Fabrication of solid-state dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells combined with polypyrrole

A solid-state solar cell was fabricated by photoelectrochemical polymerization of pyrrole on porous nanocrystalline TiO₂ electrode sensitized by the Grätzel dye, cis-di(thiocyanato)-N,N′-bis(2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid)-ruthenium (II) dihydrate, [RuL₂(NCS)₂]), or a newly synthesized cis-Ru(dcb)₂(pmp)₂ (pmp=3-(pyrrole-1-ylmethyl)-pyridine). Polypyrrole successfully worked as a hole-transport layer with improvement of the cell characteristics when the TiO₂ cell with cis-Ru(dcb)₂(pmp)₂ was compared with the similarly fabricated cells using [RuL₂(NCS)₂]. The improvement by using Ru(dcb)₂(pmp)₂ can be explained as due to direct molecular wiring of the polymer-chain to the excited metal center of the complex.     

Nanoscale liquid droplet deposition using the ultrasmall aperture on a dynamic mode AFM tip

We have developed a novel method for nanometer-sized droplet deposition of electrically conductive liquids based on the dynamic mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). We succeeded in depositing liquid droplets with a volume of ten zeptoliters or smaller and in making arrays of the droplets with a spacing of several tens of nanometers using the AFM cantilever with a small aperture fabricated by a focused ion beam. The liquid droplets were deposited through the aperture by applying an electric field between the liquid and a conductive surface.     

Glass Substrates for OLED Lighting with High Out-coupling Efficiency

Glass substrates which realize high out-coupling efficiency OLEDs （organic light emitting diodes） were developed. A scattering layer whose matrix was made of high refractive index glass was formed on a glass substrate, and pores in the glass matrix work as scattering centers. The out-coupling efficiency of an OLED using this substrate is 1.8 times higher compared with an OLED using an untreated glass substrate. Furthermore angular dependency of the color and color variation between panels can be successfully suppressed.     

Sigma-delta receive beamformer based on cascaded reconstruction for ultrasound imaging application

A pre-delay reconstruction sigma-delta beamformer (SDBF) was recently proposed to achieve a higher level of integration in ultrasound imaging systems. Nevertheless, the high-order reconstruction filter used in each channel of SDBF makes the beamformer highly complex. The beamformer can be simplified by reconstructing the signal after the delay-andsum process with only one filter. However, this post-delay reconstruction-based design degrades image quality when dynamic focusing is performed. This paper shows that employing a simple pre-delay filter is sufficient to achieve similar performance as conventional pre-delay reconstruction SDBF, as long as the pre-delay filter provides the required pre-delay signalto- quantization noise ratio (SQNR). Based on this finding, we proposed a cascaded reconstruction beamformer that uses a boxcar filter as the pre-delay filter in each channel. Simulations using real phantom data demonstrate that the proposed beamforming method can achieve a contrast resolution comparable to that of the pre-delay reconstruction beamforming method. In addition, the hardware can be greatly simplified compared with the pre-delay reconstruction beamformers.     

Submolecular resolution viscoelastic imaging of a poly(p-toluene-sulfonate) single crystal using force modulation microscopy

Submolecular resolution viscoelastic imaging of a poly(2,4-hexadiyne-1,6-diyl bis(p-toluene-sulfonate)) single crystal was achieved using force modulation microscopy under ambient conditions. The elastic image clearly visualized the structure of p-toluene-sulfonate side chains. The viscotic image visualized that the phase delay on the main chains was smallest, while it became largest on the toluene rings in the side chains. The result is considered to be closely related to the molecular dynamics of the crystal.     

The effect of local polarized domains of ferroelectric P(VDF/TrFE) copolymer thin film on a carbon nanotube field-effect transistor

We produced local polarized domains of ferroelectric P(VDF/TrFE) copolymer thin films on a carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CN-FET) channel by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The drain current versus gate voltage (I(d)-V(g)) curves measured after forming the local polarized domains showed a shift in the threshold voltages. We also found that the amount of the shifts in the threshold voltages gradually decreased during the measurement of this characteristic over 100?h after forming the polarized domains. The mechanisms of the shifts in the threshold voltages and their decreasing behaviour were explained in terms of the excessive charges that were induced upon the formation of the polarized domains.     

球磨时间和转速对CNTs／Al-2024复合粉末变化的影响

通过机械球磨和热挤出的方法制备碳纳米管（CNTs）增强铝基复合材料。在2024铝合金中加入1％CNTs,并在不同条件下进行球磨。通过X射线衍射仪（XRD）、场发射扫描电镜（FESEM）以及力学性能测试等方法对球磨过的粉末和块体材料的显微组织的变化和力学性能进行测试。研究碳纳米管浓度和球磨时间对CNTs／Al-2024复合材料显微组织的影响。通过对显微组织的观察,讨论粉末在球磨过程中的变形行为。结果表明：在CNTs含帚相同的条件下,粉末颗粒尺寸随着球磨时间和转速的增加而减小,当球磨时间达到15h,粉末颗粒尺寸最小。由于CNTs的加入,铝合金复合材料的拉伸性能有所提高。     

Design of a dual‐input SC DC–DC converter realizing negative outputs

Aimed at a back‐lighting application, a dual‐input switched‐capacitor (SC) DC–DC converter with battery charge process is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter can realize −1/N× (N = 2,3,…) step‐down conversion as well as (N + 1)/N× step‐up conversion. By converting clean energy such as solar energy, the proposed dual‐input converter not only drives light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) but also recharges the battery, although conventional single‐input converter only consumes battery energy. In the proposed converter, the −1/N× stepped‐down voltage is generated to drive the LED's cathode when the input voltage is insufficient to drive a 1× transfer mode. Furthermore, unlike conventional converters, the battery is charged by the (N + 1)/N× stepped‐up voltage when the LED back light is in standby mode. Hence, the proposed converter can realize long battery run time. The validity of circuit design is confirmed by theoretical analyses, simulations, and experiments. The derived theoretical formulas will be helpful to estimate circuit characteristics, because the theoretical results correspond well with the simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE) simulation results. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A novel framework based on a data-driven approach for modelling the behaviour of organisms in chemical plume tracing

We propose a data-driven approach for modelling an organism''s behaviour instead of conventional model-based strategies in chemical plume tracing (CPT). CPT models based on this approach show promise in faithfully reproducing organisms’ CPT behaviour. To construct the data-driven CPT model, a training dataset of the odour stimuli input toward the organism is needed, along with an output of the organism’s CPT behaviour. To this end, we constructed a measurement system comprising an array of alcohol sensors for the measurement of the input and a camera for tracking the output in a real scenario. Then, we determined a transfer function describing the input–output relationship as a stochastic process by applying Gaussian process regression, and established the data-driven CPT model based on measurements of the organism’s CPT behaviour. Through CPT experiments in simulations and a real environment, we evaluated the performance of the data-driven CPT model and compared its success rate with those obtained from conventional model-based strategies. As a result, the proposed data-driven CPT model demonstrated a better success rate than those obtained from conventional model-based strategies. Moreover, we considered that the data-driven CPT model could reflect the aspect of an organism’s adaptability that modulated its behaviour with respect to the surrounding environment. However, these useful results came from the CPT experiments conducted in simple settings of simulations and a real environment. If making the condition of the CPT experiments more complex, we confirmed that the data-driven CPT model would be less effective for locating an odour source. In this way, this paper not only poses major contributions toward the development of a novel framework based on a data-driven approach for modelling an organism’s CPT behaviour, but also displays a research limitation of a data-driven approach at this stage.