Boron and aluminum diffusion into 4H-SiC substrates

Boron and aluminum doping by diffusion into n-type 4H-SiC Si-face substrates was carried out at the temperatures of 1800-2000 °C. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) was employed to obtain the impurity profiles, which showed that linearly graded boron profile and shallow aluminum profiles have been achieved, which may be a promising application in SiC device fabrication, such as p-n diode or ohmic contact. Characterization of high temperature processing influence on SiC surface morphology has been performed. Elemental boron and aluminum carbide were determined to be the best candidates as an impurity source materials for realizing p-type diffusion.     

Dielectric and viscoelastic studies of curing epoxy-amine model systems

Summary The curing of different epoxy-amine model systems which present only gelification and/or vitrification processes has been followed with the evolution of their viscoelastic and electrical behaviours during the network formation. Some attempts are performed to correlate the significant evolution of the mechanical and electrical parameters with the physico-chemical changes of these well defined chemical systems during their hardening and complete curing.     

A numerical Hartree-Fock program for diatomic molecules

This paper describes an algorithm and a computer program which solves numerically (virtually exactly) equations of the restricted open-shell Hartree-Fock and Hartree-Fock-Slater model for diatomic molecules     

Off-design analysis of SOFC hybrid system

This paper sets out the results of mathematical modeling and numerical simulations of the off-design (part-load) operation of the solid oxide fuel cell hybrid system (SOFC-HS).     

Metadata requirements for digital museum environments

We describe a system which addresses all the processes involved in digitally acquiring, modelling, storing, manipulating and creating virtual exhibitions from 3D museum artefacts. More specifically, we examine the significance of metadata in enabling and supporting all of these processes and describe the extensive facilities provided for authoring, maintaining and managing metadata. The development of the system has been heavily influenced by factors relating to interoperability, standards, museum best practice and feedback from two museum pilot sites. Finally, we briefly consider the system in the wider context of applications such as virtual learning environments and distributed repositories of archives.     

A certain model of reliability diagnostic of renewal objects

In the paper the model of reliability diagnostic of renewal objects which exploitation process can be described as the interrupting renewal process with the finite time of repair is discussed. The essential relationships between reliability of object and diagnostic parameters are presented.     

A focused two-dimensional air-coupled ultrasonic array for non-contact generation

Air-coupled ultrasonic sources are relatively inefficient because the high impedance mismatch at the air/solid boundary means that most of the input energy (in air) is reflected at this boundary. The objective of this research is to increase efficiency—specifically an increase in ultrasonic signal amplitude—by designing and building a focused, 2D-array of electrostatic transducers (individual diameters of 38 mm). The operating frequency of this array is in the range of 50–100 kHz; this range is selected for civil infrastructure applications. Numerical simulations are used to design an array by modeling the pressure field in air, and then optimizing an array consisting of 20 transducers to create a line-source. An array is then built (following this design) and the emitted pressure field (in air) of the as built array is measured with a microphone and compared to the pressure field predicted by the numerical model. Finally, the as built focused array is used as an ultrasonic source, and its robustness is verified by comparing the numerical simulation of a transient line-load on an elastic half-space with (completely non-contact) experimentally measured values. There is excellent agreement between these two representations, which confirms the possibility of developing a completely non-contact, scanning ultrasonic system in the 50–100 kHz range.     

A study of the electrical conductivity processes in amorphous semiconductors using the computer simulation method I. One-dimensional case

In this paper we present a computational model of electrical conductivity processes via variable range hopping of electrons between localized states (‘sites’) in quasi one-dimensional disordered systems. For two, slightly different models, the temperature dependence of the conductivity of parallel connected systems of filaments and of quasi-infinite, single filaments are discussed and compared with theoretical and experimental results.     

Vertical motion of spherical particles

A theoretical analysis is presented for the time-dependent vertical motion of spherical particles in a gas stream. Laminar, transitional and turbulent flows are considered, and equations are developed to predict particle velocity and distance travelled as functions of time in both stagnant and slowly-moving gases. In both cases the equations are shown not to be universally applicable, and algorithms for estimating the limits within which they remain valid are briefly presented.     

Computer simulation of heuristic reinforcement-learning systems for nuclear power plant load changes control

This paper describes two ideas and sample simulation results of a heuristic reinforcement-learning system and its application to the problem of digital computer control of a simple nuclear plant model. The idea of the system is interconnection between the well known reactor control heuristic rules [8,9], and the reinforcement learning algorithms [4,5]. The control signal is proposed as a vector depending on complex physical properties of the plant. Such an approach is far more flexible than deterministic or stochastic techniques when dealing with unknown processes and novel control situations.