI). The paper outlines the environmental vibration strategy for both systems and the developed auto-focussing methodology for WSI. The systems have been tested and characterised and initial results compared to laboratory-based instrumentation are presented
Interstellar Carbodiimide (HNCNH) - A New Astronomical Detection from the GBT PRIMOS Survey via Maser Emission Features
In this work, we identify carbodiimide (HNCNH), which is an isomer of the
well-known interstellar species cyanamide (NH2CN), in weak maser emission,
using data from the GBT PRIMOS survey toward Sgr B2(N). All spectral lines
observed are in emission and have energy levels in excess of 170 K, indicating
that the molecule likely resides in relatively hot gas that characterizes the
denser regions of this star forming region. The anticipated abundance of this
molecule from ice mantle experiments is ~10% of the abundance of NH2CN, which
in Sgr B2(N) corresponds to ~2 x 10^13 cm-2. Such an abundance results in
transition intensities well below the detection limit of any current
astronomical facility and, as such, HNCNH could only be detected by those
transitions which are amplified by masing.Comment: Accepted in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 13 pages, 2 figures,
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Detection of Voigt Spectral Line Profiles of Hydrogen Radio Recombination Lines toward Sagittarius B2(N)
We report the detection of Voigt spectral line profiles of radio
recombination lines (RRLs) toward Sagittarius B2(N) with the 100-m Green Bank
Telescope (GBT). At radio wavelengths, astronomical spectra are highly
populated with RRLs, which serve as ideal probes of the physical conditions in
molecular cloud complexes. An analysis of the Hn(alpha) lines presented herein
shows that RRLs of higher principal quantum number (n>90) are generally
divergent from their expected Gaussian profiles and, moreover, are well
described by their respective Voigt profiles. This is in agreement with the
theory that spectral lines experience pressure broadening as a result of
electron collisions at lower radio frequencies. Given the inherent technical
difficulties regarding the detection and profiling of true RRL wing spans and
shapes, it is crucial that the observing instrumentation produce flat baselines
as well as high sensitivity, high resolution data. The GBT has demonstrated its
capabilities regarding all of these aspects, and we believe that future
observations of RRL emission via the GBT will be crucial towards advancing our
knowledge of the larger-scale extended structures of ionized gas in the
interstellar medium (ISM)
Cyclopropenone (c-H2C3O): A New Interstellar Ring Molecule
The three-carbon keto ring cyclopropenone (c-H2C 3O) has been detected largely in absorption with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope (GBT) toward the star-forming region Sagittarius B2(N) by means of a number of rotational transitions between energy levels that have energies less than 10 K. Previous negative results from searches for interstellar c-H2C3O by other investigators attempting to detect rotational transitions that have energy levels ~10 K or greater indicate no significant hot core component. Thus, we conclude that only the low-energy levels of c-H2C3O are populated because the molecule state temperature is low, suggesting that c-H2C3O resides in a star-forming core halo region that has a widespread arcminute spatial scale. Toward Sagittarius B2(N), the GBT was also used to observe the previously reported, spatially ubiquitous, three-carbon ring cyclopropenylidene (c-C3H2 ), which has a divalent carbon that makes it highly reactive in the laboratory. The presence of both c-C3H2 and c-H2C3O toward Sagittarius B2(N) suggests that gas-phase oxygen addition may account for the synthesis of c-H 2C3O from c-C3H2. We also searched for but did not detect the three-carbon sugar glyceraldehyde (CH2OHCHOHCHO)
A flexible PV barrier films defects detection system for in-situ R2R film processing
R2R film processing procedures can often result in PV films being manufactured with a large quantity of defects, resulting in lower efficiency and a short life span. It is desirable to develop an in-situ PV barrier films defects detection system for R2R PV film manufacturing processes
Green Bank Telescope Detection of New Interstellar Aldehydes: Propenal and Propanal
The new interstellar molecules propenal (CH2CHCHO) and propanal (CH3CH2CHO) have been detected largely in absorption toward the star-forming region Sagittarius B2(N) by means of rotational transitions observed with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope (GBT) operating in the range from 18 GHz (λ ~ 1.7 cm) to 26 GHz (λ ~ 1.2 cm). The GBT was also used to observe the previously reported interstellar aldehyde propynal (HC2CHO) in Sagittarius B2(N), which is a known source of large molecules presumably formed on interstellar grains. The presence of these three interstellar aldehydes toward Sagittarius B2(N) strongly suggests that simple hydrogen addition on interstellar grains accounts for successively larger molecular species: from propynal to propenal and from propenal to propanal. Energy sources within Sagittarius B2(N) likely permit the hydrogen addition reactions on grain surfaces to proceed. This work demonstrates that successive hydrogen addition is probably an important chemistry route in the formation of a number of complex interstellar molecules. We also searched for but did not detect the three-carbon sugar glyceraldehyde (CH2OHCHOHCHO)
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