Date of Graduation

8-2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Zou, Min

Committee Member/Reader

Zou, Min

Committee Member/Second Reader

Couvillion, Rick J.

Abstract

Nano-engineered-textures on a material surface used to conduct fluids can significantly improve the hydrophobicity or wetting property of the surface, resulting in lower resistance of the surface to the fluid?s movement. In this work, aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon was investigated for generating nano-textures on copper substrates, a common material in heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. Flat copper substrate was utilized. Several experiments were conducted to study the effects of annealing temperature, annealing duration, a-Si and Al thickness, and the sequence of film structure. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to characterize the surface nano-topography. The results showed that the AIC of a-Si process was successful in producing nano-textured surfaces on Cu substrate. The Cu/a-Si/Al nano-texture process can be affected by changing a-Si and Al thickness, along with anneal duration and temperature. Oxidation of the Cu substrate occurred due to exposure to air at room temperature, low temperature heating, and high temperature annealing, and was found to have a negative effect on the adhesion of the nano-texture to Cu substrate. Reversal of the a-Si and Al film deposition order in the AIC of a-Si process was found to improve adhesion of the texture to the substrate.

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