Surface reactions and kinetically-driven patterning scheme for selective deposition of Si and Ge nanoparticle arrays on HfO2

We demonstrate a kinetically-driven patterning scheme to selectively position arrays of Ge or Si nanoparticles within lithographically defined HfO₂ windows. The surface reactions enabling patterning are revealed through temperature programmed desorption experiments and selectivity of the deposition is verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Patterning is possible by exploiting the different reactivity of Ge and Si on HfO₂ and SiO₂ surfaces and employing a sacrificial SiO₂ mask on which adatoms etch the SiO₂ surface and do not accumulate to form nanocrystals.     

Finding an interior point in the optimal face of linear programs

We study the problem of finding a point in the relative interior of the optimal face of a linear program. We prove that in the worst case such a point can be obtained in O(n ³ L) arithmetic operations. This complexity is the same as the complexity for solving a linear program. We also show how to find such a point in practice. We report and discuss computational results obtained for the linear programming problems in the NETLIB test set.Research supported in part by NSF Grant CCR-8810107, CCR-9019469 and a grant from GTE Laboratories.Research supported in part by NSF Grant DDM-8922636 and NSF Coop. Agr. No. CCR-8809615 through Rice University.     

A relaxed version of Karmarkar's method

A relaxed version of Karmarkar's method is developed. This method is proved to have the same polynomial time complexity as Karmarkar's method and its efficient implementation using inexact projections is discussed. Computational results obtained using a preliminary implementation of the method are presented which indicate that the method is practicable.This research was supported in part by NSF Grants CDR 84-21402 and DMS-85-12277 and ONR Contract N00014-87-K-0214.     

DNA damage by fasicularin

Fasicularin is a structurally novel thiocyanate-containing alkaloid isolated from the ascidian Nephteis fasicularis. Early biological experiments suggested that this compound's cytotoxic properties may stem from its ability to damage cellular DNA. Sequence gel analysis reveals that treatment of a 5'-32P-labeled DNA duplex with fasicularin in pH 7.0 buffer causes strand cleavage selectively at guanine residues. Further experiments indicate that production of these base-labile lesions in DNA involves alkylation of guanine residues by a fasicularin-derived aziridinium ion. This work reveals fasicularin as the first natural product found to generate a DNA-alkylating aziridinium ion via a mechanism analogous to the clinically used anticancer drugs mechlorethamine, melphalan, and chlorambucil.     

New synthetic approach to yttrium hydroxoacetates, structural characterization, and use as a precursor for coated conductors

A novel synthetic approach is given for the preparation of a metal-organic lanthanide sol-gel precursor solution and its application for the production of coated conductors. Besides all other problems concerning the technical process itself, the key to a successful deposition of oxide layers is the choice of the precursor solution and the understanding of the mechanism of deposition. Moreover, the isolation and characterization of the species involved in the reaction is very important. Regarding the complex process occurring during the formation of the surface layer, it is obvious that the best choice should have a compound already containing the final composition of the layer. Two compounds of composition [Y(OAc)3(H2O)2]2 and [Y(OAc)3]2(H2O) were isolated from their precursor solution and characterized by X-ray structural analysis. A short outlook will give an insight into the possible bonding mechanisms of the surface layer. These experiments were made with the mixed metal-oxide system yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide, which is widely used as a substrate for superconducting oxides. A study of the structure of hydrated yttrium acetates, by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectra, and elemental analysis demonstrates that there are two separate structures for hydrated yttrium acetates, which play a role as an intermediate in the building of ceramic oxide layers for coated conductors.     

镉取代对纳米镍铁氧体结构和磁性的影响

采用湿化学共沉淀法合成了Ni_1-xCd_xFe₂O₄ (0≤x≤0.5)的混合铁氧体,利用X射线衍射对其结构和晶相进行表征．结果表明：随着镉Cd浓度的增加晶格参数逐渐增大．扫描电子显微镜研究微观结构,TG/DTA研究了硫酸共沉淀物．揭示了在650 oC合成铁氧体同时进行分解．测量了纳米粒子的磁化强度和交流磁化率．结果表明,Ni_1-xCd_xFe₂O₄混合铁氧体的磁化率、居里温度和有效磁矩随着镉含量的增加下降。     

Polymer microenvironmental effects on the photophysics of cinchonine dication

Photophysical properties of cinchonine dication (C⁺⁺) have been studied in protic and aprotic polymers by monitoring steady state and time resolved measurements. It is found to be sensitive towards the microenvironment of polymers. Edge excitation red shifted emission (EERS) is observed in all polymeric matrices. However, the magnitude of EERS is relatively high in protic as compared to aprotic polymer. Isobestic point in excitation spectra and three decay components in time resolved measurements indicate more than two trapped chemical species in the heterogeneous environment of the polymer. Solute-polymer interactions are found to produce the third decay channel, unlike in solution phase and may be useful to understand the polymer microenvironment.     

Phase Separation in Confined Geometries

The kinetics of phase separation or domain growth, subsequent to temperature quenches of binary mixtures from the one-phase region into the miscibility gap, still remains a challenging problem of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. We have an incomplete understanding of many aspects of the growth of concentration inhomogeneities, including the effect of surfaces on this process, and the interplay with wetting phenomena and finite-size effects in thin films. In the present paper, an overview of the simulation approaches to this problem is given, with an emphasis on solutions of a diffusive Ginzburg-Landau model. We also discuss two recent alternative approaches: a local molecular field approximation to the Kawasaki spin exchange model on a lattice; and molecular dynamics simulations of a fluid binary Lennard-Jones mixture. A brief outlook to open questions is also given.     

On the F-fundamental group scheme

Let X be a smooth projective variety defined over a perfect field k of positive characteristic, and let FX be the absolute Frobenius morphism of X. For any vector bundle E→X, and any polynomial g with non-negative integer coefficients, define the vector bundle using the powers of FX and the direct sum operation. We construct a neutral Tannakian category using the vector bundles with the property that there are two distinct polynomials f and g with non-negative integer coefficients such that . We also investigate the group scheme defined by this neutral Tannakian category.