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By J. Leja, A. Pomianowski

This paper deals with equimolar solutions of xanthate and alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromide adsorption on copper, nickel and sphalerite powders. After an exposition of the experimental methods used and the results obtained, a thorough discussion leads to the conclusion that some molecular association between xanthates and CnTAB's does take place in the bulk of the solution as well as at the air/liquid interface. A spectrophotometric study of xanthate solutions alone and their mixtures with equimolar amounts of alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CnTAB) has established the additivity of ultraviolet spectra (190 to 400 mµ) for potassium ethyl xanthate (KEtX) and C12TAB. No obvious effect of C12TAB addition on the decomposition rate of KEtX was observed, the half life of which was established as 29±3 days at 22°C and pH ~ 6. In mixed solutions of longer xanthate homologues (e.g. hexyl and nonyl) and equimolar CnTAB, colloidal precipitates are gradually formed which contain primarily the corresponding xanthate molecules. The kinetics of collector abstraction by copper, nickel and sphalerite powders were studied in 10-5 to 10"3 M solutions of KEtX alone and in equimolar mixtures of KEtX and CI2TAB. Presence of C12TAB caused a two to three fold increase in the amounts of xanthate (equivalent to many monolayers) abstracted by copper and nickel powders (and in their rates of abstraction) but had no effect on the abstraction of xanthate by unactivated sphalerite (equivalent to less than a monolayer). The adsorption of C12TAB itself from the mixed solutions was very low, at most one monolayer only, and was not influenced by the nature of the solid powder used. A change in the rates of abstraction, observed with copper powder, was interpreted as a completion of a multilayer coating (completely enveloping the grains of powder) following which the rate of reaction between solution and substrate becomes controlled by diffusion through this coating. Work of Buckenham and Schulmanl on molecular associations between different collectors has shown unusual synergistic effects in flotation of individual minerals using mixtures of xanthates and alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromides. The objectives of the present work were: 1) to determine whether these molecular associations between the two types of collectors (indicated by strong surface tension lowering in Buckenham and Schulman's work) take place at the air/liquid interface only or in the bulk of solution as well 2) to establish whether different solids adsorb any species from the mixture of these amphipatic molecules preferentially or as molecular complexes 3) to establish whether there are any differences in the kinetics of adsorption. Metallic copper and sphalerite powder were chosen as adsorbents since they represent two extremes since copper readily adsorbs multilayers of xanthate (and is easily floated with ethyl xanthate) while unactivated sphalerite does not appreciably adsorb xanthate but is known to be readily floated by the amine type collectors. Metallic nickel was included because the infrared spectroscopic work2 on xanthate

Jan 1, 1964

By Auguste J. Rossi

As is well known, practically all the phosphorus of the ironores smelted in the blast-furnace passes into the pig-metal, increasing its fluidity, but diminishing its strength to such an extent that, if phosphorus exceeds a certain amount, the metal is only fit for fine castings, not required to resist strains, and it cannot be used for the ordinary purposes of good foundry-iron. No phosphorus being eliminated in the acid Bessemer process, the quantity admissible in pig-metal destined for that process must be very small, and hence the ores smelted must be strictly Bessemer ores, of which, in many districts, the supply is taxed to the utmost. On the other hand, very highly phosphoric pig, a metal of little or no value by itself, when refined by the Thomas-Gilchrist process in the basic converter, furnishes an excellent steel; but such pig-iron must be made from ores particularly high in phosphorus; and these ores are not everywhere abundant, and are much sought after for this special purpose. But there are many iron-ores containing a moderate, though still important, amount of phosphorus, which yield a pig-metal

Jan 1, 1897

By C. E. Violet, R. J. Borg, E. M. Howard

The miscibility gap in the Au-Ni system has been determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy, with used as a probe. The phase boundaries were determined from the compositional dependence of both the isomer shift and Curie temperature. X-ray diffraction measurements were also used to confirm the Mossbauer results. 1 HE purpose of this research is to demonstrate the application of Mbssbauer spectroscopy to the determination of phase boundaries and to redetermine the miscibility gap by an independent and novel technique. The techniques evolved in this study are readily applicable to other polyphase systems and are generally as quick and accurate as the more conventional methods, e.g., metallography, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and so forth. To be sure, not all polyphase systems will lend themselves favorably to Mijssbauer investigations, but this is a problem met in the use of conventional methods as well. The Mbssbauer spectrum responds to a different set of physical parameters, and consequently provides an entirely independent method of analysis. It is especially useful if the system has either a ferromagnetic or an antiferromagnetic transition. The Au-Ni system was selected because alloys containing more than -60 at. pct Ni become magnetically ordered at low temperatures; also the miscibility gap is quite well established (see Ref. 7 for a compilation of pertinent references, also Fig. 11, and thus provides a reliable test of this novel procedure. As Fe is the most commonly used Mijssbauer isotope, there exists a wealth of information concerning its behavior in iron-containing alloys and compounds. However, as yet there have been relatively few experiments using it as a probe to investigate nonferrous systems. By choosing a nonferrous alloy system, we are able to demonstrate that its use is not restricted to systems containing iron as one of the major constituents. Wertheim and ~ernick' have used the same method to investigate Cu-Ni, and demonstrated that one can obtain a systematic variation in the isomer shift and magnetic hyperfine field. However, we believe this to be the first time these techniques have been used to establish phase boundaries. Two hyperfine interactions were measured and used to determine the phase boundaries, viz., the magnetic hyperfine splitting and the isomer shift which in this alloy system are both strong functions of composition. Calibration curves were established based upon single-phase solid solutions obtained by quenching from temperatures well above the maximum of the miscibility gap, see Fig. 1. Solid solutions containing 25, 50, 65, 75, 85, 92, and 96 pct Ni as well as pure nickel were used in the calibration procedure. Fig. 2 shows the Curie temperature, TC, and the isomer shift, v,, as determined from the Mbssbauer spectra, and variation in lattice parameter as determined by X-ray diffraction, as functions of composition. The compositions of the two-phase systems quenched from temperatures within the miscibility gap are obtained by comparing their respective values of TC and v0 with the calibration data. I) EXPERIMENTAL Mbssbauer sources were made by fusing the component metals in a tungsten arc melter, which has a water-cooled copper hearth. Both nickel and gold were 99.999 pct pure, and the melting was done in an atmosphere of purified argon. The alloys were rolled, diced,

Jan 1, 1969

By C. C. Bailey

THE vendor seeking outside capital for his project has the following potential sources which may be approached; 1--private sources, 2-institutional funds, 3--government agencies, 4--established mining concerns, and 5-public financing.

Jan 7, 1953

By L. K. Jetter, C. J. McHargue

DEVELOPMENT of preferred orientation in uranium is of interest because of the strongly anisotropic properties of the orthorhombic crystal structure. Harris&apos; reported inverse pole figures for rolled uranium rods which showed <010> and <410>* to be parallel to the rolling direction after On 0.19-in. spherical X-ray diffraction specimens taken from the center of the middle section of each rod, pole distribution data were obtained by the spectrometric method described previously.4 The specimen was rotated rapidly about the axis coinciding with the rod axis in order that a large number of grains could be scanned and was rotated slowly about an axis perpendicular to the rod axis. The variation in the diffracted X-ray intensity was recorded as a function of the latter motion (angle 4). Fiber-axis distribution charts (inverse pole figures) were prepared by the method described by Setter, McHargue, and Williams." After having been corrected for background radiation, the pole distribution data (I vs ?) were normalized. A normalizing factor for each plane has been shown to be Iranaom = f I sin 4 ? 4 and was obtained by graphical integration from the data for that plane plotted as I sin ? vs ?. The axis-distribution charts deduced from the normalized pole densities are shown in Figs. 1 to 3. On these charts, the contours indicate angular positions of equal normalized axis density,

Jan 1, 1958

By Simon D. Handelsman, Reg M. M. Rowe

The mechanism of using gold as the basis for a loan was suggested to the treasurer of a mining company operating two gold heap leach mines at a time of high interest rates. Due to the seasonal nature of cash flows from operations, and the relatively low cost of funds this scheme was attractive. The paper describes the agreement with the bank, gives an example of the transactions, and describes other types of gold loans.

Jan 1, 1985

THE first session of the production engineering group on Wednesday, morning, with J. B. Umpleby as chairman, recorded the principal developments since the Fort Worth meeting. Added to this was a lively discussion of pressure maintenance. Recent advances in the air-gas lift have resulted from the need of applying the method to smaller wells at lower costs. In many places intermittent flow has given excellent results, and numerous mechanical de-vices for its automatic control have been, developed. Papers by C. V. Millikan on the Mid-Continent field and by A. H. Bell on California, fields formed the basis for discussion. The maintenance of initial sand pressures was ably discussed for two Texas fields by t. V. Foran in a paper that not only outlined the technic of operation and the results obtained but also contained noteworthy cost data in terms of increased ultimate production. Mr. Foran recommends the use of air in the first stages of pressure maintenance as a means of determining sand conditions and directions of flow, later turning to gas, if available, because of its greater solubility on oil. A round table discussion on petroleum engineering educational problems, with H. G. George as chairman, brought out much interesting discussion that is difficult to summarize. The other Wednesday morning session was a refinery engineering symposium with T. G. Del-bridge as chairman and the economical application of heat for the general topic. A paper on the modern pipe -still, by H. S. Bell, and another by C. W. Stratford on the modernization of the cylindrical still elicited a lively discussion.

Jan 3, 1928

By Murray F. Hawkins, W. J. Ainsworth

In all types of subsurface pressure gauges the extension which occurs in the pressure-sensitive element is a function of the difference between the external (well or calibration) pressure and the internal pressure within the gauge, rather than a function of the external pressure only. The internal pressure is near atmospheric and depends upon (a) the quantity of air sealed within the gauge at the time of calibration or measurement, (b) the quantity of moisture (liquid water), if any, sealed within the gauge, and (c) the temperature at which the calibration or well measurement is made. Part of this correction for the change of internal pressure with temperature is taken care of by the customary temperature coefficient of the gauge. However, part of it is not, and while this portion may be only a few psi, it is nevertheless predictable or preventable, and should be considered in precision measurements. ERROR NO. 1 If air is sealed in the gauge at the same temperature and pressure for both the calibration and the well measurements, the usual temperature correction will take care of any difference between calibration and well measurement temperatures. However, if air is sealed within the gauge at temperature T1 and pressure P1 at calibration but at temperature T2 and pressure P2 for a well measurement, because different amounts of air are sealed within the gauge in each case, the internal pressure at. or corrected to, calibration temperature Tr will he different by where all temperatures and pressures are absolute. The calibration temperature is used, and not the well measurement temperature, because the usual temperature correction reduces the well measurements to calibration temperature. The correction term as calculated by the above equation is separate from. and in addition to, the usual temperature correction. Example: T, = 540°R, sealing temperature at calibration P, = 14.7 psia, sealing pressure at calibration T2 = 460°R, sealing temperature at well P2 = 14.7 psia, sealing pressure at well Tr = 660°R, calibration temperature AP = 660 [14.7/460 — 14.7/540] = 3.1 psi While this error is small even under these somewhat maximal conditions, it nevertheless represents a practical situation which did occur, and which as a matter of fact gave rise to this note. Where AP is positive, as above, the correction is added to the measured pressure; where negative, subtracted from the measured pressure. This correction should also be considered in successive calibration runs where the gauge, for example, may be warm from a previous calibration at an elevated temperature. ERROR NO. 2 Where a small quantity of moisture (liquid water) is sealed within the gauge at atmospheric conditions, the increased vapor pressure of the water at higher well or calibration temperatures will cause an increase in internal pressure. This moisture will come presumably from condensation within the gauge following temperature changes, from moisture on the operator&apos;s hands, and from atmospheric moisture (rain, mist, fog, etc.). Calculation shows that approximately 0.2 cc of water (three to four drops) is sufficient to saturate the air within an Amerada RPG-3 Gauge at 160°F, at which temperature the vapor pressure of water is about 5 psia. As the vaporization occurs in a sealed volume, the increase in internal pressure will be in excess of this 5 psi. At higher temperatures the pressures will be higher; however more water will be required to saturate the air within the gauge. Some experimental work was carried out with an Amerada RPG-3 Gauge at 200°F fitted with a 1,000 psi element, both with a dry recording chamber and with a small amount of water added. The results directly proved the existence of the error due to the presence of moisture, and, it is felt, indirectly, due to the differences in sealing temperatures and pressures, as both effects may be ascribed simply to an increase in the moles of gas within the recording chamber. SUMMARY In precision measurements the error introduced by sealing the gauge during a well test at a different temperature and pressure from that of calibration may be corrected for by using the equation presented, or it may be prevented by taking care always to seal the gauge at near calibration conditions. The error introduced by sealing moisture in the gauge may be prevented by taking care to keep moisture out of the gauge, or by removing the moisture by either warming or evacuating the gauge. Both of these errors are independent of the range of pressure measurement and the type of gauge, and are in addition to the usual temperature correction. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Appreciation is expressed to W. B. Kendall, Geophysical Research Corp., Tulsa, Okla., who pointed out the error from differences in sealing temperatures during some winter work in Canada. ***

Jan 1, 1956

By R. G. Treuting, R. M. Brick

Despite the basic importance of slip in the plastic deformation of metals, and the considerable experimental investigation, thought, and speculation that have been devoted to the fundamental nature of these processes, surprisingly few data have been reported regarding the microscopic appear- ance and distribution of slip lines,‡ the external manifestation of the slip process. Photographs hitherto reproduced in the literature are in general at low or unspecified magnifications with no correlation to the prior shear. A single-crystal cylindrical tensile specimen of alpha brass about 1/2 in. in diameter, one of many previously prepared by H. L. Burghoff,1 was available for study. A plane about 3/16 in. wide, parallel to the specimen axis and normal to the plane containing the slip direction and the specimen axis, was ground and metallographically polished along the entire 5-in. gauge length. Heavy etching produced a surface free of both scratches and flow. The specimen was strained in tension until slip markings first became visible on the polished surface (Figs. 1 and 2). Re-stressing the crystal caused additional markings to appear at an initially lower stress than previously was required. Stretching the specimen to produce a dense concentration of slip lines caused such variations in level in the polished surface (normal to the slip direction) that microscopic study at higher magnifications became impossible. After annealing 15 hr. at 850°C, the specimen recrystallized to form two grains with a boundary approximately normal to the specimen axis and about midway along its length. Each was X-rayed, and two planes were again polished along the length of the specimen, in this case each parallel to the slip direction in one of the two crystals. A light longitudinal scratch parallel to the specimen axis was drawn down the center of each plane. A Huggen-berger extensometer was attached to the crystal A, whose slip plane would have the higher resolved shear stress of the two, and the specimen was again strained in tension.

Jan 1, 1942

By R. M. Brick, R. G. Treuting

Despite the basic importance of slip in the plastic deformation of metals, and the considerable experimental investigation, thought, and speculation that have been devoted to the fundamental nature of these processes, surprisingly few data have been reported regarding the microscopic appear- ance and distribution of slip lines,‡ the external manifestation of the slip process. Photographs hitherto reproduced in the literature are in general at low or unspecified magnifications with no correlation to the prior shear. A single-crystal cylindrical tensile specimen of alpha brass about 1/2 in. in diameter, one of many previously prepared by H. L. Burghoff,1 was available for study. A plane about 3/16 in. wide, parallel to the specimen axis and normal to the plane containing the slip direction and the specimen axis, was ground and metallographically polished along the entire 5-in. gauge length. Heavy etching produced a surface free of both scratches and flow. The specimen was strained in tension until slip markings first became visible on the polished surface (Figs. 1 and 2). Re-stressing the crystal caused additional markings to appear at an initially lower stress than previously was required. Stretching the specimen to produce a dense concentration of slip lines caused such variations in level in the polished surface (normal to the slip direction) that microscopic study at higher magnifications became impossible. After annealing 15 hr. at 850°C, the specimen recrystallized to form two grains with a boundary approximately normal to the specimen axis and about midway along its length. Each was X-rayed, and two planes were again polished along the length of the specimen, in this case each parallel to the slip direction in one of the two crystals. A light longitudinal scratch parallel to the specimen axis was drawn down the center of each plane. A Huggen-berger extensometer was attached to the crystal A, whose slip plane would have the higher resolved shear stress of the two, and the specimen was again strained in tension.

Jan 1, 1942

By Harlan N. Barton

A commercially available, portable X-ray spectrograph, lightweight and rugged for vehicle or field camp use, was used to determine Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Rb, Sr, and Zn in stream sediment geochemical samples. Investigations showed a relative standard deviation of 1-3%, detection limits of approximately 100 pg/g and significant matrix effects. Coefficients of correlation greater than 0.9 were obtained between portable X-ray and emission and atomic-absorption spectroscopy analyses. A geochemical map of a known mineralized area showed good agreement with maps prepared by other methods of analysis and sample media.

Jan 1, 1983

By John Harmon

THIS paper was written-with two objects in view: (1) To describe in detail what has been done toward the ventilation of the main unit of the Portovelo mines and the results; (2) to give information that may be useful to anyone who may have to make a preliminary mine ventilation survey, with recommendations for the improvement of the existing system and finally the maintenance of the improved system.

Jan 1, 1931

In his paper, Sastry proposes the use of flotation methods other than the "conventional flotation!&apos; process as possible economical methods of removing mineral fines, The practice of Liquid/Solid separation employing microbubbles to assist or induce the flotation of suspended solids is common to both municipal and industrial waste- water treatment; and is also used as a separation step in some processing industries. The pretreatment (if any) of the stream prior to flotation, the source of the microbubbles, and the design of the separation vessel depend on the application. For example: a metal finishing plant would use an elaborate chemical conditioning scheme to precipitate metal hydroxides for removal by a dissolved air flotation unit operating in the effluent recycle mode, while some oily waste can be separated using a dispersed air flotation cell with no chemical conditioning. At the present time, the "conventional flotation" process employed by the mineral processing industry makes use of mechanical agitation and aeration to generate certain sizes and quantities of bubbles and to mix these bubbles with the pulp. Specific types of chemical conditioning are used to obtain the desired results. For the separation of mineral fines, the type of chemical conditioning, bubble generation and separation device needed to obtain optimum results will have to be determined through research. The point to be made is that while the principles of flotation separation can be applied to a wide variety of applications, the specifics of the flotation process may vary with each application. Sastry&apos;s paper has dealt with the many areas of research required to fully understand and utilize the flotation process for the beneficiation of mineral fines.

Jan 1, 1979

By Edward Keller

In a paper, " A Study of the Elimination of Impurities from Copper-Mattes, etc.," presented to the Institute at the Atlantic City meeting, February, 1898, I gave certain figures which I called the relative slaggability in refining copper. In that paper* will be found the following pertaining to this subject: Relative Slaggability in Refining Converter-Copper. Cu. Pb. Bi. Sb. As. Se, Te. 1 129.5 1.13 7.30 5.22 0.81 and Relative Slaggability in Refining Electrolytic Copper. Cu. Pb. Sb. As. 1 41 9.97 7.13 Since there is a, possibility of misinterpretation of the above values, the following supplementary information may seem justified in explanation. As the contents of impurities in the unrefined or crude copper were unknown, the contents of the refined copper were substituted therefor, merely in order to obtain the two series of figures for comparison. These figures are higher than they would be had I been able to take the correct ones for the unrefined copper. The high figure, 129.5, for lead, in the case of converter-copper, means simply that more lead was slagged from the crude copper than remained in the refined copper; or, in definite values, that to 1 per cent. of copper slagged, the ratio of the lead gone into the slag and the lead remaining in the refined copper is 129.5 : 100. It is possible to approximate the true slaggability much more closely by adding the quantities of impurities in the refined copper to those in the slag, thus obtaining values for the crude copper in which the amounts volatilized are ignored (the latter

Jan 1, 1901

By Howard Drullard

To OBTAIN the best results from hammer drills, close attention must be paid to two factors in drill maintenance, which are of equal importance; one is lubrication, the other is the shank. With the exception of stoping drills, most modern rock drills require both oil and grease. The oil ports are in the lubricator, on or behind the hammer cylinder; the grease port for the lubrication of the &apos;chuck sleeve and rotating mechanism is on the chuck end. Ordinary machine oil is not, adapted to rock drills; a heavier more gelatinous oil such as castor machine oil or liquid-grease should be used. The lubricators should be filled-once for every 12 or 14 ft. (3.5 to 4m.), of hole drilled. Grease-guns should be used to fill the port in the chuck end once a shift; a medium ( No. 3) grease is well adapted to this purpose. Hard grease must not be put into- the lubricators, as it will not flow through that part. Contrary to the popular belief, oiling a machine once or twice a shift does not provide sufficient lubrication; the drills should be oiled once for every 12 or 14 ft. of, hole drilled. The rotating handle of a stoping drill -is an oil reservoir and is provided with a port for oiling. The rotating handle is packed with wicking, or similar material, which causes the oil to feed slowly from the handle to the other parts of the machine. Stoping drills require oil at. least twice a shift; lighter oils than castor, such as Arctic Ammonia may be used.

Jan 8, 1920

By J. Spotts McDowell

J. W. RICHARDS, So. Bethlehem, Pa.-The paper is certainly an exceedingly, valuable one and it gives detailed information which should be utilized in the following way. There are probably twenty different circumstances or conditions under which silica bricks are used. Sometimes they are used under high pressure, at others under low pressure, at times for low temperatures and others for very high temperatures. If the methods of this paper are followed out, and if the precise mechanical and thermal properties are determined and can be reproduced, the industry can furnish the proper brick for any particular purpose. There is at present only an imperfect classification made as to properties and uses, but we need a "much more scientific classification of the uses to which the bricks are to be put and then should manufacture the bricks suited particularly for each of those purposes. There is one property which is not mentioned in the paper and which is of considerable importance, that is, the &apos;electrical conductivity. There may be other properties besides, which a good research laboratory can determine, and when we have listed all the various properties and noted the way in which they can be reproduced, the maker can then specify his exact requirements and the corresponding quality of brick can he selected or made to meet them. H. D. HIBBARD, Plainfield, N. J.-About a year ago I had some experience in another country, in melting steel, where silica bricks made in that country failed, but in a different way from those in America. Here, when the bricks get too hot, they are partly melted and string down

Jan 4, 1917

By A. B. Parsons

PUBLICATION of this little volume is a luxury that the Institute itself could scarcely afford. In truth, no engineer nor geologist, no assayer nor metallurgist would be likely to enhance his knowledge, improve his technique, or cut his own operating costs by reading this excellent translation of two booklets first published circa A.D. 1520. It is doubtful if the present enterprise would, in a practical or tangible way, "promote the arts and sciences connected with the economic production of the useful minerals and metals." And such, is the prescribed purpose for which the funds of the Institute should be spent. Fortunately for the Institute, the Seeley W. Mudd Memorial Fund is not so circumscribed; and the Fund Committee enjoys, greater liberty of action. The sponsorship by the Mudd Fund in 1942 of the publication of The Pirotechnia of Vannoccio Biringuccio, as translated by Dr. Smith and Mrs. Gnudi, was an innovation-indeed something of an experiment. Not only was the content of the volume significant mainly for its "cultural" and "scholarly" attributes; -but the format, an outstanding example of the fascinating art of bookmaking, bore no resemblance to the ordinary technical book. The Committee, frankly, was surprised at the enthusiastic reception accorded the volume. When a second edition was required, the Committee became convinced that the publication of material of this type, particularly if printed and bound in attractive form, was an appropriate avenue for utilizing a moderate proportion of the monies available from the Fund. The Bergbüchlein and the Probierbüchlein antedate by some years the first publication of De la Pirotechnia and of De re Metallica; but Georgius Agricola, the author of the latter work, made good use of the material in the earlier volumes. As pointed out in the Introduction, both

Jan 1, 1949

By O. W. Walvoord

Mill design of the past will not necessarily dictate mill design of the future. There have been many advances and changes in the last few decades, many of which have been extensive and remarkable. Almost certainly, there will be still greater changes in the near future. Minerals beneficiation, for example, as it relates to future mill design, is likely to experience the greatest progress. Gravity separation, though one of the older arts, is in a continuous state of refinement. Flotation, having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1961, has yet to be surpassed in its contribution to the art of mineral dressing. Ion-exchange, too, will flourish.

Jan 1, 1971

By A. S. Grove, C. T. Sah, E. H. Snow, B. E. Deal

A summary of- several recent investigations in to the properties of the metal-oxide-silicon system is presented. A major portion of these studies makes use of the MOS capacitance-z)oltage method of&apos; analysis. The particular areas of investigation which are reported include: 1) a general survey of the electvical properties of thermally oxidized silicon surjbccs; 2) a study of ion migration through silicon dioxide films ; 3) measurements of electron and hole mobilities in surface inversion layers; 4) a study of impurity redistribution due to thermal o.ridatiotz; and 5) measurements of the rates of oxidation oj-heavily doper7. silicon. THE importance of the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) system in the semiconductor industry is well-known. In addition to its importance in the "planar" device technology,&apos; the MOS structure is now also used in the fabrication of active solid-state devices. Consequently, extensive efforts have been made recently to obtain a better understanding of the characteristics of this system. A summary of some studies of the MOS system conducted in our laboratories during the past year is presented. For the most part these studies used silicon as the semiconductor, along with silicon dioxide and aluminum as the other two components of the system. Since the MOS capacitance-voltage method of analysis was used extensively in these studies, we will first briefly describe its nature and consider some of the possible causes of deviation of experimental observations from the simple theory. We will then outline the various related areas of investigation carried out in our laboratories and will briefly indicate some of the results. It should be noted that the purpose of this paper is merely to provide a brief summary of MOS studies. More detailed discussions of the various areas of investigation are given in the references cited. PRINCIPLES OF THE MOS C-V METHOD OF ANALYSIS&apos; A sketch of the MOS structure is shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1. In this case the insulating film is Si02 and the semiconductor p-type silicon. If a large negative bias is applied to the metal field plate, holes are attracted to the silicon surface. The silicon then behaves much like a metal and the capacitance measured is that of the oxide layer alone, Co. If a small positive bias is applied to the aluminum, holes are repelled and a region depleted of majority carriers is formed at the silicon surface. This depletion I-egion adds to the width of the dielectric and the measured capacitance begins to drop. With increasing positive bias, the width of the electrical depletion region increases. At some large positive bias an inzevsion regiotr is formed at the surface and additional charges induced in the silicon appear in the form of electrons in this narrow inversion region. Thus the depletion-region width approaches a maximum value and, consequently, the capacitance reaches a minimum value and then either levels off or rises again depending on the measurement frequency and the rate of equilibration of the minority carriers in the inversion layer.3 Band diagrams, along with the corresponding charge distributions, are shown in Fig. 1 for the above bias conditions. If minority carriers cannot accumulate at the surface to form an inversion region, the depletion-region width continues to increase with increased positive bias and the capacitance drops toward zero as in a reverse biased p-n junction. The effect of a work-function difference $hs between the metal and the silicon, and of surface charges per unit area Qss located at the oxide-silicon interface, is simply to attract charges in the silicon much like the applied bias. It can be shown that this results in a parallel shift of the capacitance-voltage characteristic along the voltage axis by an amount corresponding to AV = -$bIs + Qss/Co. Theoretical curves have been calculated4 giving the capacitance of the MOS structure C normalized to the oxide capacitance Co vs the quantity VG here VG is the voltage applied to the metal field plate. In Fig. 2 such calculations are shown as points for a particular oxide thickness and bulk impurity concentration for a p-type semiconductor. (For an n-type semiconductor the curves would be mirror images of these.) All three cases, i.e., low frequency. high frequency, and depletion, are indicated. Also shown in the figure are recorder tracings of the characteristics of actual devices. These characteristics have been shifted along the voltage axis to compensate the effect of surface charges and work-function difference. It is evident that agreement between experiment and theory is good. The nature of this shift along the voltage axis is

Jan 1, 1965

By R. L. Fleischer, R. S. Davis

BICRYSTAL specimens grown from the melt have been used extensively for investigations of the influence of grain boundaries on plastic deformation. The bicrystals are usually of predetermined orientation prepared by seeded growth from the melt in milled graphite boats. This technique has been described in detail by Chalmers.&apos; Since the direction that the grain boundary follows during growth is affected by both thermal conditions and crystallography, a difficulty arises in maintaining the grain boundary position constant along the length of the specimen. This problem is particularly

Jan 1, 1960