The low process yield of some PNP power transistors

A study is presented of the symptoms of the devices in a slice of PNP power transistors with a poor yield. The failure modes over the slice are analysed. In specific areas the electrical characteristics and optical appearance of the devices were studied and failure statistics are presented. The low yield is ascribed to cracks in the phosphosilicate glass used for the base diffusion. The effect of these cracks is just visible in the optical and scanning electron microscope.     

Discrete singular convolution and its application to the analysis of plates with internal supports. Part 2: Applications

Part 2 of this series of two papers presents the applications of the discrete singular convolution (DSC) algorithm. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the utility, test the accuracy and examine the convergence of the proposed approach for the vibration analysis of rectangular plates with internal supports. Both partial internal line supports and complex internal supports are considered for 21 square plates of various combinations of edge support conditions. The effects of different size, shape and topology of the internal supports and different boundary conditions on the vibration response of plates are investigated. The partial internal line supports may vary from a central point support to a full range of cross or diagonal line supports. Several closed‐loop supports, such as ring, square and rhombus, and their combinations are studied for complex internal supports. Convergence and comparison studies are carried out to establish the correctness and accuracy of the DSC algorithm. The DSC results are compared with those in the available literature obtained by using other methods. Numerical results indicate that the DSC algorithm exhibits controllable accuracy for plate analysis and shows excellent flexibility in handling complex geometries, boundary conditions and support conditions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

非洲地区辐射源控制的审管基础结构:现状、需求和计划

过去几年里，一些非洲国家开始起步创建或加强核技术和平利用管理的法律、行政、和技术机制，并在于国际标准加强辐射防护措施的有效性和持续性。人们越来越多的认识到适当的国家基础结构是实施安全标准、实现和维护理想的防护和安全水平的先决条件，特别是在公共健康和工业部门。其他一睦具有全球或地区意义的问题，如辐射源的管理，包括有害废物的处理和放射应急的响应力等都有助于更好地认识到缺乏足够的国家辐射防护管理机构带来危害，而且往往这种认识也已经不适应辐射源管理审管框架建立过程的进展。本文总结了所有非洲国家辐射防护基础结构的现状。基于当前存在的弱点和面临的挑战，综述了IAEA对于援助需求的响应，讨论了IAEA在这一领域的计划。     

Volatile Compounds of Raw Beef from 5 Local Spanish Cattle Breeds Stored Under Modified Atmosphere

Volatile compounds of raw beef from Asturiana de los Valles, Morucha, Parda Alpina, Pirenaica, and Retinta cattle breeds were studied. Steaks were packaged under 60% O₂, 30% CO₂, and 10% N₂, and 53 volatile compounds were tentatively identified by purge‐and‐trap extraction and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry after 0, 5, 10, and 15 d of chill storage. The degradation of beef quality with increasing storage time was evidenced by the increase in 2,3,3‐trimethylpentane, 2,2,5‐trimethylhexane, 3‐octene, 3‐methyl‐2‐heptene, 2‐octene, and 2‐propanone and by the decrease in dimethyl sulfide. Consequently, some of the volatile compounds, which are believed to be formed by thermal degradation of meat, might be formed during chill storage, and the rate of formation of some was dependent on the specific compound.     

Iterative multiuser joint decoding: unified framework andasymptotic analysis

We present a framework for iterative multiuser joint decoding of code-division multiple-access (CDMA) signals, based on the factor-graph representation and on the sum-product algorithm. In this framework, known parallel and serial, hard and soft interference cancellation algorithms are derived in a unified way. The asymptotic performance of these algorithms in the limit of large code block length can be rigorously analyzed by using density evolution. We show that, for random spreading in the large-system limit, density evolution is considerably simplified. Moreover, by making a Gaussian approximation of the decoder soft output, we show that the behavior of iterative multiuser joint decoding is approximately characterized by the stable fixed points of a simple one-dimensional nonlinear dynamical system     

The Loss of Hydrophobic Polypeptides during Fermentation and Conditioning of High Gravity and Low Gravity Brewed Beer

The object of this study was to investigate the loss of hydrophobic polypeptides, which are important for foam quality and stability in finished beer. Loss of hydrophobic polypeptide due to fermenter foaming occurs during transfer of fermented wort since a gradient of hydrophobic polypeptides towards the surface is created during fermentation. Due to higher polyphenol levels in high gravity (20°Plato) wort, more hydrophobic polypeptides are lost due to cold break (cold trub) precipitation compared to low gravity (12°Plato) wort. Another important factor affecting the loss of hydrophobic polypeptides could be proteinase A activity during fermentation, especially in high gravity fermentation where the yeast is exposed the higher stress. During high gravity fermentation, where osmotic pressures are higher, ethanol levels become greater, and nitrogen‐carbohydrate ratios are lower, more proteinase A is released by the yeast. This release of proteinase A into fermenting wort could have implications for the foam stability of the finished product.     

Stopping power of swift neon ions in dependence on the charge state in the non-equilibrium regime

We report on measurements of charge changing cross-sections and energy losses in dependence on the initial and final charge state of Ne ions at an incident energy of 2 MeV/u penetrating thin carbon foils. Different initial charge states could be separated in energy by applying a high voltage in front of the carbon foils; the final charges and their energy loss were measured with a high-resolution magnetic spectrometer. We derived a consistent evolution of the charge state distribution solving the corresponding rate equations for the measured cross-sections. Including the charge state dependent energy losses, ΔE(q_i,q_f), stopping power values for frozen charge states, S(q), could be extracted. The experimental data are compared with different theoretical predictions.     

Equal-channel angular extrusion of beryllium

The equal-channel angular extrusion (ECAE) technique has been applied to a powder metallurgy (P/M) source Be alloy. Extrusions have been successfully completed on Ni-canned billets of Be at approximately 425°C. No cracking was observed in the billets, and significant grain refinement was achieved. In this article, microstructural features and dislocation structures are discussed for a singlepass extrusion, including evidence of <c> and <c+a> dislocations. Significant crystallographic texture developed during ECAE, which is discussed in terms of this unique deformation processing technique and the underlying physical processes which sustain the deformation. S.R. AGNEW, formerly with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6115 This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Defect Properties and Mechanical Behavior of HCP Metals and Alloys” at the TMS Annual Meeting, February 11–15, 2001, in New Orleans, Louisiana, under the auspices of the following ASM committees: Materials Science Critical Technology Sector, Structural Materials Division, Electronic, Magnetic & Photonic Materials Division, Chemistry & Physics of Materials Committee, Joint Nuclear Materials Committee, and Titanium Committee.     

The Onsager relations analyzed using an ellipsoidal statistical equation

Validity on the well-known Onsager reciprocal relations L ₁₂=L ₂₁ is verified in the kinetic theory of gases taking into account mass and heat transfer near the surface. Using an analytical solution to the ellipsoidal statistical equation (providing for the true Prandtl number), it is demonstrated that the Onsager relations are obeyed, at least to within exponential corrections of the type exp(−1/Kn) in the Knudsen number.