Setting local rank constraints by orthogonal projections for image resolution analysis: Application to the determination of a low dose pharmaceutical compound

Raman chemical imaging provides chemical and spatial information about pharmaceutical drug product. By using resolution methods on acquired spectra, the objective is to calculate pure spectra and distribution maps of image compounds. With multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares, constraints are used to improve the performance of the resolution and to decrease the ambiguity linked to the final solution. Non negativity and spatial local rank constraints have been identified as the most powerful constraints to be used.     

On additives, morphological evolution and dielectric breakdown in low density polyethylene

A series of low density polyethylene systems has been studied with respect to structural evolution and short-term dielectric breakdown behaviour. All materials were based upon a single polymer, that is commonly used in high voltage applications, but with different additives. In all three of these systems, multiple melting transitions were observed, as a result of molecular fractionation effects during crystallization. In the virgin polymer, a space-filling banded spherulitic morphology was found to develop at low temperatures (102 °C and below) whereas, at higher temperatures, only a few isolated axialites were observed. Inclusion of the antioxidant resulted in greatly increased nucleation densities, such that, at low temperatures, no evidence of spherulitic organisation remained. At higher temperatures, sheaf-like lamellar aggregates developed, which were much smaller and much more numerous than in the case of the virgin polymer. Further addition of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) resulted in the rapid formation of a crosslinked network at 200 °C. Some crosslinking also occurred at 150 °C, but over a much longer timescale. Where extensive crosslinking occurred prior to crystallization, the resulting gel inhibited structural development, such that only a few small, isolated sheaves were able to form at 102 °C. In view of the principal application area of this material, the breakdown strength of each of the above systems was then measured and the whole data set was analysed statistically. When structural factors were considered alongside the statistics, no clear trends emerged to indicate that either the compositional or morphological variations were reflected in the short-term electrical failure processes.     

LOCAL WELL-POSEDNESS AND ILL-POSEDNESS ON THE EQUATION OF TYPE □u = uk((e)u)α

This paper undertakes a systematic treatment of the low regularity local wellposedness and ill-posedness theory in Hs andHs for semilinear wave equations with polynomial nonlinearity in u and (e)u. This ill-posed result concerns the focusing type equations with nonlinearity on u and (e)tu.     

Shape transition from InAs quantum dash to quantum dot on InP(3 1 1)A

We report on the shape transition from InAs quantum dashes to quantum dots (QDs) on lattice-matched GaInAsP on InP(3 1 1)A substrates. InAs quantum dashes develop during chemical-beam epitaxy of 3.2 monolayers InAs, which transform into round InAs QDs by introducing a growth interruption without arsenic flux after InAs deposition. The shape transition is solely attributed to surface properties, i.e., increase of the surface energy and symmetry under arsenic deficient conditions. The round QD shape is maintained during subsequent GaInAsP overgrowth because the reversed shape transition from dot to dash is kinetically hindered by the decreased ad-atom diffusion under arsenic flux.     

CuPc molecules adsorbed on Au(1 1 0)-(1 × 2): growth morphology and evolution of valence band states

We present the growth morphology, the long-range ordering, and the evolution of the valence band electronic states of ultrathin films of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) deposited on the Au(1 1 0)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface, as a function of the organic molecule coverage. The low energy electron diffraction patterns present a (5 × 3) reconstruction from the early adsorption stages. High-resolution UV photoelectron spectroscopy data show the disappearance of the Au surface states related to the (1 × 2) reconstruction, and the presence of new electronic features related to the molecule-substrate interaction and to the CuPc molecular states. The CuPc highest occupied molecular orbital gradually emerges in the valence band, while the interface electronic states are quenched, upon increasing the coverage.     

X-ray metrology for advanced silicon processes

X-ray reflectivity (XRR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques are used to the monitoring of Cu/porous low κ processes, which are developed for the next generation (≤65 nm) integrated circuits. Sensitivity of XRR and XRF is sufficient to detect drifts of the copper barrier layer, copper seed layer and Cu CMP (chemical-mechanical polishing) processes. Their metrology key parameters comply with production requirements. SAXS allows determining the pore structure of low κ films: average pore size and pore size distribution.     

Low sintering temperature MnZn-ferrites for power applications in the frequency region of 400 kHz

In this paper, the effect of cubic zinc metaborate Zn₄O(BO₂)₆ on the sintering of MnZn-ferrites for medium frequency power applications is investigated. Zinc metaborate is synthesized in the laboratory using zinc oxide and boric acid as metal precursors. As observed, when zinc metaborate is added to the MnZn-ferrites at an optimum amount of 0.02 wt%, it significantly enhances densification and therefore allows, for a given density, reduction of the firing temperature by almost 200 °C. MnZn-ferrites exhibiting power losses of 70 mW/cm³ (measured at a frequency of 400 kHz, magnetic field 50 mT and temperature of 90 °C) are synthesized from conventionally milled powders with average particle diameter 0.6 μm, compacted and fired at 1100 °C. Identical experiments conducted under the same conditions on specimens without zinc metaborate additions revealed power losses greater than 300 mW/cm³, because of insufficient densification.     

Converged properties of clean metal surfaces by all-electron first-principles calculations

All-electron full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave calculations of the surface energy, work function, and interlayer spacings of close-packed metal surfaces are presented, in particular, for the free-electron-like metal surfaces, Mg(0 0 0 1) and Al(1 1 1), and for the transition metal surfaces, Ti(0 0 0 1), Cu(1 1 1), Pd(1 1 1), and Pt(1 1 1). We investigate the convergence of the surface energy as a function of the number of layers in the slab, using the Cu(1 1 1) surface as an example. The results show that the surface energy, as obtained using total energies of the slab and bulk from separate calculations, converges well with respect to the number of layers in the slab. Obviously, it is necessary that bulk and surface calculations are performed with the same high accuracy. Furthermore, we discuss the performance of the local-density and generalized gradient approximations for the exchange-correlation functional in describing the various surface properties.     

Density functional theory investigation of the structure of SO2 and SO3 on Cu(1 1 1) and Ni(1 1 1)

Density functional theory (DFT) slab calculations, mainly using the generalised gradient approximation, have been used to investigate the minimum energy structures of molecular SO₂ and SO₃ on Cu(1 1 1) and Ni(1 1 1) surfaces. On Ni(1 1 1) the optimal local adsorption structures are in close agreement with experimental results for both molecular species obtained using the X-ray standing wavefield technique, although for adsorbed SO₂ the energetic difference between two alternative lateral positions of the lying-down molecule on the surface is marginally significant. On Cu(1 1 1) the results for adsorbed SO₂, in particular, were sensitive to the DFT functional used in the calculations, but in all cases failed to reproduce the experimentally-established preference for adsorption with the molecular plane perpendicular to the surface. This result is discussed in the context of previously published DFT results for these species adsorbed on Cu(1 0 0). The optimal geometry found for SO₃ on Cu(1 1 1) is similar to that on Ni(1 1 1), providing agreement with experiment regarding the molecular orientation but not the adsorption site.     

Determination of the boiling point distribution of sulfur compounds in light cycle oil using GC with a flame photometric detector and pyrolyzer

A method has been developed to determine the boiling point distribution of sulfur compounds in light cycle oils (LCO'S). The method chosen for this analysis was GC with a flame photometric detector (FPD) and pyrolyzer. Tests were carried out to evaluate the recovery efficiency, repeatability, and accuracy of the method. Repeatabilities within 2% were obtained. The recovery of benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophenes was close to 100%; this was important because these are the major sulfur components in LCO's. No hydrocarbon or solvent interferences were observed with the use of the pyrolyzer, even for a 95% solvent level. Comparison with results from other techniques showed that the method accurately determined the levels of sulfur compounds in the LCO boiling point range.