Reactive nano-multilayers (RNMLs), which are able to undergo a self-heating exothermal reaction, can, e.g., be utilised as a local heat source for soldering or brazing. Upon joining with RNMLs, the heat produced by the exothermal reaction must be carefully adjusted to the joining system in order to provide sufficient heat for bond formation while avoiding damaging of the joining components by excessive heat. This heat balance strongly depends on the thermal properties of the joining components: a low thermal conductivity leads to heat concentration within the joining zone adjacent to the RNML, while a high thermal conductivity leads to fast heat dissipation into the components. The quality of the joint is thus co-determined by the thermal properties of the joining components. This work provides a systematic study on the influence of the thermal properties upon reactive joining for a set of substrate materials with thermal conductivities ranging from very low to very high. In particular, the evolution of the microstructure within the joining zone as a function of the specific time-temperature-profile for the given component material is investigated, focusing on the interaction between solder, RNML foil and surface metallisations, and the associated formation of intermetallic phases. Finally, the specific microstructure of the joints is related to their mechanical performance upon shear testing, and suggestions for optimum joint design are provided.

Medical ultrasonic arrays are typically characterized in controlled water baths using measurements by a hydrophone, which can be translated with a positioning stage. Characterization of 3D acoustic fields conventionally requires measurements at each spatial location, which is tedious and time-consuming, and may be prohibitive given limitations of experimental setup (e.g., the bath and stage) and measurement equipment (i.e., the hydrophone). Moreover, with the development of new ultrasound sequences and modalities, multiple measurements are often required to characterize each imaging mode to ensure performance and clinical safety. Acoustic holography allows efficient characterization of source transducer fields based on single plane measurements. In this work, we explore the applicability of a re-radiation method based on the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld integral to medical imaging array characterization. We show that source fields can be reconstructed at single crystal level at wavelength resolution, based on far-field measurements. This is herein presented for three practical application scenarios: for identifying faulty transducer elements; for characterizing acoustic safety parameters in focused ultrasound sequences from 2D planar measurements; and for estimating arbitrary focused fields based on calibration from an unfocused sound field and software beamforming. The results experimentally show that the acquired pressure fields closely match those estimated using our technique.

Reactive joining, i.e., utilization of an exothermal reaction to locally generate the heat required for soldering or brazing, represents an emerging technology for flexible and benign joining of heat-sensitive materials, e.g., for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications. However, for successful reactive joining, precise control of heat production and heat distribution is mandatory in order to avoid damaging of the components during the process. For the exemplary case of borosilicate glass, the reactive joining process for a both thermally and mechanically sensitive material is developed. Employing various nondestructive and destructive testing methods, typical problems which can occur upon reactive joining are identified, e.g., exposure of the joining zone to excessive temperatures, experience of thermal shock by the substrate due to sudden temperature increase, and generation of residual stresses in substrate and soldering zone. Utilizing the results of nondestructive and destructive testing, procedures for successful reactive joining of borosilicate glass, silicon and aluminum oxide are provided.

Graphene is an excellent 2D material for vertical organic transistors electrodes due to its weak electrostatic screening and field-tunable work function, in addition to its high conductivity, flexibility and optical transparency. Nevertheless, the interaction between graphene and other carbon-based materials, including small organic molecules, can affect the graphene electrical properties and therefore, the device performances. This work investigates the effects of thermally evaporated C60 (n-type) and Pentacene (p-type) thin films on the in-plane charge transport properties of large area CVD graphene under vacuum. This study was performed on a population of 300 graphene field effect transistors. The output characteristic of the transistors revealed that a C60 thin film adsorbate increased the graphene hole density by (1.65 ± 0.36) × 10¹² cm⁻², whereas a Pentacene thin film increased the graphene electron density by (0.55 ± 0.54) × 10¹² cm⁻². Hence, C60 induced a graphene Fermi energy downshift of about 100 meV, while Pentacene induced a Fermi energy upshift of about 120 meV. In both cases, the increase in charge carriers was accompanied by a reduced charge mobility, which resulted in a larger graphene sheet resistance of about 3 kΩ at the Dirac point. Interestingly, the contact resistance, which varied in the range 200 Ω–1 kΩ, was not significantly affected by the deposition of the organic molecules.