Temperature effect on deposition rate of silicon nitride films

Temperature effects on deposition rate of silicon nitride films were characterized by building a neural network prediction model. The silicon nitride films were deposited by using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system and process parameter effects were systematically characterized by 2⁶⁻¹ fractional factorial experiment. The process parameters involved include a radio frequency power, pressure, temperature, SiH₄, N₂, and NH₃ flow rates. The prediction performance of generalized regression neural network was drastically improved by optimizing multi-valued training factors using a genetic algorithm. Several 3D plots were generated to investigate parameter effects at various temperatures. Predicted variations were experimentally validated. The temperature effect on the deposition rate was a complex function of parameters but N₂ flow rate. Larger decreases in the deposition rate with the temperature were only noticed at lower SiH₄ (or higher NH₃) flow rates. Typical effects of SiH₄ or NH₃ flow rate were only observed at higher or lower temperatures. A comparison with the refractive index model facilitated a selective choice of either SiH₄ or NH₃ for process optimization.     

OPTIMAL HARVESTING POLICY FOR INSHORE-OFFSHORE FISHERY MODEL WITH IMPULSIVE DIFFUSION

This article studies the inshore-offshore fishery model with impulsive diffusion. The existence and global asymptotic stability of both the trivial periodic solution and the positive periodic solution are obtained. The complexity of this system is also analyzed. Moreover, the optimal harvesting policy are given for the inshore subpopulation, which includes the maximum sustainable yield and the corresponding harvesting effort.     

First-principles study on the origin of optical transitions to be associated with F colour centers for PbWO4 crystals

The electronic structures of PbWO₄ crystals containing F type color centers with the lattice structure optimized are studied within the framework of the fully relativistic self-consistent Direc–Slater theory, using a numerically discrete variational (DV-Xα) method. The calculated results show that F and F⁺ centers have donor energy level in forbidden band. Their optical transition energy are 1.84 eV, 2.21 eV, respectively, which corresponds to the 680 nm, 550 nm absorption bands. It predicts that the 680 nm, 550 nm absorption bands originate form the F and F⁺ centers in PbWO₄ crystals.     

On Polynomial Functions over Finite Commutative Rings

Let R be an arbitrary finite commutative local ring. In this paper, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for a function over R to be a polynomial function. Before this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions for a function to be a polynomial function over some special finite commutative local rings were obtained.     

Periodic solutions for a Lotka–Volterra mutualism system with several delays

In the present paper, a Lotka–Volterra type mutualism system with several delays is studied. Some new and interesting sufficient conditions are obtained for the global existence of positive periodic solutions of the mutualism system. Our method is based on Mawhin’s coincidence degree and novel estimation techniques for the a priori bounds of unknown solutions. Our results are different from the existing ones such as those in of Yang et al. [F. Yang, D. Jiang, A. Ying, Existence of positive solution of multidelays facultative mutualism system, J. Eng. Math. 3 (2002) 64–68] and Chen et al. [F. Chen, J. Shi, X. Chen, Periodicity in a Lotka–Volterra facultative mutualism system with several delays, J. Eng. Math. 21 (3) (2004) 403–409].     

Determination of ultra-trace gold in natural water by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry after in situ enrichment with thiol cotton fiber

A simple method of determining ultra-trace Au in natural water was presented by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GFAAS) after in situ enrichment with thiol cotton fiber (TCF). The sample solution was adjusted to pH 1.5-2.0 with HCl, then the water sample was passed through a column packed with 0.10-0.20 g TCF and the flow rate was controlled at 20-40 ml min⁻¹. The effects of interferences, such as complexing and oxidizing agents and other elements adsorbed on TCF were overcome by chemical treatments prior to the desorption of Au. The adsorbed Au was adsorbed with 2.0 ml hot acid, then it was extracted with 1.00 ml methyl isobutylketone (MIBK). For a 5 l water sample, the detection limit of Au is 0.02 ng l⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for the determination of 1.44 ng l⁻¹ Au was 9.4%.The method was applied to determine ultra-trace Au both in suspended phase and soluble phase in natural water, the concentrations of total Au in natural water samples range from 0.51 to 67.82 ng l⁻¹. The recovery of added 0.50-6.00 ng l⁻¹ Au was 80-95%. The method is useful in prospecting for Au deposits by means of hydrogeochemical methods. The enrichment is carried out in the field, and then the determination of Au is completed later in the laboratory.     

New Kamenev-type oscillation criteria for second-order nonlinear differential equations with damping

Some new oscillation criteria are established for the nonlinear damped differential equation (r(t)y′)′+p(t)y′+q(t)f(y)=0 that are different from most known ones in the sense that they are based on a class of new functions Φ(t,s,r) defined in the sequel. Our results are sharper than some previous results which can be seen by the examples at the end of this paper.     

On Romanoff's constant

In 1934, Romanoff proved that there are a positive proportion natural numbers which can be expressed as the sum of a prime and a power of 2. In this paper, a quantitative version of this theorem is given. We show that the proportion is larger than 0.0868 and for a positive proportion of odd integers the number of such representations is between 1 and 16.     

D-N交替法与Schwartz交替法的收敛关系分析

This paper has demonstrated that the Schwartz alternating process must converge if D-N alternating process has converged. Its technique is that the overlapping regions in Schwartz alternating process are considered as independent domains, then Schwartz alternating process could be transformed into D-N alter-nating process. Finally the convergence estimation of Schwartz alternating process could be obtained. The results show that its convergence rate is same as that of D-N alternating process.     

Temperature measurements using fiber optic polarization interferometer

A novel measurement method of temperature based on the phenomena that the phase difference between principle polarization states in the optical retarder is function of temperature is described. The polarization state of optical beam is changed as it passes through the optical retarder, which depends on the temperature. The temperature of optical retarder is determined by comparison of the power difference between principal polarization states. We demonstrate successfully the temperature measurement by using a polarization maintaining fiber as the optical retarder. With a 100 mm length of the fiber optic retarder, the change rate of phase difference on temperature was 0.236 rad/°C and the measurement error was ±0.038°C over the temperature range of −2.6 – +3.4°C. With a 11.5 mm length of the fiber optic retarder, the change rate of phase difference on temperature was 0.021 rad/°C and the measurement error was ±0.79°C over the temperature range of −8.5 – +86.5°C.