Effects of electromagnetic near-field stress on SiGe HBT’s reliability

In this paper, a reliability damage mechanism was presented in SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT). This new stress methodology differs from conventional SiGe, HBT device reliability associated with other stresses, since it was obtained by applying electromagnetic near-field aggression. The near-field set-up is used to disturb with electromagnetic field the Device Under test (DUT) on a localized area. Degradations in the base current and the current gain are identified. They are induced by a large base current leakage due to hot carrier which introduces generation/recombination trap centers at the silicon–oxide interface of the emitter–base spacer. By using the S-parameters measurements, we find that both forward transmission scattering parameter (S₂₁) and the input scattering parameter (S₁₁) are affected by this stress. In addition the power characteristics of DUT are also affected by stress. A Direct Power Injection (DPI) method is used to understand the near-field stress behaviour.     

Recent advances and developments in advanced green porous nanomaterial for sustainable energy storage application

Journal of Porous Materials - Compared with traditional battery and super capacitor materials, nanomaterials can significantly improve ion transport and electron conductivity. There are many...     

Effect of nano silver coating on thermal protective performance of firefighter protective clothing

The main aim of this experimental work is to find out possible improvement in thermal protective performance of firefighter protective clothing when subjected to different level of radiant heat flux density. Firefighter protective clothing normally consists of three layers: outer shell, moisture barrier and thermal liner. When thermal protective performance of firefighter protective clothing is enhanced, the time of exposure against radiant heat flux is increased, which will provide extra amount of time to firefighter to carry on their work without suffering from severe skin burn injuries. In this study, the exterior side of outer shell was coated with nano-silver metallic particle through magnetron sputtering technology. Coating of outer shell with nano-silver particles was performed at three level of thickness, i.e. 1, 2 and 3?µm, respectively. All the uncoated and silver coated specimens were then characterized on air permeability tester, Permetest and radiant heat transmission machine. It was observed that coating has insignificant difference on the air and water vapor permeability of specimen and a significant decline was recorded for the value of transmitted heat flux density Q_c (kW/m²) and percentage transmission factor (%TF Q_o) as compared to uncoated specimen when subjected to 10 kW/m² and 20?kW/m² indicating improvement of thermal protective performance. These values go on further reduction with increase in thickness of coating layer of nano-silver particles.     

A comparative study of voltage controllers for series active power filter

The series active power filter seems an ideal device to improve power quality. It allows to suppress and isolate voltage based distortion such as voltage unbalance, sag, interruption and voltage harmonics. In this paper, the determination of voltage references for series active power filter based on a robust three Phase digital Locked Loop system is analysed. Different control strategies are evaluated. In first hand, performances of two linear regulators: a polynomial controller based on a pole placement theory (called RST controller) and a Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller are studied and compared, in order to compensate different voltage perturbations in network. In second hand, a novel hysteresis band voltage control for a series active power filter is proposed to derive the switching signals and to improve the power quality. The study was carried on simulation via software Matlab/Simulink.     

Comparison of melt extrusion and thermokinetic mixing methods in poly(ethylene terephthalate)/montmorillonite nanocomposites

The scope of this study consists in studying the effects of processing type on thermal stability of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and its nanocomposites prepared with organically modified clays. To achieve this goal, an intercalating agent was synthesized and montmorillonite type of clay modified with this intercalating agent was mixed with the PET by using melt extrusion and high‐shear thermokinetic mixing method. According to the results, manganese in the raw clay—though chemically bound—was found to be responsible for the decreased intrinsic viscosity (IV) values, i.e. decreased molecular weight in PET/organoclay nanocomposites. Besides, it was revealed that working on the thermokinetic mixer provided substantial contributions such as shorter processing times in comparison to the melt extrusion method, elimination of drying step before melt processing, which has been accepted as an inevitable process for PET so far, less thermal degradation because of short processing times, and more homogeneous and better dispersion of the clay particles in PET matrix phase. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of corn‐zein coating on the mechanical properties of polypropylene packaging films

In this study, a novel film structure of corn zein coated on polypropylene (PP) synthetic films for food packaging applications was developed, and the mechanical properties of the resulting coated film, as affected by the coating formulation, were investigated. Composite structures of PP films coated with corn zein were obtained through a simple solvent casting method. Different amounts of corn zein (5 and 15%) were dissolved in 70 and 95% aqueous ethanol solution at 50°C. Solutions of corn zein plasticized with poly(ethylene glycol) and glycerol (GLY) at various levels (20 and 50%) were applied on corona‐discharge‐treated PP. A statistical analysis based on full factorial design was performed to examine the influence of the coating formulation on the final properties of the corn‐zein‐coated PP films. A significant (p < 0.05) improvement in the coated film's mechanical properties was observed compared to those of the uncoated PP. The effect of the plasticization of the coating solutions was also quite significant. In general, GLY provided better improvements in the mechanical properties of the corn‐zein‐coated PP films. The statistical analysis of the results showed that the corn‐zein and plasticizer concentrations and plasticizer type used in the coating formulations were more effective parameters and had significant effects on the mechanical behavior of the coated PP films. In conclusion, corn‐zein coatings could have potential as alternatives to conventional synthetic polymers used in composite multilayer structures for food packaging applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Exploring the efficacy of AHA–BHA infused nanofiber skin masks as a topical treatment for acne vulgaris

This study investigates the efficacy of AHA–BHA infused nanofiber skin masks as a topical treatment for acne vulgaris. The skin is a vital organ that functions as a barrier to protect the body from external substances. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on skin treatment research. Hyaluronic acids (HAs) are commonly used in cosmetic and drug formulations to regulate excessive skin cornification, making them promising candidates for acne treatment. The introduction of HAs in dermatology has revolutionized the field of skin care, and they are used to treat various skin disorders, such as acne, ichthyosis, keratoses, warts, psoriasis, and photoaged skin. The antiaging benefits of HA have gained considerable attention in cosmetic dermatology, resulting in a surge in cosmetic products and skin care systems that contain HA. The study found that AHA–BHA-infused nanofiber skin masks are effective in treating acne vulgaris. The nanofiber masks were found to reduce inflammation, sebum production, and acne lesions. The study suggests that AHA–BHA-infused nanofiber skin masks could be a promising topical treatment for acne vulgaris.     

Separation,preconcentration and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) determination of thorium(IV), titanium(IV), iron(III), lead(II) and chromium(III) on 2-nitroso-1-naphthol impregnated MCI GEL CHP20P resin

A simple and effective method is presented for the separation and preconcentration of Th(IV), Ti(IV), Fe(III), Pb(II) and Cr(III) by solid phase extraction on 2-nitroso-1-naphthol impregnated MCI GEL CHP20P resin prior to their inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric determinations. The influence of analytical parameters including pH of the aqueous solution, flow rates of sample and eluent solutions and sample volume on the quantitative recoveries of analyte ions was investigated. Matrix effects caused by the presence of alkali, earth alkali and some metal ions in the analyzed solutions were investigated. The presented solid phase extraction method was applied to BCR-144R Sewage Sludge (domestic origin), BCR-141R Calcareous Loam Soil, NIST 1568a Rice Flour and NIST 1577b Bovine Liver certified reference materials (CRMs) for the determination of analyte ions and the results were in good agreement with the certified values. The separation procedure presented was also applied to the various natural water samples collected from Turkey with satisfactory results.     

Photocatalytic antibacterial performance of Sn(4+)-doped TiO(2) thin films on glass substrate

Pure anatase, nanosized and Sn(4+) ion doped titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) particulates (TiO(2)-Sn(4+)) were synthesized by hydrothermal process. TiO(2)-Sn(4+) was used to coat glass surfaces to investigate the photocatalytic antibacterial effect of Sn(4+) doping to TiO(2) against gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Relationship between solid ratio of TiO(2)-Sn(4+) in coatings and antibacterial activity was reported. The particulates and the films were characterized using particle size analyzer, zeta potential analyzer, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), SEM, AAS and UV/VIS/NIR techniques. The results showed that TiO(2)-Sn(4+) is fully anatase crystalline form and easily dispersed in water. Increasing the solid ratio of TiO(2)-Sn(4+) from 10 to 50% in the coating solution increased antibacterial effect.