Noise characteristics of Er3+-doped fiber amplifierspumped by 0.98 and 1.48 μm laser diodes

Measured noise characteristics of Er³⁺-doped optical fiber amplifiers pumped by 0.98- and 1.48-μm laser diodes (LDs) are reported. The noise figures estimated from the beat noise between signal and spontaneous emission are 3.2 dB for pumping by 0.98-μm LD and 4.1 dB for pumping by 1.48-μm LD. The beat noise between spontaneous emission components and the spontaneous shot noise for the 0.98-μm pumping are lower than those for the 1.48-μm pumping     

Catalytic Aerobic Photo‐oxidation of a Methyl Group on a Heterocycle to Produce an Aldehyde via Homolytic C?I Bond Cleavage caused by Irradiation with Visible Light

A new catalytic method was developed for photo‐oxidizing the methyl group on aromatic heterocycles such as benzothiazole, benzoxazole, and quinoline to produce the corresponding aldehyde. This is the first report of the metal‐free catalytic synthesis of benzothiazole‐2‐carboxaldehydes using molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant.

     

Dynamics of Broad-Area Semiconductor Lasers With Short Optical Feedback

The dynamics of filamentations in broad-area semiconductor lasers with short optical feedback were numerically studied. Regular pulse packages similar to those observed in narrow-stripe edge-emitting semiconductor lasers were found as the feedback reflectivity is increased. However, the regular pulse packages consisted of a periodic envelope of the external cavity frequency and fine pulse trains of periodic filaments, which is different from the regular pulse packages observed in narrow-stripe edge-emitting semiconductor lasers. From the analysis for spatio-temporal near-field patterns, we found periodic undulations of the spatial and temporal filament sizes as the external mirror reflectivity was changed. We also investigated filtered optical feedback, where a part of the emitted beam is fed back into the laser cavity. The time-averaged near-field pattern was found to have a strong dependence on the feedback level in the case of spatial filtered optical feedback.     

Device design with automatic simulation system for basic CCDcharacteristics

A simulation system has been developed to automatically analyze basic electrical characteristics of a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor from a process simulation result. This system shortened the simulation period to approximately 1/10 by getting rid of complicated repetitious procedures. A high-performance new cell technology has been developed successfully with improving impurity distribution in shorter development time by using this system. This technology has been realized as a CCD cell pixel with CCD charge quantity of 1.8 times, effective transfer efficiency of over 99%, no image lag for driving read-out pulse voltage in comparison with conventional technology. A 1/4-in 330 K square pixel progressive-scan CCD was fabricated with this technology. These results are described to demonstrate the effectiveness of the automatic simulation system     

High density packaging technology ultra thin package & new tab package

As electronic devices become more highly integrated, the demand for small, high pin count packages has been increasing. We have developed two new types of IC packages in response to this demand. One is an ultra thin small outline package (TSOP) which has been reduced in size from the standard SOP and the other, which uses Tape Automated Bonding (TAB) technology, is a super thin, high pin count TAB in cap (T.I.C.) package. In this paper, we present these packages and their features along with the technologies used to improve package reliability and TAB. Thin packages are vulnerable to high humidity exposure, especially after heat shock.1 The following items were therefore investigated in order to improve humidity resistance: (1) The molding compound thermal stress, (2) Water absorption into the molding compound and its effect on package cracking during solder dipping, (3) Chip attach pad area and its affect on package cracking, (4) Adhesion between molding resin and chip attach pad and its affect on humidity resistance. With the improvements made as a result of these investigations, the reliability of the new thin packages is similar to that of the standard thicker plastic packages.     

Measurement and Estimation of High-Vacuum Effective Thermal Conductivity of Polyimide Foam in the Temperature Range from 160 K to 370 K for Outer Space Applications

Polyimide foam (PF) is a low-thermal conductivity and lightweight material with high resistances against heat, protons, and UV irradiation. A new thermal insulation composed of PFs and multiple aluminized films (PF–MLI) has potential to be used in outer space as an alternative to conventional multilayer insulation (MLI). As fundamental numerical data, the effective thermal conductivity of PF in wide ranges of density and temperature need to be determined. In the present study, thermal-conductivity measurements were performed by both the periodic heating method and the guarded hot-plate method in the temperature range from 160 K to 370 K and the density range from 6.67  \(\mathrm{kg} \cdot \mathrm{m}^{-3}\) to 242.63  \(\mathrm{kg}\cdot \mathrm{m}^{-3}\) . The experiments were carried out in a vacuum and under atmospheric pressure. For confirmation of the validity of the present guarded hot-plate apparatus under atmospheric pressure, the effective thermal conductivity of the lowest-density PF was measured with the aid of the heat flow meter apparatus calibrated by the standard reference material (NIST SRM 1450c) in the temperature range from 303 K to 323 K. In order to cross-check the present experimental results, the temperature and density dependences of the effective thermal conductivity of PF were estimated by means of the lattice Boltzmann method based on a dodecahedron inner microscopic complex structure model which reflects a real 3D X-ray CT image of PF.     

Study for improvement of solar cell efficiency by impurity photovoltaic effect

This paper is to study for efficiency improvement of solar cells by utilizing impurity traps introduced in the band gap of semiconductor, that is, impurity photovoltaic (IPV) effect. It is revealed theoretically that there is a certain energy range where impurity-traps act as stepping stones in two-step excitation of electrons from the valence band to the conduction band under suppression of carrier recombination through such traps. Indium is selected as one of proper impurities that satisfy this condition in crystalline silicon, and theoretical prediction is experimentally verified. A good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained concerned with photoconductive properties. It is concluded that the IPV effect is useful to improve the cell efficiency.     

Evaporation processes of water molecules from graphene edge: DFT and MD study

The evaporation processes of water molecules adsorbed in the edge region of graphene have been investigated by means of direct MO–MD method. A large system composed of 29 water molecules and a graphene sheet (C₉₆H₂₄) was used as a model system. The edge carbon atom of graphene was terminated by hydrogen atom. The geometry optimization showed that the water molecules interact with the hydrogen atoms in the edge region of graphene. At low temperature (300 K), the water molecules were dissociated as water clusters from the graphene. On the other hand, in addition to the dissociation of water clusters, the isolated water molecule was also found as dissociation product at high temperature (500 K). The mechanism of water evaporation was discussed on the basis of theoretical results.     

Pathway for Ca2+ influx into cells by trichosporin-B-VIa, an alpha-aminoisobutyric acid-containing peptide, from the fungus Trichoderma polysporum

Trichosporin (TS) -B-VIa, a fungal alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) -containing peptide consisting of 19 amino acid residues and a phenylalaninol, produced both 45Ca2+ influx into bovine adrenal chromaffin cells and catecholamine secretion from the cells. The secretion induced by TS-B-VIa at lower concentrations (2-5 microM) was completely dependent on the external Ca2+, while that induced by TS-B-VIa at higher concentrations (10-30 microM) was partly independent of the Ca2+. The concentration-response curves (2-5 microM) for the TS-B-VIa-induced Ca2+ influx and secretion correlated well. The TS-B-VIa (at 5 microM) -induced secretion was not antagonized by diltiazem, a blocker of L-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels. The treatment of fura-2-loaded C6 glioma cells with TS-B-VIa (2-5 microM) led to an increase in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in a concentration-dependent manner but the stimulatory effects of TS-B-VIa on [Ca2+]i were only slightly observed in Ca(2+)-free medium, indicating that TS-B-VIa causes Ca2+ influx from the external medium into the C6 cells. The TS-B-VIa-induced increase in [Ca2+]i in the C6 cells was not antagonized by diltiazem and by SK&F 96365, a novel blocker of receptor-mediated Ca2+ entry. High K+ increased neither [Ca2+]1 in the C6 cells nor Mn2+ influx into the cells, while TS-B-VIa increased Mn2+ influx. Also in other non-excitable cells, bovine platelets, similar results were obtained. These results strongly suggest that the mechanism of Ca2+ influx by TS-B-VIa at the lower concentrations is distinct from the event of Ca2+ influx through receptor-operated or L-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in both excitable cells (the chrornaffin cells) and non-excitable cells (the C6 cells and the platelets) and that TS-B-VIa per se may form Ca(2+)-permeable ion channels in biological membranes. On the other hand, the peptide at the higher concentrations seems to damage cell membranes.     

Synthesis of Thick Tl-Based High-Tc Oxide Layer Through a Diffusion Process

Tl-based high-T _c oxide layers have been synthesized through the reaction between Tl-free substrate and coating layer containing Tl. The coating layer with the eutectic composition in V₂O₅-Tl₂O₃ system much enhances the formation of Tl-2223 phase without degrading its superconducting properties. The TIF substitution for T1₂O₃ in the coating layer promotes the formation of Tl-1223 phase, which significantly improves the I _c-B performance at higher temperatures. The behavior of F during the reaction has been studied. Thick Tl-1223 layer is formed on Ni tape with good bonding through the diffusion reaction.