Fabrication and integration of photonic devices for phase-change memory and neuromorphic computing

In the past decade,there has been tremendous progress in integrating chalcogenide phase-change materials(PCMs)on the silicon photonic platform for non-volatile memory to neuromorphic in-memory computing applications.In particular,these non von Neumann computational elements and systems benefit from mass manufacturing of silicon photonic integrated circuits(PICs)on 8-inch wafers using a 130 nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor line.Chip manufacturing based on deep-ultraviolet lithography and electron-beam lithography enables rapid prototyping of PICs,which can be integrated with high-quality PCMs based on the wafer-scale sputtering technique as a back-end-of-line process.In this article,we present an overview of recent advances in waveguide integrated PCM memory cells,functional devices,and neuromorphic systems,with an emphasis on fabrication and integration processes to attain state-of-the-art device performance.After a short overview of PCM based photonic devices,we discuss the materials properties of the functional layer as well as the progress on the light guiding layer,namely,the silicon and germanium waveguide platforms.Next,we discuss the cleanroom fabrication flow of waveguide devices integrated with thin films and nanowires,silicon waveguides and plasmonic microheaters for the electrothermal switching of PCMs and mixed-mode operation.Finally,the fabrication of photonic and photonic–electronic neuromorphic computing systems is reviewed.These systems consist of arrays of PCM memory elements for associative learning,matrix-vector multiplication,and pattern recognition.With large-scale integration,the neuromorphic photonic computing paradigm holds the promise to outperform digital electronic accelerators by taking the advantages of ultra-high bandwidth,high speed,and energy-efficient operation in running machine learning algorithms.

Preparation and Swelling Kinetic Analysis of Poly (HPMC-co-AA-co-AM) Super Absorbent Resin

Super absorbent resin(SAR)is prepared by aqueous high temperature polymerization using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC)as monomer backbone material,acrylic acid(AA)and acrylamide(AM)as the graft copolymer monomer,potassium persulfate(KPS)as the initiator to generate free radicals,and N,N`-methylenebisacrylamide(MBA)as cross-linking agent for cross-linking reaction.Simutaneously,the influence of individual factors on the water absorption is investigated,and these factors are mainly AA,AM,KPS,MBA,HPMC,and reaction temperature.The optimized conditions are obtained by the experiment repeating for several times.The water absorption multiplicity and salt absorption multiplicity under the conditions are 782.4 and 132.5 g/g,respectivity.Furthermore,the effects of different temperatures and salt concentrations on its water absorption,as well as the swelling kinetics of SAR are studied.It is indicated the water-absorbing swelling process is mainly caused by the difference in water osmotic pressure and Na+concentration inside and outside the cross-linked molecular structure of the resin,which is not only consistent with the quasi-secondary kinetic model,but also with the Fick diffusion model.

Effect of the presence of trace sulfur dioxide on piperazine-based amine absorbents for carbon dioxide capture

The effect of the presence of trace SO_(2)in industrial flue gas on the amine-scrubbing-based absorption process for CO_(2)capture has been a matter of concern.This study aimed to investigate the effect of trace SO_(2)on the CO_(2)capture process using piperazine-based amine absorbents,focusing on SO_(2)-resistance capability,SO_(2)/CO_(2)absorption selectivity,and cyclic stability.The presence of trace SO_(2)not only restrains CO_(2)absorption,but also promotes the formation of carbamate within the piperazine-based amine absorbents.Remarkably,the incorporation of aminoethyl group in piperazine-based amine absorbents can enhance the SO_(2)-resistance capability by promoting the formation of carbamate,while piperazine-based amine absorbents with hydroxyethyl group can promote the formation of bicarbonate to reduce the SO_(2)-resistance capability.The work offers valuable insights into the efficient application of novel amine absorbents for CO_(2)capture from practical industrial flue gas.

Experimental Investigation of a Phase-ChangeMaterial’s Stabilizing Role in a Pilot of Smart Salt-Gradient Solar Ponds

Faced with the world’s environmental and energy-related challenges,researchers are turning to innovative,sustainable and intelligent solutions to produce,store,and distribute energy.This work explores the trend of using a smart sensor to monitor the stability and efficiency of a salt-gradient solar pond.Several studies have been conducted to improve the thermal efficiency of salt-gradient solar ponds by introducing other materials.This study investigates the thermal and salinity behaviors of a pilot of smart salt-gradient solar ponds with(SGSP)and without(SGSPP)paraffin wax(PW)as a phase-change material(PCM).Temperature and salinity were measured experimentally using a smart sensor,with the measurements being used to investigate the stabilizing effects of placing the PCM in the solar pond’s lower convective zone.The experimental results show that the pond with the PCM(SGSPP)achieved greater thermal and salinity stability,with there being a lesser temperature and salinity gradient between the different layers when compared to a solar pond without thePCM(SGSP).The use of the PCM,therefore,helped control the maximum and minimum temperature of the pond’s storage zone.The UCZ has been found to operate approximately 4 degrees above the average ambient temperature of the day in the SGSPP and 7 degrees in SGSP.Moreover,an unstable situation is generated after 5 days from starting the operation and at 1.9 m from the bottom,and certain points have the tendency to be neutral from the upper depths in 1,3 m of the bottom.

Effects of Super Absorbent Polymers on Yield and Water-saving and Drought-escaping Mechanism in Spring Maize

The effects of super absorbent polymers （SAP） on yield as well as water-saving and drought-escaping mechanism in spring maize in the seasonal drought region were studied. As shown by the results, during the seasonal drought in southern China, SAP treatment promoted the soil moisture, improved the capability of absorption and transportation of roots, promoted physiological and biochemical functions, increased the chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate and intercellular CO2 concentration, and reduced the stomatal conductance and transplre.tion rate. As a result, the economic characters of spring maize were improved, and the yield was increased.

Simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification of sintering flue gas via composite absorbent

Experiments on simultaneous absorption of SO_2 and NO_X from sintering flue gas via a composite absorbent NaClO_2/NaClO were carried out. The effects of various operating parameters such as NaClO_2 concentration(ms), NaClO concentration(mp), molar ratio of NaClO_2/NaClO(M), solution temperature(TR), initial solution pH, gas flow(Vg) and inlet concentration of SO_2(CS) and NO(CN) on the removal efficiencies of SO_2 and NO were discussed. The optimal experimental conditions were determined to be initial solution pH = 6, TR=55 °C and M = 1.3 under which the average efficiencies of desulfurization and denitrification could reach99.7% and 90.8%, respectively. Moreover, according to the analysis of reaction products, it was found that adding NaClO to NaClO_2 aqueous solution is favorable for the generation of ClO_2 and Cl_2 which have significant effect on desulfurization and denitrification. Finally, engineering experiments were performed and obtained good results demonstrating that this method is practicable and promising.

CO_2 absorption into a phase change absorbent: Water-lean potassium prolinate/ethanol solution

Phase change solvents are attractive energy-efficient absorbents for carbon dioxide(CO_2) capture due to CO_2-rich phase formation. Potassium prolinate + water + ethanol(ProK/W/Eth) solution has shown good capture characteristics as a promising one in our previous work. In this work, absorption rate of CO_2, solubility of N2 O,and heat of absorption for ProK/W/Eth solution were investigated using a stirred cell reactor and a CPA201 reaction calorimeter and these results were also compared with the aqueous ProK and 30 mass% MEA solutions.Using ethanol as a solvent can substantially increase the CO_2 physical solubility and the absorption rate of CO_2 in ProK/W/Eth solutions is far higher than that in aqueous 30 mass% MEA solutions especially at a low CO_2 loading range. Solid precipitation, obtained from the liquid-to-solid phase change absorption, was analyzed by13 C NMR and DSC-TGA. The enthalpy change for ProK/W/Eth solutions at various CO_2 loading was also discussed.

Promoting effect of super absorbent polymer on hydrate formation

The effect of super absorbent polymer（SAP） on the formation of tetrahydrofuran（THF） hydrate was studied by the successional cooling method.It was found that THF solution samples with 0.004 wt% and 0.03 wt% of SAP formed THF hydrate completely during the same cooling process.The corresponding induction time was 16-29 min,14-31 min,respectively,which was obviously shorter than that of THF solution samples without SAP（25-62 min）.It indicated that SAP accelerated the formation of THF hydrate.At the same time,the pictures of hydrate formation with and without SAP had been compared.It was found that SAP did not change the morphology of the hydrate.Finally,the mechanism of SAP promoting effect on the formation of THF hydrate was suggested.

Preparation and Characterization of Super Absorbent Resin from Natural Cellulose

The grafting polyacrylamide onto wood pulp cellulose (cell g PAM) was performed with cerous ammonium nitrate as the initiator and hydrolyzed to produce the super absorbent resin. The FTIR shows that the polyacrylamide is grafted on the cellulose. After hydrolyzation, part of acrylamino groups are transformed into carboxyl groups. The XRD analysis shows that the graft polymerization occurred at the amorphous section and the surface of the crystal section of cellulose. The SEM graph reveals that there is a layer of polymer on the surface of cellulose fiber and the fibril structure of the cellulose surface is covered. After hydrolyzation, the surface of the product is different from that of cell g PAM's and the surface is scraggy. The technical conditions to prepare high water absorbent resin were confirmed. Through the radical graft copolymerization, the high water absorbent resin can be produced from wood pulp cellulose.

Ta-Doped Sb2Te Allows Ultrafast Phase-Change Memory with Excellent High-Temperature Operation Characteristics

Phase-change memory(PCM)has considerable promise for new applications based on von Neumann and emerging neuromorphic computing systems.However,a key challenge in harnessing the advantages of PCM devices is achieving high-speed operation of these devices at elevated temperatures,which is critical for the efficient processing and reliable storage of data at full capacity.Herein,we report a novel PCM device based on Ta-doped antimony telluride(Sb2Te),which exhibits both high-speed characteristics and excellent high-temperature characteristics,with an operation speed of 2 ns,endurance of >106 cycles,and reversible switching at 140℃.The high coordination number of Ta and the strong bonds between Ta and Sb/Te atoms contribute to the robustness of the amorphous structure,which improves the thermal stability.Furthermore,the small grains in the three-dimensional limit lead to an increased energy efficiency and a reduced risk of layer segregation,reducing the power consumption and improving the long-term endurance.Our findings for this new Ta-Sb2Te material system can facilitate the development of PCMs with improved performance and novel applications.

Influence of absorbent on electromagnetic wave absorbing property of porous concrete

Influences of ferrite content and iron ore powder content on electromagnetic wave absorbing property of porous concrete are studied.The radar cross section(RSC)of samples was tested in a microwave anechoic chamber.Results show that the optimum content of ferrite is 15%,and the minimum,maximum and average reflectivity of the sample is-46.60 dB,-10.84 dB and-23.75 dB,respectively.And the sample's improved bandwidth is 8.2 GHz.The optimum content of iron ore powder is 20%,and the minimum,maximum and average reflectivity of the sample is-34.69 dB,-9.25 dB and-20.69 dB,respectively.And the sample's improved bandwidth is 6 GHz.In conclusion,appropriate ferrite and iron ore powder can improve wave absorbing property and widen wave absorption bandwidth of porous concrete.

A New CMC-AA Resin/Inorganic-gel Super Absorbent Material

A super absorbent material was prepared with the super absorbent resin （ SAR ） and inorganic gel. The SAR of the carboxymethyl cellulose grafting acrylic acid （ CMC-AA ） was copolymer synthesized using the method of inverse-phase suspension polymerization. The influences of the monomer concentration, neutralization degree, the initiator, dispersion agent, cross-linking agent, reaction and drying temperature on the grafting copolymer properties were examined. Meanwhlie, its properties was investigated and the model for absorption mechanism of this absorbent composite was proposed.

Universal memory based on phase-change materials:From phase-change random access memory to optoelectronic hybrid storage

The era of information explosion is coming and information need to be continuously stored and randomly accessed over long-term periods,which constitute an insurmountable challenge for existing data centers.At present,computing devices use the von Neumann architecture with separate computing and memory units,which exposes the shortcomings of“memory bottleneck”.Nonvolatile memristor can realize data storage and in-memory computing at the same time and promises to overcome this bottleneck.Phase-change random access memory(PCRAM)is called one of the best solutions for next generation non-volatile memory.Due to its high speed,good data retention,high density,low power consumption,PCRAM has the broad commercial prospects in the in-memory computing application.In this review,the research progress of phase-change materials and device structures for PCRAM,as well as the most critical performances for a universal memory,such as speed,capacity,and power consumption,are reviewed.By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of phase-change optical disk and PCRAM,a new concept of optoelectronic hybrid storage based on phase-change material is proposed.Furthermore,its feasibility to replace existing memory technologies as a universal memory is also discussed as well.

Thiol-functionalized MCM-48: an Effective Absorbent of Mercury Ions

Mercaptopropyl groups were grafted onto the pore walls of mesoporous molecular sieves MCM-48. The pore structures were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and N2 adsorption analYSiS. Elemental analysis confirmed that the material with high organic moiety （2.2 mmol/g） had been obtained. ^13C MAS NMR verified the tethered organic groups. The thiol-functionalized MCM-48 showed effective capture of mercury ions, and all of the organic ligands were accessible for the binding of mercury ions.

Unconventional phase transition of phase-change-memory materials for optical data storage

Recent years, optically controlled phase-change memory draws intensive attention owing to some advanced applications including integrated all-optical nonvolatile memory, in-memory computing, and neuromorphic computing. The light-induced phase transition is the key for this technology. Traditional understanding on the role of light is the heating effect. Generally, the RESET operation of phase-change memory is believed to be a melt-quenching-amorphization process. However, some recent experimental and theoretical investigations have revealed that ultrafast laser can manipulate the structures of phase-change materials by non-thermal effects and induces unconventional phase transitions including solid-to-solid amorphization and order-to-order phase transitions. Compared with the conventional thermal amorphization,these transitions have potential superiors such as faster speed, better endurance, and low power consumption. This article summarizes some recent progress of experimental observations and theoretical analyses on these unconventional phase transitions. The discussions mainly focus on the physical mechanism at atomic scale to provide guidance to control the phase transitions for optical storage. Outlook on some possible applications of the non-thermal phase transition is also presented to develop new types of devices.

Preparation of Superabsorbent Polymers with Increased Saline Absorbency

Superabsorbent having enhanced absorbency of 0.9%NaCl solution was synthesized on one basis of incorporating zwitterionic (sulfobetaine) monomer into the previous monomer mixture, which comprises ionic (AA) and nonionic monomers, and another basis of introducing inorganic salt B. As far as saline absorbency is concerned, introduction of inorganic salt B is more useful than the sulfobetaine monomer.

A Study on Nanoscale Infrared Absorbent Working in Waveband Range of 1300-400 cm^(-1)

Nanoscale powder of SiO2/Al2O3/TiO2 composite was prepared by sol-gel method. Microstructure and morphology of the obtained samples were characterized by infrared （IR）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. It is proved that infrared absorbing peaks of the samples are in waveband range of 1300-400 cm^-1, and the peak shape changes with their component. Mechanism of the infrared peak＇s positions and shapes which changes with the size and morphology of the prepared nano-particles has been tentatively discussed.

Preparation of Liquor Flavoring from Yellow Water Based on Water Absorbent Resin

[Objective] This study was conducted to extract the scarce natural liquor flavorings desired by many liquor factories from yellow water. [Method] Strong water absorbent resin was used to absorb moisture from the yellow water in order to concentrate it into dense yellow water at first, followed by azcotropic dis- tillation of the previously concentrated yellow water, and then, catalytic esterification was performed to the remaining liquid after the distillation. [ Results] The 7. 066 7 fractions of concentrated yellow water with 56.7% ethanol could be obtained after the treatment of 100 fractions of yellow water with strong water absorbent resin. Azeotrope of 0.432 8 fraction of natural acetaldehyde, 0. 269 4 fraction of ethyl formate and methyl alcohol, 0. 975 0 fraction of ethyl acetate and methyl alco- hol could be obtained after the azeotropic distillation per 100 fractions of concentrated yellow water. After the addition of CaC12, O. 220 7 fraction of ethyl formate and 0. 514 2 fraction of ethyl acetate could be obtained after distillation of the azeotrope. Finally, 92. 094 8 fractions of esterification liquid with 38 kinds of flavor- ing compound could be obtained after catalytic esterification of 100 fractions of concentrated yellow water, and the content of ethyl acetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl- butyrate, ethyl valerate, ethyl lactate and ethyl bexanoate were as much as 142.9, 22.2, 54.2, 3.3,75.4 and 158.9 g/L, respectively. [ Conclusion] Top-grade Luzhou-flavor liquor could be made by mixing 6.5 fractions of common liquor with acetaldehyde, ethyl formate, ethyl acetate and esterification liquid which were ob- tained from 1 fraction of yellow water. Therefore, the yellow water has a great recycling value, and it tells us that the technique of extracting liquor flavorings from yellow water has tremendous market value.

Absorption Capability Comparison of Two Kinds of Super Absorbent Resins from Carboxymethyl Cellulose

The two kinds of super absorbent resins from carboxymethyl cellulose were synthesized with the potassium persulphate and methylenebisacrylamide as initiator and cross linker respectively by radical polymerization in aqueous solution. Thestructures of the two resins were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR, scanning electron miscroscopy （SEM）, and environment scanning electron miscroscopy （ESEM）, the results indicate that the fibriform of the carboxymethyl cellulose （CMC） is disappeared and the crusslink networks in eopolymer of carboxymethyl cellulose-graft-polyacrylic acid（CMC-g-PAA） are denser than that of eopolymer of carboxymethyl cellulose-graft-poly （acrylic acid-co-N-vinyl Pyrrolidone） （CMC-g- PAA-co-PVP）. The comparison between the two resins in absorption capacities is that CMC-g-PAA is better in the water-keep capability being heated, while CMC-g-PAA-co-PVP is better in the water absorbency and salt resistance.

Paraffin/SiC as a Novel Composite Phase-Change Material for a Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Management System

A lithium-ion battery thermal management system has always been a hot spot in the battery industry. In this study, a novel high-thermal-conductivity composite phase-change material(CPCM) made by paraffin wax and silicon was adopted to facilitate heat transfer. Moreover, high resistance or even insulation of CPCM is capable of preventing short circuits between the cells. The heat transfer mechanism of CPCMs was determined under a scanning electron microscope. A thermogravimetric analyzer was employed to determine the thermal stability. A diff erential scanning calorimeter was used to explore the thermophysical properties of the composite samples. By comparing the results of the experiment, it was reported that under the silicon carbide content of 5%, the parameters were better than others. The phase-change enthalpy of CPCM was 199.4 J/g, the leakage rate of liquid was 4.6%, and the melting point was 53.6℃. To verify the practicality of CPCM, a three-dimensional layered battery pack model was built in the COMSOL Multiphysics software. By simulating the thermal runaway inside the battery packs of various materials, it was reported that the addition of CPCM significantly narrowed the temperature range of the battery pack from 300–370 to 303–304 K. Therefore, CPCM can eff ectively increase the rate of heat transfer to prevent the chain of thermal runaway reactions. It also enables the battery pack to run at a stable temperature.