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Now showing 1 - 10 of 236
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    An X-Band low-power and low-phase-noise VCO using bondwire inductor
    (München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2009) Hu, K.; Herzel, F.; Scheytt, J.C.
    In this paper a low-power low-phase-noise voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO) has been designed and, fabricated in 0.25 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. The resonator of the VCO is implemented with on-chip MIM capacitors and a single aluminum bondwire. A tail current filter is realized to suppress flicker noise up-conversion. The measured phase noise is −126.6 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset from a 7.8 GHz carrier. The figure of merit (FOM) of the VCO is −192.5 dBc/Hz and the VCO core consumes 4 mA from a 3.3 V power supply. To the best of our knowledge, this is the best FOM and the lowest phase noise for bondwire VCOs in the X-band. This VCO will be used for satellite communications.
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    Simulation of microwave circuits and laser structures including PML by means of FIT
    (München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2004) Hebermehl, G.; Schefter, J.; Schlundt, R.; Tischler, Th.; Zscheile, H.; Heinrich, W.
    Field-oriented methods which describe the physical properties of microwave circuits and optical structures are an indispensable tool to avoid costly and time-consuming redesign cycles. Commonly the electromagnetic characteristics of the structures are described by the scattering matrix which is extracted from the orthogonal decomposition of the electric field. The electric field is the solution of an eigenvalue and a boundary value problem for Maxwell’s equations in the frequency domain. We discretize the equations with staggered orthogonal grids using the Finite Integration Technique (FIT). Maxwellian grid equations are formulated for staggered nonequidistant rectangular grids and for tetrahedral nets with corresponding dual Voronoi cells. The interesting modes of smallest attenuation are found solving a sequence of eigenvalue problems of modified matrices. To reduce the execution time for high-dimensional problems a coarse and a fine grid is used. The calculations are carried out, using two levels of parallelization. The discretized boundary value problem, a large-scale system of linear algebraic equations with different right-hand sides, is solved by a block Krylov subspace method with various preconditioning techniques. Special attention is paid to the Perfectly Matched Layer boundary condition (PML) which causes non physical modes and a significantly increased number of iterations in the iterative methods.
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    Thin film deposition using energetic ions
    (Basel : MDPI, 2010) Manova, D.; Gerlach, J.W.; Mändl, S.
    One important recent trend in deposition technology is the continuous expansion of available processes towards higher ion assistance with the subsequent beneficial effects to film properties. Nowadays, a multitude of processes, including laser ablation and deposition, vacuum arc deposition, ion assisted deposition, high power impulse magnetron sputtering and plasma immersion ion implantation, are available. However, there are obstacles to overcome in all technologies, including line-of-sight processes, particle contaminations and low growth rates, which lead to ongoing process refinements and development of new methods. Concerning the deposited thin films, control of energetic ion bombardment leads to improved adhesion, reduced substrate temperatures, control of intrinsic stress within the films as well as adjustment of surface texture, phase formation and nanotopography. This review illustrates recent trends for both areas; plasma process and solid state surface processes. © 2010 by the authors.
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    Carbon nanotubes filled with ferromagnetic materials
    (Basel : MDPI, 2010) Weissker, Uhland; Hampel, Silke; Leonhardt, Albrecht; Büchner, Bernd
    Carbon nanotubes (CNT) filled with ferromagnetic metals like iron, cobalt or nickel are new and very interesting nanostructured materials with a number of unique properties. In this paper we give an overview about different chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods for their synthesis and discuss the influence of selected growth parameters. In addition we evaluate possible growth mechanisms involved in their formation. Moreover we show their identified structural and magnetic properties. On the basis of these properties we present different application possibilities. Some selected examples reveal the high potential of these materials in the field of medicine and nanotechnology.
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    Advances for the topographic characterisation of SMC materials
    (Basel : MDPI, 2009) Calvimontes, A.; Grundke, K.; Müller, A.; Stamm, M.
    For a comprehensive study of Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) surfaces, topographical data obtained by a contact-free optical method (chromatic aberration confocal imaging) were systematically acquired to characterise these surfaces with regard to their statistical, functional and volumetrical properties. Optimal sampling conditions (cut-off length and resolution) were obtained by a topographical-statistical procedure proposed in the present work. By using different length scales specific morphologies due to the influence of moulding conditions, metallic mould topography, glass fibre content and glass fibre orientation can be characterized. The aim of this study is to suggest a systematic topographical characterization procedure for composite materials in order to study and recognize the influence of production conditions on their surface quality. © 2009 by the authors.
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    Volumetrical characterization of sheet molding compounds
    (Basel : MDPI, 2010) Calvimontes, A.; Grund, K.; Müller, A.
    For a comprehensive study of Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) surfaces, topographical data obtained by chromatic confocal imaging were submitted systematically for the development of a profile model to understand the formation of cavities on the surface. In order to qualify SMC surfaces and to predict their coatability, a characterization of cavities is applied. To quantify the effect of surface modification treatments, a new parameter (Surface Relative Smooth) is presented, applied and probed. The parameter proposed can be used for any surface modification of any solid material. © 2010 by the authors.
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    Increased biocompatibility and bioactivity after energetic PVD surface treatments
    (Basel : MDPI, 2009) Mändl, S.
    Ion implantation, a common technology in semiconductor processing, has been applied to biomaterials since the 1960s. Using energetic ion bombardment, a general term which includes conventional ion implantation plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) and ion beam assisted thin film deposition, functionalization of surfaces is possible. By varying and adjusting the process parameters, several surface properties can be attuned simultaneously. Extensive research details improvements in the biocompatibility, mainly by reducing corrosion rates and increasing wear resistance after surface modification. Recently, enhanced bioactivity strongly correlated with the surface topography and less with the surface chemistry has been reported, with an increased roughness on the nanometer scale induced by self-organisation processes during ion bombardment leading to faster cellular adhesion processes. © 2009 by the authors;.
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    Dynamics of droplet formation at T-shaped nozzles with elastic feed lines
    (Heidelberg : Springer, 2010) Malsch, D.; Gleichmann, N.; Kielpinski, M.; Mayer, G.; Henkel, T.; Mueller, D.; Van Steijn, V.; Kleijn, C.R.; Kreutzer, M.T.
    We describe the formation of water in oil droplets, which are commonly used in lab-on-a-chip systems for sample generation and dosing, at microfluidic T-shaped nozzles from elastic feed lines. A narrow nozzle forms a barrier for a liquid-liquid interface, such that pressure can build up behind the nozzle up to a critical pressure. Above this critical pressure, the liquid bursts into the main channel. Build-up of pressure is possible when the fluid before the nozzle is compressible or when the channel that leads to the nozzle is elastic. We explore the value of the critical pressure and the time required to achieve it. We describe the fluid flow of the sudden burst, globally in terms of flow rate into the channel and spatially resolved in terms of flow fields measured using micro-PIV. A total of three different stages-the lag phase, a spill out phase, and a linear growth phase-can be clearly discriminated during droplet formation. The lag time linearly scales with the curvature of the interface inside the nozzle and is inversly proportional to the flow rate of the dispersed phase. A complete overview of the evolution of the growth of droplets and the internal flow structure is provided in the digital supplement. © The Author(s) 2009.
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    Phase transition and anomalous low temperature ferromagnetic phase in Pr 0.6Sr 0.4MnO 3 single crystals
    (New York, NY : Springer Science + Business Media B.V., 2009) Rößler, S.; Harikrishnan, S.; Naveen Kumar, C.M.; Bhat, H.L.; Elizabeth, S.; Rößler, U.K.; Steglich, F.; Wirth, S.
    We report on the magnetic and electrical properties of Pr 0.6Sr 0.4MnO 3 single crystals. This compound undergoes a continuous paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition with a Curie temperature T C301 K and a first-order structural transition at T S64 K. At T S, the magnetic susceptibility exhibits an abrupt jump, and a corresponding small hump is seen in the resistivity. The critical behavior of the static magnetization and the temperature dependence of the resistivity are consistent with the behavior expected for a nearly isotropic ferromagnet with short-range exchange belonging to the Heisenberg universality class. The magnetization (M-H) curves below T S are anomalous in that the virgin curve lies outside the subsequent M-H loops. The hysteretic structural transition at T S as well as the irreversible magnetization processes below T S can be explained by phase separation between a high-temperature orthorhombic and a low-temperature monoclinic ferromagnetic phase.
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    Remote system for detection of low-levels of methane based on photonic crystal fibres and wavelength modulation spectroscopy
    (New York, NY : Hindawi, 2009) Carvalho, J.P.; Lehmann, H.; Bartelt, H.; Magalhes, F.; Amezcua-Correa, R.; Santos, J.L.; Roosbroeck, J.V.; Arajo, F.M.; Ferreira, L.A.; Knight, J.C.
    In this work we described an optical fibre sensing system for detecting low levels of methane. The properties of hollow-core photonic crystal fibres are explored to have a sensing head with favourable characteristics for gas sensing, particularly in what concerns intrinsic readout sensitivity and gas diffusion time in the sensing structure. The sensor interrogation was performed applying the Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy technique, and a portable measurement unit was developed with performance suitable for remote detection of low levels of methane. This portable system has the capacity to simultaneously interrogate four remote photonic crystal fibre sensing heads. Copyright © 2009 J. P. Carvalho et al.