Self-aligning planarization and passivation for integration applications in III-V semiconductor devices

This work reports an easy planarization and passivation approach for the integration of III-V semiconductor devices. Vertically etched III-V semiconductor devices typically require sidewall passivation to suppress leakage currents and planarization of the passivation material for metal interconnection and device integration. It is, however, challenging to planarize all devices at once. This technique offers wafer-scale passivation and planarization that is automatically leveled to the device top in the 1-3-/spl mu/m vicinity surrounding each device. In this method, a dielectric hard mask is used to define the device area. An undercut structure is intentionally created below the hard mask, which is retained during the subsequent polymer spinning and anisotropic polymer etch back. The spin-on polymer that fills in the undercut seals the sidewalls for all the devices across the wafer. After the polymer etch back, the dielectric mask is removed leaving the polymer surrounding each device level with its device top to atomic scale flatness. This integration method is robust and is insensitive to spin-on polymer thickness, polymer etch nonuniformity, and device height difference. It prevents the polymer under the hard mask from etch-induced damage and creates a polymer-free device surface for metallization upon removal of the dielectric mask. We applied this integration technique in fabricating an InP-based photonic switch that consists of a mesa photodiode and a quantum-well waveguide modulator using benzocyclobutene (BCB) polymer. We demonstrated functional integrated photonic switches with high process yield of >90%, high breakdown voltage of >25 V, and low ohmic contact resistance of /spl sim/10 /spl Omega/. To the best of our knowledge, such an integration of a surface-normal photodiode and a lumped electroabsorption modulator with the use of BCB is the first to be implemented on a single substrate.     

Multispectral land sensing: where from, where to?

This work begins with some brief historical comments to set the stage for a discussion of the long-term potential for land remote sensing technology. This is followed by comments about what is needed to accelerate the achievement of this potential. The discussion is concluded with what concomitant development is needed with regard to a hyperspectral data analysis system.     

Exciton photoluminescence in doped quasi-1D structures based on silicon

The dependence of carrier density in silicon quantum wires sheathed with SiO₂ on the wire diameter and the position of impurity atoms in respect to the wire center is analyzed theoretically. It is shown that, as the diameter of wires and nanocrystals decreases, the ionization energy of a dopant increases; therefore, the free carrier density decreases, and the screening of the Coulomb attraction becomes ineffective. As a result, the photoluminescence is defined by the radiative recombination of excitons even in the case of heavily doped Si. These conclusions are supported by the data of experimental study of spectral, excitation-power, and temperature dependences of photoluminescence in porous silicon structures fabricated on lightly and heavily doped Si substrates.     

High-T/sub c/ superconducting planar filter with pseudo-Chebyshev characteristic

This paper presents design and measurement results of a high-T/sub c/ superconducting planar filter based on a pair of coupled modified hairpin resonators considered to be a key constituent of the filter structure. This provides the filter characteristics, which are very close to the Chebyshev prototype of the same order.     

A design methodology for networks of online modules and its application to the Levinson-Durbin algorithm

The use of online arithmetic was often proposed for hardware implementations of complex digital-signal processing (DSP) algorithms. However, several important issues in the design process of such algorithms using online arithmetic are rarely discussed in the literature. This paper presents these issues and provides a methodology to analyze the behavior of networks of online arithmetic modules performing serial computation over fixed-point numbers. The methodology is presented, applied in several examples, and finally used to design an efficient field programmable gate arrays implementation of the Levinson-Durbin algorithm in an application of the Yule-Walker power spectrum estimation. The methodology can be applied to other algorithms as well and it simplifies the task of designing and verifying a network of online modules. The experimental results show the advantages of online arithmetic in the design of complex DSP algorithms.     

Zulkowsky's Azotometer

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Sticking of carbon nanotube Y junction branches

The coalescence of branches in the Y junctions of single-wall carbon nanotubes (10 nm long) is predicted to occur when the branches approach each other under the action of a load (～10 nN) applied to their ends. A transition to the new state with parallel branches bound by molecular interactions was simulated and the energy characteristics were calculated by the molecular dynamics method. The Y junctions with parallel branches are stable at temperatures up to 2000 K. It is established that there is a threshold distance between the branch ends, below which the branches exhibit spontaneous sticking under the action of molecular attraction forces. If the branches are unloaded before this threshold distance is reached, they oscillate (acting as a nanodimensional “tuning fork”) at a frequency of ～100 GHz.     

An Eigen-Analysis of Compact Antenna Arrays and Its Application to Port Decoupling

Placing the radiators of antenna arrays closer than aggravates the problem of power mismatch. Based on efficiency considerations, a general analysis of this effect is presented, putting forward a simple tool to quantify, compare, and optimize the performance of antenna arrays. This analysis is not restricted with respect to the number of radiators or the degree of compactness. In order to improve power matching, a systematic approach for the design of lossless decoupling and matching networks based on 180 directional couplers is suggested for up to eight radiators. Implications of network losses, which have not yet received appropriate attention by researchers in the past, will be analyzed and discussed by means of a manufactured three-element prototype array.