Tri-Gate Bulk MOSFET Design for CMOS Scaling to the End of the Roadmap

A tri-gate bulk MOSFET design utilizing a low-aspect-ratio channel is proposed to provide an evolutionary pathway for CMOS scaling to the end of the roadmap. 3-D device simulations indicate that this design offers the advantages of a multi-gate FET (reduced variability in performance and improved scalability) together with the advantages of a conventional planar MOSFET (low substrate cost and capability for dynamic threshold-voltage control).     

金属蒸气法制备聚合物固载Pd－Cu双金属原子簇

为了不使用任何还原剂而获得聚合物固载高分散零价双金属加氢催化剂，利用金属蒸气法制备了３种不同Ｐｄ／Ｃｕ质量比的聚合物固载双金属原子簇。透射电镜（ＴＥＭ）和Ｘ衍射（ＸＲＤ）测定表明，Ｐｄ－Ｃｕ原子簇粒度很小，平均直径小于３．０ｎｍ。Ｘ射线光电子能谱（ＸＰＳ）表明，Ｐｄ和Ｃｕ均为零价态。Ｐｄ－Ｃｕ原子簇在异丙叉加氢反应中具有很高的活性和选择性。这些结果提供了令人信服的证据，即金属蒸气法可用于在聚合物孔穴内直接而温和地置入小的零价金属原子簇，而且这样制备的聚合物固载金属原子簇很适合于催化应用。     

Development of a current detection type cable fault locator

A cable fault location instrument based on the detection of traveling wave currents was developed. It is different from the conventional pulse radar method based on voltage detection. Measurement is automated, and the distance to the fault point is displayed by merely pushing a switch. In a branched or crossbonded line, the fault point can be located without interference from the branched or the crossbonded point. Tests performed in both real and simulated lines confirmed the practical utility of this instrument     

A dynamic-programming-based exact algorithm for general single-machine scheduling with machine idle time

This paper proposes an efficient exact algorithm for the general single-machine scheduling problem where machine idle time is permitted. The algorithm is an extension of the authors’ previous algorithm for the problem without machine idle time, which is based on the SSDP (Successive Sublimation Dynamic Programming) method. We first extend our previous algorithm to the problem with machine idle time and next propose several improvements. Then, the proposed algorithm is applied to four types of single-machine scheduling problems: the total weighted earliness-tardiness problem with equal (zero) release dates, that with distinct release dates, the total weighted completion time problem with distinct release dates, and the total weighted tardiness problem with distinct release dates. Computational experiments demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms existing exact algorithms and can solve instances of the first three problems with up to 200 jobs and those of the last problem with up to 80 jobs.     

Dynamical coherence patterns in neural field model at criticality

Phase synchronization is a mechanism that plays a crucial role in information processing in the brain, and coherence is one of the factors used to evaluate the pairwise degree of phase synchronization. Coherence is also an important measure for examining brain functions because it implies communication and cooperation among neurons. In this work, we study the coherence patterns of spontaneous activity in a neural field model at criticality where a second-order phase transition occurs with special properties that differentiate it from other regions. The results are summarized as follows. First, in high-frequency bands, the system outside the critical region is unable to communicate efficiently via phase synchronization. Second, the dynamical coherence patterns at the criticality show switching between high and low coherence states. Finally, we found that in a very brief period, there is high broadband coherence between some pairs of spatial points. This phenomenon can be observed only in the critical region.     

Gelation of poly(vinyl alcohol) solutions at low temperatures (20 to −78°C) and properties of gels

The flow points of atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) (a-PVA) gels with H₂O/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) = 90/10 (v/v) chilled at 20 to ?78°C for 24 h depended on the chilling temperature and were 0–30°C for gels with the initial polymer concentrations (C_i) of 2–5 g/dL, whereas those for H₂O/DMSO = 50/50 chilled at 0 to ?78°C were independent of the chilling temperature and were 70–75°C. Syneresis occurred after eight cycles of freezing (?24°C) and thawing (20°C) for a-PVA hydrogels at concentrations above C_i = 4 g/dL and two such cycles for syndiotacticity-rich PVA (s-PVA) hydrogels at concentrations above C_i = 1 g/dL. The extent of syneresis per one cycle for s-PVA hydrogels was higher than that for a-PVA hydrogels at the initial cycles. In the a-PVA hydrogels with an initial polymer concentration of ca. 30 g/dL, syneresis was expected not to occur even after 20 cycles. If all the free water in the gels is assumed to have transuded by syneresis after 20 cycles, the residual water is bound water and is estimated to be six water molecules per one vinyl alcohol monomer unit. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Oligomer-Rich Fraction from Polydisperse Sample of Poly(bis(β-phenoxyethoxy)phosphazene)

Poly[bis(-phenoxyethoxy)phosphazene] [PBPEP] had been shown in our previous paper to be a very useful polymer for investigating the crystallization mechanism of polymers, as the crystallization rate of PBPEP is extraordinarily small when isothermally crystallized from the melt. The crystallization of the low molecular weight oligomers of PBPEP was first studied in comparison to the high molecular weight polymers. The oligomer-rich fraction was obtained by fractionation of the as-polymerized sample, which had a broad molecular weight distribution. The fractions thus obtained were characterized by solution viscometry and size exclusion chromatography. The melting temperature and the growth rate of the spherulite from the melt were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. The growth rate was one or two orders of magnitude smaller in the oligomer-rich fraction than in the other high molecular weight fractions. A collapsed spherulite appeared in the oligomer-rich fraction at high crystallization temperatures. It is speculated that in the oligomer-rich fraction there is an excess free energy due to defects in the crystal phase. This defect is considerably larger in the oligomer-rich fraction than in the other fractions because a large quantity of short length chains is present.     

Drying characteristics of porous material immersed in a bed of hygroscopic porous particles fluidized under reduced pressure

A relatively large wet material was immersed in a fluidized bed of hygroscopic porous particle (silica gel beads) under reduced pressure. And then the drying characteristics were compared with those in the case of inert particle (glass beads). The comparison of drying characteristics is performed experimentally and theoretically. In calculation, the water transfer from the sample to the fluidized bed was considered. The calculation results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The effects of the operational conditions (the pressure in the drying chamber and the temperature of the drying gas) on the drying characteristics were also examined in both fluidizing particles.The drying finishes earlier in the case of hygroscopic porous particle than in the case of inert particle regardless of pressure in the drying chamber, since the water transfer from the sample facilitates the drying in the case of hygroscopic porous particles. The temperature decrement in drying appears in the case of inert particle. This phenomenon is also observed in the case of hygroscopic porous particle, but the decrement degree of the temperature is much smaller than that in the case of inert particle. The difference of the minimum temperature in the sample in drying between the cases of hygroscopic porous particle and inert particle is very slight for different pressures in the drying chamber.     

Preparation of gelatinous aluminium hydroxide by urea from aqueous solutions containing chloride,nitrate and sulphate of aluminium

The preparation of gelatinous aluminium hydroxide from aqueous solutions containing a mixture of the chloride, nitrate or sulphate of aluminium and urea by heating at 95°C has been investigated under different conditions. The pH value of aqueous solutions, on heating for a given period of time, gradually increases, rises steeply at pH 4.0–7.5 and finally approaches a constant value. The precipitate appears at about pH 7 in the presence of chloride or nitrate ions and about pH 4 in the presence of sulphate ions. Although the gelatinous precipitates in the chloride and nitrate systems are apparently different from the granular, filterable one in the sulphate system, their compositions are not influenced by the species of aluminium salt. The fresh precipitates exist in an amorphous state, and go to pseudoboehmite by ageing. It seems that the amount of pseudoboehmite increases as the concentration of aluminium salt in aqueous solution decreases. However, the transformation from amorphous aluminium hydroxide to pseudoboehmite is reduced in the presence of sulphate ions. Furthermore, it is found that the X-ray diffraction peak for the (200) plane, as an orthorhombic structure, in the pseudoboehmite precipitated from chloride or nitrate solution is more intense than that from sulphate solution.     

Mechanical properties of porous titanium compacts prepared by powder sintering

Porous Ti compacts for biomedical applications are successfully fabricated in the porosity range from 5.0 to 37.1 vol% by controlling sintering conditions and Ti powder sizes. Young’s modulus and bending strength at the porosity of around 30 vol% are found to be similar to those of human cortical bone.