Evaluation of 45° method in characterizing the anisotropy of the perpendicular media

The 45° method has become increasingly popular in characterizing the anisotropy energy of perpendicular recording media. However, this method had only been evaluated under the framework of single-domain particle model. In this paper, we evaluate the 45° method using both the Monte-Carlo and LLG simulation by taking into account the grain structure and the inter-granular exchange interactions. The simulations show that multiple domains form during a 45° measurement, even for samples with squareness close to 1. Domain formation becomes less of a problem if a large external field is applied (∼H_k). These modeling results impose question marks on the advantages for the 45° method and suggest that this method should be applied with caution.     

A new high-pressure phase of ZnSe with B9-type structure

High-pressure and high-temperature behavior of ZnSe was investigated by energy dispersive X-ray diffraction method up to 14 GPa and 800°C. A new high-pressure phase with B9 (HgS)-type structure is found near the B3-B1 phase boundary at room temperature, as predicted by an ab-initio calculation. The property and observed pressure region of the B9-type phase are in good agreement with the ab-initio calculation. At high-temperature condition above 300°C, only the direct transitions are observed between the B3 and B1 phases. The B3-B1 phase boundary is also determined to be P (GPa)=12.21−0.0039T (°C) for the temperature range between 300 and 800°C.     

Superhydrophobic surfaces based on dandelion-like ZnO microspheres

This study presents a simple method to fabricate superhydrophobic surface based on ZnO nanoneedles. ZnO nanoneedles had been constructed on zinc layers by immersing in an aqueous NH₄OH solution at 80 °C. The ZnO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ZnO films exhibited excellent superhydrophilicity (contact angle for water was 0°), while they changed wettability to superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle greater than 150° after further chemical modification with n-dodecanoic acid. The procedure reported here only needs readily available reagents and laboratory equipments, which can be applied to various substrates of any size and shape.     

Characterization of the low temperature dopant activation behavior at NiSi/silicon interface formed by implant into silicide method

Process temperature and thermal budget control are very important for high-k dielectric device manufacturing. This work focuses on the characteristics of low temperature activated nickel silicide/silicon (M/S) interface formed by implant into silicide (IIS) method. By combining SIMS, C-V, I-V, and AFM measurements in this work, it provides a clear picture that the high dopant activation ratio can be achieved at low temperature (below 600 °C) by IIS method. From SIMS and C-V measurements, high dopant activation behavior is exhibited, and from I-V measurement, the ohmic contact behavior at the M/S junction is showed. AFM inspection displays that under 2nd RTA 700 °C 30 s no agglomeration occurs. These results suggest that IIS method has the potential to integrate with high-k dielectric due to its low process temperature. It gives an alternate for future device integration.     

The influence of crack breathing and imbalance orientation angle on the characteristics of the critical speed of a cracked rotor

By analyzing the limitations of weight dominance and by taking the complicated whirl of the rotor into account, general equations of motion have been developed in case of a Jeffcott rotor with a transverse crack. The angle between the crack direction and the shaft deformation direction is used to determine the closing and opening of the crack, allowing one to study the dynamic response without assuming weight dominance. Using the new equations, the dynamic response of a cracked rotor near its critical speed has been computed via a numerical method to investigate the influence of nonlinear breathing of the crack and that of the imbalance orientation angle β on the stability, critical speed and peak response of the rotor. The results show that nonlinear breathing can improve the stability of a rotor in contrast to a rotor with an open crack, and, with a reversed imbalance (70°<β<270°), that it can reduce the vibration response in contrast to an uncracked rotor. The basic characteristics of a cracked rotor near its critical speed are similar to those of an uncracked rotor. The critical speed can be determined by measuring the rotation of the center of gravity. The critical speed of a cracked rotor is located between the natural frequencies of the fully open crack and those of the fully closed crack and depends on the imbalance orientation angle. Its value is lowest at β≈90° and highest at β≈270°. The peak in the response at the critical speed is mainly determined by the imbalance orientation angle. At β≈0° and 180°, the peak corresponds to the maximum and minimum response, respectively.     

Recombination luminescence in KI-Tl phosphor

The X-ray luminescence and the optical scintillation of certain specimens of KI-Tl with varying activator content when excited by X-ray radiation at T=105 ° K were studied. The temperatute dependence of the brilliance of scintillation and luminescence measured under pulse conditions was found to be complex, and in the temperature range 105 °–240 ° K a series of alternating increases and decreases in these values was observed. At the same time a definite parallelism was found in the changes in brilliance of the luminescence and the scintillation. An increase in brilliance of specimens excited at 105 ° K after heating up to 133 ° K was observed and investigated. The regularities found are explained by the redistribution of hole centers. The data obtained confirm the importance of the part played by the electron-hole mechanism in the migration of the energy of the basic material to the centers of luminescence in KI-Tl phosphor.     

Electrical properties of KTiOPO4 single crystal in the temperature range from −100 °C to 100 °C

The electrical property of a KTiOPO₄ single crystal was studied by means of a dielectric spectroscopy method in the temperature range from −100 to 100 °C. Dielectric dispersion began at a temperature, T_S=−80 °C. It is believed that this dielectric dispersion is related to the ionic hopping conduction, which arises mainly from the jumping of K⁺ ions. The activation energy concerned with hopping conduction is E_a∼0.20 eV above T_S. T_S=−80 °C can be the minimum temperature for the hopping K⁺ ion.     

Design of a solar concentrator combining paraboloidal and hyperbolic mirrors using ray tracing method

A solar concentrator combining primary paraboloidal and secondary hyperboloidal mirrors is numerically designed by using the ray tracing method to obtain higher concentration ratio when the concentrator tracing error exists. It is found that, when the concentrator tracing errors are 0.5° or 1°, the concentration ratios are about 2027 or 1220 without the detector in the radial-direction, and the concentration ratios are about 5447 or 4701 with the detector in the radial-direction. It is shown that such method can increase the concentration solar flux by two folds when the concentrator tracing error exists. Obviously, it is an effective method to reduce the effect of concentrator tracing error even when the angle of concentrator tracing error is considered. In addition, when the angle of concentrator tracing error is small than 1°, a set of mirror shapes is suggested where the primary mirror has a f-number of 0.22 and the secondary mirror has a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.61.     

Generation of thin and hollow beams by the axicon with a large open angle

We propose a method to produce diffraction-free thin and hollow beams. The method is based on Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams incident on a large open-angle axicon. We use the vector diffraction integrals and stationary phase method to deduce a simple and analytical formula of the propagating field of the linearly polarized LG beams through an axicon. The numerical results show that the hollow beams of whose diameter is in the order of the wavelength can be obtained by using the axicon with the refractive index n = 2 and the open angle α = 25°. These diffraction-free thin and hollow beams may be very useful to accurately trap and manipulate atoms. However, when the open angle is over large, the conversion efficiency from the LG beam to the diffraction-free hollow beam will decrease obviously.     

Reversible luminescence thermochromism and phase transition in crystals of thiophenylacetylacetonatoboron difluoride

The low-temperature phase transition (−22.4 °C) is accompanied by marked change of the optical properties, as was first revealed for 3-phenylthiopentan-2,4-dionatoboron difluoride (1) in the series of β-diketonatoboron difluorides. This transition was investigated by luminescence and reflection spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSL), X-ray analysis and atomic force microscopy methods. It was observed by the DSL method that at the room temperature the complex existed in its high-temperature modification and transformed into the stable one with ΔH=0.981 kcal/mol below −22.4 °C. The reverse transition takes place at 43.4 °C with ΔH=0.59 kcal/mol. Cooling of 1 results in a noticeable change of its morphology: the crystal cracked along the layer borders and nanometer particles were formed. Having been cooled the light-yellow crystals turned into white powder and luminescence colour changed from aquamarine to white. Heating of the cooled 1 to the 47.9 °C (the second phase transition) results in partial coincidence of the reflection and luminescence spectra, as well as those of initial single crystals that indicates the existence of size-dependent optic properties.     

Fluorescence enhancement of the aflatoxin B1 by forming inclusion complexes with some cyclodextrins and molecular modeling study

The interaction between the aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and three cyclodextrins, α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and heptakis-2,6-dimethyl-o-β-cyclodextrin (ome-CD), was studied by spectrofluorescence technique. It was found that the inclusion association behavior occurs for the complexes of cyclodextrins with AFB₁. The fluorescence of AFB₁ is generally enhanced in the complexes with cyclodextrins in aqueous solutions. The inclusion complex constants of the three types of cyclodextrins at different temperatures were evaluated from Benesi-Hildebrand plot and also by non-linear regression analysis. These cyclodextrins can only form the 1:1 (host:guest) inclusion complex in the studied temperature range of 20-50 °C. The enthalpy (ΔH°) and entropy (ΔS°) changes of complexation were extracted from the temperature dependency of complex formation constants (K). Temperature-dependent measurements showed that the association step is controlled by enthalpy-entropy compensation effect. The use of ome-CD generally resulted in the greatest fluorescence intensity. On the other hand, the discrepancy between the exhibited enhanced fluorescence and thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°) is proposed to be different only by the orientation of the AFB₁ within the cyclodextrin cavity. To find the most favorable structure, the geometry of complex was investigated by molecular modeling approach employing the semiemperical HF-SCF calculations.     

Temperature and substrate dependence of structure and growth mechanism of carbon nanofiber

The carbon nanofibers were grown on Ni/Si and Ni/Ti/Si substrates in 1 atm CH₄ atmosphere at 640 °C and 700 °C by thermal chemical vapor deposition method. The carbon nanofibers were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectrometry for morphology, microstructure, and crystallinity. The electron emission property of carbon nanofibers was also investigated by current-voltage (I-V) measurement. The results showed that the solid amorphous carbon nanofibers could be grown on Ni/Si substrate at 640 °C through tip growth mechanism, the carbon nanotubes could be grown on Ni/Si substrate at 700 °C through tip growth mechanism, and the carbon nanotubes could be grown on Ni/Ti/Si substrate at 700 °C through root growth mechanism.     

Artifactual circular dichroism effect in a photoelastic modulator

The three-intensity technique is used to calibrate a photoelastic modulator by its temporal waveform. This method not only allows us to measure the intrinsic static phase retardation and modulation amplitude but also provides the evidence for the existence of circular dichroism (CD) in the photoelastic modulator. In this report, we will demonstrate the averaged intensity for normalization in this PEM modulated light not only depicts a periodic modulation, it also exhibits anti-symmetric distributions at P = 45° and P = −45°, which was considered as constant for conventional PEM ellipsometry. Four models were examined to verify that only a circular dichroism medium coupled with the periodical induced birefringence modulator can explain the phenomena. This work can quantitatively measure the artifactual CD effect of PEM and reduce its system error in CD spectrometer which consists of a PEM.     

Difference in high-temperature oxidation resistance of amorphous Zr-Si-N and W-Si-N films with a high Si content

The high-temperature oxidation resistance of amorphous Zr-Si-N and W-Si-N films with a high Si content (≥20 at.%) deposited by reactive dc magnetron sputtering at different partial pressures of nitrogen was systematically investigated by means of a symmetrical high-resolution thermogravimetry in a flowing air up to an annealing temperature of 1300 °C (a temperature limit for Si(1 0 0) substrate). Additional analyses including X-ray diffraction (XRD), light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and microhardness measurement were carried out as well. The obtained results showed (i) an excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance of the Zr-Si-N films up to 1300 °C, (ii) a considerably lower oxidation resistance of the W-Si-N films. The W-Si-N films are completely oxidized at 800 °C with a subsequent volatilization of unstable WO_x oxides. On the other hand, the Zr-Si-N films are oxidized only very slightly on the surface, where a stable oxide barrier layer preventing further inward oxygen diffusion is formed. The thickness of the oxide layer is only about of 3% of the total film thickness. The phase composition, thermal stability of individual phases and amorphous structure were found to be key factors to achieve a high oxidation resistance.     

Temperature measurement of air convection using a Schlieren system

In this work, we have developed a procedure for full-field measurement of temperature of a fluid flow by using the schlieren technique. The basic idea is to relate the intensity level of each pixel in a schlieren image to the corresponding knife-edge position measured at the exit focal plane of the system. The method is applied in the measurement of temperature fields of the air convection caused by a heated rectangular metal plate (7.3 cm×12 cm). Our tests are carried out at plate temperatures of 50 °C and 80 °C. To validate the proposed method, the schlieren temperature results are compared to those obtained by a thermocouple. Thermocouple data are obtained along two mutually perpendicular directions (one direction along the optical axis, z-direction, and other direction along the x-axis, which is perpendicular to the optical axis) at points located on a 9×9 grid with a variable spacing. The thermocouple measurements were integrated along the z-axis in order to be compared with the measurements obtained by the schlieren technique. The results from the two methods show good agreement between them.     

Low-temperature growth of polycrystalline Ge thin film on glass by in situ deposition and ex situ solid-phase crystallization for photovoltaic applications

Poly-crystalline germanium (poly-Ge) thin films have potential for lowering the manufacturing cost of photovoltaic devices especially in tandem solar cells, but high crystalline quality would be required. This work investigates the crystallinity of sputtered Ge thin films on glass prepared by in situ growth and ex situ solid-phase crystallization (SPC). Structural properties of the films were characterized by Raman, X-ray diffraction and ultraviolet-visible reflectance measurements. The results show the transition temperature from amorphous to polycrystalline is between 255 °C and 280 °C for in situ grown poly-Ge films, whereas the transition temperature is between 400 °C and 500 °C for films produced by SPC for a 20 h annealing time. The in situ growth in situ crystallized poly-Ge films at 450 °C exhibit significantly better crystalline quality than those formed by solid-phase crystallization at 600 °C. High crystalline quality at low substrate temperature obtained in this work suggests the poly-Ge films could be promising for use in thin film solar cells on glass.     

Theoretical study of the electro-optic effect of aperiodically poled lithium niobate in a Q-switched dual-wavelength laser

The electro-optic effect of aperiodically poled lithium niobate (APLN) has been theoretically investigated and proposed to use as a Q-switch in a simultaneous dual-wavelength laser. Our analysis shows that the polarization planes of the z-polarized (or y-polarized) dual-wavelength beams can be simultaneously rotated by 90° through a well-constructed APLN with an external electric field applied along the y-axis, which enables Q-switch function in a dual-wavelength laser cavity. Using a Nd:YVO₄ laser operating at 1.0643 μm and 1.3419 μm as an example, we present a design method of APLN by using the so-called simulated annealing algorithm. The influence of the domain errors in fabricating an APLN device is also studied. The results show that the device is not susceptible to the fabrication errors.     

Surface study of fine MgFe2O4 ferrite powder prepared by chemical methods

To study surface behaviors, MgFe₂O₄ ferrite materials having different grain sizes were synthesized by two different chemical methods, i.e., a polymerization method and a reverse coprecipitation method. The single phase of the cubic MgFe₂O₄ was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction method for both the precursors decomposed at 600-1000 °C except for a very small peak of Fe₂O₃ was detected for the samples calcined at 600 and 700 °C by the polymerization method. The crystal size and particle size increased with an increase in the sintering temperature using both methods. The conductance of the MgFe₂O₄ decreased when the atmosphere was changed from ambient air to air containing 10.0 ppm NO₂. The conductance change, C = G(air)/G(10 ppm NO₂), was reduced with an increase in the operating temperature. For the polymerization method, the maximum C-value was ca. 40 at 300 °C for the samples sintered at 900 °C. However, the samples sintered at 1000 °C showed a low conductance change in the 10 ppm NO₂ gas, because the ratio of the O₂ gas adsorption sites on the particle surface is smaller than those of the samples having a high C-value. The low Mg content on the surface affects the low ratio of the gas adsorption sites. For the reverse coprecipitation method, the particle size was smaller than that of the polymerization method. Although a stable conductance was obtained for the sample sintered at 900 and 1000 °C, its conductance change was less than that of the polymerization method.     

Simultaneous determination of particle size and refractive index by time-resolved Mie scattering

With this numerical study we have investigated the pulse-induced and time-resolved Mie scattering with the aim of determining the size and the refractive index of transparent spherical particles simultaneously. The temporal interval between the scattering light signals of two different orders of scattered light allows only particle sizing. But if it is possible to detect three different orders of scattered light, then we have two independent time intervals. This situation is given if the detector has a position about θ=90°. With these scattering angle signals of reflection and refraction of 1st and 3rd order appear with approximately the same intensity. Then the numerical quotient of the two temporal intervals between these scattering orders is a function of the refractive index only. We have calculated these specific quotients by models of geometric optics for 1.1≤m≤1.6 and 75°≤θ≤90° and have seen that there is a very high agreement with the results of time-resolved Mie calculations.     

Excitation of ultrasonic Lamb waves using a phased array system with two array probes: Phantom and in vitro bone studies

Long bones are good waveguides to support the propagation of ultrasonic guided waves. The low-order guided waves have been consistently observed in quantitative ultrasound bone studies. Selective excitation of these low-order guided modes requires oblique incidence of the ultrasound beam using a transducer-wedge system. It is generally assumed that an angle of incidence, θ_i, generates a specific phase velocity of interest, c_o, via Snell’s law, θ_i = sin⁻¹(v_w/c_o) where v_w is the velocity of the coupling medium. In this study, we investigated the excitation of guided waves within a 6.3-mm thick brass plate and a 6.5-mm thick bovine bone plate using an ultrasound phased array system with two 0.75-mm-pitch array probes. Arranging five elements as a group, the first group of a 16-element probe was used as a transmitter and a 64-element probe was a receiver array. The beam was steered for six angles (0°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, and 60°) with a 1.6-MHz source signal. An adjoint Radon transform algorithm mapped the time-offset matrix into the frequency-phase velocity dispersion panels. The imaged Lamb plate modes were identified by the theoretical dispersion curves. The results show that the 0° excitation generated many modes with no modal discrimination and the oblique beam excited a spectrum of phase velocities spread asymmetrically about c_o. The width of the excitation region decreased as the steering angle increased, rendering modal selectivity at large angles. The phenomena were well predicted by the excitation function of the source influence theory. The low-order modes were better imaged at steering angle ?30° for both plates. The study has also demonstrated the feasibility of using the two-probe phased array system for future in vivo study.