Structure of a planar electric double layer containing size-asymmetric ions: density functional approach

We have studied the structure of the electrolytes with asymmetries in charge and size near a charged planar electric double layer by a density functional theory. In the present theory, the hard-sphere contribution has been approximated as the direct pair correlation function with the coupling parameter, whereas the electronic contribution has been approximated as the mean-spherical approximation in the bulk phase. This theoretical approach for the size-symmetric and size-asymmetric electrolytes displays a good agreement with the simulation results over a wide range of surface charge densities and electrolyte concentrations. However, the accuracy between the present theory and the simulation results slightly deteriorates for the highly size-asymmetric electrolytes and the multivalent electrolytes. In these cases, the performance of the present theory is comparable to those of the simplified extension of the Poisson–Boltzmann theory and the modified Poisson–Boltzmann theory. The calculated result indicates that the surface charge distribution function, which was introduced as an indicator for studying the charge reversal, layering effect, and surface charge amplification in a planar electric double layer, describes the electronic properties of a planar electric double layer well.     

Temperature dependence of the P-hit single event transient pulse width in a three-transistor inverter chain

A comparison of the temperature dependence of the P-hit single event transient (SET) in a two-transistor (2T) inverter with that in a three-transistor (3T) inverter is carried out based on a three-dimensional numerical simulation.Due to the significantly distinct mechanisms of the single event change collection in the 2T and the 3T inverters,the temperature plays different roles in the SET production and propagation.The SET pulse will be significantly broadened in the 2T inverter chain while will be compressed in the 3T inverter chain as temperature increases.The investigation provides a new insight into the SET mitigation under the extreme environment,where both the high temperature and the single event effects should be considered.The 3T inverter layout structure (or similar layout structures) will be a better solution for spaceborne integrated circuit design for extreme environments.     

Temperature dependence of the P-hit single event transient pulse width in a three-transistor inverter chain

A comparison of the temperature dependence of the P-hit single event transient (SET) in a two-transistor (2T) inverter with that in a three-transistor (3T) inverter is carried out based on a three-dimensional numerical simulation. Due to the significantly distinct mechanisms of the single event change collection in the 2T and the 3T inverters, the temperature plays different roles in the SET production and propagation. The SET pulse will be significantly broadened in the 2T inverter chain while will be compressed in the 3T inverter chain as temperature increases. The investigation provides a new insight into the SET mitigation under the extreme environment, where both the high temperature and the single event effects should be considered. The 3T inverter layout structure (or similar layout structures) will be a better solution for spaceborne integrated circuit design for extreme environments.     

Track recording properties of soda glass detector for accelerated heavy ions

The etch pit diameters of soda glass detector samples exposed to ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ions of different energies are measured for different etching times after etching the detector in a ‘new etchant’ free of the adverse effect of the etch product layer. The dependence of track diameter on the energy and on the energy loss, dE/dx of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ion in soda glass has been presented. The energy resolution of soda glass and the critical angle for etching of fission fragment tracks in glass detectors have also been determined. The maximum etched track length of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ion in soda glass has been compared with the theoretical range. The effects of different annealing conditions on bulk etch rate of glass detector and on diameters of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ion tracks have been presented. Experimental results show that there is a decrease in track etch rate, etching efficiency and etchable range of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ions with annealing. The annealing of oblique tracks shows that the vertical tracks are more stable than the oblique tracks.     

Comparative study of various stopping power formulations for heavy ions in solids

A comparative study of different energy loss formulations viz. Benton and Henke, Mukherjee and Nayak, Zieglar et al. and Hubert et al. has been done at lower energies (0.5 to 5 MeV/n) with the aim to identify their relative validity in this energy range. Calculated results using these formulations have been compared with experimental results available in literature.     

Applications of a silicon photodiode detector for radon progeny measurements

An application of our developed silicon photodiode detector for radon progeny measurements is presented in this paper. It was determined the deposition velocity for free (3.6 ± 0.7) × 10⁻³ m s⁻¹ and attached (1.0 ± 0.5) × 10⁻⁵ m s⁻¹ fraction of short living radon progeny.     

The dual role of multiple-transistor charge sharing collection in single-event transients

As technologies scale down in size, multiple-transistors being affected by a single ion has become a universal phenomenon, and some new effects are present in single event transients (SETs) due to the charge sharing collection of the adjacent multiple-transistors. In this paper, not only the off-state p-channel metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (PMOS FET), but also the on-state PMOS is struck by a heavy-ion in the two-transistor inverter chain, due to the charge sharing collection and the electrical interaction. The SET induced by striking the off-state PMOS is efficiently mitigated by the pulse quenching effect, but the SET induced by striking the on-state PMOS becomes dominant. It is indicated in this study that in the advanced technologies, the SET will no longer just be induced by an ion striking the off-state transistor, and the SET sensitive region will no longer just surround the off-state transistor either, as it is in the older technologies. We also discuss this issue in a three-transistor inverter in depth, and the study illustrates that the three-transistor inverter is still a better replacement for spaceborne integrated circuit design in advanced technologies.     

Performance of a Single-Family Heat Pump at Different Working Conditions Using Small Quantity of Propane as Refrigerant

The performance of a domestic heat pump that uses a low quantity of propane as refrigerant has been experimentally investigated. The heat pump consists of two minichannel aluminium heat exchangers, a scroll compressor, and an electronic expansion valve. It was charged with the minimum amount of refrigerant propane required for the stable operation of the heat pump without permitting refrigerant vapor into the expansion valve at incoming heat source fluid temperature to the evaporator of +10°C. The inlet temperature of the heat source fluid passing through the evaporator was varied from +10°C to ?10°C while holding the condensing temperature constant at 35°C, 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C, respectively. The minimum refrigerant charges required at above-tested condensing temperatures were found to decrease when the condensing temperature increased and were recorded as 230 g, 224 g, 215 g, and 205 g, respectively. The results confirm that a heat pump with 5 kW capacity can be designed with less than 200 g charge of refrigerant propane in the system. Due to the high solubility of propane in compressor lubrication oil, the amount of refrigerant which may escape rapidly in case of accident or leakage is less than 150 g.     

Physical design of a 10 MeV LINAC for polymer radiation processing

In China, polymer radiation processing has become one of the most important processing industries. The radiation processing source may be an electron beam accelerator or a radioactive source. Physical design of an electron beam facility applied for radiation crosslinking is introduced in this paper because of it’s much higher dose rate and efficiency. Main part of this facility is a 10 MeV travelling wave electron linac with constant impedance accelerating structure. A start to end simulation concerning the linac is reported in this paper. The codes Opera-3d, Poisson-superfish and Parmela are used to describe electromagnetic elements of the accelerator and track particle distribution from the cathode to the end of the linac. After beam dynamic optimization, wave phase velocities in the structure have been chosen to be 0.56, 0.9 and 0.999 respectively. Physical parameters about the main elements such as DC electron gun, iris-loaded periodic structure, solenoids, etc, are presented. Simulation results proves that it can satisfy the industrial requirement. The linac is under construction. Some components have been finished. Measurements proved that they are in a good agreement with the design values.     

Investigation of nanoparticulate silicon as printed layers using scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The presence of native oxide on the surface of silicon nanoparticles is known to inhibit charge transport on the surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies reveal that the particles in the printed silicon network have a wide range of sizes and shapes. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that the particle surfaces have mainly the (111)‐ and (100)‐oriented planes which stabilizes against further oxidation of the particles. X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements at the O 1s‐edge have been utilized to study the oxidation and local atomic structure of printed layers of silicon nanoparticles which were milled for different times. XANES results reveal the presence of the +4 (SiO₂) oxidation state which tends towards the +2 (SiO) state for higher milling times. Si 2p XPS results indicate that the surfaces of the silicon nanoparticles in the printed layers are only partially oxidized and that all three sub‐oxide, +1 (Si₂O), +2 (SiO) and +3 (Si₂O₃), states are present. The analysis of the change in the sub‐oxide peaks of the silicon nanoparticles shows the dominance of the +4 state only for lower milling times.     

Cancellation of Simulated Environmental Noise as a Tool for Measuring Vocal Performance During Noise Exposure

It can be difficult for the voice clinician to observe or measure how a patient uses his voice in a noisy environment. We consider here a novel method for obtaining this information in the laboratory. Worksite noise and filtered white noise were reproduced over high-fidelity loudspeakers. In this noise, 11 subjects read an instructional text of 1.5 to 2 minutes duration, as if addressing a group of people. Using channel estimation techniques, the site noise was suppressed from the recording, and the voice signal alone was recovered. The attainable noise rejection is limited only by the precision of the experimental setup, which includes the need for the subject to remain still so as not to perturb the estimated acoustic channel. This feasibility study, with 7 female and 4 male subjects, showed that small displacements of the speaker's body, even breathing, impose a practical limit on the attainable noise rejection. The noise rejection was typically 30 dB and maximally 40 dB down over the entire voice spectrum. Recordings thus processed were clean enough to permit voice analysis with the long-time average spectrum and the computerized phonetogram. The effects of site noise on voice sound pressure level, fundamental frequency, long-term average spectrum centroid, phonetogram area, and phonation time were much as expected, but with some interesting differences between females and males.     

Feasibility study for the use of PADC as a radiation detector for living cell cultures

In the framework of an ESA project, a microbiological experiment in space is planned. In this experiment a cell culture will be exposed to cosmic radiation onboard a spacecraft. Because the living cell culture will be directly on a nuclear track detector stack, this detector will be submitted to a different environment than normally used. The temperature will be 37°C and the culture will be in a biological growth medium. Tests have been conducted to assess the possible use of PADC in these conditions. For this, a series of alpha irradiated detectors have been exposed for different periods of time (up to 1 month) to these ‘biological’ conditions. The radiological properties as well as the mechanical properties (swelling…) have been investigated. Results show no influence of the biological environment on the PADC, which makes it useable under these circumstances.     

Sputtering yields for light ions as a function of angle of incidence

The sputtering yield of Ni, Mo, and Au have been measured at oblique angles of incidence for H⁺-, D⁺-, and⁴He⁺-ion irradiation in the energy region from 1 to 8 keV. The yields were determined from the weight loss of the targets. For Ni and Mo the dependence of the sputtering yield on the angle of incidence was found to be much stronger for H⁺- and D⁺-ion than for⁴He⁺-ion irradiation. In all cases the maximum in the yield was found at angles of incidence ϑ≧80°, where ϑ is the angle measured from the surface normal. Furthermore the ratio of the maximum yield to the yeild at normal incidence increases with increasing surface binding energy of the target material as well as with increasing ion energy in the energy region inveestigated. The results are discussed qualitatively in view of a model for the sputtering mechanism for light ions.     

Kinetic energy and charge state effects in the X-ray emission of Mo surface induced by Xe q + ( q = 25, 29) ions

L-shell X-ray spectra of Mo surface induced by Xe²⁵⁺ and Xe²⁹⁺ were measured. The X-ray intensity was obtained in the kinetic energy range of the incident ions from 350 to 600 keV. The relationship of X-ray intensity with kinetic energy of the projectile and its charge state were studied, and the simple explanation was given. Supported by the Science and Technology Ministry Foundation of China (Grant No. 2002CCA00900) and the Foundation of National Key Laboratory of Vacuum & Cryogenics Technology and Physics     

Modeling of the drain-induced barrier lowering effect and optimization for a dual-channel 4H silicon carbide metal semiconductor field effect transistor

A new analytical model to describe the drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effect has been obtained by solving the two-dimensional (2D) Poisson's equation for the dual-channel 4H-SiC MESFET (DCFET). Using this analytical model, we calculate the threshold voltage shift and the sub-threshold slope factor of the DCFET, which characterize the DIBL effect. The results show that they are significantly dependent on the drain bias, gate length as well as the thickness and doping concentration of the two channel layers. Based on this analytical model, the structure parameters of the DCFET have been optimized in order to suppress the DIBL effect and improve the performance.     

Modeling of the drain-induced barrier lowering effect and optimization for a dual-channel 4H silicon carbide metal semiconductor field effect transistor

A new analytical model to describe the drain-induced barrier lowering(DIBL) effect has been obtained by solving the two-dimensional(2D) Poisson’s equation for the dual-channel 4H-SiC MESFET(DCFET).Using this analytical model,we calculate the threshold voltage shift and the sub-threshold slope factor of the DCFET,which characterize the DIBL effect.The results show that they are significantly dependent on the drain bias,gate length as well as the thickness and doping concentration of the two channel layers.Based on this analytical model,the structure parameters of the DCFET have been optimized in order to suppress the DIBL effect and improve the performance.     

Investigation of porous silicon carbide as a new material for environmental and optoelectronic applications

In this paper, we present an experimental study on the chemical and electrochemical etching of silicon carbide (SiC) in different HF-based solutions and its application in different fields, such as optoelectronics (photodiode) and environment (gas sensors). The thin SiC films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition method. Different oxidant reagents have been explored. It has been shown that the morphology of the surface evolves with the etching conditions (oxidant, concentration, temperature, etc.). A new chemical polishing solution of polycrystalline 6H-SiC based on HF:Na₂O₂ solution has been developed. Moreover, an electrochemical etching method has been carried out to form a porous SiC layer on both polycrystalline and thin SiC films. The PL results show that the porous polycrystalline 6H-SiC and porous thin SiC films exhibited an intense blue luminescence and a green-blue luminescence centred at 2.82 eV (430 nm) and 2.20 eV (560 nm), respectively. Different device structures based on both prepared samples have been investigated as photodiode and gas sensors.     

Influence of Deformation on Light Particles as a Probe of Nuclear Dissipation for a Neutron-Deficient 178Pb System

Using a diffusion model we investigate deformation effects on the sensitivity of different light particles to nuclear dissipation for a rather neutron-deficient 178pb system. Calculations show that deformation significantly increases the sensitivity of neutron emission to dissipation strength, and that this effect becomes stronger with increasing deformation.