Effect of thermal treatment on ZnO substrate for epitaxial growth

ZnO is a highly efficient photon emitter, and has optical and piezoelectric properties that are attractive for a variety of applications in sensors and potentially optoelectronic devices such as emitters. Due to its identical stacking order and close lattice match to GaN, it is also being developed as a substrate material for GaN epitaxy. However, the surface finish of the ZnO is such that much of the damage induced by sawing and follow up mechanical polishing remains. We developed a thermal treatment method to eliminate surface damage on the 0 face of ZnO (0 0 0 1) to prepare it for epitaxial growth. Atomic force microscopy images of ZnO (0 0 0 1) annealed at 1050 °C for 3 h etc. show that residual scratches from mechanical polishing are removed and atomically flat, terrace-like surfaces are attained. In addition, low-temperature photoluminescence and high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements have been employed to investigate the effect of annealing on ZnO substrates.     

Hydrolysis of titanium alkoxide and effects of hydrolytic polycondensation parameters

Titanium alkoxides hydrolyse vigorously with water producing polycondensates whose equivalent oxide content varies from 70% to over 90%. This variation reflects the average molecular size and the nature of the terminal bonds. Hydrolysis conditions also affect the molecular and particle morphologies modifying the crystallization and sintering behaviour of oxide materials derived from polycondensates. It is also possible to form clear polymer solutions under excess water hydrolysis with the addition of certain acids. Investigations show that there is a window in the acid concentration which provides long-term solution stability. The gels formed from these clear solutions shrink in their liquor under certain conditions and the introduction of hydrogen peroxide into the liquor (surrounding the gel) causes vigorous gel shrinkage.     

Features of a Scan and Clock Resource chip for providing access to board-level test functions

The architecture and some of the specific features of a Scan and Clock Resource (SCR) chip are described. This chip is currently being used in a high-end workstation product to provide access to the testability features of the individual chips and/or printed circuit boards. Using a board-level controller to gain access to the testability features of system components and interfacing the controller to a diagnostics processor (or external tester) is emerging as a common strategy for designing testable digital systems. Based upon experience gained from such an application, controller features that are deemed useful are discussed.This paper is an enhanced version of the author's earlier paper titled Towards a Standard Approach for Controlling Board-Level Test Functions, presented at the IEEE International Test Conference, ITC'90, Washington D.C., September 1990.     

Simultaneous removal of C, N, P from cheese whey by jet loop membrane bioreactor (JLMBR)

The membrane bioreactor (MBR) used in this study consisted of a jet loop bioreactor (aerobic high rate system) and a membrane separation unit (microfiltration). Jet loop membrane bioreactor (JLMBR) system is a high performance treatment system. High organic loading rates can be achieved with a very small footprint. The JLMBR is a compact biological treatment system which requires much smaller tank volumes than conventional activated sludge system. Solid-liquid separation is performed with a membrane. The JLMBR system, of 35 L capacity, was operated continuously for 3 months with a sludge age of 1.1-2.8 days and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loads of 3.5-33.5 kg COD m(-3) day(-1). The mean concentration values of COD, total nitrogen (TN) and PO(4)3- in cheese whey (CW) were found as 78,680 mg L(-1), 1125 mg L(-1) and 378 mg L(-1), respectively. Ninety-seven percent COD removal rate was obtained at the sludge age (Thetac) of 1.6 days and volumetric loads of 22.2 kg COD m(-3) day(-1). TN removal was obtained as 99% at the loading rates of 17-436 g TN m(-3) day(-1). PO4(3-) removals were between 65 and 88% for the loading of 30-134 gPO4(3-) m(-3) day(-1). The system could simultaneously remove the COD, TN and PO(4)3- at high efficiencies. The sludge flocks were highly motile, dispersed and had poor settling properties.     

Control of interface nanoscale structure created by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Tailoring the structure of films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to specific applications requires a depth-resolved understanding of how the interface structures in such films are impacted by variations in deposition parameters such as feed position and plasma power. Analysis of complementary X-ray and neutron reflectivity (XR, NR) data provide a rich picture of changes in structure with feed position and plasma power, with those changes resolved on the nanoscale. For plasma-polymerized octafluorocyclobutane (PP-OFCB) films, a region of distinct chemical composition and lower cross-link density is found at the substrate interface for the range of processing conditions studied and a surface layer of lower cross-link density also appears when plasma power exceeds 40 W. Varying the distance of the feed from the plasma impacts the degree of cross-linking in the film center, thickness of the surface layer, and thickness of the transition region at the substrate. Deposition at the highest power, 65 W, both enhances cross-linking and creates loose fragments with fluorine content higher than the average. The thickness of the low cross-link density region at the air interface plays an important role in determining the width of the interface built with a layer subsequently deposited atop the first.     

Chemical and microbiological status and volatile profiles of mouldy Civil cheese,a Turkish mould‐ripened variety

The objective of this study is to characterise the gross chemical and microbiological status and identify the volatile compounds of mouldy Civil cheeses. A total of forty‐one samples were surveyed, and gross compositional status of the cheeses was (as mean values): 6.5 for pH, 6.2% for fat‐in‐dry matter, 51.8% for moisture and 15.3% for water‐soluble nitrogen (as% of total nitrogen). Chemical composition of the cheese samples varied widely. Mouldy Civil cheese has similar pH values and moisture contents when compared with blue‐type cheeses, but it has distinct feature for fat contents. The microbiological counts of the samples were found to be high and some samples contained coliform bacteria. A total of 95 volatiles, including esters (28), acids (6), ketones (12), aldehydes (3), alcohols (15), terpenes (10), sulphur compounds (3) and miscellaneous (18), were identified in the volatile fractions of the cheeses, and principal volatile groups were esters, alcohols and ketones.