Spectral modulation of microcapillary laser based on emissive π-conjugated polymers by poor solvent injection

The optical properties of π-conjugated polymer films based on poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) units under a wet condition were studied. We succeeded in producing multimode laser emission under a wet condition from cylindrical microcavities with a polymer thin film fabricated onto the inner surface of an optical capillary tube, which was filled with cyclohexane. Furthermore, lasing spectral modulation was demonstrated with the polymer laser. We discuss the lasing spectral modulation by taking the change in refractive index into consideration.     

Exponential ARX model-based long-range predictive control strategy for power plants

For nonlinear thermal power plants whose dynamics vary with load demand, a load-dependent exponential ARX (Exp-ARX) model, which can effectively describe the nonlinear properties of the plants, is presented. The Exp-ARX model requires only off-line identification. Based on the model, a constrained multivariable generalized predictive control (CMGPC) strategy is designed and implemented in a simulation of 375 MW thermal power plants. This CMGPC algorithm does not resort to on-line parameter estimation and can more exactly predict the future outputs of the nonlinear plants, so it shows better reliability and control performance than the usual GPC algorithm.     

High-performance embedded SOI DRAM architecture for the low-powersupply

This paper presents the high-performance DRAM array and logic architecture for a sub-1.2-V embedded silicon-on-insulator (SOI) DRAM. The degradation of the transistor performance caused by boosted wordline voltage level is distinctly apparent in the low voltage range. In our proposed stressless SOI DRAM array, the applied electric field to the gate oxide of the memory-cell transistor can he relaxed. The crucial problem that the gate oxide of the embedded-DRAM process must be thicker than that of the logic process can be solved. As a result, the performance degradation of the logic transistor can be avoided without forming the gate oxides of the memory-cell array and the logic circuits individually. In addition, the data retention characteristics can be improved. Secondly, we propose the body-bias-controlled SOI-circuit architecture which enhances the performance of the logic circuit at sub-1.2-V power supply voltage, Experimental results verify that the proposed circuit architecture has the potential to reduce the gate-delay time up to 30% compared to the conventional one. This proposed architecture could provide high performance in the low-voltage embedded SOI DRAM     

Size distribution measurement and separation of ethanol cluster ion beams

The distributions of the number of molecules per cluster (cluster size) of ethanol cluster ion beams were measured by the time-of-flight method. The cluster sizes at the peak and minimum tail (minimum size) of the distribution increased with increase of the retarding voltage. A difference appeared between the measured minimum size and the calculated values using a formula based on the early measurements on the velocity distributions of gas clusters.     

Temperature imaging of sub-millimeter-thick water using a near-infrared camera

This paper presents a method of imaging temperature distributions of sub-millimeter-thick water using a near-infrared camera and optical narrow-bandpass filter. The principle is based on the temperature dependence of the ν₁ + ν₃ absorption band of water. Temperature images are constructed by measuring the absorbance of water at the wavelength of 1412 nm through the filter for all pixels of the camera. From calibration measurements on 0.5-mm thick water at temperatures from 26.0 °C to 40.0 °C, the temperature coefficient was 6.3 × 10^?4 K^?1 and the standard deviation of absorbance was 1.9 × 10^?4. Thermal diffusion in 0.5-mm thick water caused by a thin heating wire was visualized with this method. The obtained images were verified against temperature distributions calculated by solving a two-dimensional thermal conduction model. This method would be useful for temperature measurement applications and control of aqueous solutions in microchips.     

流体可视化的新的光学方法

介绍了流体可视化一种新的光学方法,即通过分析两束相互垂直的线偏振光叠加而产生的椭圆偏振光而实现,如果其中一束光束通过流体目标,那么影像中每点的极化状况交根据流体目标的每点的折射率的变化而变化,它将引起影象各点亮度的变化,所以我们可以通过检偏器得到流体的真实图象而实现流体的可视化,实验结果表明该方法是成功的,此外,由于两束光相互垂直而不产生干涉,因此与马赫－泽德干涉仪的干涉条纹相比更直观,清晰,该方法可用于集成电路工艺检测,流体力学及流体工程,人体生物医学,微电子及微细加工等领域。     

Design methodology of embedded DRAM with virtual-socketarchitecture

This paper proposes the virtual-socket architecture in order to reduce the design turn-around time (TAT) of the embedded DRAM. The required memory density and the function of the embedded DRAM are system dependent. In the conventional design, the DRAM control circuitry with the DRAM memory array is handled as a hardware macro, resulting in the increase in design TAT. On the other hand, our proposed architecture provides the DRAM control circuitry as a software macro to take advantage of the automated tools based on synchronous circuit design. With array-generator technology, this architecture can achieve high quality and quick turn-around time (QTAT) of flexible embedded DRAM that is almost the same as the CMOS ASIC. We applied this virtual-socket architecture to the development of the 61-Mb synchronous DRAM core using 0.18-μm design rule and confirmed the high-speed operation, 166 MHz at CAS latency of two, and 180 MHz at that of three. The experimental results show that our proposed architecture can be applied to the development of the high-performance embedded DRAM with design QTAT     

A 76-mm2 8-Mb chain ferroelectric memory

This paper demonstrates the first 8-Mb chain ferroelectric RAM (chain FeRAM) with 0,25-μm 2-metal CMOS technology. A small die of 76 mm² and a high average cell/chip area efficiency of 57.4 % have been realized by introducing not only chain architecture but also four new techniques: 1) a one-pitch shift cell realizes small cell size of 5.2 μm²; 2) a new hierarchical wordline architecture reduces row-decoder and plate-driver areas without an extra metal layer; 3) a small-area dummy cell scheme reduces dummy capacitor size to 1/3 of the conventional one; and 4) a new array activation scheme reduces dataline and second amplifier areas. As a result, the chain architecture with these new techniques reduces die size to 65% of that of the conventional FeRAM. Moreover a ferroelectric capacitor overdrive scheme enables sufficient polarization switching, without overbias memory cell array. This scheme lowers the minimum operation voltage by 0.23 V, and enables 2.5-V V_dd operation. Thanks to fast cell plateline drive of chain architecture, the 8-Mb chain FeRAM has achieved the fastest random access time, 40 ns, and read/write cycle time, 70 ns, at 3.0 V so far reported     

Alkylphenol and bisphenol A levels in rubber products

Levels of p-t-butylphenol (PTBP), p-t-octylphenol (PTOP), p-nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in rubber products in food-contact use, infant-related use and other uses are reported. Of 60 rubber products tested, PTOP was found in three in a concentration range of 2.2-37 μg g^-1, and NP in 15 in a concentration range of 2.6-513 μg g^-1. PTBP and BPA were not found in any sample. PTOP and NP were not detected in any infant-related sample, regardless of the material type. In contrast, among the samples with food contact and with other uses, the percentages containing PTOP or NP were 33 and 43%, respectively. A migration test was performed on eight samples containing NP and used in food-contact environments. The migration level of NP from spatulas to n-heptane was 0.83-1.52 μg ml^-1. The average migration rates to water, 20% ethanol and n-heptane were 0.03, 0.7 and 6.6%, respectively.     

Mutagenicity and DNA-damaging activity of decomposed products of food colours under UV irradiation

Five synthetic food colours Food Red Nos 3, 40 and 102 and Food Blue Nos 1 and 2, and their UV irradiated products were tested for mutagenic activity by means of the Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100. Food colours were irradiated with UV light for 14 days. Food Red Nos 3, 40 and 102 and Food Blue No. 1 were non-mutagenic before and after irradiation. UV irradiated products of Food Blue No. 2 were mutagenic in TA98 with or without S-9 mix. The mutagenic activity increased with increasing irradiation period, reached maximum potency on day 6, and then decreased. Moreover, Food Blue No. 2 showed DNA-damaging activity after 14 days of irradiation in rec-assay using Bacillus subtilis strains H17 and M45. The capillary electrophoresis was applied for the analysis of UV irradiated products of Food Blue No. 2. The original peak of Food Blue No. 2 was decomposed into seven peaks after UV irradiation.