An Experimental Study on Cyclotron–Cherenkov Radiation

We searched numerically dielectric-loaded cylindrical waveguide configurations with an injected electron beam in which the growth rate of the cyclotron-Cherenkov instability surpassed that of the Cherenkov instability, and found such a configuration. This configuration consists of a metallic core and an outer metallic cylinder with a dielectric liner on the inner surface. In order to investigate experimentally radiation due to the cyclotron-Cherenkov instability, we designed and assembled an experimental device using the computational results. We studied beam propagation in the dielectric-loaded coaxial waveguide and microwave radiation due to the cyclotron-Cherenkov instability and the Cherenkov instability.     

Self‐consistent electrical parameter extraction from bias dependent spectral response measurements of III‐V multi‐junction solar cells

Spectral response of multi‐junction solar cell is complicated because of the interplay between external measurement conditions such as bias light intensity, monochromatic light intensity, bias voltage, and intrinsic electrical properties of series interconnected subcells. In this paper, we report an experimental study on the bias voltage‐dependent spectral response (SR) for multi‐junction solar cell. A self‐consistent iteration loop was developed from a nonlinear least square Powell hybrid algorithm that was used for curve fitting the experimental SR versus bias voltage data of each subcell. We demonstrated for the first time that this approach enabled us to derive the electrical parameters such as dark saturation currents (J₀), shunt resistance (R_sh), series resistance (R_s), and spectra response (J_photo) for each subcell of a Ga_0.99In_0.01As/Ge dual junction solar cell with stable convergence. The accuracies of the fitting results were confirmed by the agreement between the J–V curves calculated on the basis of these parameters and the experimental J–V curve of multi‐junction solar cell measured under AM1.5 and 1 sun condition. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Defect Detection from Visual Abnormalities in Manufacturing Process Using IDDQ

Abnormal I _DDQ (Quiescent V _DD supply current) indicates the existence of physical damage in a circuit. Using this phenomenon, a CAD-based fault diagnosis technology has been developed to enhance the manufacturing yield of logic LSI. This method to detect the fatal defect fragments in several abnormalities identified with wafer inspection apparatus includes a way to separate various leakage faults, and to define the diagnosis area encircling the abnormal portions. The proposed technique progressively narrows the faulty area by using logic simulation to extract the logic states of the diagnosis area, and by locating test vectors related to abnormal I _DDQ. The fundamental diagnosis way employs the comparative operation of each circuit element to determine whether the same logic state with abnormal I _DDQ exists in normal logic state or not.     

Development of InxGa1−xAs-based ohmic contacts for p-type GaAs by radio-frequency sputtering

In_xGa_1−xAs-based ohmic contacts which showed excellent contact properties for n-GaAs were demonstrated to be applicable to p-GaAs ohmic contacts. These contacts, prepared by radio-frequency sputtering, provided low contact resistance (0.2 Ω-mm), excellent thermal stability, smooth surface, and good reproducibility. The contact resistances had a weak dependence on the annealing temperatures, which was desirable in a manufacturing view point. This weak temperature dependence was explained to be due to a unique Schottky barrier height at the metal/p-In_xGa_1−xAs interface which does not depend on the In concentration in the In_xGa_1−xAs layer. The present experiment showed the possibility of simultaneous preparation of ohmic contacts for both n and p-GaAs using the same contact materials.     

AlGaAs-GaAs buried heterostructure laser with vertically etched facets and wide-bandgap optical windows by in situ C/sub 2/H/sub 5/Cl gas-phase etching and MOCVD regrowth

Vertical facets and oblique sidewalls are realized in AlGaAs-GaAs graded index separate confinement (GRINSCH) structure along the [01~1] and [01~1~] direction, respectively, with C/sub 2/H/sub 5/Cl gas-phase etching under a SiO/sub 2/ stripe mask. They are immediately embedded with consecutive MOCVD regrowth all around the active layer, to form optical windows and BH-type waveguide at the same time. This in situ process is very effective to reduce the fabrication cost of a semiconductor laser by combining the three processing steps of waveguide definition, facet formation, and facet coating into one consecutive gas manipulation in the same growth furnace.     

Growth energetics of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis in cometabolism of citrate and glucose

Certain strains of lactic acid bacteria present in commercial cheese starters, characterized by faint transparent colonies on an agar plate containing 1 mg kg ⁻¹ crystal violet (CVT), were identified as Lactococcus lactis subsp. (ssp) lactis biovar diacetylactis. The effect of citrate on the growth of these strains (CVT strains) in the presence of glucose was studied, in comparison with L. lactis strains. Molar growth yield from glucose (Y_G, g dry weight/mole of glucose consumed) for CVT strains grown on glucose plus citrate was significantly higher than the control (i.e. without citrate), but not for other L. lactis strains tested. Enhanced Y_G was also observed at a pH-controlled experiment, indicating that enhanced Y_G did not result from a buffering effect of citrate. CVT strains, in contrast to other strains of the same species, were shown to obtain enough energy to enhance Y_G on glucose–citrate mixtures.     

Temporal occurrence of immature skeletal muscle fibers in the sciatic nerve matrix regenerating within the silicone chamber after nerve transection in the normal rat

We examined by light and electron microscopy the immature skeletal muscle fibers in the rat sciatic nerve regenerating within the silicone chamber 14 days after nerve transection. Small myelinated and nonmyelinated nerve fibers associated with Schwann cells from the proximal stump began to approach the midportion of the interstump zone. In the middle segment, fibroblasts or fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells and macrophages were observed everywhere in the newly formed matrix filled with exuded erythrocytes and fibrin clots. In addition to some fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells were closely apposed to each other. However, the proximal and distal segments contained immature muscle fibers with various amount of myofilaments and one or plural centrally located nuclei, thus indicating various phases of the early differentiation of skeletal muscle fibers similar to those observed during an early stage of developing muscle fibers. However, the precise origin of these skeletal muscle fibers remains to be determined.     

Novel grounded and floating high order immittance simulators using OTAs and OAs

This paper proposes novel grounded and floating high order series and parallel immittance simulators using operational transconductance amplifiers (OTAs) and operational amplifiers (OAs) with a finite gain–bandwidth (GB) product. They are composed of active devices (OTAs and OAs) and resistances, and are suitable for monolithic implementation in either CMOS or bipolar technologies. They also realize both positive and negative high order immittances. The circuit characteristics can be electronically tuned by adjusting the transconductances of OTAs and the GB products of OAs. Any transfer functions are realizable using the proposed simulators. Two examples are shown, together with simulation results.