[en] A series of Al-doped amorphous silicon oxide films have been grown on p-type silicon (100) substrates by a dual ion beam cosputtering method. Visible electroluminescence (EL) from the devices, made by films with different contents of Al, can be seen with the naked eye under forward bias and reverse bias for films containing sufficient amounts of Al. The EL spectra are found to have a luminescence band peaked at 510 nm (2.4 eV), which is the same result as that obtained from silicon oxide films. With the increase in the amounts of Al, the peak position does not shift, the onset of the bias decreases, and the intensity of EL peak increases. Experiment results show that the doping of Al is beneficial to improving the conduction condition of films while the structure of the films associated with luminescence centers is affected hardly at all. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

[en] A novel optical cable fault location method, which is based on Brillouin optical time domain reflectometer (BOTDR) and cable localized heating, is proposed and demonstrated. In the method, a BOTDR apparatus is used to measure the optical loss and strain distribution along the fiber in an optical cable, and a heating device is used to heat the cable at its certain local site. Actual experimental results make it clear that the proposed method works effectively without complicated calculation. By means of the new method, we have successfully located the optical cable fault in the 60 km optical fiber composite power cable from Shanghai to Shengshi, Zhejiang. A fault location accuracy of 1 meter was achieved. The fault location uncertainty of the new optical cable fault location method is at least one order of magnitude smaller than that of the traditional OTDR method

[en] Highlights: → The particle size progressively decreases with increase in milling time. → The use of stearic acid can was found to achieve fine uniform spherical powders. → High BPR has a significant influence on the rate of decrease of crystallite size. → High-temperature sintering leads to relative density increase and grain growth. → Canning-HIP technique has a significant improvement in mechanical properties. - Abstract: Nanostructured ferritic oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys are promising materials for both high temperature creep properties and irradiation resistance. These alloys were produced by mechanical alloying (MA) which is a complex process and a number of process variables need to be controlled to achieve the desired properties. In this study, the effect of mechanical alloying and consolidation processes on the microstructure and properties of nanostructured ferritic ODS alloy were investigated. The powder mixtures were milled in Spex mill for different milling times (1 h, 3 h, 8 h, and 15 h). The effect of process control agents (PCAs) and ball to power ratio (BPR) were studied. Two-stage sintering and canning-HIP processes were introduced as new consolidation methods to produce ODS alloys with improved mechanical properties. The results showed that crystallite size during milling decrease with milling time and higher BRP has a significant influence on the rate of decrease of the crystallite size. The use of stearic acid as PCA led to fine, uniform and spherical particles during the ball milling. Additionally, the samples sintered at the elevated temperatures over long periods resulted in a reduction in porosity; however, the microstructure became coarser, accompanied by a decrease in the hardness. The canning-HIP technique can effectively minimize the content of oxygen and carbon impurities to achieve high relative density and high hardness.