Determining the Instantaneous Effective Energy of x-Ray Tube Bremsstrahlung

A method is described for determining the instantaneous effective energy of x-ray tube brehmsstrahlung by means of two semiconductor detectors employing epitaxial GaAs structures and a measurement circuit, which together determine the effective energy with an error of 5% in the range 20–80 keV in the presence of nonlinearity in the detector response.     

Fatigue crack growth in SiC particulates reinforced Al matrix graded composite

The SiC/Al graded composite was fabricated by powder metallurgy processing and its fatigue crack growth behavior was studied. The volume percentage of SiC particulates was distributed from 5 to 30% layer by layer on the cross section. Since the aluminium was dissolved together, there was no evident interface between the two layers with different volume fraction of SiC particulates. Fatigue crack growth was in direction of from 5 to 30% SiC layers under sinusoidal wave-form. The retardation of fatigue crack growth was found when crack propagated from low volume fraction of SiC to high volume fraction of SiC. The crack deflection and branching between two layers were observed, which decreased crack growth rates. In view of crack tip driving force, the plasticity mismatch between the layers shielded crack tip driving force, i.e. decreased the effective J-integral at the tip of the crack as the plastic zone of the crack tip spread from the weaker material into the stronger material.     

A multiwinding modeling method for high frequency transformers and inductors

This paper presents a method to obtain an electric model for transformers and inductors, including both frequency and geometry effects in the windings, which can be linked with existing core models. One-dimensional distributions for magnetic and electric fields are assumed, and from Maxwell's equations an equivalent electric circuit is easily obtained. This equivalent circuit has been included in analog simulators (Spice, AnalogWorkBench, Saber ...), and comparisons between measured and simulated results are shown, both in time domain and in AC sweep, which verify the model accuracy. The model described in this paper allows designers to deal with key issues in the design of high-frequency magnetic components (copper losses, leakage inductance, skin and proximity effects) by using analog simulators, which are usually more familiar to them than finite-element analysis tools.     

Optical-transmission characteristics of optical-fiber cables and installed optical-fiber cable networks for WDM systems

Many cables containing 1.3-/spl mu/m zero-dispersion single-mode (SM) optical fibers are installed in trunk and access networks. Recently, there have been a number of studies on wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) systems designed to increase transmission capacity and flexibility. If we can construct WDM systems using SM optical-fiber cable networks designed to transmit using wavelengths in the 1.3-/spl mu/m window (O-band), this will prove very effective in reducing construction costs. It is therefore important to examine the wavelength dependence of the transmission characteristics of SM optical-fiber cables and networks that have already been installed and in which several optical fibers are joined. In this paper, we describe the measured optical characteristics of SM optical-fiber cables and installed optical-fiber cable networks at various wavelengths. The optical characteristics were stable in the 1.46 to 1.625-/spl mu/m wavelength range and we confirmed that the installed SM optical-fiber cable networks could be used for WDM system applications.     

Recovery of gold cyanide using inherently conducting polymers

Removal of gold from basic solutions containing [Au(CN)₂]^? has been demonstrated using the inherently conducting polymer polypyrrole. Polymers containing sulfonated aromatic dopants have been found to display a significant ability to remove gold from such solutions. Experiments performed in solutions containing both gold and copper cyanide complexes indicate that the recovery process is not highly selective. However, the polypyrroles used display significantly faster rates of gold recovery than activated carbon. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Second harmonic generation from a ferroelectric film

We derive an expression for transmittivity (T_SHG) of second harmonic generation (SHG) signals from a ferroelectric (FE) film. Intensities of up and down fields in the medium are investigated in relation to T_SHG. The derivations are made based on undepletion of input fields and nonlinear wave equation derived from the Maxwell equations. We present two cases: film without mirrors and with partial mirrors. Expressions for the newly derived nonlinear susceptibility coefficients of SHG for real crystal symmetry [J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 19 (2002) 2007] are used to get more realistic results. Variations in T_SHG with respect to film thickness are illustrated.     

Effects of SiN passivation and high-electric field on AlGaN-GaN HFET degradation

The authors report on the effects of silicon nitride (SiN) surface passivation and high-electric field stress (hot electron stress) on the degradation of undoped AlGaN-GaN power HFETs. Stressed devices demonstrated a decrease in the drain current and maximum transconductance and an increase in the parasitic drain series resistance, gate leakage, and subthreshold current. The unpassivated devices showed more significant degradation than SiN passivated devices. Gate lag phenomenon was observed from unpassivated devices and removed by SiN passivation. However, SiN passivated devices also showed gate lag phenomena after high-electric field stress, which suggests possible changes in surface trap profiles occurred during high-electric field stress test.     

High-performance MIM capacitor using ALD high-k HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate dielectrics

For the first time, we successfully fabricated and demonstrated high performance metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors with HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate dielectric using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. Our data indicates that the laminate MIM capacitor can provide high capacitance density of 12.8 fF//spl mu/m/sup 2/ from 10 kHz up to 20 GHz, very low leakage current of 3.2 /spl times/ 10/sup -8/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 3.3 V, small linear voltage coefficient of capacitance of 240 ppm/V together with quadratic one of 1830 ppm/V/sup 2/, temperature coefficient of capacitance of 182 ppm//spl deg/C, and high breakdown field of /spl sim/6 MV/cm as well as promising reliability. As a result, the HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate is a very promising candidate for next generation MIM capacitor for radio frequency and mixed signal integrated circuit applications.     

Breakup of Unstable Drops and Bubbles at a Vibrating Cylindrical Nozzle

A condition for the formation of unstable drops of an ideal liquid in a gas and bubbles in an ideal liquid at a cylindrical nozzle executing longitudinal vibrations is considered. Expressions are derived for the particle size as functions of the parameters of the nozzle and the characteristics of vibration. A necessary and sufficient condition for the formation of a stable particle at the vibrating nozzle is determined. The theoretical and experimental data are in satisfactory agreement.