Quasi‐One Dimensional in‐Plane Conductivity in Filamentary Films of PEDOT:PSS

The mechanism and magnitude of the in‐plane conductivity of poly(3,4‐ethy‐lenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) thin films is determined using temperature dependent conductivity measurements for various PEDOT:PSS weight ratios with and without a high boiling solvent (HBS). Without the HBS the in‐plane conductivity of PEDOT:PSS is lower and for all studied weight ratios well described by the relation $ \sigma = \sigma _0 {\rm exp}[- \left({{{{T_0}}\over{T}}} \right)^{0.5}] $ with T₀ a characteristic temperature. The exponent 0.5 indicates quasi‐one dimensional (quasi‐1D) variable range hopping (VRH). The conductivity prefactor σ₀ varies over three orders of magnitudes and follows a power law σ₀∝c^3.5_PEDOT with c_PEDOT the weight fraction of PEDOT in PEDOT:PSS. The field dependent conductivity is consistent with quasi‐1D VRH. Combined, these observations suggest that conductance takes place via a percolating network of quasi‐1D filaments. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) filamentary structures are observed in vitrified dispersions and dried films. For PEDOT:PSS films with HBS, the conductivity also exhibits quasi‐1D VRH behavior when the temperature is less than 200 K. The low characteristic temperature T₀ indicates that HBS‐treated films are close to the critical regime between a metal and an insulator. In this case, the conductivity prefactor scales linearly with c_PEDOT, indicating the conduction is no longer limited by a percolation of filaments. The lack of observable changes in TEM upon processing with the HBS suggests that the changes in conductivity are due to a smaller spread in the conductivities of individual filaments, or a higher probability for neighboring filaments to be connected rather than being caused by major morphological modification of the material.     

用微控制器或DSP电路控制开机／关机功能

在许多设备中,一个开/关按键可开启或关断电源.一般情况下,不管微控制器或DSP电路正在处理的是处理功能还是负载,在按下按键时,系统都会关断.图1所示的小型电路可用来使微控制器或DSP电路控制这一开/关功能.这样,系统就可先完成各种必需完成的作业,如数据处理、数据存储等,然后再发出指令关断电源.图2示出了它的定时图.虽然最终的设备是与电源断开的,但开关直接与直流电源或电池连接.因此,所有的电容器都会放电.最困难的工作就是使图1中的两个D触发器都进入所需的"关"状态.     

Impact of new chip technologies on telecommunications

Microelectronics has revolutionized the architecture and design concepts of telecommunications products dramatically. Its strength is based on the combination of three different disciplines: technology, design automation and device architecture. The evolution in all these topics will be described and illustrated with several examples of telecommunications applications. At present vlsi circuits are used in three important business segments of the telecommunications market: switching, transmission and end-user systems. The technology requirements for these applications are followed by a brief discussion on reliability requirements and future technology trends.     

Optomagnetic Nanoplatforms for In Situ Controlled Hyperthermia

Magnetic nanoparticles (M:NPs) are unique agents for in vivo thermal therapies due to their multimodal capacity for efficient heat generation under optical and/or magnetic excitation. Nevertheless, their transfer from laboratory to the clinic is hampered by the absence of thermal feedback and by the influence that external conditions (e.g., agglomeration and biological matrix interactions) have on their heating efficiency. Overcoming these limitations requires, first, the implementation of strategies providing thermal sensing to M:NPs in order to obtain in situ thermal feedback during thermal therapies. At the same time, M:NPs should be modified so that their heating efficiency will be maintained independently of the environment and the added capability for thermometry. In this work, optomagnetic hybrid nanostructures (OMHSs) that simultaneously satisfy these two conditions are presented. Polymeric encapsulation of M:NPs with neodymium‐doped nanoparticles results in a hybrid structure capable of subtissue thermal feedback while making the heating efficiency of M:NPs independent of the medium. The potential application of the OMHSs herein developed for fully controlled thermal therapies is demonstrated by an ex vivo endoscope‐assisted controlled intracoronary heating experiment.     

On the Relation between Morphology and FET Mobility of Poly(3‐alkylthiophene)s at the Polymer/SiO2 and Polymer/Air Interface

The influence of the interface of the dielectric SiO₂ on the performance of bottom‐contact, bottom‐gate poly(3‐alkylthiophene) (P3AT) field‐effect transistors (FETs) is investigated. In particular, the operation of transistors where the active polythiophene layer is directly spin‐coated from chlorobenzene (CB) onto the bare SiO₂ dielectric is compared to those where the active layer is first spin‐coated then laminated via a wet transfer process such that the film/air interface of this film contacts the SiO₂ surface. While an apparent alkyl side‐chain length dependent mobility is observed for films directly spin‐coated onto the SiO₂ dielectric (with mobilities of ≈10^?3 cm² V^?1 s^?1 or less) for laminated films mobilities of 0.14 ± 0.03 cm² V^?1 s^?1 independent of alkyl chain length are recorded. Surface‐sensitive near edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy measurements indicate a strong out‐of‐plane orientation of the polymer backbone at the original air/film interface while much lower average tilt angles of the polymer backbone are observed at the SiO₂/film interface. A comparison with NEXAFS on crystalline P3AT nanofibers, as well as molecular mechanics and electronic structure calculations on ideal P3AT crystals suggest a close to crystalline polymer organization at the P3AT/air interface of films from CB. These results emphasize the negative influence of wrongly oriented polymer on charge carrier mobility and highlight the potential of the polymer/air interface in achieving excellent “out‐of‐plane” orientation and high FET mobilities.     

Inverted Organic Solar Cells with Sol–Gel Processed High Work‐Function Vanadium Oxide Hole‐Extraction Layers

For large‐scale and high‐throughput production of organic solar cells (OSCs), liquid processing of the functional layers is desired. We demonstrate inverted bulk‐heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs) with a sol–gel derived V₂O₅ hole‐extraction‐layer on top of the active organic layer. The V₂O₅ layers are prepared in ambient air using Vanadium(V)‐oxitriisopropoxide as precursor. Without any post‐annealing or plasma treatment, a high work function of the V₂O₅ layers is confirmed by both Kelvin probe analysis and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). Using UPS and inverse photoelectron spectroscopy (IPES), we show that the electronic structure of the solution processed V₂O₅ layers is similar to that of thermally evaporated V₂O₅ layers which have been exposed to ambient air. Optimization of the sol gel process leads to inverted OSCs with solution based V₂O₅ layers that show power conversion efficiencies similar to that of control devices with V₂O₅ layers prepared in high‐vacuum.     

Considerations for low-inertia AC drives in machine tool axis servoapplications

The important differences encountered in applying AC permanent magnet servomotors that might have one-tenth of the shaft inertias of their torque-equivalent predecessors to machine tool axis servo applications are examined. Experimental results demonstrating these differences and corroborating the conclusions drawn are provided. Experimental testing was accomplished on a motor test stand and in a machine tool axis servo application. The test stand had two AC servomotors coupled in a motor/dynamometer configuration. Analytical and experimental results demonstrate that in addition to affecting the acceleration or command-following capabilities of the servomotor, reduction of shaft inertia affects the controller tuning robustness, bandwidths, and dynamic stiffness characteristics and also has implications for the drive/controller sampling rate. The process of selecting an appropriate servomotor for such axis servo applications is reviewed, and the factors that are affected by motor/magnet technology are summarized     

Rotor position and velocity estimation for a salient-pole permanentmagnet synchronous machine at standstill and high speeds

This paper addresses self-sensing (“sensorless”) control of salient-pole permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). The major contribution of this work is the introduction of a simple-to-implement estimation technique that operates over a wide speed range, including zero speed. The technique achieves simplicity by decoupling the inherent cross-coupling in PMSMs. The technique utilizes the dependence of inductance on rotor position in interior permanent magnet machines to produce position and velocity estimates both for field orientation and for all motion control of the drives. The technique functions in a manner similar to a resolver and resolver-to-digital converter (RTDC) sensing system, whereby in the proposed technique the motor acts as the electromagnetic resolver and the power converter applies carrier-frequency voltages to the stator which produce high-frequency currents that vary with position. The sensed currents are then processed with a heterodyning technique that produces a signal that is approximately proportional to the difference between the actual rotor position and an estimated rotor position. This position error signal and a torque estimate are then used as inputs to a Luenberger style observer to produce parameter insensitive, zero lag, position and velocity estimates     

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy on porous electrodes

Electrochemical d.c. and a.c. measurements have been carried out on porous Raney nickel in H₂-saturated 0.1 M, 1 M, and 6 M NaOH solutions atT=303 K and 333 K using rotating-disc and static-plaar electrodes. For comparison, measurements were also performed on graphite-cloth and graphite-felt electrodes. From polarization curves and current transients obtained in the potential range of the hydrogen evolution and hydrogen oxidation reactions the dependence of the electrocatalytic activity of Raney nickel on the prepolarization conditions was studied. Impedance spectra in the frequency range 1 mHzf 10 kHz were used to determine the characteristic pore parameters and to identify the kinetic behaviour of the porous electrodes by application of transfer function analysis using non-linear fit routines.     

Ester-functionalized poly(3-alkylthiophene) copolymers: Synthesis,physicochemical characterization and performance in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

The introduction of functional moieties in the donor polymer (side chains) offers a potential pathway toward selective modification of the nanomorphology of conjugated polymer:fullerene active layer blends applied in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics, pursuing morphology control and solar cell stability. For this purpose, two types of poly(3-alkylthiophene) random copolymers, incorporating different amounts (10/30/50%) of ester-functionalized side chains, were efficiently synthesized using the Rieke method. The solar cell performance of the functionalized copolymers was evaluated and compared to the pristine P3HT:PCBM system. It was observed that the physicochemical and opto-electronic characteristics of the polythiophene donor material can be modified to a certain extent via copolymerization without (too much) jeopardizing the OPV efficiency, as far as the functionalized side chains are introduced in a moderate ratio (<30%) and that preference is given to side chains with a small molar volume. A range of complementary techniques – UV–Vis spectroscopy, (modulated temperature) differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis – indicated that variations in polymer crystallinity, while maintaining a high level of regioregularity, are probably the main factor responsible for the observed differences.