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We propose a digital model for high quality superlattices by including fluctuations in the superlattice periods. The composition and strain profiles are assumed to be coherent and persist throughout the superlattice. Using this model, we have significantly improved the fit with experimental X-ray diffraction data recorded from the nominal InAs/GaSb superlattice. The lattice spacing of individual layers inside the superlattice and the extent of interfacial intermixing are refined by including both (002) and (004) and their satellite peaks in the fitting. For the InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice, results show: (i) the GaSb-on-InAs interface is chemically sharper than the InAs-on-GaSb interface, (ii) the GaSb layers experience compressive strain with In incorporation, (iii) there are interfacial strain associated with InSb-like bonds in GaSb and GaAs-like bonds in InAs, (iv) Sb substitutes a significant amount of In inside InAs layer near the InAs-on-GaSb interface. For support, we show that the composition profiles determined by X-ray diffraction are in good agreement with those obtained from atom probe tomography measurement. Comparison with the kinetic growth model shows a good agreement in terms of the composition profiles of anions, while the kinetic model underestimates the intermixing of cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of single layer graphene by chemical vapor deposition on polycrystalline Cu substrates induces large internal biaxial compressive strain due to thermal expansion mismatch. Raman backscattering spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to study the strain relaxation during and after the transfer process from Cu foil to SiO2. Interestingly, the growth of graphene results in a pronounced ripple structure on the Cu substrate that is indicative of strain relaxation of about 0.76% during the cooling from the growth temperature. Removing graphene from the Cu substrates and transferring it to SiO2 results in a shift of the 2D phonon line by 27 cm-1 to lower frequencies. This translates into additional strain relaxation. The influence of the processing steps, used etching solution and solvents on strain, is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical and experimental studies of the transit of a mode-2 internal solitary wave over an isolated ridge are presented. All studies used a quasi-two-layer fluid with a pycnocline centred at the middepth. The wave amplitude and total fluid depth were both varied, while the topography remained fixed. The strength of the interaction between the internal solitary waves and the hill was found to be characterized by three regimes: weak, moderate, and strong interactions. The weak interaction exhibited negligible wave modulation and bottom surface stress. The moderate interaction generated weak and persistent vorticity in the lower layer, in addition to negligible wave modulation. The strong interaction clearly showed material from the trapped core of the mode-2 wave extracted in the form of a thin filament while generating a strong vortex at the hill. A criterion for the strength of the interaction was found by non-dimensionalizing the wave amplitude by the lower layer depth, a/ℓ. A passive tracer was used to measure the conditions for resuspension of boundary material due to the interaction. The speed and prevalence of cross boundary layer transport increased with a/ℓ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liquid jet impact onto a clamped elastic plate is investigated. The two-dimensional jet of constant thickness and with flat vertical front is initially advancing towards the elastic plate along a flat, rigid, and horizontal plane at a constant uniform speed. The elastic plate of variable thickness is mounted perpendicular to the rigid plane. The maximum stress during the early impact stage is estimated for a given retardation time and a given relaxation time of the plate material. The stresses during the initial impact stage are compared with the static stresses in the plate placed in an equivalent uniform flow. It is shown that the static stresses are always smaller than the bending stresses during the early stage of impact for a given speed and thickness of the jet. This implies that if the stresses in the plate are smaller than the yield stress of the plate material with no plastic deformations in the plate occurring during the unsteady impact stage, then the plate behaves elastically after the impact and plastic deformations are not achieved. Approaching the plastic deformations is treated here as a damage to the plate. The maximum stress increases with an increase in jet thickness. A critical value of the jet velocity, below which the plate is not damaged by the jet impact, is obtained for given characteristics of the plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling and experiments are used to investigate Lamb wave propagation in the direction perpendicular to an applied stress. Sensitivity, in terms of changes in velocity, for both symmetrical and anti-symmetrical modes was determined. Codes were developed based on analytical expressions for waves in loaded plates and they were used to give wave dispersion curves. The experimental system used a pair of compression wave transducers on variable angle wedges, with set separation, and variable frequency tone burst excitation, on an aluminum plate 0.16 cm thick with uniaxial applied loads. The loads, which were up to 600 le, were measured using strain gages. Model results and experimental data are in good agreement. It was found that the change in Lamb wave velocity, due to the acoustoelastic effect, for the S1 mode exhibits about ten times more sensitive, in terms of velocity change, than the traditional bulk wave measurements, and those performed using the fundamental Lamb modes. The data presented demonstrate the potential for the use of higher order Lamb modes for online industrial stress measurement in plate, and that the higher sensitivity seen offers potential for improved measurement systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in situ stress measurement setup using an optical 2-beam curvature technique is described which is compatible with the stringent growth conditions of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of perovskite oxides, which involves high substrate temperatures of 1000 K and oxygen partial pressures of up to 1 × 10-4 millibars. The stress measurements are complemented by medium energy electron diffraction (MEED), Auger electron spectroscopy, and additional growth rate monitoring by a quartz microbalance. A shielded filament is used to allow for simultaneous stress and MEED measurements at high substrate temperatures. A computer-controlled mirror scans an excimer laser beam over a stationary PLD target. This avoids mechanical noise originating from rotating PLD targets, and the setup does not suffer from limited lifetime issues of ultra high vacuum (UHV) rotary feedthroughs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A classical method used to characterize the strain in modern semiconductor devices is nanobeam diffraction (NBD) in the transmission electron microscope. One challenge for this method lies in the fact that the smaller the beam becomes, the more difficult it becomes to analyze the resulting diffraction spot pattern. We show that a carefully designed fitting algorithm enables us to reduce the sampling area for the diffraction patterns on the camera chip dramatically (~1/16) compared to traditional settings without significant loss of precision. The resulting lower magnification of the spot pattern permits the presence of an annular dark field detector, which in turn makes the recording of images for drift correction during NBD acquisition possible. Thus, the reduced sampling size allows acquisition of drift corrected NBD 2D strain maps of up to 3000 pixels while maintaining a precision of better than 0.07%. As an example, we show NBD strain maps of a modern field effect transistor (FET) device. A special filtering feature used in the analysis makes it is possible to measure strain in silicon devices even in the presence of other crystalline materials covering the probed area, which is important for the characterization of the next generation of devices (Fin-FETs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third-order elastic constants of a material are believed to be sensitive to residual stress, fatigue, and creep damage. The acoustoelastic coefficient is directly related to these third-order elastic constants. Several techniques have been developed to monitor the acoustoelastic coefficient using ultrasound. In this article, two techniques to impose stress on a sample are compared, one using the classical method of applying a static strain using a bending jig and the other applying a dynamic stress due to the presence of an acoustic wave. Results on aluminum samples are compared. Both techniques are found to produce similar values for the acoustoelastic coefficient. The dynamic strain technique however has the advantages that it can be applied to large, real world components, in situ, while ensuring the measurement takes place in the nondestructive, elastic regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the design, instrumentation, and calibration of a versatile force transducer with feedback control, called the Micro-Extensional Rheometer (MER). A force range of eight decades (1-108 pN) and a displacement range of four decades (10-105 nm) with a spatial resolution of the order of nanometers are accessible with the instrument. A feedback-loop algorithm is used to control the commanded force or the extensional strain on the sample and implement different rheometric protocols such as step-strain, step-force, exponential strain, among others. The device may also be used to measure the forces exerted by active suspensions, pulling neurons, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a systematic study of the stress transferred from an electromechanical piezo-stack into GaAs wafers under a wide variety of experimental conditions. We show that the strains in the semiconductor lattice, which were monitored in situ by means of X-ray diffraction, are strongly dependent on both the wafer thickness and on the selection of the glue which is used to bond the wafer to the piezoelectric actuator. We have identified an optimal set of parameters that reproducibly transfers the largest distortions at room temperature. We have studied strains produced not only by the frequently used uniaxial piezostressors but also by the biaxial ones which replicate the routinely performed experiments using substrate-induced strains but with the advantage of a continuously tunable lattice distortion. The time evolution of the strain response and the sample tilting and/or bending are also analyzed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using molecular dynamics simulations with a Tersoff-type force field, we studied the deformation of cubic diamond film subjected to uniform strain rates at 30 K. The results show that at high strain rates, the diamond cubic phase transforms continuously to a multilayer graphene phase; and the graphitization begins from the (011) free surface and goes rapidly into the inner of the film. In this paper, we discuss the mechanism of graphitization and calculate the energy barrier of the graphitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show suppressed relaxation behavior and an apparent hardening effect under repeated loading in metallic glasses through cyclically tensile stress relaxation experiments. The effects are attributed to the gradual exhaustion of deformation units via activation energy spectra analysis. We find the suppression is partly alleviated and rapidly saturates with increasing the time interval between the cyclic loadings, reflecting the observed phenomena are associated with the un-recovered activated deformation units. These results may shine light on the long-standing issues such as the fatigue damage, cyclic hardening, and the deformation mechanism of metallic glasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]