Fabrication by Coaxial-Type Vacuum Arc Evaporation Method and Characterization of Bismuth Telluride Thin Films

We prepared both n- and p-type bismuth telluride thin films by using a coaxial-type vacuum arc evaporation method. The atomic compositions of the as-grown thin films and several annealed thin films were comparable to that of bulk bismuth telluride. Their thermoelectric properties were measured and found to be comparable to those of bulk materials. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of the as-grown thin films were improved by the annealing process. The measured figures of merit (ZT) of the films were 0.86 for the n-type and 0.41 for the p-type at 300 K for annealing temperatures of 573 K and 523 K, respectively.     

Analysis of degradation in PEMFC caused by cell reversal during air starvation

The damage caused by cell reversal during proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) operation with air starvation was investigated by a single-cell experiment. Samples from degraded membrane–electrode assemblies (MEAs) were characterized. The loss of electrochemical surface area of the cathode platinum was detected by in situ cyclic voltammetry, and platinum sintering was detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Degradation at the anode was not detected in the chemical analysis of the anode catalyst layer of MEA samples by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and TEM. An obvious decrease in the performance of PEMFC was observed in a sample degraded by cell reversal for 120 min.     

Perovskite-type oxides La1−xSrxMnO3 for cathode catalysts in direct ethylene glycol alkaline fuel cells

Carbon-supported La_1−xSr_xMnO₃ (LSM/C) was prepared by reversible homogeneous precipitation method, and its catalytic activities for oxygen reduction under the existence of ethylene glycol (EG) were investigated by using rotating disk electrode. LSM/C exhibited the high activity for oxygen reduction irrespective with the presence of EG, indicating that EG is not oxidized by LSM/C at the cathode side in the present system. Consequently, LSM/C can serve as a cathode catalyst in alkaline direct alcohol fuel cells with no crossover problem. Performance test for fuel cells operation also supported these results and showed cathodic polarization curves were not affected by the concentration of EG supplied to anode even at 5 mol dm⁻³.     

Wide-wavelength tunable lasers with 100 ghz fsr ring resonators

A widely tunable laser, consisting of a 100 GHz FSR triple-ring resonator and a semiconductor optical amplifier, is presented. The 100 GHz FSR ring resonator makes it possible to demonstrate 96 nm wavelength tuning with stable single-mode operation produced by a large threshold gain difference     

Threshold-voltage balance for minimum supply operation [LV CMOS chips]

The difference between the threshold voltages V/sub t/ of pMOS and nMOS transistors is a critical issue in the low-voltage operation of CMOS circuits. The pMOS/nMOS V/sub t/ balancing profit is analyzed in terms of subthreshold leakage current and the performance of CMOS LSIs and the minimum supply voltage of logic circuits. Matching the pMOS/nMOS V/sub t/ improves LSI performance and reduces the lowest supply voltage by 0.15 V. We propose a new concept of body bias management that uses forward biasing, fluctuation compensating, and V/sub t/ matching technologies to resolve the issue.     

Nitrogen Doping Effect in a-Ge: H Films Due To High Hydrogen Dilution

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Magnetic tunnel junctions with doubly-plasma oxidized AlOx insulation layer

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ), with the tunnel barrier plasma oxidized in two steps, were fabricated in order to obtain structurally uniform AlO_x insulator. The doubly oxidized junctions exhibited the magnetoresistance (MR) ratio of 27-31% without showing any noticeable drop in the MR ratio even after oxidation time was extended well beyond the optimal oxidation time for the normal junctions. Transmission electron microscopy of the junctions confirmed that the AlO_x thickness was thinner for the doubly oxidized junctions compared to the singly oxidized MTJ. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the doubly oxidized junction also strongly suggested that the initial oxide layer prevents the over-oxidation of the bottom electrode. The AlO_x tunnel barrier oxidized in two steps improved the junction performance and widened the processing window.     

Photo-rechargeability of film electrodes prepared by pulsed laser deposition

The film electrodes of TiO₂, which have two functions of opto-electric conversion and storage of electrochemical energy, were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. To investigate the relationship between the photo-rechargeability and the surface structure, the TiO₂ film electrodes with different surface morphology were prepared by changing the inert gas pressure during the deposition. The photo-charged quantity was found to be proportional to the third power of the rms of surface roughness. The results suggest that not only the surface but also the interstices between crystal grains near the surface contribute to the photo-charging with low photo-emf.     

Voltage Control of Static Var Compensator for a Remote System Interconnected by Long‐Distance AC Cables

The voltage variation in a remote system is large when the system is connected by long‐distance AC cables due to the cable capacitance. In Japan, the longest 54‐km 66‐kV AC submarine cable interconnection between the Kyushu mainland and Goto Islands was commissioned in 2005. It was requested to mitigate the voltage variation caused by switching off and on one circuit of the two circuits in the AC cables when a fault occurs. Since the conventional voltage control methods such as transformer tap changer or shunt capacitor and reactor banks are not sufficient because of their slow response time, a static var compensator (SVC) was installed on the Goto Islands. In such an application, an SVC control method should be developed so as not to override the existing voltage control systems. This paper describes the SVC control method developed for the Goto Islands AC interconnection project, which can be applied to similar situations. The effectiveness of the control method was verified by the results of effective value simulation and of field testing, which was implemented before the SVC was commissioned in 2007. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 186(3): 19–30, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.22337