High voltage (>1kV) and high current gain (32) 4H-SiC power BJTs using Al-free ohmic contact to the base

This letter reports the design and fabrication of 4H-SiC bipolar junction transistors with both high voltage (>1kV) and high dc current gain (/spl beta/=32) at a collector current level of I/sub c/=3.83A (J/sub c/=319 A/cm/sup 2/). An Al-free base ohmic contact has been used which, when compared with BJTs fabricated with Al-based base contact, shows clearly improved blocking voltage. A specific on-resistance of 17 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/ has been achieved for collector current densities up to 289 A/cm/sup 2/.     

Influence of Solution Composition on the Formation of Crystalline Scales

Scale formation is a difficulty encountered with water containing ions of sparingly soluble salts that can readily precipitate on heat transfer surfaces in evaporative concentration operations. Scale formation, hindering the heat transfer process, increases specific energy consumption and operating costs and causes frequent shut down of the evaporator for cleaning. The effects of changes in composition of the solution due to evaporation and CO₂ release on the formation of crystalline scales in seawater evaporators are studied. A model that predicts the CO₂ release is presented. The carbonate system in the salt solution on its whole flow path through the evaporator and the scaling (crystallization) tendency are described. Simulation results for different process configurations are shown and the differences are discussed, particularly with regard to the incrustation tendency.     

Design of radiation-emission measurements of an air-traffic surveillance radar

The current work presents the procedure of designing and carrying out measurements of radiation emission from an air-traffic surveillance radar. The system requirements are first given, and then the equipment used is described. The steps to determine the operating characteristics of the radar are specified in detail. The necessary methods for manual power measurements and calculations are next explained. Since the final measurement system was fully automated, its main features (topology, protocol of operation) are also given. Finally, some measurement results taken during the initial phase of system operation are presented and discussed.     

An adaptive Gaussian model for satellite image deblurring

The deconvolution of blurred and noisy satellite images is an ill-posed inverse problem, which can be regularized within a Bayesian context by using an a priori model of the reconstructed solution. Since real satellite data show spatially variant characteristics, we propose here to use an inhomogeneous model. We use the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) to estimate its parameters and we show that the MLE computed on the corrupted image is not suitable for image deconvolution because it is not robust to noise. We then show that the estimation is correct only if it is made from the original image. Since this image is unknown, we need to compute an approximation of sufficiently good quality to provide useful estimation results. Such an approximation is provided by a wavelet-based deconvolution algorithm. Thus, a hybrid method is first used to estimate the space-variant parameters from this image and then to compute the regularized solution. The obtained results on high resolution satellite images simultaneously exhibit sharp edges, correctly restored textures, and a high SNR in homogeneous areas, since the proposed technique adapts to the local characteristics of the data.     

The Effect of Moisture Content on the Conversion of Ergosterol to Vitamin D in Shiitake Mushrooms

The distribution of ergosterol in different parts of shiitake mushrooms was studied in order to optimize the conversion of ergosterol to vitamin D₂ during drying. The effect of moisture on the conversion of ergosterol to vitamin D₂ was also investigated by adjusting the moisture content of fresh mushrooms to different levels in a large vacuum desiccator and subjecting them to UV irradiation at 290-320 nm wavelength, for 2 h. The moisture, ergosterol and vitamin D₂ contents were determined using standard procedures. It was found that the ergosterol content on a dry matter basis of fresh shiitake mushroom was highest in the gills (10.6 ± 0.99 mg/g DM), followed by the cap or pileus (5.34 ± 0.64 mg/g DM) and was least in the stalk or stipe (2.97 ± 0.56). The moisture content had a marked influence on the conversion of ergosterol to vitamin D₂, the best conversion taking place at a moisture content of about 70% on a wet basis.     

Linear birefringence studies on the ferroelastic phase transition in betaine borate crystal

Linear birefringence studies were performed for the BBO crystal in the temperature range of 120-300 K. The linear birefringence changes induced by the ferroelastic phase transition at about 145 K were analysed and the critical index β was determined. The layered ferroelastic domain structure with domain walls oriented along the c- and a-axis was observed on the b-plate.     

A Microscopic study of the transformation of sphalerite particles during the roasting of zinc concentrate

The formation of zinc ferrite (ZnFe₂O₄) during the roasting of iron-bearing zinc concentrates requires substantial additional processing to recover the zinc from this compound by leaching and to eliminate the iron from the leachate. The phase changes that occur in the particles of a typical industrial zinc sulfide concentrate during roasting in a fluidized bed at 1223 K were investigated by the use of light microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and SEM with EDS. The processes which the iron undergoes during its eventual transformation into ferrite have been clarified by examination of the phases and the morphology of partially roasted marmatitic sphalerite particles (Zn, Fe)S, and by reference to the known phase equilibria involved in the Zn-Fe-S-0 system. The oxidation of ironbearing sphalerite occurs in three stages. The first involves the selective diffusion of most of the iron to the particle surface resulting in the formation of an iron oxide shell enclosing a largely unreacted zinc sulfide kernel. In the second stage, this kernel is oxidized to form a solid solution of zinc oxide and iron oxide. The iron is initially present in the ferrous state but, with the disappearance of the sulfide kernel, is oxidized to ferric iron. In the final stage, this dissolved iron oxide and the iron oxide shell react with the surrounding zinc oxide to form the refractory spinel zinc ferrite.