Waveguide polarization-independent optical circulator

We fabricated a new type of waveguide polarization-independent optical circulator which does not need a polarization-beam splitter. The circulator is based on a non-reciprocal Mach-Zehnder interferometer which consists of two waveguide Faraday rotators, two thin-film half-waveplates and two planar lightwave circuit-type 3-dB couplers. The fabricated circulator provides a 14.0-23.7-dB isolation and a 3.0-3.3 dB insertion loss at λ=1.55 μm. This circulator presents a new possibility for developing non-reciprocal devices in the field of integrated optics     

Transport-Coefficient Dependence of Current-Induced Cooling Effect in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

The dependence of the current-induced cooling effect on the electron mobility??? _e is explored for a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field. We calculate the distributions of the electrochemical potentials and the temperatures under a magnetic field, fully taking account of thermoelectric and thermomagnetic phenomena. Whereas the electrochemical potential and the electric current remain qualitatively unchanged, the temperature distribution exhibits drastic mobility dependence. The lower-mobility system has cold and hot areas at opposite corners, which results from the heat current brought about by the Ettingshausen effect in the vicinity of the adiabatic boundaries. The cooling effect is intensified by an increase in??? _e. Intriguingly, the cold and hot areas change places with each other as the mobility??? _e is further increased. This is because the heating current on the adiabatic edges due to the Righi?CLeduc effect exceeds that due to the Ettingshausen effect in the opposite direction.     

Advanced quantum dot and photonic crystal technologies for integrated nanophotonic circuits

Two types of nanophotonic technologies—two-dimensional photonic crystal (2D PC) slab waveguides (WGs) and quantum dots (QDs)—were developed for key photonic device structures in the future. For an ultrafast digital photonic network, an ultrasmall and ultrafast symmetrical Mach–Zehnder (SMZ)-type all-optical switch (PC-SMZ) and an optical flip–flop device (PC-FF) have been developed. To realize these devices, one method is to develop a selective-area molecular beam epitaxial growth QD technique by employing a metal mask method. Another method is to establish a new design method, i.e., topology optimization of the 2DPC WG with a wide and flat bandwidth, high transmittance, and low reflectivity. We also fabricated an optical microcavity in a photonic crystal slab embedded with GaAs QDs by droplet epitaxy. The Purcell effect on the exciton emission of GaAs QDs was confirmed by microphotoluminescence and lifetime measurements.     

A single-power-supply 10-b video BiCMOS sample-and-hold IC

A +5-V single-power-supply 10-b video BiCMOS sample-and-hold IC is described. Video speed, low power, and 10-b accuracy sample-and-hold operation have been achieved using a complementary connected buffer format sample switch. A high-speed p-n-p transistor used in the sample switch is formed by a combination of n-p-n and PMOS transistors. The sample-and-hold operation is accomplished by feeding back the hold capacitor voltage to the sample switch inputs, so that the inputs transfer symmetrically for the hold capacitor voltage at any input level. The sample-and-hold IC has been implemented in 1.2-μm BiCMOS technology and evaluated. The following results have been obtained: 185-MHz 3-dB bandwidth at 22-pF hold capacitor, 63-dB signal-to-noise ratio at 8-MHz full-scale input, 20-ns acquisition time at 1-V step input, 15-ns switch setting time, and 0.1% linearity error. Power dissipation is 150 mW     

THz-wave absorption by field-induced carriers in pentacene thin-film transistors for THz imaging sensors

Innovative sensing systems based on THz electromagnetic waves have been attracting a great deal of attention. Although many THz detectors have been developed over the years, it is currently difficult to manufacture low-cost THz sensing/imaging devices. In the present study, we propose to use organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and small potential fluctuation against the carriers within them (N. Ohashi, H. Tomii, R. Matsubara, M. Sakai, K. Kudo, M. Nakamura, Appl. Phys. Lett. 91 (2007) 162105). We use THz time-domain spectroscopy for OFETs in which the carrier density in the pentacene active layer is modulated by the gate bias. We found evidence that the accumulated free holes in pentacene films can be excited by THz photons to overcome the surrounding barriers in the fluctuating potential. The Drude–Lorentz model could not account for the shape of the absorption spectra, which suggests that the holes are weakly restricted by the potential fluctuation. The integrated absorption intensity was proportional to the transfer characteristics of the OFETs. The present findings represent an important step toward developing a new class of THz-wave sensors.     

A realization of a below-1-V operational and 30-MS/s sample-and-hold IC with a 56-dB signal-to-noise ratio by applying the current-based circuit approach

This paper demonstrates the low-voltage and low-power operation of a MOS sample-and-hold circuit while preserving speed and accuracy, aiming at the realization of a pipelined low-voltage and low-power analog-to-digital converter on a system large-scale integrated circuit. It was fabricated by utilizing 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. The main feature of this circuit is that all the input, signals, and output are in the current form. The circuit consists of simple current mirrors. In order to eliminate the signal-dependent current transfer ratio error, voltages at the drain terminals of mirror transistors are fixed as constant. A source degeneration resistor, which is a transistor in the triode operational region, is connected to a mirror transistor in order to alleviate the influence of the threshold and transconductance parameter variations. Control signals are boosted in voltage and applied to the gate of switch NMOS transistors in the signal path in order to reduce the on-resistance of analog switches. A differential configuration is adopted throughout the entire circuit and effectively cancels switch feedthrough errors. As a result, a 30-MS/s operation with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 56 dB from a 1-V supply has been achieved, when the input current is /spl plusmn/200 /spl mu/A. The chip even operated down to 0.85 V with a 20-MHz clock. The SNR was measured as 50 dB with an input current of /spl plusmn/100 /spl mu/A.     

Ultra-thin high-density LSI packaging substrate for advanced CSPs and SiPs

An ultra-thin high-density LSI packaging substrate, called multi-layer thin substrate (MLTS), is described. It meets the demand for chip scale packages (CSPs) and systems in a package (SiPs) for use in recently developed small portable applications with multiple functions. A high-density build-up structure is fabricated on a Cu plate, which is then removed, leaving only an ultra-thin, high-density multi-layer substrate. MLTS has (1) excellent registration accuracy, which enables higher density and finer pitch patterning due to the use of a rigid, excellent-flatness Cu base plate; (2) a thinner multi-layer structure due to the use of a core-less multi-layer structure; (3) excellent reliability, supported by the use of an aramid-reinforced epoxy resin dielectric layer; and (4) a cost-effective design due to the use of fewer layers fabricated using a conventional build-up process. A prototype high-density CSP (0.4-mm pitch/288 pins/4 rows/10 mm²) was fabricated using a 90-μm-thick MLTS (with a solder resist layer). Testing demonstrated that it had excellent long-term reliability. A prototype ultra-thin, high-density SiP (0.5-mm pitch/225 pins/11 mm²/0.93 mm thick) was also fabricated based on MLTS. MLTS consists of only two conductor layers (total thickness: 90 μm) while an identical-function build-up printed wiring board needs four conductor layers (total thickness: 300 μm). With its thinner core-less multi-layer structure, MLTS enables the fabrication of ultra-thin, high-density SiPs.     

Engineering of Lipid Nanoparticles by the Multifunctionalization of the Surface with Amino Acid Derivatives for the Neutralization of a Target Toxic Peptide

Protein affinity reagents (e.g., antibodies) are often used for basic research, diagnostics, separations, and disease therapy. Although a lot of “synthetic” protein affinity reagents have been developed as a cost-effective alternative to antibodies, their low biocompatibility is a considerable problem for clinical application. Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) represent a highly biocompatible drug delivery agent. However, little has been reported that LNP itself works as a protein affinity reagent in living animals. Here, LNP is engineered for binding to and neutralizing a target toxic peptide in living animals by multifunctionalization with amino acid derivatives. Multifunctionalized LNP (MF-LNP) is prepared using amino acid derivative-conjugated lipids. Optimized MF-LNP exhibits nanomolar affinity to the target toxic peptide and inhibits toxic peptide-dependent hemolysis and cytotoxicity. In addition, MF-LNP captures and neutralizes the toxic peptide after intravenous injection in the bloodstream; in addition, MF-LNP does not release the toxic peptide in the accumulated organ. These results reveal the potential of using LNP as a highly biocompatible protein affinity reagent such as an antidote.     

Thermal and mechanical stability of soldering QFP with Sn-Bi-Ag lead-free alloy

Thermal stability of the circuit boards with a quad flat package (QFP) soldered with Sn-58wt%Bi-(0, 0.5 and 1.0) wt% Ag and their microstructural features were evaluated. The addition of 1.0 wt% Ag causes the formation of large primary Ag/sub 3/Sn precipitates in the solder while no primary Ag/sub 3/Sn is found in Sn-57Bi-0.5Ag. Thermo-Calc calculation indicates that the lowest limit content for the formation of primary Ag/sub 3/Sn is about 0.8 wt%. Heat-exposure below 100/spl deg/C has no serious degradation on the joint structure for all solders. Heat-exposure at 125/spl deg/C caused serious degradation in joint strength for all alloys. The contamination of Pb from Sn-Pb surface plating on the components reduces the interface tolerance by forming ternary Sn-Pb-Bi phase melting at low temperature. Thermal fatigue between -20 and 80/spl deg/C does not have any significant influence on joint structure.     

Ultrawide-band La-codoped Bi/sub 2/O/sub 3/-based EDFA for L-band DWDM systems

The demonstration of a 253-cm-long lanthanum-codoped Bi/sub 2/O/sub 3/-based erbium-doped fiber which provides gain of greater than 20 dB and noise figure less than 6.7 dB to 142 dense wavelength-division-multiplexing channels simultaneously over an extended wavelength range of 58 nm from 1554 to 1612 nm is reported. The 3-dB (gain of 17-20 dB) bandwidth of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier is 54 nm when it is pumped with 350 mW of 1480-nm light. The power conversion efficiency of the fiber is about 54%.