Novel Diffusion‐Barrier Materials Against Oxygen for High‐Density Dynamic Random Access Memory Capacitors

A new design concept for diffusion barriers in high‐density memory capacitors is suggested, and both RuTiN (RTN) and RuTiO (RTO) films are proposed as sacrificial oxygen diffusion barriers. The newly developed RTN and RTO barriers show a much lower sheet resistance than various other barriers, including binary and ternary nitrides (reported by others), up to 800 °C, without a large increase in the resistance. For both the Pt/RTN/TiSi_x/n⁺⁺poly‐plug/n⁺ channel layer/Si and the Pt/RTO/RTN/TiSi_x/n⁺⁺poly‐plug/n⁺ channel layer/Si contact structures, contact resistance—the most important electrical parameter for the diffusion barrier in the bottom electrode structure of capacitors—was found to be as low as 5 kohm, even after annealing up to 750 °C. When the RTN film was inserted as a glue layer between the bottom Pt electrode layer and the TiN barrier film in the chemical vapor deposited (Ba,Sr)TiO₃ (CVD–BST) simple stack‐type structure, the RTN glue layer was observed to be thermally stable to temperatures 150 °C higher than that to which the TiN glue layer is stable. Moreover, the capacitance of the physical vapor deposited (PVD)–BST simple stack‐type structure adopted TiN glue layer initially degraded after annealing at 500 °C, and, thereafter, completely failed. In the case of the RTN and RTO/RTN glue layers, however, the capacitance continuously increased up to 550 °C. Thus, the new RTN and RTO films, which act as diffusion barriers to oxygen, are very promising materials for achieving high‐density capacitors.     

Analysis of an adaptive rate convolutionally coded multicarrierDS/CDMA system

The analysis of an adaptive rate convolutionally coded multicarrier direct sequence code division multiple-access (DS/CDMA) system is considered. In order to accommodate a number of coding rates easily and make the encoder and decoder structure simple, we use the rate-compatible punctured convolutional (RCPC) code. We obtain data throughputs at several coding rates, and choose the coding rate that has the highest data throughput in the signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR) sense. To achieve maximum data throughput, a rate adaptive system is proposed based on the channel state information (the SINR estimate). The SINR estimate is obtained by the soft decision Viterbi decoding metric. We show that the proposed rate adaptive convolutionally coded multicarrier DS/CDMA system can enhance the spectral efficiency and provide frequency diversity     

An efficient frequency offset estimator for OFDM systems and itsperformance characteristics

In this paper, we propose a new frequency synchronization algorithm for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems requiring only one training symbol, based on a conventional method which requires two training symbols. While the timing synchronization is obtained by using the conventional method, the carrier frequency offset is efficiently estimated by the proposed method. It is shown that the proposed method not only reduces the number of the training symbols but also possesses better performance than the conventional method without increase in complexity     

Advanced Concentration Gradient Cathode Material with Two‐Slope for High‐Energy and Safe Lithium Batteries

Li[Ni_0.65Co_0.13Mn_0.22]O₂ cathode with two‐sloped full concentration gradient (TSFCG), maximizing the Ni content in the inner part of the particle and the Mn content near the particle surface, is synthesized via a specially designed batch‐type reactor. The cathode delivers a discharge capacity of 200 mAh g^?1 (4.3 V cutoff) with excellent capacity retention of 88% after 1500 cycles in a full‐cell configuration. Overall electrochemical performance of the TSFCG cathode is benchmarked against conventional cathode (CC) with same composition and commercially available Li[Ni_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05]O₂ (NCA). The TSFCG cathode exhibits the best cycling stability, rate capability, and thermal stability of the three electrodes. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the cycled TSFCG, CC, and NCA cathodes shows that the TSFCG electrode maintains both its mechanical and structural integrity whereas the NCA electrode nearly pulverizes due to the strain during cycling.     

A management architecture for client‐defined cloud storage services

Cloud service providers offer virtual resources to users, who then pay for as much as they use. High‐speed networks help to overcome the limitation of geographical distances between clients and cloud servers, which encourage users to adopt cloud storage services for data backup and sharing. However, users use only a few cloud storage services because of the complexity of managing multiple accounts and distributing data to store. In this paper, we propose the client‐defined management architecture (CLIMA) that redefines a storage service by coordinating multiple cloud storage services from clients. We address practical issues of coordinating multiple cloud service providers using a client‐based approach. We implement a prototype as a realization of CLIMA, which achieves both reliability and privacy protection using erasure code and higher performance by optimally scheduling data transmission. We use our prototype to evaluate the benefits of CLIMA on commercial cloud storage service providers. Finally, CLIMA empowers clients to increase the manageability and flexibility of cloud storage services. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discontinuous Coarsening of Tetragonal Precipitates in Partially Stabilized Zirconia Induced by Diffusional Coherency Strain under Applied Stress

When partially stabilized zirconia with 6 mol% MgO and 4 mol% CaO is aged at 1450°C, intragranular precipitation occurs and concurrently the boundaries between the grains migrate, forming a Ca-enriched precipitate-free cubic phase and large tetragonal precipitates behind them. At these compositions and temperature the boundary migration is rapid and shows the characteristics of a discontinuous coarsening. A uniaxial compressive stress applied to this specimen during the aging treatment increases or decreases the migration rate of the boundaries parallel or perpendicular to the stress axis, respectively, in agreement with the prediction that a compressive coherency strain due to the diffusion of Ca atoms is produced at the surface of the retreating grains and drives the migration. The diffusional coherency strain energy is thus expected to be the dominant driving force for the discontinuous coarsening in this solid.     

Toughening of a Particulate-Reinforced Ceramic-Matrix Composite by Thermal Residual Stress

The micromechanics involved in increased crack growth resistance, K _R, due to the addition of TiB₂ particulate in a SiC matrix was analyzed both experimentally and theoretically. The fractography evidence, in which, the advancing crack was attracted to adjacent particulates, was attributed to the tensile region surrounding a particulate. Countering this effect is the compressive thermal residual stress, which results in the toughening of the composite, in the matrix. This thermal residual stress field in a particulate-reinforced ceramic-matrix composite is induced by the mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion of the matrix and the particulate when the composite is cooled from the processing to room temperature. The increase in K _R of the composite over the monolithic matrix, which was measured by using a hybrid experimental-numerical analysis, was 77%, and compared well with the analytically predicted increase of 52%. The increase in K _R predicted by the crack deflection model was 14%. Dependence of K _R on the volume fraction of particulates, f _p, and of voids, f _v, is also discussed.     

Protection of Digital TV from Cognitive Radio Interference

Analytic modeling and computational simulation for the protection of DTV from cognitive radio interference are performed. Protection is achieved by using the protection ratio, which is derived through system modeling and its analysis. On the frequency coordination between digital TV and cognitive radio, an analysis in a co‐channel environment, in a rural area in Korea, is performed.     

Exhaustive Output Arbitration of Input Buffered Switch with Buffered Crossbar

We propose a new arbitration method for an input buffered switch with a buffered crossbar. In the proposed method, an exhaustive polling method is used to decrease the synchronization. Using an approximate analysis, we explain how the proposed method improves the switch performance. Also, using computer simulations, we show the proposed method outperforms the previous methods under burst traffic.     

Performance of Efficient Signal Detection for LED-ID Systems

In this paper, effects of reader-to-reader interference are investigated for LED identification (LED-ID) system in a multi-reader environment. The LED-ID readers typically use different channels to avoid collision between readers. However, in-channel collision usually happens in terms of interrogation range. A reader-to-reader interference scenario is proposed, and nominal interrogation range of a desired reader is derived from this model. In order to evaluate the LED-ID reader-to-reader interference quantitatively, an efficient detection scheme is proposed and simulated by employing spreading sequence. The spreading sequence is inserted between each user’s frame formats. In the receiver, the desired signal is detected by using correlation among inserted spreading sequences. From simulation results, it is confirmed that the proposed scheme is very effective to enhance reliability of LED-ID communication systems.