Polarized light reflectometer

The modulated reflected and nonreflected light fluxes, measured as the azimuth of incident linearly polarized light is varied, yield the absolute reflectances R(p), and R(s), of a dielectric or semiconductor surface. Application to a reflective Si detector determines the refractive index and thickness of a SiO(2) film on the detector surface.     

New aspect-oriented constructs for security hardening concerns

In this paper, we present new pointcuts and primitives to Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) languages that are needed for systematic hardening of security concerns. The two proposed pointcuts allow to identify particular join points in a program's control-flow graph (CFG). The first one is the GAFlow, Closest Guaranteed Ancestor, which returns the closest ancestor join point to the pointcuts of interest that is on all their runtime paths. The second one is the GDFlow, Closest Guaranteed Descendant, which returns the closest child join point that can be reached by all paths starting from the pointcut of interest. The two proposed primitives are called ExportParameter and ImportParameter and are used to pass parameters between two pointcuts. They allow to analyze a program's call graph in order to determine how to change function signatures for passing the parameters associated with a given security hardening. We find these pointcuts and primitives to be necessary because they are needed to perform many security hardening practices and, to the best of our knowledge, none of the existing ones can provide their functionalities. Moreover, we show the viability and correctness of the proposed pointcuts and primitives by elaborating and implementing their algorithms and presenting the result of explanatory case studies.     

Quantitative assessment of intrinsic groundwater vulnerability to contamination using numerical simulations

Intrinsic vulnerability assessment to groundwater contamination is part of groundwater management in many areas of the world. However, popular assessment methods estimate vulnerability only qualitatively. To enhance vulnerability assessment, an approach for quantitative vulnerability assessment using numerical simulation of water flow and solute transport with transient boundary conditions and new vulnerability indicators are presented in this work. Based on a conceptual model of the unsaturated underground with distinct hydrogeological layers and site specific hydrological characteristics the numerical simulations of water flow and solute transport are applied on each hydrogeological layer with standardized conditions separately. Analysis of the simulation results reveals functional relationships between layer thickness, groundwater recharge and transit time. Based on the first, second and third quartiles of solute mass breakthrough at the lower boundary of the unsaturated zone, and the solute dilution, four vulnerability indicators are extracted. The indicator transit time t₅₀ is the time were 50% of solute mass breakthrough passes the groundwater table. Dilution is referred as maximum solute concentration C_max in the percolation water when entering the groundwater table in relation to the injected mass or solute concentration C₀ at the ground surface. Duration of solute breakthrough is defined as the time period between 25% and 75% (t_25%-t_75%) of total solute mass breakthrough at the groundwater table. The temporal shape of the breakthrough curve is expressed with the quotient (t_25%-t_50%) / (t_25%-t_75%). Results from an application of this new quantitative vulnerability assessment approach, its advantages and disadvantages, and potential benefits for future groundwater management strategies are discussed.     

Anodic destruction of 4-chlorophenol solution

The electrochemical oxidation of 4-chlorophenol solutions was studied using a dimensional stable anode (DSA), made of pure titanium sheet mesh coated with Ti/TiO(2) and RuO(2) film. An electrochemical cell with one working electrode and two counter-electrodes was designed. A gas collecting system to collect the electrolysis gaseous products was also designed. The influence of current density (6.51-21.58 mA/cm(2)), pH (2.0-12.6) and initial 4-chlorophenol concentration (25-100 mg/l) on the destruction was investigated. Complete elimination was successfully achieved within 2 h for most investigated conditions. Highest rates of elimination were achieved at a pH of 12.6.A new approach to calculate the current efficiency (CE) of the cell was proposed. The volumes of the gases produced at the anode and at the cathode were the basis for the new CE calculations. It was observed that the worst CE was approximately 20% and the best CE was approximately 89%. The most efficient pH was at 12.6 and the most efficient current density was at 11.39 mA/cm(2).     

Diffraction grating scanners using polysilicon micromotors

This paper describes polysilicon micromotors with single and pyramidal diffraction grating elements fabricated on the polished surface of large-area rotors for optical scanning applications. While taking full advantage of planar processing, such scanners have high-quality scan profiles, good efficiency, meter working distances, and multiple out of plane beam diffraction orders. Chemical-mechanical polishing was used to reduce the 5-μm-thick polysilicon rotors' average surface roughness from 420 Å to below 17 Å, with less than 1500-Å film removal, improving the optical performance of the gratings as well as the definition, delineation, and side wall quality of the device features. Self-assembled monolayers (SAM) were found to improve the overall micromotor's dynamic performance. SAM-coated scanners could operate at voltages as low as 15 V and maximum operational speeds of 5200 rpm. The gratings were tested optically at 633-nm wavelength and were verified to have spatial periods of 1.80 and 3.86 μm, closely matching their design values. Stepping and continuous mode dynamic operation of the scanners was demonstrated with visible diffraction orders at meter distances away