Microstructure control of low-resistivity tin-doped indium oxide films grown by photoreaction of nanoparticles using a KrF excimer laser at room temperature

A tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) film on a SiO₂ substrate was prepared by photo-irradiation of spin-coated nanoparticles using a Xe excimer lamp and a KrF excimer laser. The effects of the excimer lamp and the excimer laser on the resistivity, mobility, and carrier concentration of the film were investigated. To better understand how to control the microstructure of the film, we investigated the effect of thickness on the resistivity of a film prepared by the two-step process, and found that the resistivity was higher in a thicker film. Using two-step irradiation plus one-step KrF irradiation in N₂ at room temperature, we produced an ITO film with lowest resistivity of any in this study. The electrical resistivity of this film was 5.94×10⁻⁴ Ω cm. On the other hand, when using a simple thermal process, the resistivity of a film sintered at 500°C in N₂ was 4.10×10⁻³ Ω cm. The differences in resistivity are discussed on the basis of the microstructure of the films using atomic force microscopy and Hall measurements.     

Growup of solutions for a semilinear heat equation with supercritical nonlinearity

We consider a Cauchy problem for a semilinear heat equation

(P)     

System identification based on distribution theory and wavelet transform

A review of system identification based on distribution theory is given. By the Schwartz kernel theorem, to every continuous linear system there corresponds a unique distribution, called kernel distribution. Formulae using wavelet transform to access time--frequency information of kernel distributions are deduced. A new wavelet-based system identification method for health monitoring systems is proposed as an application of a discretized formula using stationary wavelet transform.     

Mathematical background for a method on quotient signal decomposition

The blind source separation problem is discussed in this article. Focusing on the assumption of independency of the sources in the time-frequency domain, we present a mathematical formulation for the estimation problem of the number of sources. The proposed method uses the quotient of complex valued time-frequency information of only two observed signals to detect the number of sources. No fewer number of observed signals than the detected number of sources is needed to separate sources. The assumption on sources is quite general independence in the time-frequency plane, which is different from that of independent component analysis. We propose algorithms with feedback and give numerical simulations to show the method works well even for noisy case.     

Spectral and phase space analysis of the linearized non-cutoff Kac collision operator

The non-cutoff Kac operator is a kinetic model for the non-cutoff radially symmetric Boltzmann operator. For Maxwellian molecules, the linearization of the non-cutoff Kac operator around a Maxwellian distribution is shown to be a function of the harmonic oscillator, to be diagonal in the Hermite basis and to be essentially a fractional power of the harmonic oscillator. This linearized operator is a pseudodifferential operator, and we provide a complete asymptotic expansion for its symbol in a class enjoying a nice symbolic calculus. Related results for the linearized non-cutoff radially symmetric Boltzmann operator are also proven.     

On a variational inequality associated with a stopping game combined with a control

We study a non-linear elliptic variational inequality which corresponds to a zero-sum stopping game (Dynkin game) combined with a control. Our result is a generalization of the existing works by Bensoussan [ Stochastic Control by Functional Analysis Methods (North-Holland, Amsterdam), 1982], Bensoussan and Lions [ Applications des Inéquations Variationnelles en Contrôle Stochastique (Dunod, Paris), 1978] and Friedman [ Stochastic Differential Equations and Applications (Academic Press, New York), 1976] in the sense that a non-linear term appears in the variational inequality, or equivalently, that the underlying process for the corresponding stopping game is subject to a control. By using the dynamic programming principle and the method of penalization, we show the existence and uniqueness of a viscosity solution of the variational inequality and describe it as the value function of the corresponding combined-stochastic game problem.     

Contribution of Discharge Excited Atomic N,N2*, and N2+ to a Plasma/Liquid Interfacial Reaction as Suggested by Quantitative Analysis

Electric-discharge nitrogen comprises three main types of excited nitrogen species-atomic nitrogen (N_atom), excited nitrogen molecules (N₂*), and nitrogen ions (N₂⁺) – which have different lifetimes and reactivities. In particular, the interfacial reaction locus between the discharged nitrogen and the water phase produces nitrogen compounds such as ammonia and nitrate ions (denoted as N-compounds generically); this is referred to as the plasma/liquid interfacial (P/L) reaction. The N_atom amount was analyzed quantitatively to clarify the contribution of N_atom to the P/L reaction. We focused on the quantitative relationship between N_atom and the produced N-compounds, and found that both N₂* and N₂⁺, which are active species other than N_atom, contributed to P/L reaction. The production of N-compounds from N₂* and N₂⁺ was enhanced upon UV irradiation of the water phase, but the production of N-compounds from N_atom did not increase by UV irradiation. These results revealed that the P/L reactions starting from N_atom and those starting from N₂^* and N₂⁺ follow different mechanisms.     

A pilot study on improving the absorptivity of a thick microperforated panel absorber

Microperforated panel (MPP) absorbers are promising as a basis for the next-generation of sound absorbing materials. MPPs are typically made of a thin metal or plastic panel. However, thin limp panels are generally not suitable as an interior finish of room walls because they do not have sufficient strength, which prevents practical application of MPPs as an interior finish of room walls. In order to overcome the lack of appropriate strength required for room walls, it is possible to make an MPP out of a thick panel. However, thick MPPs are usually not efficient because the resistance and/or reactance become too high. In this study, trial production of thick MPPs and measurement of their normal absorption coefficients were carried out. Results show that efficient absorption can be given with a thick MPP by using a tapered perforation.     

Visualization of mitotic HeLa cells by advanced polarized light microscopy

The conventional polarized light imaging system can observe sub-microscopic molecular order non-destructively, quantitatively and without labeling or staining. Recently, a more sophisticated version, Abrio imaging system, than the conventional polarized light imaging system, was developed. This advanced polarized light imaging system has simplified the process of birefringent imaging, higher sensitivity and accuracy irrespective of sample orientation. By performing time-lapse observations using the advanced polarized light microscopy, we visualized mitotic spindles, especially kinetochore microtubules, of HeLa cells. Moreover, we successfully visualized the detailed structure of several filament bundles, which possibly are components of the contractile ring. Here, we report the potential of advanced polarized light imaging systems for imaging mitotic HeLa cells and the new insights obtained during this microscopic study.     

Diffusion and reactions of interstitial oxygen species in amorphous SiO2: A review

This article briefly summarizes the diffusion and reactions of interstitial oxygen species in amorphous SiO₂ (a-SiO₂). The most common form of interstitial oxygen species is oxygen molecule (O₂), which is sensitively detectable via its characteristic infrared photoluminescence (PL) at 1272 nm. The PL observation of interstitial O₂ provides key data to verify various processes related to interstitial oxygen species: the dominant role of interstitial O₂ in long-range oxygen transport in a-SiO₂; formation of the Frenkel defect pair (Si–Si bond and interstitial oxygen atom, O⁰) by dense electronic excitation; efficient photolysis of interstitial O₂ into O⁰ with F₂ laser light (λ = 157 nm, hν = 7.9 eV); and creation of interstitial ozone molecule via reaction of interstitial O₂ with photogenerated O⁰. The efficient formation of interstitial O⁰ by F₂ laser photolysis makes it possible to investigate the mobility, optical absorption, and chemical reactions of interstitial O⁰. The observed properties of O⁰ are consistent with the model that O⁰ takes the configuration of Si–O–O–Si bond. Interstitial O₂ and O⁰ react with dangling bonds, oxygen vacancies, and chloride groups in a-SiO₂. Reactions of interstitial O₂ and O⁰ with mobile interstitial hydrogen species produce interstitial water molecules and hydroperoxy radicals. Interstitial hydroxyl radicals are formed by F₂ laser photolysis of interstitial water molecules.