Positive photosensitive polyimides with cyclobutane structure

A new family of positive photosensitive polyimide (PPI) systems composed of solvent soluble polyimides (Pls) with cyclobutane (CBDA) structures and diazonaphthoquinone compounds (DNQ) has been prepared. Heat and catalytic imidizations were carried out to obtain CBDA Pls; the former was better than the latter in controlling the molecular weight of the Pl. The ? OH groups in the Pls were easily acetylated during catalytic imidization, so ? COOH groups were selected as weak acidic groups in the Pls. The ? COOH groups were also effective in giving the Pls an alkaline solubility. Therefore, Pls having ? COOH groups were superior to those having ? OH groups for PPI systems. The photosensitive properties of various PPl systems containing ? COOH were found to vary with the fraction of ? COOH groups in the Pls, the content of DNQ in the systems, and the molecular weight of the Pls.     

Simulation of the nonlinear vibration of a string using the Cellular Automata based on the reflection rule

In this study, the nonlinear dynamic responses of a string are simulated using the Cellular Automata method based on the reflection rule. In the case of nonlinear systems, the velocity of wave propagation is not constant and depends on the amplitude. A new treatment of the dynamic time step is proposed for the Cellular Automata method considering the effect of the propagation velocity. As numerical examples, first, the dynamic responses of a string with linear characteristic are simulated using the Cellular Automata method. A typical resonance curve can be obtained. Second, the dynamic responses of a string with nonlinear characteristic are simulated using the proposed method. Some characteristic types of vibration can be obtained. It is concluded that the linear and nonlinear dynamic responses of a string may be obtained by simulation using the Cellular Automata method.     

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.     

High-throughput characterization of local conductivity of Nd0.9Ca0.1Ba2Cu3O7−δ thin film by the low-temperature scanning microwave microscope

We developed a scanning microwave microscope (SμM) designed for high-throughput electric-property screening as well as for rapid construction of electronic phase diagrams at low temperatures. As a sensor probe, we used a high-Qλ/4 coaxial cavity resonator to which a thin needle with ball-tip end was attached. The sensor module was mounted on the low-temperature XYZ stage, which allowed us to map out the change of resonance frequency and quality factor due to the local tip-sample interaction at low temperatures. From the measurements of combinatorial thin films, such as Ti_1−xCo_xO_2−δ and Nd_0.9Ca_0.1Ba₂Cu₃O_7−δ (NCBCO), it was demonstrated that this SμM system has enough performance for the high-throughput characterization of sample conductance under variable temperature conditions.     

Bump formation on a glass surface with a transparent coating using femtosecond laser processing

The morphology of a glass surface having a transparent coating processed with focused femtosecond laser pulses is investigated. The transparent coating is formed of poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA). When the glass was coated with a PMMA film with a thickness of 2.8 μm, bumps were formed over a wide range of axial focus positions. The same laser pulse energy produced cavities when processing bare glass with no coating. The bumps were formed as a result of suppressing material emission from the glass surface by a shielding effect of plasma generated by ablation of the PMMA film and by physical blocking of the PMMA film. A thinner film with a thickness of 0.7 μm produced a reduced shielding effect, forming an exploded bump with a small pit at its center and debris around the periphery. PACS 44.10.+i; 61.80.Ba; 79.20.Ds     

Recursive Fermion System in Cuntz Algebra. I

Embeddings of the CAR (canonical anticommutation relations) algebra of fermions into the Cuntz algebra ?₂ (or ?_{2 d} more generally) are presented by using recursive constructions. As a typical example, an embedding of CAR onto the U(1)-invariant subalgebra of ?₂ is constructed explicitly. Generalizing this construction to the case of ?_{2 p} , an embedding of CAR onto the U(1)-invariant subalgebra of ?_{2 p} is obtained. Restricting a permutation representation of the Cuntz algebra, we obtain the Fock representation of CAR. We apply the results to embed the algebra of parafermions of order p into ?_{2 p} according to Green's ansatz. Received: 3 September 2001 / Accepted: 19 January 2002     

Pressure and temperature effects on the excess deuteron and proton conductance

The limiting molar conductances ° of deuterium chloride DCl in D₂O were determined as a function of pressure and temperature in order to examine the proton-jump mechanism in detail. The excess deuteron conductances °_E(D ⁺), as estimated by the equation [°_E(D ⁺) = °(DCl/D ₂ O) – °(KCl/D ₂ O)], increases with an increase in the pressure and temperature as well as the excess proton conductance [°_E(H ⁺) = °(HCl/H ₂ O) – °(KCl/H ₂ O)]. The isotope effect on the excess conductances, however, depends on the pressure and temperature contrary to the model proposed by Conway et al.: °_E(H ⁺)/°_E(D ⁺) decreases with increasing pressure and temperature. The magnitude of the decrease with pressure becomes more prominent at lower temperature. These results are discussed in terms of the pre-rotation of adjacent water molecules, the bending of hydrogen bonds with pressure, and the difference in strength of hydrogen bonds between D₂O and H₂O.