Bipolar switching characteristics of low-power Geo resistive memory

We reported an ultra low-power resistive random access memory (RRAM) combining a low-cost Ni electrode and covalent-bond GeO_x dielectric. This cost-effective Ni/GeO_x/TaN RRAM device has very small set power of 2 μW, ultra-low reset power of 130 pW, greater than 1 order of magnitude resistance window, and stable retention at 85 °C. The current flow at low-resistance state is governed by Poole-Frenkel conduction with electrons hopping via defect traps, which is quite different from the filament conduction in metal-oxide RRAM.     

Propagation measurements for fixed wireless loops (FWL) in asuburban region with foliage and terrain blockages

We present the results of propagation measurements at 2.485 GHz for fixed wireless loops. Path loss measurements were performed and characterized at 43 subscriber locations around a base station antenna located on top of Crawford Hill in Holmdel, NJ. This suburban location is characterized by rolling hills, foliage, and terrain blockages. Temporal and horizontal motion path loss fluctuations were found to be uncorrelated, each characterized by a different Ricean distribution. Lower r.m.s. delay spreads were obtained with directive subscriber antennas than with omni-directional antennas. No substantial gain loss (less than 2 dB) of subscribers' directive antennas was observed. The effects of trees, with foliage, surrounding the base station upon the path loss and the ratio of scattered power to specular power are also examined. The distance exponent of path loss versus distance (about 1.5) was observed to be less than free-space. Diffraction loss from hilltop trees, shadowing the base station, are suspected to be the cause. This loss decreases as the remote moves further away and comes out of the shadow. Scattered power from directions other than line-of-sight was observed to be as high as one half of the specular contribution when tree scattering near the base station was significant     

The complex bidimensional empirical mode decomposition

A new method for computing complex bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) is presented in this paper. The proposed complex-BEMD uses four quadrant spectra to apply standard BEMD to four real-valued 2D signals. The so-generated intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) are 2D complex-valued, which facilitates the extension of the standard BEMD to the complex domain. The proposed complex-BEMD can be successful for the analysis of real-world 2D complex-valued signals, such as 2D NMR signals. Moreover, the proposed complex-BEMD can be applied for color image processing. A simple color image fusion algorithm based upon the proposed complex-BEMD has also been developed to have the exhibition of the potential. By our proposed complex-BEMD and image fusion algorithm, the well-fused results can be obtained, if the mode mixing in BEMD is alleviated.     

Noncoherent spectral optical CDMA system using 1-D subtracted square codes of all transmitters in one optical line terminal

We propose a family of one-dimensional subtracted square codes in the spectral amplitude coding optical code division multiple access system. The proposed codes perform the subtraction and multiplication operations to give one-to-one mappings function, which produces the code sequences of 1-D subtracted square codes. The proposed structure uses one optical line terminal to produce all of the transmitters. This proposed system overcomes the interference from other simultaneous users, known as multiuser interference, and the cross-correlations suppress the phase-induced intensity noise. In numerical simulations using the proposed 1-D subtracted square codes, we show that 83 simultaneous users can be supported at a bit error rate of \(10^{-9}\). This number of simultaneous users in the proposed system using the 1-D subtracted square codes is superior to that in the other systems using the 1-D M sequence codes, 1-D RSQC codes, and 1-D ESP codes. The proposed system using the 1-D subtracted square codes achieves a data transmission rate of 3.2 Gbps.     

A Stable 0.2-THz Coaxial-Waveguide Gyrotron Traveling-Wave-Tube Amplifier with Distributed Losses

For high-power operation, a THz gyrotron traveling-wave-tube (gyro-TWT) amplifier must operate in a high-order waveguide mode to enlarge the transverse dimension of an interaction waveguide. However, a gyro-TWT amplifier operating in a high-order waveguide mode is susceptible to spurious oscillations. To improve the device stability, in this study, we investigate the possibility of using a coaxial waveguide with distributed losses as the interaction structure. For the same required attenuation, all threatening oscillating modes can be suppressed using different combinations of losses of inner and outer cylinders. This provides flexibility in designing distributed losses when considering the ohmic loading of the interaction structure. We predict that the 0.2-THz gyro-TWT can stably produce a peak power of 14 kW with an efficiency of 23 %, a 3-dB bandwidth of 3.5 GHz, and a saturated gain of 50 dB for a 20-kV 3-A electron beam with a 5 % velocity spread and 1.0 velocity ratio.     

A new scheme of conical-wedge-shaped fiber endface for coupling between high-power laser diodes and single-mode fibers

A new scheme for the lensed fiber employing a conical-wedge-shaped fiber endface (CWSFE) for coupling between the high-powered 980-nm laser diodes and single-mode fibers (SMFs) is proposed. The CWSFE was fabricated by following grinding and polishing techniques and then through heating in a fusing splicer to form an elliptical microlens endface. A coupling efficiency of 84% has been demonstrated. The higher coupling efficiency of the CWSFE lensed fiber was attributed to the better matching of both the elliptical Gaussian field distribution and the aspect ratio between the laser source and the fiber. In comparison to other fabrication techniques of lensed fiber used in high-power diode lasers, the advantages of this novel CWSFE structure are the ability to control over two axial curvatures and a small fiber offset through grinding and polishing processes to form a good elliptical endface. The results of this study have led to the development of a simple and reproducible fabrication process for achieving a high-yield and high-coupling CWSFE structure that is suitable for use in commercial high-power pump laser modules.     

Interfacial Connections between Organic Perovskite/n+ Silicon/Catalyst that Allow Integration of Solar Cell and Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution from Water

The rapidly increasing solar conversion efficiency (PCE) of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite (HOIP) thin-film semiconductors has triggered interest in their use for direct solar-driven water splitting to produce hydrogen. However, application of these low-cost, electronic-structure-tunable HOIP tandem photoabsorbers has been hindered by the instability of the photovoltaic-catalyst-electrolyte (PV+E) interfaces. Here, photolytic water splitting is demonstrated using an integrated configuration consisting of an HOIP/n⁺silicon single junction photoabsorber and a platinum (Pt) thin film catalyst. An extended electrochemical (EC) lifetime in alkaline media is achieved using titanium nitride on both sides of the Si support to eliminate formation of insulating silicon oxide, and as an effective diffusion barrier to allow high-temperature annealing of the catalyst/TiO₂-protected-n⁺silicon interface necessary to retard electrolytic corrosion. Halide composition is examined in the (FA_1-xCs_x)PbI₃ system with a bandgap suitable for tandem operation. A fill factor of 72.5% is achieved using a Spiro-OMeTAD-hole-transport-layer (HTL)-based HOIP/n⁺Si solar cell, and a high photocurrent density of −15.9 mA cm⁻² (at 0 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode) is attained for the HOIP/n⁺Si/Pt photocathode in 1 m NaOH under simulated 1-sun illumination. While this thin-film design creates stable interfaces, the intrinsic photo- and electro-degradation of the HOIP photoabsorber remains the main obstacle for future HOIP/Si tandem PEC devices.     

Polarity Effect in a Sn3Ag0.5Cu/Bismuth Telluride Thermoelectric System

This study investigates electromigration in Bi₂Te₃ thermoelectric (TE) material systems and the effectiveness of the diffusion barrier under current. The Peltier effect on the interfacial reaction was decoupled from the effect of electromigration. After connecting p- and n-type Bi₂Te₃ to Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solders, different current densities were applied at varying temperatures. The Bi₂Te₃ samples were fabricated by the spark plasma sintering technique, and an electroless nickel-phosphorous (Ni-P) layer was deposited at the solder/TE interfaces. The experimental results confirm the importance of the Ni diffusion barrier in joint reliability. Intermetallic compound layers (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ and NiTe formed at the solder/Ni-P and Ni-P/substrate interfaces, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the mechanism of NiTe and (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ compound growth was dominated by the Peltier effect at high current density. When the current density was low, the growth of NiTe was affected by electromigration but the changes of thickness for (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ were not obvious.     

Design techniques for single-low-V/sub DD/ CMOS systems

In this paper, a new CMOS design scheme called the single-low-V/sub DD/ CMOS (SLVCMOS) is proposed. With this scheme, a CMOS design implemented in a multi-V/sub TH/ CMOS technology can be operated with a very low external supply voltage, say 0.5-V, with a sleep current at the level of only picoampere per gate. The key items for a single-chip SLVCMOS design include a sleepless mixed-V/sub TH/ flip-flop, a boosted sleeping clock signal, and three low-power hard blocks. Analysis shows that additional benefits of using the SLVCMOS include higher performance and lower power consumption in the active mode, smaller leakage current in the sleep mode, shorter wake-up time and reduced wake-up energy during the sleep-to-active transition, and a reduced number of sleep-control signals, saving precious routing resources and reducing the chip area. A dual-rail SLVCMOS cell library and two test chips, one 32-b RISC core and the other verifying the design of hard blocks, are designed and implemented to show the feasibility of the proposed design scheme and the design techniques.     

An evaluation of the algorithms for determining local cerebral metabolic rates of glucose using positron emission tomography dynamic data

Measurement of the local cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (LCMRGlc) and the individual rate constant parameters of the [(18 )F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) model can provide a clearer understanding and insight to the physiological processes in the human brain, and a quicker and more accurate means of diagnosis in clinical applications. A systematic study using simulated and clinical tissue time activity data is presented to evaluate several existing and newly developed major algorithms used for determining LCMRGlc and the individual rate constants from positron emission tomography dynamic data. The computational and statistical properties of the autoradiographic approach, weighted and unweighted nonlinear least squares methods, Patlak graphic approach, weighted integration method, linear least squares and generalized linear least squares methods are investigated and discussed in this paper.