Progress in reliability research in the micro and nano region

Due to the rapid development of IC technology the traditional packaging concepts are making a transition into more complex system integration techniques in order to enable the constantly increasing demand for more functionality, performance and miniaturisation. These new concepts will have to combine smaller structures and layers made of new materials with even higher reliability. As these structures will more and more display nano-features, a coupled experimental and simulative approach has to account for this development to assure design for reliability in the future. A necessary “nano-reliability” approach as a scientific discipline has to encompass research on the properties and failure behaviour of materials and material interfaces under explicit consideration of their nano-structure and the effects hereby induced. It uses nano-analytical methods in simulation and experiment to consistently describe failure mechanisms on that length scale for more accurate and physically motivated lifetime prediction models for use on a larger (i.e. then the micro) scale. This paper deals with the thermo-mechanical reliability of microelectronic components and systems and methods to analyse and predict it. Various methods are presented to enable lifetime prediction on system, component and material level, the latter introducing the field of nano-reliability for nano-packaging in advanced electronics system integration.     

Non-Flammable Liquid and Quasi-Solid Electrolytes toward Highly-Safe Alkali Metal-Based Batteries

Rechargeable alkali metal (i.e., lithium, sodium, potassium)-based batteries are considered as vital energy storage technologies in modern society. However, the traditional liquid electrolytes applied in alkali metal-based batteries mainly consist of thermally unstable salts and highly flammable organic solvents, which trigger numerous accidents related to fire, explosion, and leakage of toxic chemicals. Therefore, exploring non-flammable electrolytes is of paramount importance for achieving safe batteries. Although replacing traditional liquid electrolytes with all-solid-state electrolytes is the ultimate way to solve the above safety issues, developing non-flammable liquid electrolytes can more directly fulfill the current needs considering the low ionic conductivities and inferior interfacial properties of existing all-solid-state electrolytes. Moreover, the electrolyte leakage concern can be further resolved by gelling non-flammable liquid electrolytes to obtain quasi-solid electrolytes. Herein, a comprehensive review of the latest progress in emerging non-flammable liquid electrolytes, including non-flammable organic liquid electrolytes, aqueous electrolytes, and deep eutectic solvent-based electrolytes is provided, and systematically introduce their flame-retardant mechanisms and electrochemical behaviors in alkali metal-based batteries. Then, the gelation techniques for preparing quasi-solid electrolytes are also summarized. Finally, the remaining challenges and future perspectives are presented. It is anticipated that this review will promote a safety improvement of alkali metal-based batteries.     

Interference considerations in frequency sharing between low earth orbit satellites and the geostationary fixed satellite and terrestrial service

Recently many companies and consortia have considered launching LEO satellites for such projects as remote sensing, transportation and mining operations. When the multiple low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites are transmitting they can interfere with existing terrestrial microwave and satellite earth-stations in the fixed and mobile service. The interference problem is related to the number of proposed LEOs and the altitude and consequently the time to orbit the earth. These systems usually consist of many small satellites, and each satellite stays in the beam of a terrestrial station for up to 72 seconds in each 222 minute orbit. Earth coverage could be obtained by 48 (LEO) satellites 1500 km above the earth in polar orbit, and hence at least one LEO would always be interfering with terrestrial networks. A technical evaluation would then be required to determine the resultant BER (bit error rate) effecting existing terrestrial services. A determination can then be made to support such a LEO system or object via official channels such as the ITU.     

Licence de brevet et partage du risque: Résultats de simulation

Annals of Telecommunications - Le partage du risque est une des raisons les plus souvent avancées pour expliquer les clauses financières des contrats de licence. Pour autant, aucune...     

Effects of fade distribution on a mobile satellite down-link and up-link performance in a frequency reuse cellular configuration

In a mobile satellite system with a frequency reuse cellular configuration, significant co-channel interference can be experienced due to the antenna side-lobe level. The signal will be subjected not only to its own fading, but also to the effect of the varying degree of fading on the co-channel interferer, and this interference will behave differently in the up and in the down-link. This paper presents a quantitative evaluation of the combined effects of fades and co-channel interference on a mobile satellite link.     

Carrier Transport Enhancement Mechanism in Highly Efficient Antimony Selenide Thin-Film Solar Cell

Exhibiting outstanding optoelectronic properties, antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) has attracted considerable interest and has been developed as a light absorber layer for thin-film solar cells over the decade. However, current state-of-the-art Sb₂Se₃ devices suffer from unsatisfactory “cliff-like” band alignment and severe interface recombination loss, which deteriorates device performance. In this study, the heterojunction interface of an Sb₂Se₃ solar cell is improved by introducing effective aluminum (Al³⁺) cation into the CdS buffer layer. Then, the energy band alignment of Sb₂Se₃/CdS:Al heterojunction is modified from a “cliff-like” structure to a “spike-like” structure. Finally, heterojunction interface engineering suppresses recombination losses and strengthens carrier transport, resulting in a high efficiency of 8.41% for the substrate-structured Sb₂Se₃ solar cell. This study proposes a facile strategy for interfacial treatment and elucidates the related carrier transport enhancement mechanism, paving a bright avenue to overcome the efficiency bottleneck of Sb₂Se₃ thin-film solar cells.     

Tuning Thermal Transport Through Atomically Thin Ti3C2Tz MXene by Current Annealing in Vacuum

Heat transport across vertical interfaces of heterogeneous 2D materials is usually governed by the weak Van der Waals interactions of the surface‐terminating atoms. Such interactions play a significant role in thermal transport across transition metal carbide and nitride (MXene) atomic layers due to their hydrophilic nature and variations in surface terminations. Here, the metallicity of atomically thin Ti₃C₂T_z MXene, which is also verified by scanning tunneling spectroscopy for the first time, is exploited to develop a self‐heating/self‐sensing platform to carry out direct‐current annealing experiments in high (<10^?8 bar) vacuum, while simultaneously evaluating the interfacial heat transport across a Ti₃C₂T_z/SiO₂ interface. At room temperature, the thermal boundary conductance (TBC) of this interface is found, on average, to increase from 10 to 27 MW m^?2 K^?1 upon current annealing up to the breakdown limit. In situ heating X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photo‐electron spectroscopy reveal that the TBC values are mainly affected by interlayer and interface spacing due to the removal of absorbents, while the effect of surface termination is negligible. This study provides key insights into understanding energy transport in MXene nanostructures and other 2D material systems.     

Experimental Study of an Adding Interferometer at Millimeter Waves

In order to study an original detection architecture for future cosmology experiments based on wide band adding interferometry, we have tested a single baseline bench instrument based on commercial components. The instrument has been characterized in the laboratory with a wide band power detection setup. A method which allows us to reconstruct the complete transfer function of the interferometer has been developed and validated with measurements. This scheme is useful to propagate the spurious effects of each component till the output of the detector.     

A Proof of the Security of Quantum Key Distribution

We prove the security of theoretical quantum key distribution against the most general attacks which can be performed on the channel, by an eavesdropper who has unlimited computation abilities, and the full power allowed by the rules of classical and quantum physics. A key created that way can then be used to transmit secure messages such that their security is also unaffected in the future.     

Nonmonotonic Coupled Dissolution-Precipitation Reactions at the Mineral–Water Interface

Dissolution is inherent to fluid-mineral systems. Yet its impact on minerals reacting with electrolytes is overlooked. Here, a novel nonmonotonic behavior for the surface interactions of carbonates (calcite and Mg-calcite) with organic acids is reported. Applying a bioinspired approach, Mg-calcite sensors via amorphous precursors, avoiding any preconditioning with functional groups are synthesized. A quartz crystal microbalance is used to study the mass changes of the mineral on contact with organic acids under varying ionic conditions, temperatures, and flow velocities. Supported by confocal Raman microscopy and potentiometric titrations, nonmonotonous mass developments are found as a function of Ca²⁺ concentration and flowrate, and attributed to three coupled chemical reactions: i) carbonate dissolution via Ca²⁺ ion complexation with organic molecules, and the formation of organo-calcium compounds as ii) a surface phase at the mineral–water interface, and iii) particles in the bulk fluid. These processes depend on local ion contents and the precipitation onset (i.e., saturation index) of organo-calcium salts, both of which substantially differ in the bulk fluid and in the fluid boundary layer at mineral interfaces. This continuum between dissolution and precipitation provides a conceptual framework to address reactions at mineral interfacial across disciplines including biomineralization, ocean acidification and reservoir geochemistry.