Estimation of growth rate in unidirectionally solidified multicrystalline silicon by the growth-induced striation method

Multicrystalline silicon was grown by unidirectional solidification method using the accelerated crucible rotation technique. The application of the accelerated crucible rotation technique in unidirectional solidification method induced growth striations across the axial direction of the grown crystal. This striation pattern was observed from carbon concentration distribution, obtained by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The generated striation pattern was found to be weak and discontinuous. Some striations were absent, probably due to back melting, caused during each crucible rotation. From the growth striations and applied time period in crucible rotation, the growth rate was estimated by using Fourier transformation analysis.     

Evaluating the equivalence of verbal scales and question stems to be used in English and Japanese noise annoyance questions

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the equivalence of noise annoyance scales and questions recommended by Team 6 (Community Response to Noise) of ICBEN for English and Japanese, two strikingly different languages. The first experiment was conducted with bilingual subjects in order to test a key assumption of the method established by ICBEN Team 6 for the development of equivalent noise annoyance scales: subjects who speak different languages interpret the concept of “highest degree” of annoyance similarly. The results indicate that English- and Japanese-speaking subjects do interpret the “highest degree” similarly. The second experiment tested for effects of wording differences. English- and Japanese-speaking subjects were presented with noise annoyance questions of one of three format types. The first type was similar to the question format recommended by ICBEN Team 6. It focused on the degree to which a given noise would “bother, disturb, or annoy” the subject. The second asked subjects to evaluate the “bothersome, annoying, or disturbing” quality of the noise. The third asked how much the noise would “worry, irritate, or concern” the subject. No significant difference was found in responses to the three formats when subjects evaluated noise in laboratory conditions.     

Certain condition on the second fundamental form of CR submanifolds of maximal CR dimension of complex Euclidean space

We treat m-dimensional real submanifolds M of complex space forms ̿M when the maximal holomorphic tangent subspace is (m−1)-dimensional. On these manifolds there exists an almost contact structure F which is naturally induced from the ambient space and in this paper we study the condition h(FX,Y)−h(X,FY) = g(FX,Y)η, η∊ T⊥(M), on the structure F and on the second fundamental form h of these submanifolds. Especially when the ambient space ̿M is a complex Euclidean space, we obtain a complete classification of submanifolds M which satisfy these conditions.Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000): 53C15, 53C40, 53B20.     

Spherical dye-doped silica particles

Organic dyes such as water soluble porphyrins were incorporated into monodispersed SiO₂ particles using the sol-gel technique (the Stober synthesis) and their monomeric and dimeric properties were investigated by aiming at the microcavity effect. Doping efficiencies of dyes into SiO₂ particles depended on dye's hydrophilic properties. The doping efficiency of a porphyrin, TTMAPP, decreased with increasing the nominal content in the starting solution and the doping content showed the maximum value of 1.6×10^–5 mol/g SiO₂. With increasing the TTMAPP content, spectra of doped particles were changed from dimeric to monomeric nature; the absorption peak due to dimers disappeared and halfwidth of absorption at Soret band decreased. This unusual change was caused by the decrease of particle sizes by dye doping. The TTMAPP-doped sample having monomeric spectrum showed the fluorescence life time of 8.5 nsec and photochemical hole burning at about 5 K.     

Borderline of hydrogen bonding of silanols

Two new silanols bearing very bulky silyl groups, (i-Pr₃ Si)₃SiOH and (t − BuMe₂Si)₃SiOH were prepared by peracidoxidation of their respective silanes. The X − ray crystallographic analysis revealed that (t − BuMe₂Si)₃ SiOH forms a dimeric structure with hydrogen bonding, while (i − Pr₃ Si)₃ SiOH exists as a monomer in the crystal. The effects of the size of the substituents as well as the reactivity of these silanols are discussed.