Table of contents

We review the recent progress in thin-film silicon solar cells with photonic crystals, where absorption enhancement is achieved by using large-area resonant effects in photonic crystals. First, a definitive guideline for enhancing light absorption in a wide wavelength range (600–1100 nm) is introduced, showing that the formation of multiple band edges utilizing higher-order modes confined in the thickness direction and the introduction of photonic superlattice structures enable significant absorption enhancement, exceeding that observed for conventional random scatterers. Subsequently, experimental evidence of this enhancement is demonstrated for a variety of thin-film Si solar cells: ∼500-nm-thick ultrathin microcrystalline silicon cells, few-µm-thick microcrystalline silicon cells, and ∼20-µm-thick thin single-crystalline silicon cells. The high short-circuit current densities and/or efficiencies observed for each cell structure confirm the effectiveness of using multiple band-edge resonant modes of photonic crystals for enhancing broadband absorption in actual solar cells.

We examined the spin-Hall-induced spin torque ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) in platinum/permalloy bilayer thin films under bias direct current (DC). The bias DC modulated the symmetric components of the ST-FMR spectra, while no dominant modulation was found in the antisymmetric components. A detailed analysis in combination with simple model calculations clarified that the major origin of the modulation can be attributed to the DC resistance change under the precessional motion of magnetization. This effect is the second order contribution for the precession angle, even though the contribution can be comparable to the rectification voltage under some specific conditions.

We report on the demonstration of an InP-based In_0.83Ga_0.17As photodetector with an In_0.83Al_0.17As barrier, which is lattice-matched to the absorption layer. According to the comprehensive comparison with the photodetector without the barrier, the dark current is markedly reduced by inserting the InAlAs barrier. Although the photoresponse slightly decreases for the device with the InAlAs barrier, the detectivity remains higher than that of the reference device at room temperature and significantly increases at lower temperatures. These results indicate that InAlAs is a promising barrier layer in high-indium InGaAs photodetectors.

In this study, an iron oxide (FeO_x)-based memristor was investigated for the realization of artificial synapses. An FeO_x resistive switching layer was prepared by self-limiting atomic layer deposition (ALD). The movement of oxygen vacancies enabled the device to have history-dependent synaptic functions, which was further demonstrated by device modeling and simulation. Analog synaptic potentiation/depression in conductance was emulated by applying consecutive voltage pulses in the simulation. Our results suggest that the ALD FeO_x-based memristor can be used as the basic building block for neural networks, neuromorphic systems, and brain-inspired computers.

The impact of a silicon germanium tin (Si_xGe_1−x−ySn_y) ternary alloy interlayer on the Schottky barrier height (SBH) of metal/Ge contacts with various metal work functions has been investigated. Lattice matching at the Si_xGe_1−x−ySn_y/Ge heterointerface is a key factor for controlling Fermi level pinning (FLP) at the metal/Ge interface. The Si_xGe_1−x−ySn_y ternary alloy interlayer having a small lattice mismatch with the Ge substrate can alleviate FLP at the metal/Ge interface significantly. A Si_0.11Ge_0.86Sn_0.03 interlayer increases the slope parameter for the work function dependence of the SBH to 0.4. An ohmic behavior with an SBH below 0.15 eV can be obtained with Zr and Al/Si_0.11Ge_0.86Sn_0.03/n-Ge contacts at room temperature.

In this study, we proposed an absorbed-dose monitoring technique using prompt gamma rays emitted from the reaction between an antiproton and a boron particle, and demonstrated the greater physical effect of the antiproton boron fusion therapy in comparison with proton beam using Monte Carlo simulation. The physical effect of the treatment, which was 3.5 times greater, was confirmed from the antiproton beam irradiation compared to the proton beam irradiation. Moreover, the prompt gamma ray image is acquired successfully during antiproton irradiation to boron regions. The results show the application feasibility of absorbed dose monitoring technique proposed in our study.

The epitaxial growth of an AlN layer on a Si(111) substrate at room temperature by DC magnetron sputtering was investigated. The predeposition of a 5-nm-thick Al layer on the Si substrate before the AlN deposition was found to be crucial for the epitaxial growth of the AlN layer. The orientation relationships of AlN/Al/Si were observed to be AlN$[1\bar{1}00]$ ∥ Al$[0\bar{1}1]$ ∥ Si$[11\bar{2}]$ and AlN$[11\bar{2}0]$ ∥ Al[011] ∥ Si$[1\bar{1}0]$, indicating the epitaxial growth of the AlN layer on the Si(111) substrate. This epitaxial growth of the AlN layer was attributed to the smaller lattice mismatches between AlN$[1\bar{1}00]$ and Al$[0\bar{1}1]$ and AlN$[11\bar{2}0]$ and Al[011] than that between AlN$[11\bar{2}0]$ and Si$[1\bar{1}0]$.

We present a novel method to fabricate textured surfaces on transparent conductive SnO₂ films by processing substrates through a bottom-up technique with potential for industrially scalable production. The substrate processing consists of three steps: deposition of precursor Sn films on glass substrates, formation of a self-assembled Sn nanosphere layer with reductive annealing, and conversion of Sn to SnO₂ by oxidative annealing. Ta-doped SnO₂ films conformally deposited on the self-assembled nanospherical SnO₂ templates exhibited attractive optical and electrical properties, namely, enhanced haze values and low sheet resistances, for applications as transparent electrodes in photovoltaics.

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy is demonstrated to measure the fine atomic structure of SiO₂–SiC interfaces. The SiC-side of the interface can be measured by fabricating thin SiO₂ films and using SiC-selective EXAFS measurements. Fourier transforms of the oscillations of the EXAFS spectra correspond to radial-structure functions and reveal a new peak of the first nearest neighbor of Si for m-face SiC, which does not appear in measurements of the Si-face. This finding suggests that the m-face interface could include a structure with shorter Si–C distances. Numerical calculations provide additional support for this finding.

We present a low-temperature optical study of the large-area monolayer WS₂ grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Power-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements were conducted, and temperature-dependent PL spectra were measured in the range of 3 to 300 K. With the comparative PL bands obtained, a stronger trion emission in the edge region was detected to be the key difference. Sulfur vacancies (SVs) were observed to increase in density along the growth direction and found to be the main source of the large population of local charge carriers. The monolayer WS₂ exhibited an upper bound for the trion binding energy of 18 meV in the edge region.

The transport properties for the charge and spin currents in a normal-metal/superconductor interface have been investigated by using a nano-pillar based lateral spin valve. Owing to the efficient reduction of the Joule heating, we were able to observe the temperature and bias-current dependences of the spin transport in the Cu/Nb bilayer system. From the temperature dependence of the spin signal, the superconducting gap of the Nb in contact with Cu was found to open gradually with decreasing the temperature. We also found that the inhomogeneous superconducting property produces the significant temperature and field dependences of the background signal in the nonlocal measurement around the transition temperature.

We investigated the spatial distribution of luminescence near threading dislocations in AlGaN/AlGaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) by cathodoluminescence mapping. Emission at the higher-energy side of the AlGaN MQW peak was locally observed near the threading dislocations, which were not accompanied by any surface V-pits. Such higher-energy emission was not observed in the AlGaN epilayers. The energy difference between the AlGaN MQW peak and the higher-energy emission peak increased with increasing barrier-layer Al composition. These results suggest that the origin of the higher-energy emission is likely local thickness fluctuation around dislocations in very thin AlGaN MQWs.

The spectral beam combining (SBC) of Bragg reflection waveguide photonic crystal (BRW-PC) diode lasers was studied for the first time. An off-axis feedback system was constructed using a stripe mirror and a spatial filter to control beam quality in the external cavity. It was found that the BRW-PC diode lasers with a low divergence and a circular beam provided a simplified and cost-effective SBC. The off-axis feedback broke the beam quality limit of a single element, and an M² factor of 3.8 times lower than that of a single emitter in the slow axis was demonstrated.

We demonstrate zero-bias spectral responsivity in MBE-grown β-Ga₂O₃ planar UV-C detector with good linearity up to optical power density of 4.6 mW cm⁻². Devices with asymmetrical metal contacts were realized on 150 nm thick β-Ga₂O₃ films on sapphire. The device exhibited a spectral responsivity of 1.4 mA W⁻¹ at 255 nm under zero-bias condition, dark current <10 nA at 15 V and UV-to-visible rejection ratio ∼10⁵ at 5 V. The demonstrated UV-C detector exhibited an estimated high detectivity of 2.0 × 10¹² Jones at 1 V and were found to be very stable and repeatable, suggesting its potential use for focal plane arrays.

We developed a magnetometer based on inductance modulation of a coil made from a high-critical-temperature superconducting material. The coil inductance was modulated over time via a modulation current applied to a magnetic wire that was inserted into the coil. The magnetic field was then converted into a signal voltage using this time-dependent inductance. The relationship between magnetometer performance and the modulation current conditions was studied. Under appropriate conditions, the magnetometer had responsivity of 885 V/T. The magnetic field noise was 1.3 pT/Hz^1/2 in the white noise region and 5.6 pT/Hz^1/2 at f = 1 Hz.

We prepared Bi- and Ga-substituted Tb₃Fe₅O₁₂ (BiGa:TIG) films on a Nd-substituted Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (Nd:YAG) single crystal substrate by pulsed laser deposition, and investigated their magnetic, optical, and magnetooptical properties. A BiGa:TIG film deposited with a substrate temperature of 700 °C shows the easy axis of magnetization along the out-of-plane direction of the film and the Faraday rotation angle of 900°/cm at a wavelength of 1064 nm. The epitaxial growth of the film is confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis.

To investigate the mechanism of contraction/expansion behavior of Shockley stacking faults (SSFs) in 4H-SiC p–i–n diodes, the dependences of the SSF behavior on temperature and injection current density were investigated by electroluminescence image observation. We investigated the dependences of both triangle- and bar-shaped SSFs on the injection current density at four temperature levels. All SSFs in this study show similar temperature and injection current density dependences. We found that the expansion of SSFs at a high current density was converted to contraction at a certain value as the current decreased and that the value is temperature-dependent. It has been confirmed that SSF behavior, which was considered complex or peculiar, might be explained mainly by the energy change caused by SSFs.

We propose a fabrication process for silicon wafers by combining carbon-cluster ion implantation and room-temperature bonding for advanced CMOS image sensors. These carbon-cluster ions are made of carbon and hydrogen, which can passivate process-induced defects. We demonstrated that this combination process can be used to form an epitaxial layer on a carbon-cluster ion-implanted Czochralski (CZ)-grown silicon substrate with a high dose of 1 × 10¹⁶ atoms/cm². This implantation condition transforms the top-surface region of the CZ-grown silicon substrate into a thin amorphous layer. Thus, an epitaxial layer cannot be grown on this implanted CZ-grown silicon substrate. However, this combination process can be used to form an epitaxial layer on the amorphous layer of this implanted CZ-grown silicon substrate surface. This bonding wafer has strong gettering capability in both the wafer-bonding region and the carbon-cluster ion-implanted projection range. Furthermore, this wafer inhibits oxygen out-diffusion to the epitaxial layer from the CZ-grown silicon substrate after device fabrication. Therefore, we believe that this bonding wafer is effective in decreasing the dark current and white-spot defect density for advanced CMOS image sensors.

In accordance with the detailed balance limit model of single-intermediate-band solar cells (IBSCs), the optimum matrix bandgap and IB–conduction band (CB) energy gap are ∼1.9 and 0.7 eV, respectively. We present the room-temperature polarized infrared absorption of 20 stacked InAs quantum dot (QD) structures in the Al_0.32Ga_0.68As matrix with a bandgap of ∼1.9 eV for the design of high-efficiency IBSCs by using a multipass waveguide geometry. We find that the IB–CB absorption is almost independent of the light polarization, and estimate the magnitude of the absorption per QD layer to be ∼0.01%. We also find that the IB–CB absorption edge of QD structures with a wide-gap matrix is ∼0.41 eV. These results indicate that both the significant increase in the magnitude of IB–CB absorption and the lower energy of the IB state for the higher IB–CB energy gap are necessary toward the realization of high-efficiency IBSCs.

We evaluated the electrical properties of InGaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a superlattice (SL) layer or a mid-temperature-grown GaN (MT-GaN) layer just beneath the multiple quantum wells (MQWs). Both the SL layer and the MT-GaN layer were effective in improving the electroluminescence (EL) intensity. However, the SL layer had a more pronounced effect on the EL intensity than did the MT-GaN layer. Based on a comparison with devices with an MT-GaN layer, the overall effects of the SL could be separated into the effect of the V-pits and the structural or compositional effect of the SL. It was observed that the V-pits formed account for 30% of the improvement in the LED performance while the remaining 70% can be attributed to the structural or compositional effect of the SL.

Ag-doped phosphate glasses have widely been used as radiophotoluminescence (RPL) dosimeters. However, the RPL center formation process is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the RPL center formation process in Ag-doped Na–Al phosphate glasses. We observed that two RPL centers (Ag⁰ and Ag²⁺) were formed at temperatures higher than 100 and 250 K, respectively. In addition, activation energies of their formation were estimated to be 20 and 267 meV, respectively. These results suggest that the electron transfer process is not a simple thermally activated process.

We demonstrate a diode laser system operating at 399 nm that is stabilized to the 6s²¹S₀–6s6p ¹P₁ electric dipole transition in ytterbium (Yb) atoms in a hollow-cathode lamp. The frequency stability of the laser reached 1.1 × 10⁻¹¹ at an averaging time of τ = 1 s. We performed an absolute frequency measurement using an optical frequency comb and determined that the absolute frequency of the laser stabilized to the ¹S₀–¹P₁ transition in ¹⁷⁴Yb was 751 526 522.26(9) MHz. We also investigated several systematic frequency shifts while changing some of the light source parameters and measured several isotope shifts. The measured laser frequency will provide useful information regarding the practical use of the frequency-stabilized light source at 399 nm.

Long-distance quantum communication requires entanglement between distant quantum memories. For this purpose, photon transmission is necessary to connect the distant memories. Here, for the first time, we develop a two-step frequency conversion process (from a visible wavelength to a telecommunication wavelength and back) involving the use of independent two-frequency conversion media where the target quantum memories are nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds (with an emission/absorption wavelength of 637.2 nm), and experimentally characterize the performance of this process acting on light from an attenuated CW laser. A total conversion efficiency of approximately 7% is achieved. The noise generated in the frequency conversion processes is measured, and the signal-to-noise ratio is estimated for a single photon signal emitted by a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center. The developed frequency conversion system has future applications via transmission through a long optical fiber channel at a telecommunication wavelength for a quantum repeater network.

In this study, we systematically investigated the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) effect in half-metallic Co₂MnSi Heusler alloy films epitaxially grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The fourfold symmetric AMR was observed in the temperature range of 25–275 K. In addition, the films exhibited a marked change in twofold symmetric AMR below 100 K. This specific temperature dependence of the AMR effect in Co₂MnSi films can be caused by the tetragonal crystal field because of the distortion of the lattice at low temperatures. The influence of tetragonal distortion on both the AMR effect and half-metallicity is also discussed by first-principles calculations.

In this paper, we propose a new model of inter-cell interference phenomenon in a 10 nm magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular anisotropy (p-MTJ) array and investigated the interference effect between a program cell and unselected cells due to the oscillatory stray field from neighboring cells by Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert micromagnetic simulation. We found that interference brings about a switching delay in a program cell and excitation of magnetization precession in unselected cells even when no programing current passes through. The origin of interference is ferromagnetic resonance between neighboring cells. During the interference period, the precession frequency of the program cell is 20.8 GHz, which synchronizes with that of the theoretical precession frequency f = γH_eff in unselected cells. The disturbance strength of unselected cells decreased to be inversely proportional to the cube of the distance from the program cell, which is in good agreement with the dependence of stray field on the distance from the program cell calculated by the dipole approximation method.

In this paper, anomalous single-electron transfer in common-gate quadruple-dot turnstile devices with asymmetric junction capacitances is revealed. That is, the islands have the same total number of excess electrons at high and low gate voltages of the swing that transfers a single electron. In another situation, two electrons enter the islands from the source and two electrons leave the islands for the source and drain during a gate voltage swing cycle. First, stability diagrams of the turnstile devices are presented. Then, sequences of single-electron tunneling events by gate voltage swings are investigated, which demonstrate the above-mentioned anomalous single-electron transfer between the source and the drain. The anomalous single-electron transfer can be understood by regarding the four islands as "three virtual islands and a virtual source or drain electrode of a virtual triple-dot device". The anomalous behaviors of the four islands are explained by the normal behavior of the virtual islands transferring a single electron and the behavior of the virtual electrode.

In this report, we proposed and simulated a new planar nonlinear rectifying device fabricated using InGaAs substrate and referred to as a planar barrier diode (PBD). Using an asymmetrical inverse-arrowhead-shaped structure between the electrodes, a nonuniform depletion region is developed, which creates a triangular energy barrier in the conducting channel. This barrier is voltage dependent and can be controlled by the applied voltage across the PBD, thus resulting in nonlinear diode-like current–voltage characteristics; thus it can be used as a rectifying device. The PBD's working principle is explained using thermionic emission theory. Furthermore, by varying the PBD's geometric design, the asymmetry of the current–voltage characteristics can be optimized to realize superior rectification performance. By employing the optimized structural parameters, the obtained cut-off frequency of the device was approximately 270 GHz with a curvature coefficient peak of 14 V⁻¹ at a low DC bias voltage of 50 mV.

An analytical model of surface potential profiles and transfer characteristics for hetero stacked tunnel field-effect transistors (HS-TFETs) is presented for the first time, where hetero stacked materials are composed of two different bandgaps. The bandgap of the underlying layer is smaller than that of the upper layer. Under different device parameters (upper layer thickness, underlying layer thickness, and hetero stacked materials) and temperature, the validity of the model is demonstrated by the agreement of its results with the simulation results. Moreover, the results show that the HS-TFETs can obtain predominant performance with relatively slow changes of subthreshold swing (SS) over a wide drain current range, steep average subthreshold swing, high on-state current, and large on–off state current ratio.

In this paper, we report our investigation of room-temperature-fabricated tungsten/indium tin oxide/gold (W/ITO/Au) resistive random access memory (RRAM), which exhibits asymmetric bipolar resistive switching (BRS) behavior. The device displays good write/erase endurance and data retention properties. The device shows complementary resistive switching (CRS) characteristics after controlling the compliance current. A WO_x layer electrically formed at the W/ITO in the forming process. Mobile oxygen ions within ITO migrate toward the electrode/ITO interface and produce a semiconductor-like layer that acts as a free-carrier barrier. The CRS characteristic here can be elucidated in light of the evolution of an asymmetric free-carrier blocking layer at the electrode/ITO interface.

Doping has become crucial for achieving stable and high-performance conductive transparent carbon nanotube (CNT) films. In this study, we systematically investigate the doping effects of a few materials including alkali metal iodides, nonmetal iodide, and metals. We demonstrate that photonic curing can enhance the doping effects, and correspondingly improve the conductivity of CNT films, and that such iodides have better doping effects than metals. In particular, doping with a nonmetal compound (NH₄I) shows the largest potential to improve the conductivity of CNT films. Typically, doping with metal iodides reduces the sheet resistance (R_S) of CNT films with 70–80% optical transmittances at λ = 550 nm from 600–2400 to 250–440 Ω/square, whereas doping with NH₄I reduces R_S to 57 and 84 Ω/square at 74 and 84% optical transmittances, respectively. Interestingly, such a doped CNT film exhibits only a slight increase in sheet resistance under an extreme environment of high temperature (85 °C) and high relative humidity (85%) for 350 h. The results suggest that photonic-curing-induced iodide doping is a promising approach to producing high-performance conductive transparent CNT films.

We theoretically investigate quantum decoherence in electronic currents flowing through metallic carbon nanotubes caused by thermal atomic vibrations using the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for an open system. We reveal that the quantum coherence of conduction electrons decays exponentially with tube length at a fixed temperature, and that the decay rate increases with temperature. We also find that the phase relaxation length due to the thermal atomic vibrations is inversely proportional to temperature.

Graphene FET (G-FET) biosensors have considerable potential due to the superior characteristics of graphene. Realizing this potential requires judicious choice of the linker molecule connecting the target-specific receptor molecule to the graphene surface, yet there are few reports comparing linker molecules for G-FET biosensors. In this study, tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) was used as a linker for surface modification of a G-FET and the properties of the device were compared to those of a G-FET device modified with the conventional linker 1-pyrenebutanoic acid succinimidyl ester (PBASE). TCPP modification resulted in a higher density of receptor immunoglobulin E (IgE) aptamer molecules on the G-FET. The detection limit of the target IgE was enhanced from 13 nM for the PBASE-modified G-FET to 2.2 nM for the TCPP-modified G-FET, suggesting that the TCPP linker is a powerful candidate for G-FET modification.

The visualization of localized electronic charges on nanocatalysts is expected to yield fundamental information about catalytic reaction mechanisms. We have developed a high-sensitivity detection technique for the visualization of localized charges on a catalyst and their corresponding electric field distribution, using a low-energy beam of 1 to 5 keV electrons and a high-sensitivity scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) detector. The highest sensitivity for visualizing a localized electric field was ∼0.08 V/µm at a distance of ∼17 µm from a localized charge at 1 keV of the primary electron energy, and a weak local electric field produced by 200 electrons accumulated on the carbon nanotube (CNT) apex can be visualized. We also observed that Au nanoparticles distributed on a CNT forest tended to accumulate a certain amount of charges, about 150 electrons, at a −2 V bias.

The increase in threading dislocation during the initial stage of physical vapor transport growth of n-type 4H-SiC crystals was evaluated by cross-sectional X-ray topography. Crystals were grown under two different temperature conditions. A significant increase in threading dislocation was observed in crystals grown at a high, not low, temperature. The local strain distribution in the vicinity of the grown/seed crystal interface was evaluated using the electron backscatter diffraction technique. The local nitrogen concentration distribution was also evaluated by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. We discuss the relationship between the increase in threading dislocation and the local strain due to thermal stress and nitrogen concentration.

On the basis of a novel crystal hardness control, we successfully realized macrodefect-free, large (2–6 in.) and thick +c-oriented GaN bulk crystals by hydride vapor phase epitaxy. Without the hardness control, the introduction of macrodefects including inversion domains and/or basal-plane dislocations seemed to be indispensable to avoid crystal fracture in GaN growth with millimeter thickness. However, the presence of these macrodefects tended to limit the applicability of the GaN substrate to practical devices. The present technology markedly increased the GaN crystal hardness from below 20 to 22 GPa, thus increasing the available growth thickness from below 1 mm to over 6 mm even without macrodefect introduction. The 2 and 4 in. GaN wafers fabricated from these crystals had extremely low dislocation densities in the low- to mid-10⁵ cm⁻² range and low off-angle variations (2 in.: <0.1°; 4 in.: ∼0.2°). The realization of such high-quality 6 in. wafers is also expected.

ZnS is attractive as a material for low-cost light-emitting diodes. In this study, a non-polar ZnS layer was epitaxially grown on a sapphire substrate by inserting a ZnO buffer layer between ZnS and sapphire. The ZnS and ZnO layers were grown by a mist chemical vapor deposition system with a simple setup operated under atmospheric pressure. The sample was characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements including 2θ/ω scans, rocking curves, and reciprocal space mapping. The results showed that an m-plane wurtzite ZnS layer grew epitaxially on an m-plane wurtzite ZnO buffer layer formed on the m-plane sapphire substrate to provide a ZnS/ZnO/sapphire structure.

Changes in lattice constants of epitaxial SiGe layers by boron (B) doping were studied by using high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) by using SiGe:B with Ge and B concentrations in the range of 11–23% and (1.5–4.2) × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³, respectively. The lattice contraction coefficient (β) of B in SiGe was measured to be (9.6 ± 0.6) × 10⁻²⁴ cm³, which was approximately twice as large as that of B in Si. The ab initio calculation of β, 9.35 × 10⁻²⁴ cm³, was in excellent agreement with the experiment. From the ab initio calculation, it is found that the large lattice contraction is due to the favorability of Si–B bond than Si–Ge bond.

A compact apparatus to produce arcjet plasma was fabricated to investigate supersonic flow dynamics. Periodic bright–dark emission structures were formed in the arcjets, depending on the plasma source and ambient gas pressures in the vacuum chamber. A directional Langmuir probe (DLP) and emission spectroscopy were employed to characterize plasma parameters such as the Mach number of plasma flows and clarify the mechanism for the generation of the emission pattern. In particular, in order to investigate the influence of the Mach number on probe size, we used two DLPs of different probe size. The results indicated that the arcjets could be classified into shock-free expansion and under-expansion, and the behavior of plasma flow could be described by compressible fluid dynamics. Comparison of the Langmuir probe results with emission and laser absorption spectroscopy showed that the small diameter probe was reliable to determine the Mach number, even for the supersonic jet.

Strong emission from the auroral green line O(¹S) → O(¹D) at 557.7 nm was observed in the afterglow of an atmospheric-pressure 2.45 GHz microwave-induced plasma jet. The device used Ar as the working gas for the plasma, and a surrounding N₂ gas flow to stabilize the discharge. The characteristic line-shape of the peak at 557.7 nm indicated that the emission was from the O(¹S)N₂ excimer. Vibrational temperatures of NO and N₂, estimated based on the emission spectra of the afterglow, were compared against the intensity of the green line and the concentration of N₂ gas flowing in the system. The data points yielding the most intense green lines fall at vibrational temperatures of around 2000 K for both NO and N₂. It was observed that the amount of N₂ gas flowing in the system positively contributed to the intensity of the green line. Using fluid simulation, the O₂ concentration in the afterglow was estimated to be in the range of 1–5.5%.

For the surface treatment of a polymer tube, a ring-shaped atmospheric pressure microwave plasma (APMP) using a coaxial waveguide is studied. In this APMP, a dielectric plate is used not only as a partial mirror for cavity resonation but also for the precise alignment of the discharge gap for ring-shaped plasma production. The optimum position of the dielectric plate is investigated by electromagnetic wave simulation. On the basis of simulation results, a ring-shaped plasma with good uniformity along the ring is produced. The coaxial APMP is applied to the surface treatment of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene. A very fast surface modification within 3 s is observed.

The relationship between the position of oxygen vacancies in HfO₂/SiO₂/Si gate stacks and the leakage current is studied by first-principles electronic-structure and electron-conduction calculations. We find that the increase in the leakage current due to the creation of oxygen vacancies in the HfO₂ layer is much larger than that in the SiO₂ interlayer. According to previous first-principles total energy calculations, the formation energy of oxygen vacancies is smaller in the SiO₂ interlayer than that in the HfO₂ layer under the same conditions. Therefore, oxygen vacancies will be attracted from the SiO₂ interlayer to minimize the energy, thermodynamically justifying the scavenging technique. Thus, the scavenging process efficiently improves the dielectric constant of HfO₂-based gate stacks without increasing the number of oxygen vacancies, which cause the dielectric breakdown.

We previously developed a 100 W piezoelectric transformer comprising two identical bolt-clamped Langevin-type transducers (BLTs) and a stepped horn whose cross-sectional area ratio determines the specified step-up voltage transformation ratio. Unlike conventional piezoelectric transformers, this transformer is driven at a frequency quite near its mechanical resonance, and thus can be mechanically held firmly at its clearly identified vibratory node without mechanical energy loss. However, it has been revealed that the high-power operation of the transformer often becomes very unstable owing to the "jumping and dropping" phenomena first found by Takahashi and Hirose [Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 31, 3055 (1992)]. To avoid this instability, we have investigated the peculiar phenomena, and found that they can be attributed to a heavily distorted electric field inside the piezoelectric ceramic disks of the BLT on the primary side of the transformer being driven by a low-impedance voltage source near the mechanical resonance. The resultant concentration of the electric field leads to the local reversal of piezoelectric polarization in every half period of the vibration, viz., the instability. Consequently, we have developed a scheme for the steady high-power operation of this type of piezoelectric transformer and examined its validity experimentally. The method has eventually improved the linearity and power transfer efficiency of the transformer significantly.

We propose a microscale phloem-sap-dynamics sensor device to obtain the index of an internal plant condition regarding the transportation of primary photosynthates in phloem, which is an essential indicator of stable crop production under controlled-growth environments. In detail, we integrated a conventional Granier sensor with a thermal-flow sensor and devised an improved sensor device to quantify such index, including the information on velocity and direction of the phloem-sap flow using the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The experimental results showed that although the proposed sensor device was approximately only 1/10 the size of the conventional Granier sensor, it could generate an output nearly equal to that of the conventional sensor. Furthermore, experiments using mimicked plants demonstrated that the proposed device could measure minute flow velocities in the range of 0–200 µm/s, which are generally known as the phloem-sap flow velocity, and simultaneously detect the flow direction.

In this paper, we describe p–n diode actuators that are formed in the lateral direction on resonators. Because previously reported p–n diode actuators, which were driven by a force parallel to the electrostatic force induced in a p–n diode, were fabricated in the perpendicular direction to the surface, the fabrication process to satisfy the requirement of realizing a p–n junction set in the middle of the plate thickness has been difficult. The resonators in this work are driven by p–n diodes formed in the lateral direction, making the process easy. We have fabricated a silicon ring resonator that has in-plane vibration using p–n–p and n–p–n diode actuators formed in the lateral direction. First, we consider a space charge model that can sufficiently accurately describe the force induced in p–n diode actuators and compare it with the capacitance model used in most computer simulations. Then, we show that multiplying the vibration amplitude calculated by computer simulation by the modification coefficient of 4/3 provides the vibration amplitude in the p–n diode actuators. Good agreement of the theory with experimental results of the in-plane vibration measured for silicon ring resonators is obtained. The computer simulation is very useful for evaluating various vibration modes in resonators driven by the p–n diode actuators. The small amplitude of the p–n diode actuator measured in this work is expected to increase greatly with increased doping of the actuator.

The main drawback of electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) is their low energy transition efficiency. For the purpose of increasing the amplitude of the received signal, a ferrite core (FC) and a bias magnet (BM) are utilized respectively to improve the EMAT's excitation performance in this paper. It indicates that the new configurations can increase the peak-to-peak amplitude of the received signal by a factor of 2.7 and 2.9, respectively. The reasons for the signal enhancement are also investigated through simulation and experimental methods. For the FC EMAT, improvement is achieved due to the enhancement of the dynamic magnetic field and the increase of coil inductance. In comparison, the change of the magnetostrictive transduction mechanism leads to the signal enhancement for the BM EMAT. The bias magnet magnetized the surface of the steel plate, which changes the signal excitation mechanism from domain wall movement to reversible domain rotations.

The electrocatalytic potential of carbon materials makes them the most viable candidate to replace Pt as a counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this research, we report our study using graphite, CNT/graphite composite, CNT, and Pt-based CEs in DSSCs. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement showed that the CNT-based CE (CNT-CE) has the lowest charge transport resistance (R_ct) compared with graphite and the CNT/graphite composite. The photovoltaic performance measurement showed that the CNT-CE resulted in a short-circuit photocurrent density (J_sc) of 3.59 mA·cm⁻² whereas the Pt-based CE (Pt-CE) resulted in a J_sc of 2.76 mA·cm⁻².