Hot Corrosion of Silica

The high-temperature corrosion of bulk silica glass was studied in pure oxygen and in SO₃-containing oxygen atmospheres in the presence of liquid sulfate deposits at temperatures of 700° and 1000°C. No reaction and devitrification were observed without Na₂SO₄ on the surface. The wetting of the silica by the sulfate, the tendency toward basic fluxing, and the crystallization of the silica incrased with the activity of Na₂O. The most extensive degradation of vitreous silica occurred by crystallization, and the resulting spalling under basic conditions and thermal cycling at basic conditions were parabolic. This behavior is explained by a model in which the crystallization is controlled by sodium at the glass-crystal interface and its diffusion into the glass. This sodium diffuses into the glass before crystallization and is swept ahead of the crystallization front.     

Enantioselective two-phase hydrogenation of α-amino acid precursors with water soluble rhodium complexes of the cationic ligand (S,S)-2,4-bis[bis-(p-N,N,N-trimethylammoniumphenyl)phosphino]pentane, [CH3CH(P(p-C6H4NMe3)2CH2CH(P(p-C6H4NMe3)2CH3]4+

Rhodium complexes of the chiral cationic phosphine, (S,S)-2,4-bis[bis-(p-N,N.N-trimethyl-ammoniumphenyl)phosphino]pentane show excellent enantioselectivity for the hydrogenation of the DOPA precursor. (Z)-3-OMe,4-OAcC₆H₃CHC(COOH)(NHCOCH₃), and dehydro-phenylalanineacetamide as slurries in water. The catalytic reactions may be done in either a two-phase system with the catalyst in the aqueous phase or as a slurry in water provided the substrates have some water solubility. Enantioselectivities of as high as 95% can be obtained.     

Challenges and opportunities for next-generation intracortically based neural prostheses

Neural prosthetic systems aim to help disabled patients by translating neural signals from the brain into control signals for guiding computer cursors, prosthetic arms, and other assistive devices. Intracortical electrode arrays measure action potentials and local field potentials from individual neurons, or small populations of neurons, in the motor cortices and can provide considerable information for controlling prostheses. Despite several compelling proof-of-concept laboratory animal experiments and an initial human clinical trial, at least three key challenges remain which, if left unaddressed, may hamper the translation of these systems into widespread clinical use. We review these challenges: achieving able-bodied levels of performance across tasks and across environments, achieving robustness across multiple decades, and restoring able-bodied quality proprioception and somatosensation. We also describe some emerging opportunities for meeting these challenges. If these challenges can be largely or fully met, intracortically based neural prostheses may achieve true clinical viability and help increasing numbers of disabled patients.     

An autocorrelation-based time domain analysis technique for monitoring perfusion and oxygenation in transplanted organs

In designing an implantable sensor for perfusion monitoring of transplant organs the ability of the sensor to gather perfusion information with limited power consumption and in near real time is paramount. The following work was performed to provide a processing method that is able to predict perfusion and oxygenation change within the blood flowing through a transplanted organ. For this application, an autocorrelation-based algorithm was used to reduce the acquisition time required for fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis while retaining the accuracy inherent to FFT analysis. In order to provide data proving that the developed method is able to predict perfusion as accurately as FFT two experiments were developed isolating both periodic and quasi-periodic cardiac frequencies. It was shown that the autocorrelation-based method was able to perform comparably with FFT (limited to a sampling frequency of 300 Hz) and maintain accuracy down to acquisition times as low as 4 s in length.     

Correspondence between the location of evoked potential generators and sites of maximal sensitivity to stimulation

The potential recorded by a set of electrodes as an action potential traverses a small axonal segment is proportional to the transmembrane potential produced during stimulation of that axon segment by the same set of recording electrodes, under certain circumstances. First, the membrane must have a constant thickness which is so small that the difference between the surface area of the inner and outer surfaces is minimal. Second, all media must be linear. Third, there must be a monotonically increasing relation between the mean transmembrane potential induced by a stimulus and the maximum transmembrane potential. Fourth, as each axon segment depolarizes, the transmembrane current and change in membrane potential during this time are same. This principle remains true for magnetic stimulation and recording as long as currents generated at the boundaries between regions of differing conductivity outside the axon contribute minimally to the field at the axon. This allows the identification of the point at which an action potential generates a maximal extracellular potential as the point that is stimulated with the lowest threshold.     

平板投影光楔的图象质量

我们报道了一种厚度为20mm的14英寸平板投影显示屏,其亮度可达5000尼特、分辨率为600×800。这种显示器由现成的有机玻璃制成,使用只带梯形预畸变的无需调节的视频投影仪。在厚度为20mm对角线为50英寸屏幕上光学模拟预示XGA分辨率,亮度为500尼特、对比度与传统投影仪相当。     

晶圆测试探针新的测试价值

晶圆测试探针曾被认为是节约废芯片封装成本的一种方法,现今它却成为工艺控制、成品率管理、产品质量以及总测试成本的一个关键因素。此外,随着组装相关的故障测试之后,封装水准晶圆分选的完全测试不久将会来临。     

Parameter design using the Taguchi methodology

This article aims to give an overview of the Taguchi methodology and more specific of its key step: parameter design. The purpose of parameter design is to bring quality into the product/process by determining the relevant parameters and their optimal settings such that the quality characteristics of the product are optimised and have minimal sensitivity to “noise” (i.e., those disturbing factors which are difficult or too expensive to control). The (mainly statistical) tools used in the methodology will be handled and some actual Bell cases will be mentioned as practical examples.     

Analog statistical simulation for bipolar integrated circuits

Analog circuit design automation continues to gain attention in methods to improve, automate, and reduce design cycle time. These techniques address the needs of improving design for functionality, however the importance of design for manufacturability continues to be neglected. The emphasis of design for manufacturability is shown when the quality of a part is measured. Parts designed with no consideration for process/design variations result in poor yield. To address the need in analog design for manufacturability, new techniques that involve the areas of physical process, geometric modeling of electrical parameters, and statistical simulation techniques using independent process parameters, yield and Cpk analysis are defined and implemented. Results from these techniques provide the analog designer with the ability to simulate and predict circuit quality with process and design variations. To support the defined techniques, a design tool called MSTAT (Motorola Statistical Analysis Tool) is developed. Results of these techniques accompanied with MSTAT output is presented.     

Low Fatigue in Epitaxial Pb(Zr<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> on Si Substrates with LaNiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> Electrodes by RF Sputtering

Epitaxial PZT (001) thin films with a LaNiO₃ bottom electrode were deposited by radio-frequency (RF) sputtering onto Si(001) single-crystal substrates with SrTiO₃/TiN buffer layers. Pb(Zr_0.2Ti_0.8)O₃ (PZT) samples were shown to consist of a single perovskite phase and to have an (001) orientation. The orientation relationship was determined to be PZT(001)[110]∥LaNiO₃(001)[110]∥SrTiO₃ (001)[110]∥TiN(001)[110]∥Si(001)[110]. Atomic force microscope (AFM) measurements showed the PZT films to have smooth surfaces with a roughness of 1.15 nm. The microstructure of the multilayer was studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrical measurements were conducted using both Pt and LaNiO₃ as top electrodes. The measured remanent polarization P _r and coercive field E _c of the PZT thin film with Pt top electrodes were 23 μC/cm² and 75 kV/cm, and were 25 μC/cm² and 60 kV/cm for the PZT film with LaNiO₃ top electrodes. No obvious fatigue after 10¹⁰ switching cycles indicated good electrical endurance of the PZT films using LaNiO₃ electrodes, compared with the PZT film with Pt top electrodes showing a significant polarization loss after 10⁸ cycles. These PZT films with LaNiO₃ electrodes could be potential recording media for probe-based high-density data storage.