Measurements of small-scale fading and path loss for long range RF tags

RF modulated backscatter (RFMB), also known as modulated radar cross section or sigma modulation, is a RF transmission technique useful for short-range, low-data-rate applications, such as nonstop toll collection, electronic shelf tags, freight container identification and chassis identification in automobile manufacturing, that are constrained to have extremely low power requirements. The small-scale fading observed on the backscattered signal has deeper fades than the signal from a traditional one-way link of the same range in the same environment because the fading on the backscattered signal is the product of the fading on the off-board-generated carrier times the fading on the reflected signal. This paper considers the continuous wave (CW) type of RFMB, in which the interrogator transmitter and receiver antennas are different. This two-way link also doubles the path loss exponent of the one-way link. This paper presents the cumulative distribution functions for the measured small-scale fading and the measured path loss for short ranges in an indoor environment at 2.4 GHz over this type of link.     

Optically preamplified receiver performance due to VSB filtering for 40-Gb/s optical signals modulated with various formats

Optically preamplified receiver performance according to the vestigial sideband (VSB) filtering has been numerically investigated for 40-Gb/s optical signals modulated with nonreturn-to-zero, duobinary nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ), return-to-zero (RZ), carrier-suppressed RZ, and duobinary carrier-suppressed RZ formats. The VSB filtering enables the spectral widths of NRZ, duobinary NRZ, and RZ signals to be reduced without severe power penalties at the receiver. On the other hand, carrier-suppressed RZ and duobinary carrier-suppressed RZ signals have no large advantages over VSB filtering because of the characteristics of their signals. Our results suggest that RZ signals are the most suitable modulation format for VSB filtering, without considering the filter loss, because of the tolerance of the intersymbol interference and a large spectral width. However, duobinary NRZ signals are the most suitable modulation format for VSB filtering, considering the filter loss, because of their narrow spectral width.     

Spectral shape tunable band-rejection filter using a long-period fiber grating with divided coil heaters

We have developed a new type of tunable band rejection filter, which provides high spectral-shaping flexibility in a wide tuning range. The filter consists of a long-period fiber grating (LPFG) with divided coil heaters. Each of the divided coil heaters is controlled individually to adjust a temperature distribution along the LPFG and to modify the spectral shape of the LPFG filter. The tunable band rejection filter is demonstrated to function properly when applied as an erbium-doped fiber amplifier gain-flattening filter.     

An Analysis of Citation Counts of ETRI‐Invented US Patents

From its foundation until 2004, ETRI has registered over 1,000 US patents. This letter analyzes the characteristics of these patents and addresses the explanatory factors affecting their citation counts. For explanatory variables, research team related variables, invention specific variables, and geographical domain related variables are suggested. Zero‐altered count data models are used to test the impact of independent variables. A key finding is that technological cumulativeness, the scale of invention, outputs in the electronic field, and the degree of dependence on the US technology domain positively affect the citation counts of ETRI‐invented US patents. The magnitude of international presence appears to negatively affect the citation counts of ETRI‐invented US patents.     

Synthesis of ZSM‐5 Films and Monoliths with Bimodal Micro/Mesoscopic Structures

A route to synthesize ZSM‐5 crystals with a bimodal micro/mesoscopic pore system has been developed in this study; the successful incorporation of the mesopores within the ZSM‐5 structure was performed using tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH)‐impregnated mesoporous materials containing carbon nanotubes in the pores, which were encapsulated in the ZSM‐5 crystals during a solid rearrangement process within the framework. Such mesoporous ZSM‐5 zeolites can be readily obtained as powders, thin films, or monoliths.     

Passive alignment method of polymer PLC devices by using a hot embossing technique

A novel fabrication process using a hot embossing technique has been developed for micromechanical passive alignment of polymer planar lightwave circuit (PLC) devices. With only one step of embossing, single-mode waveguide straight channels and micropedestals for passive aligning are simultaneously defined on a polymer thin film with an accuracy of /spl plusmn/0.5 /spl mu/m. This process reduces the steps for fabricating alignment structures. A fabricated polymer PLC chip and fibers are combined on a v-grooved silicon optical bench (SiOB) in a flip-chip manner. The process provides a coupling loss as low as 0.67 dB per coupling face and a cost-effective packaging solution for various polymer PLC devices.     

High-performance MIM capacitor using ALD high-k HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate dielectrics

For the first time, we successfully fabricated and demonstrated high performance metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors with HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate dielectric using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. Our data indicates that the laminate MIM capacitor can provide high capacitance density of 12.8 fF//spl mu/m/sup 2/ from 10 kHz up to 20 GHz, very low leakage current of 3.2 /spl times/ 10/sup -8/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 3.3 V, small linear voltage coefficient of capacitance of 240 ppm/V together with quadratic one of 1830 ppm/V/sup 2/, temperature coefficient of capacitance of 182 ppm//spl deg/C, and high breakdown field of /spl sim/6 MV/cm as well as promising reliability. As a result, the HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate is a very promising candidate for next generation MIM capacitor for radio frequency and mixed signal integrated circuit applications.     

Inside Front Cover: The Elastic Properties and Plastic Behavior of Two‐Dimensional Polymer Structures Fabricated by Laser Interference Lithography (Adv. Funct. Mater. 10/2006)

The probing of the micromechanical properties within a two‐dimensional polymer structure with sixfold symmetry fabricated via interference lithography reveals a nonuniform spatial distribution in the elastic modulus “imprinted” with an interference pattern in work reported by Tsukruk, Thomas, and co‐workers on p. 1324. The image prepared by M. Lemieux and T. Gorishnyy shows how the interference pattern is formed by three laser beams and is transferred to the solid polymer structure. The elastic and plastic properties within a two‐dimensional polymer (SU8) structure with sixfold symmetry fabricated via interference lithography are presented. There is a nonuniform spatial distribution in the elastic modulus, with a higher elastic modulus obtained for nodes (brightest regions in the laser interference pattern) and a lower elastic modulus for beams (darkest regions in the laser interference pattern) of the photopatterned films. We suggest that such a nonuniformity and unusual plastic behavior are related to the variable material properties “imprinted” by the interference pattern.     

Transmission performance of 10-Gb/s 1550-nm transmitters using semiconductor optical amplifiers as booster amplifiers

We have demonstrated the transmission performance of 10-Gb/s transmitters based on LiNbO/sub 3/ modulator using semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) as booster amplifiers. Utilizing the negative chirp converted in SOAs and self-phase modulation induced by high optical power, we can successfully transmit 10-Gb/s optical signals over 80 km through the standard single-mode fiber with the transmitter using SOAs as booster amplifiers. SOAs can be used for booster amplifiers with a careful adjustment of the operating conditions. In order to further understand an SOA's characteristics as a booster amplifier, we model SOAs and other subsystems to verify the experimental results. Based on the good agreement between the experimental and simulation results, we can find the appropriate parameters of input signals for SOAs, such as extinction ratio, rising/falling time, and chirp parameter to maximize output dynamic range and available maximum output power (P/sub o,max/).