Optimal Selective Arbitrary-Spaced Filters Optimization Using GA Synthesis in One-Dimensional Silicon Photonic Crystal

Silicon - The optimization process is a necessary step in the design of optimal optical devices with high performances. In this paper, optimization of unidirectional photonic crystal selective...     

Temperature effects on tungsten etching

The influence of the substrate temperature (from T_s = +20°C to T_s = −45°C) on the etching characteristics (etch rate and anisotropy) of tungsten material has been investigated using a surface-wave sustained magnetoplasma reactor operated with SF₆. By correlating the F-atom concentration and the ion current density to the etching characteristics, we found that ion-assisted etching becomes more important than spontaneous chemical etching as the substrate temperature and SF₆ gas pressure decrease, ensuring, in absence of external biasing, high etching anisotropy together with high microscopic uniformity for submicrometer features (0.2 to 1 μm). Our results reveal the competitive influence between substrate temperature (which inhibits spontaneous chemical reaction as it is lowered) and gas pressure (which favours spontaneous chemical reaction as it is increased). Obtaining high anisotropy requires, in the present case, a substrate temperature of T_s = −20°C for P = 0.5 mTorr and a temperature as low as T_s = −35°C for P = 1.5 mTorr.     

High temperature phase stability and chemical analysis of the highly doped yttria stabilized zirconia with alumina

Short and long term thermal stability of YSZ was studied considering the equilibrium and non-equilibrium phase transformation of YSZ. To improve the long term thermal stability of YSZ, electrical treatment was introduced. Electrical treatment consists of applying electric field into YSZ at high temperatures under a reducing atmosphere. By optimizing the conditions of treatment, electrical resistivity reduced around 40% and thermal stability improved dramatically. These improvements are due to the generation of tetragonal metastable phases. Arguments are put forth to show that electrical treatment induces a relaxation in the lattice. This relaxation is associated with a reduction in lattice tetragonality and replaces the tetragonal grains of YSZ with domain of metastable phases. High resistance of metastable phase to creep deformation and lower electrical resistivity of domains of metastable phases in comparison with tetragonal grains brings about these improvements.     

Functionally Modified Macroporous Membrane Prepared by using Pulsed Laser Deposition

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is used to deposit pure metals (Pt and Au) and a mixture of metals (Pt–Ru) at the surface of a porous aluminum anodic oxide (AAO) substrate. In the case of Pt, thick films (> 300 nm) with pore diameters larger than 150 nm (macroporous), replicating the pore structure of the underlying AAO substrate, are obtained when PLD is performed at high (> 50 eV at^–1) kinetic energy (E_k) conditions. At lower E_k conditions, the characteristic structure of the AAO membrane is not discernable in the deposited film. In that case, the substrate is entirely covered by a film, the structure of which is not different from that of a Pt film deposited on a flat Si substrate under the same conditions. AAO membranes modified by macroporous Au and Pt–Ru alloy films are also prepared, demonstrating that the concept can be applied to a wide range of materials. The mechanisms responsible for the replication of the substrate pore structure in the metallic layer are discussed. These functionally modified macroporous membranes are electroactive and this aspect has been emphasized by studying the electrocatalytic properties of Pt and Pt–Ru modified macroporous membranes for CO oxidation.     

Ligand and precursor effects on the synthesis and optical properties of PbS quantum dots

We study how the as-received chemical reagents of a commonly used ligand oleylamine (C18-amine) and precursor PbCl2, each at two different purity statuses, affect the growth of PbS quantum dots in a solventless, relatively green, constant reaction-temperature synthesis system. It is found that the growth behavior of PbS quantum dots reflected from their absorption and photoluminescence spectra is quite sensitive to the purity status of the ligand and precursor under certain circumstances, while the lifetime and quantum yield of quantum dots exhibiting a monomodal or nearly monomodal photoluminescence band are not considerably affected. For instance, the effect of the ligand purity status is particularly evident when a higher PbCl2/S ratio is applied. The use of lower purity C18-amine leads to the growth showing much stronger temperature dependence and also facilitates the earlier entry of Ostwald process highlighted by a bimodal photoluminescence structure. Consistently, a 2 wt% increase in the PbCl2 purity from 98 wt% to 100 wt% (or the absence of 2 wt% of impurities) largely postpones the start of Ostwald process and thus significantly improves both absorption and photoluminescence spectra. These results imply that in order to produce PbS quantum dots with narrow absorption and photoluminescence peaks, one needs to optimize reaction parameters as well as select chemicals of appropriate purities. Moreover, the unintentional involvement of chemicals of different purity status may partially account for the irreproducibility problem often encountered in quantum dot synthesis.     

Integration of microwave phase shifter with BST varactor onto TiO/sub 2//Si wafer

A BST ferroelectric thin-film microwave phase shifter with interdigital capacitors on TiO₂/Si substrate is presented. The interdigital capacitors have 230 mum signal width, 100 mum signal to ground gap, and 10 mum finger gap. The device, with phase shifts of 142deg and FoM of 107.3deg/dB applied voltage of 50 V at 16 GHz, has been realised. The TiO₂ buffer layer grown by ALD enables successful integration of BST-based microwave tunable devices with Si wafer.     

Adsorptive removal of anionic and non‐ionic surfactants from aqueous phase using Posidonia oceanica (L.) marine biomass

BACKGROUND: In this study, the capability of low‐cost, renewable and abundant marine biomass Posidonia oceanica (L.) for adsorptive removal of anionic and non‐ionic surfactants from aqueous solutions have been carried out in batch mode. Several experimental key parameters were investigated including exposure time, pH, temperature and initial surfactant concentration. RESULTS: It was found that the highest surfactant adsorption capacities reached at 30 °C were determined as 2.77 mg g^?1 for anionic NaDBS and as 1.81 mg g^?1 for non‐ionic TX‐100, both at pH 2. The biosorption process was revealed as a thermo‐dependent phenomenon. Equilibrium data were well described by the Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting therefore a homogeneous sorption surface with active sites of similar affinities. The thermodynamic constants of the adsorption process (i.e. ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°) were respectively evaluated as ? 8.28 kJ mol^?1, 48.07 kJ mol^?1 and ? 42.38 J mol^?1 K^?1 for NaDBS and ? 9.67 kJ mol^?1, 95.13 kJ mol^?1 and ? 174.09 J mol^?1 K^?1 for TX‐100. CONCLUSION: Based on this research, valorization of highly available Posidonia oceanica biomass, as biological adsorbent to remove anionic and non‐ionic surfactants, seems to be a promising technique, since the sorption systems studied were found to be favourable, endothermic and spontaneous. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Mercury-electroplated-iridium microelectrode array based sensors for the detection of heavy metal ultratraces: optimization of the mercury charge

Mercury-electroplated-Ir microelectrode array based sensors have been developed; their electroanalytical performance is investigated for the simultaneous detection of ultratraces of Pb, Cd and Zn. Two Ir microelectrode array geometries were used, namely: (i) an array of 1089 microelectrodes of 3-μm diameter and (ii) an array of 1764 microelectrodes of 6-μm diameter. Prior to the Hg electroplating, the arrays were systematically characterized by means of cyclic voltammetry at various scan rates ranging from 5 to 500 mV s⁻¹ and found to exhibit a steady-state voltammetric behavior. The effect of the Hg charge (over a range as wide as 0.05–40 mC) on the electroanalytical performance (net peak current, peak potential and peak width) of the metal trace sensors has been systematically studied by using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). It is clearly shown that the net peak current not only depends on the magnitude of Hg charge, but also presents a maximum value for an optimum Hg charge. Optimum Hg charges of 4 and 15 mC were identified for the 3- and 6-μm diameter Ir microelectrodes, respectively. At the optimum Hg charges, calibration plots demonstrated good linearity for the three metal traces over a concentration range as wide as (100 ppt–1 ppm). By increasing the preconcentration time from 5 to 20 min, it is shown that the detection limit of metal ultratraces can be decreased from 100 to 20 ppt.     

Electronically reconfigurable superimposed waveguide long-period gratings

The perturbation to the refractive index induced by a periodic electric field from two systems of interdigitated electrodes with the electrode-finger period l is analyzed for a waveguide with an electro-optically (EO) active core-cladding. It is shown that the electric field induces two superimposed transmissive refractive-index gratings with different symmetries of their cross-section distributions. One of these gratings has a constant component of an EO-induced refractive index along with its variable component with periodicity l, whereas the second grating possesses only a variable component with periodicity 2l. With the proper waveguide design, the gratings provide interaction between a guided fundamental core mode and two guided cladding modes. Through the externally applied electric potential, these gratings can be independently switched ON and OFF, or they can be activated simultaneously with electronically controlled weighting factors. Coupling coefficients of both gratings are analyzed in terms of their dependence on the electrode duty ratio and dielectric permittivities of the core and cladding. The coupled-wave equations for the superimposed gratings are written and solved. The spectral characteristics are investigated by numerical simulation. It is found that the spectral characteristics are described by a dual-dip transmission spectrum with individual electronic control of the dip depths and positions. Within the concept, a new external potential application scheme is described in which the symmetry of the cross-sectional distribution of the refractive index provides coupling only between the core mode and the cladding modes, preventing interaction of the cladding modes with each another. This simple concept opens opportunities for developing a number of tunable devices for integrated optics by use of the proposed design as a building block.