The growth of water on thin SiO2 films on Si wafers at vapor pressures between 1.5 and 4 Torr and temperatures between -10 and 21 degrees C has been studied in situ using Kelvin probe microscopy and X-ray photoemission and absorption spectroscopies. From 0 to 75% relative humidity (RH), water adsorbs forming a uniform film 4-5 layers thick. The surface potential increases in that RH range by ab...

Micro-cracking in polycrystalline Silicon is a serious concern for the durability of photovoltaic (PV) modules due to the resulting electrical power-loss. In this contribution, a thermo-mechanical cohesive zone model is proposed to predict the evolution of micro-cracks under the action of mechanical and thermal loads. The classical nonlinear cohesive zone approach, used in fracture mechanics to...

The problem of reflection and transmission of plane waves at an imperfect boundary between two thermally conducting micropolar elastic solid half spaces with two temperature is investigated. Amplitude ratio of various reflected and transmitted waves are presented when a set of coupled longitudinal wave (LD-wave) and thermal wave (T-wave) and a set of coupled transverse wave and microrotation wa...


 The AnaChronisT would like to express the editors’ sincerest gratitude International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester and director Prof. Andrew Biswell for giving us permission publish this most valuable essay first time. only changes made by editors were some very minor corrections concerning a few obvious typographical errors standardisation of certain recurring expressions.&#x...