Commercializing discontinuous innovations: bridging the gap from discontinuous innovation project to operations

Since 1995, a multidisciplinary team of researchers has deployed case study methodology to follow the progress of 12 discontinuous innovation projects in ten large R&D-intensive firms. The study has illuminated the challenges of managing the surprisingly difficult transition from R&D project to an operating unit in the eight of the 12 projects that reached transition. A substantial "readiness gap" existed between the project teams and the receiving business units. The challenges have been captured in the form of ten critical questions that must be addressed before a project can be successfully transitioned. Based on an analysis of transition practices, the authors identify seven propositions for improving the effectiveness of transition management suggesting the potential usefulness of the following managerial approaches: (1) conducting a transition readiness assessment; (2) assembling a transition team; (3) establishing an oversight board; (4) developing a transition plan; (5) providing transition funding from corporate sources; (6) laying the groundwork for a big market; and (7) engaging senior management champions.     

Statistical estimation of delay fault detectabilities and fault grading

In this paper we present a technique to statistically estimate transition delay and path delay fault coverage. The basic method is an extension of STAFAN to include delay faults. By partitioning a combinational circuit into non-overlapping fanout free logic cones, we accurately calculate the transition sensitization controllabilities of 0 1 and 1 0 transitions of the lines within a fanout free logic cone to the output of the fanout free logic cone for each fanout free logic cone. A strategy to calculate the transition observabilities of fanout stems is proposed. The detectability of a path delay fault is evaluated as the product of the observabilities of the input line to its head gate within each fanout free logic cone on the path multiplied by the transition controllability of the path. When compared with the fault simulations, the estimations of transition delay fault coverage are within 2.3%. Also, the technique gives reasonably good path delay fault coverage estimation for large fault set of the ISCAS85 benchmark circuits.     

Worst Case Power/Ground Noise Estimation Using an Equivalent Transition Time for Resonance

The nonmonotonic behavior of power/ground noise with respect to the transition time $t_{r}$ is investigated for an inductive power distribution network with a decoupling capacitor. The worst case power/ground noise obtained with fast switching characteristics is shown to be significantly inaccurate. An equivalent transition time that corresponds to resonance is presented to accurately estimate the worst case power/ground noise in the time domain. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the ground noise to the decoupling capacitance $C_{d}$ and parasitic inductance $L_{g}$ is evaluated as a function of the transition time. Increasing the decoupling capacitance is shown to efficiently reduce the noise for transition times smaller than twice the $LC$ time constant, $t_{r}leq 2sqrt {L_{g}C_{d}}$. Alternatively, reducing the parasitic inductance $L_{g}$ is shown to be effective for transition times greater than twice the $LC$ time constant, $t_{r}geq 2sqrt {L_{g}C_{d}}$. The peak noise occurs when the transition time is approximately equal to twice the $LC$ time constant, $t_{r}approx 2sqrt {L_{g}C_{d}}$ , referred to as the equivalent transition time for resonance.      

Write-Once Read-Many-Times Memory Based on a Single Layer of Pentacene

We realized an organic electrical memory device with a simple structure based on single-layer pentacene film embedded between Al and ITO electrodes. The optimization of the thickness and deposition rate of pentacene resulted in a reliable device with an on/off current ratio as high as nearly $ hbox{10}^{6}$, which was two orders of magnitude higher than previous results, and the storage time was more than 576 h. The current transition process is attributed to the formation and damage of the interface dipole at different electric fields, in which the current conduction showed a transition from ohmic conductive current to Fowler–Nordheim tunneling current. After the transition from on - to off-state, the device tended to remain in the off-state even when the applied voltage was removed, which indicated that the device was very promising for write-once read-many-times memory.      

Charge transport in silver chalcogenides in the region of phase transition

Data on the σ(T), R(T), and U(T) dependences in Ag₂Te, Ag₂Se, and Ag₂S in the region of the phase transition are analyzed. It is found that the phase transition in Ag₂Te is accompanied by a decrease in the electron concentration and this transition in Ag₂Se is accompanied by an increase in this concentration. The concentration of intrinsic charge carriers in Ag₂Te decreases by a factor of 4 as a result of the phase transition and increases by a factor of 2 in Ag₂Se. The effect of variation in the energy-band parameters in the region of phase transition on the electron mobility is considered. It is established that, in Ag₂Te and Ag₂S, electrons are scattered by optical phonons in the region of the phase transition, while electrons are scattered by acoustic phonons in the α and β phases. It is assumed that the anomalously large increase in σ and U in Ag₂S as a result of the phase transition is caused by an increase in the concentration n and a simultaneous decrease in σ _g and m _n ^* by a factor of about 2.     

Finite-Time $$L_1$$ Control for Positive Markovian Jump Systems with Partly Known Transition Rates

The paper deals with the problem of finite-time \(L_1\) control for positive Markovian jump systems with partly known transition rates. Firstly, by constructing a linear co-positive Lyapunov function, sufficient conditions for finite-time boundedness and \(L_1\) finite-time boundedness of the open-loop system are developed. Then, an effective method is proposed for the construction of the state feedback controller. These sufficient criteria are derived in the form of linear programming. A key point of this paper is to extend the special requirement of completely known transition rates to more general form that covers completely known and completely unknown transition rates as two special cases. Finally, two examples are given, which include a mathematical model of virus mutation treatment to illustrate the validity of the obtained results.     

The use of differential thermal analysis for the examination of glasses

Differential thermal analysis (DTA) has been applied to the examination of a variety of glasses and glass-glass reactions. The method is described and results that were obtained which illustrate the usefulness of the technique are shown. Reversible and nonreversible latent heat anomalies have been observed in glass which are believed coincident with the glass transition, phase separation, devitrification processes, and dissolution of crystalline phases. The heat effect believed to be associated with the glass transition is reproducible, reversible and different for different glasses, and is observed as an endotherm on heating and an exotherm upon cooling. The change in the thermal glass transition temperature (T_t) as a function of composition was found to be sensitive to within approximately a 1% variation of one of the constituents of the glass enabling the determination of a "glass transition phase diagram" for two interacting glasses. The technique has shown itself to be a useful tool in quality control of raw glasses and in monitoring glass forming processes.     

A vacancy model of the heteropolytype epitaxy of SiC

A model for the transformation of SiC polytypes occurring during the growth of an epitaxial layer is suggested that is based on the variation over time of the concentration of carbon vacancies in a transition layer. Experimental data are analyzed in terms of this model. It is shown that the parameter η=Gτ/L _T (L _T is the thickness of the transition layer, G is the film growth rate, and τ is the lifetime of a vacancy in the transition layer) is invariant with respect to the method and temperature of the growth of the epitaxial layer. This parameter is determined only by the concentration of carbon vacancies in the substrate and in the film.     

Evaluation of selected Japanese lead-free consumer electronics

This paper discusses the transition to lead-free electronics, with emphasis on Japanese companies. The results of reverse engineering two Japanese minidisk players with "green" labels are presented. The minidisk players analyzed were Sony's MZ-E909 and Matsushita's SJ-MJ-90-A. Both of the minidisk players had three circuit cards, which were analyzed using a variety of methods including EDS, WDS, and ICP-AES. Data resulting from these tests was included along with a discussion on its significance. Moreover, the two "green" minidisk players were compared in terms of solder compositions and lead-free implementation strategies. This study revealed that products bearing the "green" label were not necessarily lead-free, but rather conformed to one of many definitions of lead-free devices. It was also found that the Japanese approach for achieving lead-free products appears to be based on an incremental transition by application, even at the board level.     

Auger depth profiling of MNOS structures by ion sputtering

Auger electron spectroscopy has been used in conjunction with argon-ion sputtering to study the morphology and chemical nature of MNOS structures. We find that a typical thin "oxide" in a memory device is a silicon oxynitride with about equal parts nitrogen and oxygen. The transition from nitride to "oxide" to silicon is a smooth one, with an oxide width of about 2.5-nm FWHM.     

High injection in epitaxial transistors

An analysis of base widening and the current dependence of the cutoff frequency fThas been given previously [1]. The analysis is approximate and is based on the location of the edges of transition regions. Definition of transition regions becomes problematic in transistors having nonuniform base doping and for high-current densities. Such difficulties are avoided in this paper by use of the charge control approach. Numerical solutions of delay time (= 1/2pi f_{T}) as a function of current density are given for low reverse collector bias. Whereas transition regions can be defined only approximately, the electric field is a well-defined quantity, and changes in the electric field that accompany base widening are shown in detail. At low injection levels, a high-field region exists near the transition between base and epitaxial layer. This high-field region is relocated to the interface between epitaxial layer and substrate under high injection conditions. When this "high-field relocation" has occurred, the epitaxial layer acts as an extension of the base with an attendant increase in the delay time [1].     

RF Low-Pass Design Guiding Rules to Improve PCB to Die Transition Applied to Different Types of Low-Cost Packages

We present in this paper some design rules to improve the signal integrity (SI) of a package transition. The design rules are based on standard low-pass (LP) filter synthesis methodology. This methodology uses the modeling of the package transition by a $pi$ network and is valid as long as the through phase shift of the package transition remains sufficiently small. Based on this $pi$ network approximation, it is possible to add external distributed elements at the package carrier level and lumped elements at the DIE level to build an equivalent low-pass ladder filter. This approach improves significantly the signal integrity properties of the package transition without modifying the package. In some cases the frequency bandwidth for which the return loss (RL) remains higher than 20 dB can be doubled by using this method.      

Dielectric and optical properties of a quasi-ferroelectric PLZT ceramic

Certain compositions within the quaternary lead-lanthanum-titanate-zirconate (PLZT) system exhibit neither a "true" ferroelectric nor a "true" paraelectric behavior and are therefore best characterized as quasi-ferroelectric. The dielectric, hysteresis, and optical properties of quasi-ferroelectric PLZT ceramics have been investigated for the representative 9/65/35 composition which was prepared as a transparent ceramic by means of a two-stage sintering-densification process. The results of these studies suggest that the quasi-ferroelectric behavior of PLZT compositions between their Curie temperature and a transition temperature Tpis brought about by the existence of polar distorted microregions (polar short-range order). By applying an electric field a transition to a macroscopic ferroelectric (FE) state (polar long-range order) is enforced which is, however, not stable at zero field at T > Tp. This concept, which explains the experimental observations, is compared with the possibility of a FE to anti-FE phase transition at Tp. Attention is drawn to the quasi-static memory behavior of this type of material that can be realized by disconnecting the sample in its ON state from the voltage source and which might enlarge the scope of applications of quasi-ferroelectric PLZT ceramics.     

A 340–380 GHz Integrated CB-CPW-to-Waveguide Transition for Sub Millimeter-Wave MMIC Packaging

In this letter, a rectangular waveguide to conductor backed-coplanar waveguide electromagnetic transition suitable of operating at sub-millimeter wave frequencies is demonstrated. The dipole based transition is fabricated using InP monolithic microwave integrated circuit technology. The compact transition eliminates wire-bonding problems (return loss and insertion loss) and is suitable for direct integration of sub-millimeter wave monolithic integrated circuits. Measured transition loss of $sim$ 1 dB has been achieved in the frequency range of 340 to 380 GHz.      

The Measurement of Ion Diffusion in Epoxy Molding Compounds by Dynamic Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy

The primary focus of this research was the measurement of ion diffusion in a common epoxy molding compound used to encapsulate microelectronic devices. Ion diffusion measurements were made by exposing the encapsulant materials to aqueous solutions of 2M sodium chloride, and making measurements by Dynamic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. The diffusion dependency of temperature exposure of the encapsulants to aqueous salt solutions at 75 $^{circ}$C, 85 $^{circ}$C, 100 $^{circ}$C, 125 $^{circ}$C, 150 $^{circ}$C and 175 $^{circ}$C and post-mold curing for 2, 4, 6, and 8 h at 175 $^{circ}$C was evaluated. The ion diffusion was found to depend on the glass transition temperature of the encapsulant. The rate of ion diffusion above the glass transition temperature of the encapsulant was faster than predicted by an Arrhenius plot of the diffusion coefficient as a function of temperature below the glass transition temperature. Post-mold curing of the encapsulant decreased the diffusion of chloride ions in the encapsulant. Ion diffusion was shown to be slower than moisture diffusion in the encapsulant by approximately nine orders of magnitude.      

An Efficient Wake-Up Strategy Considering Spurious Glitches Phenomenon for Power Gating Designs

During the power mode transition, simultaneously turning on sleep transistors provides a sufficiently large surge current, which may cause a large IR drop in the power networks. The IR drop in turn causes errors in the retention sequential elements of the sleep modules or errors of the nonsleep modules. One efficient way to control the surge current is to schedule the turn-on sequences of sleep transistors. In this paper, we introduce several important properties of the surge current during the power mode transition for the distributed sleep transistor network (DSTN) design, which is a popular power gating design style. Based on these properties, we propose an accurate estimation of the surge current and provide efficient schedules on the DSTN structure. Our methods achieved significantly better results than previous works—on average, 261 times wake-up time reduction and 30% less energy loss during the power mode transition.      

Modelling buffer admission mechanisms using stochastic automata networks

The stochastic automata networks formalism is an attractive technique to model complex systems with interacting components. Each component of the system is modelled by a single automaton; interactions between components are modelled by labels on the arcs which may represent synchronization and state-dependent transitions. Every automaton is associated with some matrices which allow to build the transition matrix of the underlying Markov chain, using tensor algebra. To illustrate this methodology, we introduce two buffer policies which could be used inAtm switching node. Every policy manages two priority levels which have distinct cell loss requirements. The first buffer policy is based on the push-out mechanism : a high priority cell replaces a low priority cell when the buffer is full. The second policy causes the discarding of all the low priority cells when the user transmits a request to send a burst of cells. In both studies, we compute the loss probabilities of each type of cells under various assumptions.     

Special features of electron spin resonance in 4<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-SiC in the vicinity of the insulator-metal phase transition: I. Effects of spin interaction

Special features of electron spin resonance in the vicinity of the insulator-metal phase transition in n-type 4H-SiC:N were investigated. It was shown that, in the insulating state, an antiferromagnetic phase of the spin-glass type is formed in this region. As a result, with increasing doping level, the content of the paramagnetic phase decreases, and, at an impurity concentration close to critical (corresponding to the transition), the resonance line of nitrogen atoms disappears. Instead of it, a line of deep-level impurity centers is observed at the same position in the metallic state. In addition, two new lines are observed in the metallic state in strong fields; these lines are attributed to free charge carriers.     

Magnetic ordering effects in heavily doped GaAs:Fe crystals

The exchange coupling of Fe centers in GaAs crystals is studied by electron spin resonance (ESR). Transitions to a superparamagnetic state and to an impurity ferromagnetism domain are analyzed. A study of a system of single-domain magnetically ordered regions in GaAs:Fe with the transition to a ferromagnetic state occurring at the temperature T_C1 = 460 K is described. It is shown that impurity ferromagnetism with a transition temperature T_C2 of 60 K in a disordered system of Fe centers randomly distributed among superparamagnetic regions exists in GaAs:Fe.     

Modeling of Set/Reset Operations in NiO-Based Resistive-Switching Memory Devices

Resistive-switching memory (RRAM) devices are attracting a considerable interest in view of their back-end integration, fast programming, and high scalability. Prediction of the programming voltages and currents as a function of the operating conditions is an essential task for developing compact and numerical models able to handle a large number ($hbox{10}^{6}$– $hbox{10}^{9}$) of cells within an array. Based on recent experimental findings on the set and reset processes, we have developed physics-based analytical models for the set and reset operations in NiO-based RRAMs. Simulation results obtained by the analytical models were compared with experimental data for variable pulse conditions and were found consistent with data. The set transition is described by a threshold switching process at the broken conductive filament (CF), while the reset transition is viewed as a thermally driven dissolution and/or oxidation of the CF. Set and reset models are finally used for reliability predictions of failure times under constant-voltage stress (read disturb) and elevated-temperature bake (data retention).