Hierarchical microstructures with high spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures possessing different orientations created by femtosecond laser ablation of silicon in liquids

High spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures(HSFLs)on silicon substrates are often developed on flat surfaces at low fluences near ablation threshold of 0.1 J/cm2,seldom on microstructures or microgrooves at relatively higher fluences above 1 J/cm^2.This work aims to enrich the variety of HSFLs-containing hierarchical microstructures,by femtosecond laser(pulse duration:457 fs,wavelength:1045 nm,and repetition rate:100 kHz)in liquids(water and acetone)at laser fluence of 1.7 J/cm^2.The period of Si-HSFLs in the range of 110–200 nm is independent of the scanning speeds(0.1,0.5,1 and 2 mm/s),line intervals(5,15 and 20μm)of scanning lines and scanning directions(perpendicular or parallel to light polarization direction).It is interestingly found that besides normal HSFLs whose orientations are perpendicular to the direction of light polarization,both clockwise or anticlockwise randomly tilted HSFLs with a maximal deviation angle of 50°as compared to those of normal HSFLSs are found on the microstructures with height gradients.Raman spectra and SEM characterization jointly clarify that surface melting and nanocapillary waves play important roles in the formation of Si-HSFLs.The fact that no HSFLs are produced by laser ablation in air indicates that moderate melting facilitated with ultrafast liquid cooling is beneficial for the formation of HSFLs by LALs.On the basis of our findings and previous reports,a synergistic formation mechanism for HSFLs at high fluence was proposed and discussed,including thermal melting with the concomitance of ultrafast cooling in liquids,transformation of the molten layers into ripples and nanotips by surface plasmon polaritons(SPP)and second-harmonic generation(SHG),and modulation of Si-HSFLs direction by both nanocapillary waves and the localized electric field coming from the excited large Si particles.

Electrodeposition of Gold to Conformally Fill High-Aspect-Ratio Nanometric Silicon Grating Trenches: A Comparison of Pulsed and Direct Current Protocols

Filling high-aspect-ratio trenches with gold is a frequent requirement in the fabrication of X-ray optics as well as micro-electronic components and other fabrication processes. Conformal electrodeposition of gold in sub-micron-width silicon trenches with an aspect ratio greater than 35 over a grating area of several square centimeters is challenging and has not been described in the literature previously. A comparison of pulsed plating and constant current plating led to a gold electroplating protocol that reliably filled trenches for such structures.

Helicomm与Silicon Laboratories达成ZigBee合作发展及行销协议——两家公司联手推动标准无线产品市场成长

专业电子器件代理商益登科技所代理的Helicomm日前宣布，高性能模拟与混合信号组件主要供货商Silicon Laboratories已取得该公司以ZigBee为基础的IP-Net网络软件使用授权，双方并达成ZigBee合作发展与行销协议。Helicomm是无线网络解决方案的领先供货商，在去年12月8日于韩国汉城举行的ZigBee联盟成员会议暨开放研讨活动（Q4 ZigBee Alliance Member Meeting and Open House)会场上，两家公司还展出了他们的整合方式ZigBee网状网络（mesh networking)解决方案。

Quantum Supercurrent Transistors in Silicon Quantum Wells Confined by Superconductor Barriers

We present the findings of spin-dependent single-hole and pair-hole transport in plane and across the p-type high mobility silicon quantum wells (Si-QW), 2 nm, confined by the superconductor δ-barriers on the n-type Si (100) surface. The oscillations of the conductance in normal state and the zero-resistance supercurrent in superconductor state as a function of the top gate voltage are found to be correlated by on- and off-resonance tuning the two-dimensional levels of holes in Si-QW with the Fermi energy in the superconductor δ-barriers. The SIMS and STM studies have shown that the δ-barriers heavily doped with boron, 5 × 1021 cm–3, represent really alternating arrays of silicon empty and doped dots, with dimensions restricted to 2 nm. This concentration of boron seems to indicate that each doped dot located between empty dots contains two impurity atoms of boron. The EPR studies show that these boron pairs are the trigonal dipole centres, B+ - B–, that contain the pairs of holes, which result from the negative -U reconstruction of the shallow boron acceptors, 2B0 => B+ - B–. The electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements demonstrate that the high density of holes in the Si-QW (> 1011 cm–2) gives rise to the high temperature superconductor properties for the δ-barriers. The value of the superconductor energy gap obtained is in a good agreement with the data derived from the oscillations of the conductance in normal state and of the zero-resistance supercurrent in superconductor state as a function of the bias voltage. These oscillations appear to be correlated by on- and off-resonance tuning the two-dimensional subbands of holes with the Fermi energy in the superconductor δ-barriers. Finally, the proximity effect in the S-Si-QW-S structure is revealed by the findings of the quantization of the supercurrent and the multiple Andreev reflection (MAR) observed both across and along the Si-QW plane thereby identifying the spin transistor effect.

Design and Experimental Research on Seedling Pick-Up Mechanism of Planetary Gear Train with Combined Non-circular Gear Transmission

Currently, transplanting mechanisms for dryland plug seedlings in China are mainly semiautomatic and have low efficiency. The rotary seedling pick-up mechanism with a planetary gear train for non-uniform intermittent transmission, and a concave and convex locking arc device, has a large rigid impact. To solve these problems, according to the design requirements for a dryland plug seedling transplanting mechanism, a rotary seedling pick-up mechanism of a planetary gear train with combined non-circular gear transmission of incomplete eccentric circular and noncircular gears was proposed. This has the characteristics of two-times greater fluctuation of the transmission ratio in a cycle, and can achieve a non-uniform continuous drive. Through analysis of the working principle of the seedling pick-up mechanism, its kinematics model was established. The human–computer interaction optimization method and self-developed computer-aided analysis and optimization software were used to obtain a set of parameters that satisfy the operation requirements of the seedling pick-up mechanism. According to the optimized parameters, the structure of the seedling pick-up mechanism was designed, a virtual prototype of the mechanism was created, and a physical prototype was manufactured. A virtual motion simulation of the mechanism was performed, high-speed photographic kinematics tests were conducted, and the kinematic properties of the physical prototype were investigated, whereby the correctness of the theoretical model and the optimized design of the mechanism were verified. Further, laboratory seedling pick-up tests were conducted. The success ratio of seedling pick-up was 93.8% when the seedling pick-up efficiency of the mechanism was 60 plants per minute per row, indicating that the mechanism has a high efficiency and success ratio for seedling pick-up and can be applied to a dryland plug seedling transplanter.

Silicon Laboratories推出了体积小、性能高的FM广播无线电调谐器系列

Silicon Laboratories Inc．(SLAB)日前宣布推出Si470x FM调谐器系列，据称，这是目前业界体积最小集成度最高的FM广播无线电调谐器，以百分之百CMOS提供从天线输入到音频输出的完整FM调谐器。通过使用数字结构，Si470x FM调谐器在极大提高性能的同时减少了90％以上的元件数目和60％以上的板空间。Si470x非常适用于蜂窝手机、独立式FM电台、Pc、MP3播放器、PDA、USBFM接收器和各种便携式音频设备，因为这些设备通常需要低功耗和小体积。

Basic Research on the Burden of Dropping off and Picking up Children: Differences by Employment Type and Gender in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

There is a need to reduce the burden of child drop-off and pick-up for child-rearing generations, but most studies on the actual situation in Japan are based on survey results. In this study, we analyzed differences in child drop-off and pick-up by employment type and gender, utilizing the “Metropolitan Area Person Trip Survey,” which is a statistical data set. The study targeted households in which both spouses were between 30 and 49 years old, had children under the age of 6, and included the following three groups. 1) Dual-income Group 1 (both spouses employed/on contract/temporary);2) Dual-income Group 2 (husband employed/on contract/temporary, wife part-time);3) Full-time housewife group (husband employed, wife unemployed). The analysis revealed that a) wives are almost always responsible for dropping off and picking up their children;b) husbands drop off and pick up their children less frequently in dual-income households;and c) households with children raising within 10 to 30 km of Tokyo Station have longer commuting times and need to reduce the burden of dropping off and picking up their children.

Silicon Deposition in Leaf Trichomes of Cucurbitaceae Horticultural Plants: A Short Report

Silicon deposition in leaf trichome of six horticultural Cucurbitaceae species, cucumber (Cucumis sativus), pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), melon (Cucumis melo), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida) was observed by an X-ray microanalyzer coupled with an environmental scanning electron microscope. The elements that presented in the surface of three or four leaves of the individual species were detected and mapped by the X-ray microanalyzer. In leaves of cucumber, pumpkin, and melon, high accumulation of silicon was detected in cells surrounding the bases of the trichome hair and the hair itself deposited calcium. On the other hand, in sponge gourd and bottle gourd, high accumulation of silicon was detected only in the hair. In watermelon leaves, silicon deposited both in the hair and in cells surrounding the bases of the hair. Thus, horticultural Cucurbitaceae plants have interspecific variation in the pattern of silicon deposition in leaf trichomes.

Silicon and III-V Solar Cells: From Modus Vivendi to Modus Operandi

In the present paper, some novel opportunities for the development of high-efficient Si and III-V-based solar cells are considered: energy-saving environment friendly low-temperature technology of forming p-n junctions in Si (1), elaboration of structurally perfect GaAs/Ge/Si epitaxial substrates (2) and application of protective antireflecting coatings based on cubic zirconia (3). As a result: 1) New technique of forming p-n junctions in silicon has been elaborated. The technique provided easy and comparatively cheap process of production of semiconductor devices such as solar cells. The essence of the technique under the study is comprised in formation p-n junctions in silicon by a change of conductivity in the bulk of the sample occurring as a result of redistribution of the impurities, which already exists in the sample before its processing by ions. It differs from the techniques of diffusion and ion doping where change of conductivity and formation of p-n junction in the sample occur as a result of introduction of atoms of the other dopants from the outside;2) The conditions for synthesis of GaAs/Ge/Si epitaxial substrates with a thin (200 nm) Ge buffer layer featured with (1 - 2) × 105 cm-2 density of the threading dislocation in the GaAs layer. Ge buffer was obtained by chemical vapor deposition with a hot wire and GaAs layer of 1 μm thick was grown by the metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Root mean square surface roughness of GaAs layers of the less than 1 nm and good photoluminescence properties along with their high uniformity were obtained;3) The conditions ensuring the synthesis of uniform functional (buffer, insulating and protective) fianite layers on Si and GaAs substrates by means of magnetron and electron-beam sputtering have been determined. Fianite films have been shown to be suitable for the use as an ideal anti-reflecting material with high protective and anticorrosive properties.

Temperature Effects on the Electrical Performance of Large Area Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells Using the Current Shunt Measuring Technique

The temperature effects on the electrical performance of a large area multicrystalline silicon solar cell with back-contact technology have been studied in a desert area under ambient conditions using the current shunt measuring technique. Therefore, most of the problems encountered with traditional measuring techniques are avoided. The temperature dependency of the current shunt from 5oC up to 50oC has been investigated. Its temperature coefficient proves to be negligible which means that the temperature dependency of the solar cell is completely independent of the current shunt. The solar module installed in a tilted position at the optimum angle of the location, has been tested in two different seasons (winter and summer). The obtained solar cell short circuit current, open circuit voltage and output power are correlated with the measured incident radiation in both seasons and all results are discussed.

Silicon Laboratories推出手机、便携产品用FM调谐器

Silicon Laboratories近日宣布推出Si470x FM调谐器系列，这是目前业界体积最小集成度最高的FM广播无线电调谐器，以百分之百CMOS提供从天线输入到音频输出的完整FM调谐器。通过使用数字结构，Si470x FM调谐器在极大提高性能的同时减少了90％以上的元件数目和60％以上的板空间。Si470x非常适用于蜂窝手机、独立式FM电台，PC、MP3播放器、PDA、USB FM接收器和各种便携式音频设备，

Photosynthetic Gas Exchange and Nitrogen Assimilation in Green Bean Plants Supplied with Two Sources of Silicon

Beans contain a wide range of vitamins,proteins,calcium,and zinc which make them an important food source for many countries.To meet the demand for bean production worldwide,large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides are used.However,the cost of production and environmental impact increases.To produce food sustainably,the use of beneficial nutrients such as silicon as a biostimulant has been proposed.However,information about the effect of different sources of silicon on the metabolism of bean plants is scarce.Bean plants cv.Strike were grown in pots for 60 days and the effect of foliar application of silicon nanoparticles and the silicon-based biostimulant Codasilat 4 concentrations(0,1,2,and 4 mM)on total biomass,yield,photosynthetic pigment concentration,photosynthetic activity,stomatal conductance,transpiration rate,chlorophyll fluorescence,and nitrogen assimilation were evaluated.The results obtained showed that the supply of silicon at a dose of 1 mM functioned as a biostimulant,favoring gas exchange and nitrogen assimilation within the plant,which stimulated growth and yield.The results of this research work allowed a better comprehension of the effects of silicon application through silicon nanoparticles and the biostimulant Codasilon the physiology of green bean plants.

Exciting News from Indentations onto Silicon, Copper, and Tungsten

Indentations onto crystalline silicon and copper with various indenter geometries, loading forces at room temperature belong to the widest interests in the field, because of the physical detection of structural phase transitions. By using the mathematically deduced FNh3/2 relation for conical and pyramidal indentations we have a toolbox for deciding between faked and experimental loading curves. Four printed silicon indentation loading curves (labelled with 292 K, 260 K, 240 K and 210 K) proved to be faked and not experimental. This is problematic for the AI (artificial intelligence) that will probably not be able to sort faked data out by itself but must be told to do so. High risks arise, when published faked indentation reports remain unidentified and unreported for the mechanics engineers by reading, or via AI. For example, when AI recommends a faked quality such as “no phase changes” of a technical material that is therefore used, it might break down due to an actually present low force, low transition energy phase-change. This paper thus installed a tool box for the distinction of experimental and faked loading curves of indentations. We found experimental and faked loading curves of the same research group with overall 14 authoring co-workers in three publications where valid and faked ones were next to each other and I can thus only report on the experimental ones. The comparison of Si and Cu with W at 20-fold higher physical hardness shows its enormous influence to the energies of phase transition and of their transition energies. Thus, the commonly preferred ISO14577-ASTM hardness values HISO (these violate the energy law and are simulated!) leads to almost blind characterization and use of mechanically stressed technical materials (e.g. airplanes, windmills, bridges, etc). The reasons are carefully detected and reported to disprove that the coincidence or very close coincidence of all of the published loading curves from 150 K to 298 K are constructed but not experimental. A tool-box for distinction of experimental from faked indentation loading curves (simulations must be indicated) is established in view of protecting the AI from faked data, which it might not be able by itself to sort them out, so that technical materials with wrongly attributed mechanical properties might lead to catastrophic accidents such as all of us know of. There is also the risk that false theories might lead to discourage the design of important research projects or for not getting them granted. This might for example hamper or ill-fame new low temperature indentation projects. The various hints for identifying faked claims are thus presented in great detail. The low-temperature instrumental indentations onto silicon have been faked in two consecutive publications and their reporting in the third one, so that these are not available for the calculation of activation energies. Conversely, the same research group published an indentation loading curve of copper as taken at 150 K that could be tested for its validity with the therefore created tools of validity tests. The physical algebraic calculations provided the epochal detection of two highly exothermic phase transitions of copper that created two polymorphs with negative standard energy content. This is world-wide the second case and the first one far above the 77 K of liquid nitrogen. Its existence poses completely new thoughts for physics chemistry and perhaps techniques but all of them are open and unprepared for our comprehension. The first chemical reactions might be in-situ photolysis and the phase transitions can be calculated from experimental curves. But several further reported low temperature indentation loading curves of silicon were tested for their experimental reality. And the results are compared to new analyses with genuine room temperature results. A lot is to be learned from the differences at room and low temperature.

A regression approach for seismic first-break picking

The picking efficiency of seismic first breaks(FBs)has been greatly accelerated by deep learning(DL)technology.However,the picking accuracy and efficiency of DL methods still face huge challenges in low signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)situations.To address this issue,we propose a regression approach to pick FBs based on bidirectional long short-term memory(Bi LSTM)neural network by learning the implicit Eikonal equation of 3D inhomogeneous media with rugged topography in the target region.We employ a regressive model that represents the relationships among the elevation of shots,offset and the elevation of receivers with their seismic traveltime to predict the unknown FBs,from common-shot gathers with sparsely distributed traces.Different from image segmentation methods which automatically extract image features and classify FBs from seismic data,the proposed method can learn the inner relationship between field geometry and FBs.In addition,the predicted results by the regressive model are continuous values of FBs rather than the discrete ones of the binary distribution.The picking results of synthetic data shows that the proposed method has low dependence on label data,and can obtain reliable and similar predicted results using two types of label data with large differences.The picking results of9380 shots for 3D seismic data generated by vibroseis indicate that the proposed method can still accurately predict FBs in low SNR data.The subsequent stacked profiles further illustrate the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed method.The results of model data and field seismic data demonstrate that the proposed regression method is a robust first-break picker with high potential for field application.

Generation of macroscopic entanglement in ensemble systems based on silicon vacancy centers

Entanglement in macroscopic systems,as a fundamental quantum resource,has been utilized to propel the advancement of quantum technology and probe the boundary between the quantum and classical realms.This study focuses on a unique hybrid quantum system comprising of an ensemble of silicon vacancy(SiV)centers coupled to phononic waveguides in diamond via strain interactions.By employing two sets of time-dependent,non-overlapping driving fields,we investigate the generation process and dynamic properties of macroscopic quantum entanglement,providing fresh insights into the behavior of such hybrid quantum systems.Furthermore,it paves the way for new possibilities in utilizing quantum entanglement as an information carrier in quantum information processing and quantum communication.

‘Jelly to Joule’:Direct laser writing of sustainable jellyfish-based ‘graphenic silicon’ anodes for environmentally remediating high-performance lithium-ion batteries

The ramifications of global climate change and resource scarcities have made it imperative to re-examine the definition of sustainable energy-storage systems.It is crucial to recognize that not all renewable resources are inherently sustainable,and their full impact on the environment must be assessed.With the proliferation of invasive jellyfish species wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems and economies worldwide,utilizing overabundant jellyfish as a carbon source presents an opportunity to create energy-storage systems that are both financially beneficial and environmentally remediating.Accordingly,a comprehensive approach to sustainability also requires eco-friendly solutions throughout the entire lifecycle,from material sourcing to battery production,without compromising highperformance requirements.Currently,most electrode syntheses for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) employed are energy-intensive,multiple-steps,complex,and additive-heavy.In response,this work pioneers the straightforward use of low-energy laser irradiation of a jellyfish biomass/silicon nanoparticle blend to encapsulate the silicon nanoparticles in-situ within the as-forming conductive carbonized matrix,creating sustainable and additive-free composite anodes.The self-standing anode is directly synthesized under ambient conditions and requires no post-processing.Here,a laser-synthesized conductive threedimensional porous carbon/silicon composite anode from raw jellyfish biomass for LIBs is presented,displaying outstanding cyclic stability(>1000 cycles),excellent capacity retention(>50% retention after1000 cycles),exceptional coulombic efficiency(>99%),superb reversible gravimetric capacity(>2000 mAh/g),and high rate performance capability(>1.6 A/g),paving a new path to future sustainable energy production.

Silicon with Clusters of Impurity Atoms as a Novel Material for Optoelectronics and Photovoltaic Energetics

The paper presents unique functional capabilities of silicon with nanoclusters of impurity atoms with various characters. It is shown that, depending on the nature of the clusters, it is possible to expand the spectral diapason of sensitivity towards the IR region and obtain silicon with anomalously high negative mag-netoresistance (Δρ/ρ > 100%) at room temperature. The formation of clusters of impurity atoms with different nature and concentration in the lattice of semiconductor materials is a new approach for obtaining bulk-nanostructured silicon with unique physical properties.

A quantum-enhanced magnetometer using a single high-spin nucleus in silicon

Quantum enhanced metrology has the potential to go beyond the standard quantum limit and eventually to the ultimate Heisenberg bound.In particular,quantum probes prepared in nonclassical coherent states have recently been recognized as a useful resource for metrology.Hence,there has been considerable interest in constructing magnetic quantum sensors that combine high resolution and high sensitivity.Here,we explore a nanoscale magnetometer with quantum-enhanced sensitivity,based on 123Sb(I=7/2)nuclear spin doped in silicon,that takes advantage of techniques of spin-squeezing and coherent control.With the optimal squeezed initial state,the magnetic field sensitivity may be expected to approach 6 aT·Hz^(−1/2)·cm^(−3/2) and 603 nT·Hz^(−1/2) at the single-spin level.This magnetic sensor may provide a novel sensitive and high-resolution route to microscopic mapping of magnetic fields as well as other applications.

Modeling and Simulation of Heterojunction Solar Cell with Mono Crystalline Silicon

The monocrystalline silicon is a promising material that could be used in solar cells that convert light into electricity. Although the cost of ordinary silicon (Si) solar cells has decreased significantly over the past two decades, the conversion efficiency of these cells has remained relatively high. While solar cells have a great potential as a device of renewable energy, the high cost they incur per Watt continues to be a significant barrier to their widespread implementation. As a consequence, it is vital to conduct research into alternate materials that may be used in the construction of solar cells. The heterojunction solar cell (HJSC), which is based on n-type zinc oxide (n-ZnO) and p-type silicon (p-Si), is one of the numerous alternatives of the typical Si single homojunction solar cell. There are many deficiencies that can be found in the published research on n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction solar cell. Inconsistencies in the stated value of open circuit voltage (Voc) of the solar cell are one example of deficiency. The absence of a full theoretical study to evaluate the potential of the solar cell structure is another deficiency that can be found in these researches. A lower value of experimentally obtained VOC in comparison to the theoretical prediction based on the band-gap between n-ZnO and p-Si. There needs to be more consensus among scientists regarding the optimal conditions for the growth of zinc oxide. Many software’s are available for simulating and optimizing the solar cells based on these parameters. For this purpose, in this dissertation, I provide computational results relevant to n-ZnO/p-Si HJSC to overcome deficiencies that have been identified. While modeling and simulating the potential of the solar cell structure with AFORS-HET, it is essential to consider the constraints that exist in the real world. AFORS-HET was explicitly designed to mimic the multilayer solar cell arrangement. In AFORS-HET, we can add up to seven layers for solar cell layout. By using this software, we can figure out the open circuit voltage (VOC), the short circuit current (JSC), the quantum efficiency (QE, %), the heterojunction energy band structure, and the power conversion efficiency (PCE).

硅复合刚玉-氮化硅材料的性能、组成及显微结构

将由50% (质量分数,下同)氧化铝粉、37. 5%氮化硅粉和12. 5%硅粉组成的混合料和由62. 5%氧化铝粉和37. 5%氮化硅粉组成的混合料分别压制成试样,分别在空气和埋炭气氛中于1600℃保温2h烧成,然后检测试样的体积密度、显气孔率和常温耐压强度,并采用XRD、SEM、EDS等手段分析试样的物相组成和显微结构。结果表明:与未加硅粉的试样相比,加入硅粉的试样在两种气氛中烧成后,显气孔率较低,强度较大,说明硅对刚玉-氮化硅材料具有助烧结作用;在空气中烧成后,试样中残留有较多的单质硅,这些单质硅均匀分布于刚玉和氮化硅颗粒的空隙间;在埋炭气氛中烧成后,单质硅原位反应生成了O’SiAlON和SiC。