ELECTRIC CRYSTALLIZATION OF THIN FILMS OF SODIUM - TUNGSTEN BRONZE

В работе рассмотрены вопросы получения тонких пленок натрийвольфрамовых бронз кубической структуры методом электрокристаллизации. Приведены основные параметры полученных пленок. Сняты спектры отражения пленок для неокрашенных и окрашенных пленок. Исследование приповерхностного слоя монокристаллов натрий-вольфрамовых бронз методами протонографии и ядерных реакций показало их высокое структурное совершенство. Анодная и катодная поляризации монокристаллов приводят к изменению структуры их приповерхностного слоя. Обеднение по натрию приповерхностного слоя присутствует и при катодной и при анодной поляризации, и глубина обеднения растет с ростом времени поляризации величины напряжения. Электронографией исследованы тонкие пленки натрийвольфрамовых бронз, установлена аморфная структура свеженапыленных пленок для всех температур подложки. Отжиг электронным лучом приводит к кристаллизации пленок. The paper considers the problems of obtaining thin films of sodium-tungsten bronzes of a cubic structure by the method of electrocrystallization. The main parameters of the obtained films are presented. The reflection spectra of the films were recorded for uncolored and colored films. Investigation of the near-surface layer of sodium-tungsten bronze single crystals by protonography and nuclear reactions showed their high structural perfection. The anodic and cathodic polarizations of single crystals lead to a change in the structure of their surface layer. Depletion in sodium of the nearsurface layer is present at both cathodic and anodic polarization, and the depletion depth increases with increasing polarization time of the voltage value. Thin films of sodium-tungsten bronzes have been investigated by electron diffraction, and the amorphous structure of freshly deposited films has been established for all substrate temperatures. Annealing with an electron beam leads to crystallization of the films.

Thickness Modeling of Short-Channel Cylindrical Surrounding Double-Gate MOSFET at Strong Inversion using Depletion Depth Analysis

Aims: The semiconductor technology has a great impact on consistent growth in the Very-Large-Scale Integrated (VLSI) devices. The transistor size has been scaled down from micron to submicron and towards nanometer regime in past 30 years due to technological advancements. The most reliable solid state device is Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) but this rapid decrease in the device dimensions the advent of Moore's law follows to several problems such as Short Channel Effects (SCE's) and Hot Carrier Effects. The channel becomes too small at short channel effects that necessitate analysis of the optimum device designs in particular in the operating conditions. The charge-sheet model that can quickly analyze a long-channel device current in the subthreshold to saturation regime without any discontinuity turns out to be inappropriate at reduced channel size. Objectives: At the nano-scaling of the device, since the accumulation layer thickness is comparable to the device, the assumption of the channel as a thin sheet of charge vanishes. Though the depletion layers or zone are the regions of the absentia of charges mostly, the existence affects the device behavior and the channel thickness. Therefore, channel thickness modeling becomes essential at various bias conditions to define the specifics of device operation and the channel dependence of the structural parameters. In this work the objective to develop analytical model and numerical analysis of the Cylindrical Surrounding Double-Gate (CSDG) MOSFET including the thickness derived based on formation of depletion depth to analyze the device performance at reducing dimensions. Methods: The analysis is built upon the device physical and electrical parameter such as capacitance, electric field, thickness, threshold voltage, effective channel dimensions, drain current are considered in this research. The depletion region in a MOSFET structure accounts the inclusion of the source and drain depletion regions divided primarily into three separate sub-regions as a junction between the diffused source/drain and the substrate, depletion under the channel and by region induced by lateral source and drain diffusion. The condition of a planar MOSFET in channel formation, i.e., for strong inversion, and when VGS > VTH have been considered for this mathematical analysis. Results: We have obtained the computed results of device thickness and depending parameters for a planar MOSFET and the CSDG MOSFET. Based on this analysis, the silicon thickness of the typical CSDG MOSFET computed is 180 nm, 281 nm, and 327 nm at VDS 0.2 V, 0.8 V, and 1.2 V, respectively. The achieved results through the thickness modeling proposed in this work show that nanoscale CSDG MOSFET can be deployed for the improvements in the device performance and novel design modifications. Conclusion: The analysis presented in this work significantly contributes to understanding the dependence of Semiconductor thickness in CSDG MOSFET and serve as a guide for future modifications in the structure for the device compactness.

Insentek Sensor: An Alternative to Estimate Daily Crop Evapotranspiration for Maize Plants

Estimation of ground-truth daily evapotranspiration (ETc) is very useful for developing sustainable water resource strategies, particularly in the North China Plain (NCP) with limited water supplies. Weighing lysimetry is a well-known approach for measuring actual ETc. Here, we introduced an alternative to lysimetry for ETc determination using Insentek sensors. A comparison experiment was conducted for maize plants at Xuchang Irrigation Experiment Station, in the NCP, in 2015 and 2016. Insentek ETc was evaluated using data on clear days and rainy days independently. We found that daily ETc increased gradually from VE (emergence) to VT (tasseling) stages, peaked at the R1 (silking) stage with the highest value of 7.8 mm·d−1, and then declined until maturity. On average, cumulative total of lysimetric ETc was 19% higher than that of Insentek ETc. The major depth of soil water extraction might be 60 cm for maize plants on lysimeters according to soil water depletion depth monitored by Insentek sensors. Daily ETc significantly related to soil water content (SWC) in topsoil (0–30 cm) in an exponential function (coefficients of determination (R2) = 0.32–0.53), and to precipitation (Pre) in a power function (R2 = 0.84–0.87). The combined SWC (0–30 cm)–Pre–ETc model may offer significant potential for accurate estimation of maize ETc in semi-humid environment of the NCP.

Equatorial plasma bubbles and L-band scintillations in Africa during solar minimum

We report on the longitudinal, local time and seasonal occurrence of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) and L band (GPS) scintillations over equatorial Africa. The measurements were made in 2010, as a first step toward establishing the climatology of ionospheric irregularities over Africa. The scintillation intensity is obtained by measuring the standard deviation of normalized GPS signal power. The EPBs are detected using an automated technique, where spectral analysis is used to extract and identify EPB events from the GPS TEC measurements. Overall, the observed seasonal climatology of the EPBs as well as GPS scintillations in equatorial Africa is adequately explained by geometric arguments, i.e., by the alignment of the solar terminator and local geomagnetic field, or STBA hypothesis (Tsunoda, 1985, 2010a). While plasma bubbles and scintillations are primarily observed during equinoctial periods, there are longitudinal differences in their seasonal occurrence statistics. The Atlantic sector has the most intense, longest lasting, and highest scintillation occurrence rate in-season. There is also a pronounced increase in the EPB occurrence rate during the June solstice moving west to east. In Africa, the seasonal occurrence shifts towards boreal summer solstice, with fewer occurrences and shorter durations in equinox seasons. Our results also suggest that the occurrence of plasma bubbles and GPS scintillations over Africa are well correlated, with scintillation intensity depending on depletion depth. A question remains about the possible physical mechanisms responsible for the difference in the occurrence phenomenology of EPBs and GPS scintillations between different regions in equatorial Africa.

MONTE CARLO SIMULATION OF GIANT PIEZORESISTANCE EFFECT IN p-TYPE SILICON NANOSTRUCTURES

We present a study of the giant piezoresistance effect in p-type silicon using full-band Monte Carlo simulation based on 30-band k.p calculation. This effect has been demonstrated experimentally in Si nanowires by He and Yang. By including the well-known strain effect on the band structure, and by introducing a law of variation of the surface potential according to the applied mechanical stress, we can reproduce this effect. This variation of surface potential modulates the depletion depth and then the conductivity of the structure. This modulation induces a strong variation of the total amount of carriers available for the conduction, which increases drastically this piezoresistive effect. This is probably the main origin of this effect, which may be used to achieve high performance MEMS sensors.