GaInP/GaAs HBTs for high-speed integrated circuit applications

The use of GaInP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for integrated circuit applications is demonstrated. The discrete devices fabricated showed excellent DC characteristics with low V_ce offset voltage and very low temperature sensitivity of the current gain. For a non-self-aligned device with a 3-μm×1.4-μm emitter area, f_T was extrapolated to 45 GHz and f_max was extrapolated to 70 GHz. The measured 1/f noise level was 20 dB better than that of AlGaAs HBTs and comparable to that of low-noise silicon bipolar junction transistors, and the noise bump (Lorentzian component) was not observed. The fabricated gain block circuits showed 8.5 dB gain with a 3-dB bandwidth of 12 GHz, and static frequency dividers (divide by 4) were operable up to 8 GHz     

Superparamagnetic particle dynamics and mixing in a rotating capillary tube with a stationary magnetic field

The dynamics of superparamagnetic particles subject to competing magnetic and viscous drag forces have been examined with a uniform, stationary, external magnetic field. In this approach, competing drag and magnetic forces were created in a fluid suspension of superparamagnetic particles that was confined in a capillary tube; competing viscous drag and magnetic forces were established by rotating the tube. A critical Mason number was determined for conditions under which the rotation of the capillary prevents the formation of chains from individual particles. The statistics of chain length was investigated by image analysis while varying parameters such as the rotation speed and the viscosity of the liquid. The measurements showed that the rate of particle chain formation was decreased with increased viscosity and rotation speed; the particle dynamics could be quantified by the same dimensionless Mason number that has been demonstrated for rotating magnetic fields. The potential for enhancement of mixing in a bioassay was assessed using a fast chemical reaction that was diffusion-limited. Reducing the Mason number below the critical value, so that chains were formed in the fluid, gave rise to a modest improvement in the time to completion of the reaction.     

Temperature dependence of high strain-rate impact fracture behaviour in highly filled polymeric composite and plasticized thermoplastic propellants

The effect of temperature and strain-rate on the fracture behaviour during high strain-rate ( 10³ sec^–1) impact of two highly filled polymeric composite propellants (containing segmented polyurethanes based on hydroxy-term inated polybutadiene (HTPB) or glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) filled with ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles) and a plasticized thermoplastic (cast double base (CDB) nitrocellulose-nitroglycerine) propellant have been examined over a wide temperature range encompassing the ittle-ductile transition. In the elastic region of the loaddisplacement curve, the yield stress and fracture toughness is highest for GAP/AP and lowest for HTPB/AP. In the elastic and post-yield ductile regions CDB is more fracture-resistant than GAP/AP and HTPB/AP over the temperature range –20 to 50° C, but below –40° C, where both CDB and GAP/AP are brittle, GAP/AP is more fracture-resistant than CDB (as observed in the elastic region). Although all the propellants are known to develop small cracks in the elastic and post-yield ductile regions of the load-displacement curve, the overall fracture behaviour is largely governed by viscoelastic properties (because the cracks close up in compression). The good mechanical properties of CDB, above the brittle-ductile transition temperature, can be attributed to the presence of a large-transition loss peak. In the composites, the fracture behaviour is also influenced to a lesser extent by the degree of filler-binder interactions. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicates that GAP/AP has a slightly higher degree of filler-binder interactions than HTPB/AP. A temperature-strain rate reduction has been obtained for the yield stress and the composite curve can be expressed by the equation _y =K ₁ +K ₂ log (ea _T ) whereK ₁ andK ₂ are constants anda _T is a shift factor.K ₂ is a material constant which reflects the temperature and strain-rate sensitivity.     

Enhanced extraction of isoflavones from Korean soybean by ultrasonic wave

The amounts of isoflavones extracted from Korean soybean by various ultrasonic waves were compared using 60% aqueous ethanol solution. The effect on extraction yield of variations in solvent composition, temperature, and extraction time was investigated. The experimental results confirmed that ultrasonic waves are a desirable method to extract isoflavones from Korean soybean. The highest yield of aglycone isoflavones was obtained by ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 20 KHz and an extraction time of 10 min, which produced yields of glycoside and aglycone isoflavones three-fold greater than those by dipping method.     

Effect of solution properties on nanofibrous structure of electrospun poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid)

Electrospinning of poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) in chloroform or 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoro‐2‐propanol (HFIP) was investigated, focusing on its solution parameters, to develop nonwoven biodegradable nanofibrous structures for tissue engineering. PLGA nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning of 15 wt % PLGA solution and the resulting average fiber diameters were varied with the range of 270–760 nm, depending on solution property. When small amounts of benzyl triethylammonium chloride (BTEAC) was added to the PLGA/chloroform solution, the average diameter was decreased from 760 to 450 nm and the fibers were densely amounted in a straight shape. In addition, the average fiber diameter (270 nm) of nanofibers electrospun from polar HFIP solvent was much smaller than that (760 nm) of nanofibers electrospun from nonpolar chloroform solvent. Therefore, it could be concluded that conductivity or dielectric constant of the PLGA solution was a major parameter affecting the morphology and diameter of the electrospun PLGA fibers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1214–1221, 2006     

Kinetics of volume expansion during infusion of Ringer’s solution based on two volume model

In this work mathematical models were developed to represent the kinetics of volume changes of fluid spaces associated with infusion of Ringer’s solution. During infusion of Ringer’s solution, the human body is assumed to be characterized by the two-fluid space model which has second volume space in addition to the first volume so that fluid exchanges between these two spaces are possible. Various infusion types were tested to accommodate different medical situations. Volunteers were given Ringer’s solution and the changes in blood hemoglobin were detected. From the comparison with experimental data, the two-fluid space model was found to represent adequately the kinetics of human volume expansion during infusion of Ringer’s solution.     

Time-slide window join over data streams

The join is an important operator in processing data streams. To produce outputs continuously over unbounded data streams, sliding windows are generally used to limit the scope of the join at a certain time. In the existing join algorithms, only a simple type of windows have been considered, which are updated whenever a new data item arrives on any input stream. On the other hand, a more common type of windows have not been addressed yet, whose intervals are updated periodically, i.e., slid by a predefined time interval. In this paper, we consider the time-slide windows in joining multiple data streams. The algorithm for the time-slide window join can vary according to (i) how frequently the join is evaluated and (ii) which structure is used for windowing. Regarding this, possible algorithms are discussed, and experimental results that compare their performances are provided in this paper.     

Statistical properties of interparticle/void distance for amorphous plastics toughening

Statistical properties of interparticle/void distance (ID) for various particle/void and dispersion types are studied in relation with toughening of plastics using computer‐generated three‐dimensional models. Particle/void size groups adopted were either of constant diameter or of log‐normal distribution. Particles/voids were dispersed at uniform‐random or flocculated with multiple clusters. It was found that IDs are (a) of approximately Gaussian distribution for particles/voids of either a constant diameter or a log‐normal distribution, when they are dispersed at uniform‐random, but (b) not of Gaussian distribution for particle/void sizes of bimodal log‐normal distribution, nor for flocculated log‐normal distribution of particles/voids dispersed with multiple clusters. It was also found that the degree of ID uniformity for a single group of log‐normally sized particles/voids is not sensitive to standard deviation of particle/void size. Mixing effect on ID properties using two groups of log‐normally distributed particles/voids with similar mean particle/void diameters was simulated. It was found that, when a significant amount (36 vol %) of particles/voids of a small mean and standard deviation of ID was mixed with a group of particles/voids of a large mean and standard deviation of ID, mean and standard deviation of ID for the mixture were not substantially lower than those of the group of particles/voids of the large mean and standard deviation of ID. It was also found that the degree of ID uniformity for the mixture of the two groups was lower than those of individual groups, indicating that the mixing has deleterious effect on toughening. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 4256–4262, 2006     

Separation of Triacylglycerol Species from Interesterified Oils by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Using a 1,3-regioselective lipase as a catalyst, soybean oil and olive oil were interesterified with the short-chain triacylglycerol tributyrin (1,2,3-tributyrylglycerol) to produce mixtures of structured triacylglycerols (SL-TAG). The SL-TAG were purified by column chromatography and analyzed by both normal-phase (silica column; NP_SIL) and reversed-phase [octadecyl silane (ODS) column] high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Individual SL-TAG molecular species were detected by evaporative light-scattering detection, and characterized by mass spectrometry. NP_SIL HPLC successfully separated the newly synthesized SL-TAG into two groups of TAG: one composed of one butyryl group and two long-chain fatty acyl groups (from soybean or olive oil); the second was composed of two butyryl groups and one long-chain fatty acyl group. The SL-TAG species were further analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC which gave a more detailed separation of the TAG species present in the two SL-TAG.     

纳米粉体制程在线粒径测量系统的研发

发展了一套在线光纤式动态光散射粉体粒径测量系统,作为纳米颗粒制程粒径参数测量与分析.工业上对纳米粉体性质均一性(Uniformity)要求较高,为了获得在线制备纳米粉体颗粒的精确粒径大小与分布,本研究由激光动态光散射(Dynamic Light Scattering,DLS)原理,利用光纤探头方式,研制了一套在线粉体取样与粒径测量系统,针对目前台北科大自行研发的真空潜伏纳米流体制程(SANSS)进行了系统整合与测试.本研究针对100 nm标准粒径大小的聚苯乙烯(Polystyrene)粉体进行系统测量能力评估,确定了研发系统测量准确度(Accuracy)与重现性(Repeatability).实验结果显示,研发系统测量的平均粒径最大误差值在8%以下,初步确定测量系统可有效地监控纳米流体制程,提供纳米粉体制程的重要在线信息.