No Arabic abstract
During the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process, the built part undergoes multiple rapid heating-cooling cycles, leading to complex microstructures with nonuniform properties. In the present work, a computational framework, which weakly couples a finite element thermal model to a non-equilibrium PF model was developed to investigate the rapid solidification microstructure of a Ni-Nb alloy during L-PBF. The framework is utilized to predict the spatial variation of the morphology and size of cellular segregation structure as well as the microsegregation in single-track melt pool microstructures obtained under different process conditions. A solidification map demonstrating the variation of microstructural features as a function of the temperature gradient and growth rate is presented. A planar to cellular transition is predicted in the majority of keyhole mode melt pools, while a planar interface is predominant in conduction mode melt pools. The predicted morphology and size of the cellular segregation structure agrees well with experimental measurements.
Computing inspired by the human brain requires a massive parallel architecture of low-power consuming elements of which the internal state can be changed. SrTiO3 is a complex oxide that offers rich electronic properties; here Schottky contacts on Nb-doped SrTiO3 are demonstrated as memristive elements for neuromorphic computing. The electric field at the Schottky interface alters the conductivity of these devices in an analog fashion, which is important for mimicking synaptic plasticity. Promising power consumption and endurance characteristics are observed. The resistance states are shown to emulate the forgetting process of the brain. A charge trapping model is proposed to explain the switching behavior.
Numerical simulations are used in this work to investigate aspects of microstructure and microsegregation during rapid solidification of a Ni-based superalloy in a laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process. Thermal modeling by finite element analysis simulates the laser melt pool, with surface temperatures in agreement with in situ thermographic measurements on Inconel 625. Geometric and thermal features of the simulated melt pools are extracted and used in subsequent mesoscale simulations. Solidification in the melt pool is simulated on two length scales. For the multicomponent alloy Inconel 625, microsegregation between dendrite arms is calculated using the Scheil-Gulliver solidification model and DICTRA software. Phase-field simulations, using Ni-Nb as a binary analogue to Inconel 625, produced microstructures with primary cellular/dendritic arm spacings in agreement with measured spacings in experimentally observed microstructures and a lesser extent of microsegregation than predicted by DICTRA simulations. The composition profiles are used to compare thermodynamic driving forces for nucleation against experimentally observed precipitates identified by electron and X-ray diffraction analyses. Our analysis lists the precipitates that may form from FCC phase of enriched interdendritic compositions and compares these against experimentally observed phases from 1 h heat treatments at two temperatures: stress relief at 1143 K (870{deg}C) or homogenization at 1423 K (1150{deg}C).
Phase change memory (PCM) is an emerging data storage technology, however its programming is thermal in nature and typically not energy-efficient. Here we reduce the switching power of PCM through the combined approaches of filamentary contacts and thermal confinement. The filamentary contact is formed through an oxidized TiN layer on the bottom electrode, and thermal confinement is achieved using a monolayer semiconductor interface, three-atom thick MoS2. The former reduces the switching volume of the phase change material and yields a 70% reduction in reset current versus typical 150 nm diameter mushroom cells. The enhanced thermal confinement achieved with the ultra-thin (~6 {AA}) MoS2 yields an additional 30% reduction in switching current and power. We also use detailed simulations to show that further tailoring the electrical and thermal interfaces of such PCM cells toward their fundamental limits could lead up to a six-fold benefit in power efficiency.
We model electrical conductivity in metastable amorphous $Ge_{2}Sb_{2}Te_{5}$ using independent contributions from temperature and electric field to simulate phase change memory devices and Ovonic threshold switches. 3D, 2D-rotational, and 2D finite element simulations of pillar cells capture threshold switching and show filamentary conduction in the on-state. The model can be tuned to capture switching fields from ~5 to 40 MV/m at room temperature using the temperature dependent electrical conductivity measured for metastable amorphous GST; lower and higher fields are obtainable using different temperature dependent electrical conductivities. We use a 2D fixed out-of-plane-depth simulation to simulate an Ovonic threshold switch in series with a $Ge_{2}Sb_{2}Te_{5}$ phase change memory cell to emulate a crossbar memory element. The simulation reproduces the pre-switching current and voltage characteristics found experimentally for the switch + memory cell, isolated switch, and isolated memory cell.
Parametrically tuning the oscillation dynamics of coupled micro/nano-mechanical resonators through a mechanical pump scheme has recently attracted great attentions from fundamental physics to various applications. However, the special design of the coupled resonators and low dissipation operation conditions significantly restrict the wide application of this tuning technique. In this study, we will show that, under ambient conditions, mechanical pump can parametrically control the oscillation dynamics in a single commercial microcantilever resonator. A strong phonon-cavity coupling with cooperativity up to ~398 and normal-mode splitting are observed in the microcantilever. The strong parametric interaction of the phonon-cavity coupling enables using mechanical pump to achieve a 43 dB (3 dB) parametric amplification (cooling). By utilizing mechanical pump, the force sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio of the frequency-modulation Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy can be significantly improved in the ambient environment. Furthermore, both single-mode and two-mode thermomechanical noise squeezing states can be created in the microcantilever via applying mechanical pump.