Sub-threshold analysis and drain current modeling of polysilicon thin-film transistor using Green's function approach

An analytical analysis for a poly-crystalline silicon thin-film transistor is presented. The Green's function approach is adopted to solve the two-dimensional Poisson's equation using Neumann's boundary conditions at the silicon-silicon di-oxide interface. The developed model gives an insight of device behavior due to the effect of traps and also grain-boundary effect. The analysis of threshold voltage depicts short-channel effects and drain-induced barrier lowering. The model is extended to analyze the transfer characteristics and obtain the transconductance of the device. The results obtained show good agreement with the numerical model and with simulated results, thus proving the validity of our model.     

Enhancing call-detail reporting using multimedia technologies

Two features have motivated the Web's growth: timely information; and information not previously available everywhere. The most common complaint about older application systems is their isolation, they are not easily accessible to others. This calls for integrating the Web, a distribution mechanism, with the application system, providing timely information. The maintenance costs of both hardware and software are comparable with the older systems. Superior information technology solutions can help us obtain such desirable results. One such solution is a call-detail application, not previously available to users through the Web having multimedia capabilities. The Advanced Telecommunications Institute (ATI) designed and implemented the call-detail reporting application, which can be directly accessed at the end-user's desktop using a Web browser. We discuss the project-enhancing call-detail reporting using multimedia technologies     

Study of electrical and micro-structural properties of high-κ gate dielectric stacks deposited using pulse laser deposition for MOS capacitor applications

The electrical properties of hafnium oxide (HfO₂) gate dielectric as a metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) capacitor structure deposited using pulse laser deposition (PLD) technique at optimum substrate temperatures in an oxygen ambient gas are investigated. The film thickness and microstructure are examined using ellipsometer and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively to see the effect of substrate temperatures on the device properties. The electrical J–V, C–V characteristics of the dielectric films are investigated employing Al–HfO₂–Si MOS capacitor structure. The important parameters like leakage current density, flat-band voltage (V_fb) and oxide-charge density (Q_ox) for MOS capacitors are extracted and investigated for optimum substrate temperature. Further, electrical studies of these MOS capacitors have been carried out by incorporating La₂O₃ into HfO₂ to fabricate HfO₂/La₂O₃ dielectric stacks at an optimized substrate temperature of 800 °C using a PLD deposition technique under oxygen ambient. These Al–HfO₂–La₂O₃–Si dielectric stacks MOS capacitor structure are found to possess better electrical properties than that of HfO₂ based MOS capacitors using the PLD deposition technique.     

4,4,14 alpha-trimethyl 9 beta,19-cyclo-5 alpha-26-homocholesta-24,26-dien-3 beta-ol: a potent mechanism-based inactivator of delta 24(25)- to delta 25(27)-sterol methyl transferase

The title compound (4A) was synthesized and tested as a mechanism-based inactivator of the sterol methyl transferase (SMT) enzyme from Prototheca wickerhamii. Using cycloartenol as substrate, 4A was found to exhibit time-dependent inactivation kinetics, generating a Ki value of 30 microM and Kinact value of 0.30 min-1.     

Dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 as active material in PVC matrix membrane for the fabrication of cadmium selective potentiometric sensor

PVC based membrane containing dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (I) as active material along with sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB) as an anion excluder and dibutyl phthalate as solvent mediator in the ratio 20:4:150:150 (w/w) (I-NaTPB-DBP-PVC) exhibits good properties with a Nernstian response of 29.0±1.0 mV per decade of activity and a working concentration range of 2.1×10⁻⁵-1.0×10⁻¹ M. The working pH range of the sensor is 1.9-7.0. It exhibits a fast response time as fast as 17 s and has a lifetime of about 6 months. The proposed sensor has good selectivity for cadmium over alkali, alkaline earth, some transition and heavy metal ions. The sensor works satisfactorily in mixtures having 10% (v/v) non-aqueous content without showing any considerable change in working concentration range or slope. It has been successfully used as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of Cd²⁺ against EDTA as well as for its determination in wastewaters.     

Toughening of Epoxy with Preformed Polyethylene Thermoplastic Filler

The potential of polyethylene as a thermoplastic filler towards improving the fracture properties of epoxy resin was explored. Oxo-degradable films were subjected to thermo-oxidative exposure, and the oxidized polyethylene (OPE) was extracted with acetone to remove low molecular weight products (APE). The presence of functionalities led to its homogenous dispersion in the epoxy matrix. Blending of epoxy with OPE and APE led to significant improvement in both quasi-static and impact properties, as evidenced by 44% increase in G_IC and 21% increase in impact strength at loadings of 3% w/w. The strain rate sensitivity of the composites was also investigated.     

Sketch-based facial recognition: a weighted component-based approach (WCBA)

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Facial recognition is a popular biometric technique to recognize an individual by comparing the facial features of a given photograph or a sketch to the...     

A sequential ensemble model for software fault prediction

Innovations in Systems and Software Engineering - Unlike several other engineering disciplines, software engineering lacks well-defined research strategies. However, with the exponential rise in...     

When risks need attention: adoption of green supply chain initiatives in the pharmaceutical industry

The pharmaceutical industry is very important in delivering life-saving products/services to society. There are many ways for materials/products/services concerned with pharmaceuticals to influence the environment; these include improper disposal of pills/tablets by patients, expired and unused medications, improper release of drugs by pharmacies or household sewage mixed with surplus drugs. In view of this, the present work seeks to integrate green supply chain (GSC) concepts in the pharmaceutical sector in a developing economy Indian context. In so doing, managers need to determine the potential risks in adopting GSC initiatives to achieve sustainability in operational perspectives. In this sense, this work seeks to distinguish the potential risks in adopting GSC initiatives within the pharmaceutical industry. This work uses a literature review and fuzzy Delphi approach in finalising the risks. This research also uses fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for prioritisation of the risks under vague and unclear surroundings. According to the findings, cold chain technology and supply risks categories are highly prioritised. This work can assist practising managers and government authorities in effectively developing and managing GSC initiatives in line with sustainable development goals in the context of the pharmaceutical industry. Finally, a sensitivity test is applied to evaluate the stability of ranking of risks.     

Lanthanum oxide nanostructured films synthesized using hot dense and extremely non-equilibrium plasma for nanoelectronic device applications

Lanthanum oxide (La₂O₃) nanostructured films are synthesized on a p-type silicon wafer by ablation of La₂O₃ pellet due to interaction with hot dense argon plasmas in a modified dense plasma focus (DPF) device. The nanostructured films are investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra. SEM study shows the formation of nano-films having nano-size structures with the average nanostructures size ~25, ~53, and ~45 nm for one, two, and three DPF shots, respectively. The nanostructures sizes and morphology of nano-films are consistent between the AFM and SEM analyses. XRD spectra confirms nano-sized La₂O₃ with an average grain size ~34, ~51, and ~42 nm for one, two, and three DPF shots, respectively. The electrical properties such as current–voltage and capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics of the Al–La₂O₃–Si metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) capacitor structure are measured. The current conduction mechanism of the MOS capacitors is also demonstrated. The C–V characteristics are further used to obtain the electrical parameters such as the dielectric constant, oxide thickness, flat-band capacitance, and flat-band voltage of the MOS capacitors. These measurements demonstrate significantly lower leakage currents without any commonly used annealing or doping, thereby revealing a significant improvement of the MOS nanoelectronic device performance due to the incorporation of the DPF-produced La₂O₃ nano-films.