Initial Tandem Mirror Hybrid Study predicts the ability to produce large amounts of fissile fuel (2 to 7 tonnes per year U233 from a 4000 MW plant) at a cost that adds less than 25% to the cost of power from an LWR.

Research on the technical and economic feasibility of producing solar-cell-quality sheet silicon by coating inexpensive ceramic substrates with a thin layer of polycrystalline silicon is reported. The coating methods to be developed are directed toward a minimum-cost process for producing solar cells with a terrestrial conversion efficiency of 11 percent or greater. By applying a graphite coating to one face of a ceramic substrate, molten silicon can be caused to wet only that graphite-coated face and produce uniform thin layers of large-grain polycrystalline silicon; thus, only a minimal quantity of silicon is consumed. A variety of ceramic materials have been dip coated with silicon. The investigation has shown that mullite substrates containing an excess of SiO/sub 2/ best match the thermal expansion coefficient of silicon and hence produce the best SOC layers. With such substrates, smooth and uniform silicon layers 25 cm/sup 2/ in area have been achieved with single-crystal grains as large as 4 mm in width and several cm in length. Crystal length is limited by the length of the substrate. The thickness of the coating and the size of the crystalline grains are controlled by the temperature of the melt and the rate at which the substrate …

The impact of diameter in the range of 10 to 15 cm on the cost of wafers sliced from Czochralski ingots is analyzed. Increasing silicon waste and decreasing ingot cost with increasing ingot size are estimated along with projected costs. Results indicate a small but continuous decrease in sheet cost with increasing ingot size in this size range. Sheet costs including silicon are projected to be $50 to $60/m/sup 2/ (1980 $) depending upon technique used.

Photograph used for a newspaper owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company.

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "The three top awards in the Business Career Development Program went to Cynthia D. Cottom, Putnam City West, winner; Diane Hedgecock, Western Heights, first runner-up, and Rhonda Lynne Weaver, Putnam City, second runner-up."

Studies of defects in plasma-deposited, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), covering the period February 1979-January 1980 are described. Substantial progress has been made in understanding defect structures, their electronic properties and the influence of doping. The two most significant results are surprising, in one case for simplicity where complexity was expected, and in the other for complexity where simplicity had been presumed. In the first study we have clarified the nature of the defects by showing the connection between luminescence and light induced ESR experiments. The results indicate that dangling bonds having a positive electronic correlation energy are sufficient to explain most of the experimental information. The second study demonstrates the existence of microstructural inhomogeneities, arising from the nucleation and growth of the films. Thus the usual assumption of a uniform alloy with a random distribution of defects must be modified in considering processes such as electrical conduction, trapping, recombination, hydrogen effusion, etc. Of considerable technological and fundamental interest is the influence of doping on the defect behavior. Previous indications that doping introduces defect states have been confirmed. It remains to determine why this behavior occurs, and if there are any means of circumventing the problem.

Progress is reported on analytical R and D for the nuclear explosives programs (coupling of gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer, and infrared spectrometer; analysis of fluorocarbon FC-86; far-infrared laser development; transient behavior of n-type TiO/sub 2/ semiconductor photoelectrodes; and impurities on Kevlar 49 fibers) and for the energy programs (on-line mass spectroscopy of oil shale and testing of additives for controlling the scaling of hypersaline geothermal brine). (DLC)

Tailored ceramics are crystalline assemblages made by high-temperature and pressure consolidation of a nuclear waste with selected additives. The multitask program includes waste form development and characterizations, and process and equipment development. (DLC)

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "Contestant Denise Leach, right, is joined by her teacher, Mrs. Dorothy J. Dean, at the luncheon."

Photograph taken for a newspaper owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company. Caption: "A liquor store at 2322 N Broadway received a makeshift drive-through window Friday night when a customer allegedly drove a car through a window."

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper.

B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

B-roll video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.