The expected end of the "oil age" will lead to increasing focus and reliance on alternative energy conversion devices, among which fuel cells have the potential to play an important role. Not only can phosphoric acid and solid oxide fuel cells already efficiently convert today's fossil fuels, including methane, into electricity, but other types of fuel cells, such as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, have the potential to become the cornerstones of a possible future hydrogen economy. Featuring 21 peer-reviewed entries from the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Fuel Cells offers concise yet comprehensive coverage of the current state of research and identifies key areas for future investigation. Internationally renowned specialists provide authoritative introductions to a wide variety of fuel cell types, and discuss materials, components, and systems for these technologies. The entries also cover sustainability and marketing considerations, including comparisons of fuel cells with alternative technologies.

An electronic device is a physical component of an electronic circuit or system, which is used to affect electrons and their associated fields in accordance with the function of that system. Such systems have a very broad range of applications, the main ones being, Industrial automation and motion control, information processing, telecommunication, and signal processing. Understandable Electronic Devices: Key concepts and circuit design provides a concise, easily understandable and convenient guide to electronics circuits. Coverage includes diodes, bipolar junction transistors, field effect transistors, amplifiers, oscillators, and voltage regulators. Each chapter includes worked examples of theorems, and clear summaries of procedures, methods and equations. Reviewing key concepts in modern electronics, this book is a valuable resource for anyone needing an overview of the principles of electronic devices and circuits, or to review or update their knowledge in this field. Written by a highly experienced instructor in the field, the book provides early-career professionals and college and university students with the necessary foundation in electronics. The book is also a useful resource for researchers and research professionals whose main field is not electronics but whose research requires a working knowledge of electronic circuits and devices.

This thesis presents an in-depth theoretical analysis of charge and spin transport properties in complex forms of disordered graphene. It relies on innovative real space computational methods of the time-dependent spreading of electronic wave packets. First a universal scaling law of the elastic mean free path versus the average grain size is predicted for polycrystalline morphologies, and charge mobilities of up to 300.000 cm2/V.s are determined for 1 micron grain size, while amorphous graphene membranes are shown to behave as Anderson insulators. An unprecedented spin relaxation mechanism, unique to graphene and driven by spin/pseudospin entanglement is then reported in the presence of weak spin-orbit interaction (gold ad-atom impurities) together with the prediction of a crossover from a quantum spin Hall Effect to spin Hall effect (for thallium ad-atoms), depending on the degree of surface ad-atom segregation and the resulting island diameter.

This book will provide readers with deep insight into the intriguing science of thermoelectric thin films. It serves as a fundamental information source on the techniques and methodologies involved in thermoelectric thin film growth, characterization and device processing. This book involves widespread contributions on several categories of thermoelectric thin films: oxides, chalcogenides, iodates, nitrides and polymers. This will serve as an invaluable resource for experts to consolidate their knowledge and will provide insight and inspiration to beginners wishing to learn about thermoelectric thin films. Provides a single-source reference on a wide spectrum of topics related to thermoelectric thin films, from organic chemistry to devices, from physical chemistry to applied physics, from synthesis to device implementation; Covers several categories of thermoelectric thin films based on different material approaches such as oxides, chalcogenides, iodates, nitrides and polymers; Discusses synthesis, characterization, and device processing of thermoelectric thin films, as well as the nanoengineering approach to tailor the properties of the used materials at the nanoscale level.

This book describes innovative techniques to address the testing needs of 3D stacked integrated circuits (ICs) that utilize through-silicon-vias (TSVs) as vertical interconnects. The authors identify the key challenges facing 3D IC testing and present results that have emerged from cutting-edge research in this domain. Coverage includes topics ranging from die-level wrappers, self-test circuits, and TSV probing to test-architecture design, test scheduling, and optimization. Readers will benefit from an in-depth look at test-technology solutions that are needed to make 3D ICs a reality and commercially viable.

Electronic devices based on oxide semiconductors are the focus of much attention, with crystalline materials generating huge commercial success. Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) transistors have a higher mobility than amorphous silicon transistors, and an extremely low off-state current. C-axis aligned crystalline (CAAC) IGZO enables aggressive down-scaling, high reliability, and process simplification of transistors in displays and LSI devices. This original book introduces the CAAC-IGZO structure, and describes the physics and technology of this new class of oxide materials. It explains the crystallographic classification and characteristics of crystalline oxide semiconductors, their crystallographic characteristics and physical properties, and how this unique material has made a major contribution to the field of oxide semiconductor thin films. Two further books in this series describe applications of CAAC-IGZO in flat-panel displays and LSI devices. Key features: * Introduces the unique and revolutionary, yet relatively unknown crystalline oxide semiconductor CAAC-IGZO * Presents crystallographic overviews of IGZO and related compounds. * Offers an in-depth understanding of CAAC-IGZO. * Explains the fabrication method of CAAC-IGZO thin films. * Presents the physical properties and latest data to support high-reliability crystalline IGZO based on hands-on experience. * Describes the manufacturing process the CAAC-IGZO transistors and introduces the device application using CAAC-IGZO.

Epitaxial integration of III-V semiconductors on silicon substrates has been desired over decades for high application potential in microelectronics, photovoltaics, and beyond. The performance of optoelectronic devices is still severely impaired by critical defect mechanisms driven by the crucial polar-on-nonpolar heterointerface. This thesis reports almost lattice-matched growth of thin gallium phosphide films as a viable model system for III-V/Si(100) interface investigations. The impact of antiphase disorder on the heteroepitaxial growth surface provides quantitative optical in situ access to one of the most notorious defect mechanisms, even in the vapor phase ambient common for compound semiconductor technology. Precise control over the surface structure of the Si(100) substrates prior to III-V nucleation prevents the formation of antiphase domains. The hydrogen-based process ambient enables the preparation of anomalous double-layer step structures on Si(100), highly beneficial for subsequent III-V integration.

The advent of microelectromechanic system (MEMS) technologies and nanotechnologies has resulted in a multitude of structures and devices with ultra compact dimensions and with vastly enhanced or even completely novel properties. In the field of photonics it resulted in the appearance of new paradigms, including photonic crystals that exhibit photonic bandgap and represent an optical analog of semiconductors and metamaterials that have subwavelength features and may have almost arbitrary values of effective refractive index, including those below zero. In addition to that, a whole new field of plasmonics appeared, dedicated to the manipulation with evanescent, surface-bound electromagnetic waves and offering an opportunity to merge nanoelectronics with all-optical circuitry. In the field of infrared technologies MEMS and nanotechnologies ensured the appearance of a new generation of silicon-based thermal detectors with properties vastly surpassing the conventional thermal devices. However, another family of infrared detectors, photonic devices based on narrow-bandgap semiconductors, has traditionally been superior to thermal detectors. Literature about their micro and nanophotonic enhancement has been scarce and scattered through journals. This book offers the first systematic approach to numerous different MEMS and nanotechnology-based methods available for the improvement of photonic infrared detectors and points out to a path towards uncooled operation with the performance of cryogenically cooled devices. It is shown that a vast area for enhancement does exists and that photonic devices can readily keep their leading position in infrared detection. The various methods and approaches described in the book are also directly applicable to different other types of photodetectors like solar cells, often with little or no modification.

Life-Cycle Assessment of Semiconductors presents the first and thus far only available transparent and complete life cycle assessment of semiconductor devices. A lack of reliable semiconductor LCA data has been a major challenge to evaluation of the potential environmental benefits of information technologies (IT). The analysis and results presented in this book will allow a higher degree of confidence and certainty in decisions concerning the use of IT in efforts to reduce climate change and other environmental effects. Coverage includes but is not limited to semiconductor manufacturing trends by product type and geography, unique coverage of life-cycle assessment, with a focus on uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of energy and global warming missions for CMOS logic devices, life cycle assessment of flash memory and life cycle assessment of DRAM. The information and conclusions discussed here will be highly relevant and useful to individuals and institutions.

VHDL 101 is written for Electrical Engineers and others wishing to break into FPGA design and assumes a basic knowledge of digital design and some experience with engineering process .

Bill Kafig, industry expert, swiftly brings the reader up to speed on techniques and functions commonly used in VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) as well as commands and data types. Extensive simple, complete designs accompany the content for maximum comprehension. The book concludes with a section on design re-use, which is of utmost importance to today's engineer who needs to meet a deadline and lower costs per unit.

*Gets you up to speed with VHDL fast, reducing time to market and driving down costs

* Companion website with source code and other documents to assist the student in building the reference design used throughout the book (http: //www.elsevierdirect.com/companion.jsp?ISBN=9781856177047)

*Covers the basics including language concepts and includes complete design examples for ease of learning

* Covers widely accepted industry nomenclature

* Learn from "best design practices"

*Gets you up to speed with VHDL fast, reducing time to market and driving down costs

* Companion website with source code and other documents to assist the student in building the reference design used throughout the book (http: //www.elsevierdirect.com/v2/companion.jsp?ISBN=9781856177047)

*Covers the basics including language concepts and includes complete design examples for ease of learning

* Covers widely accepted industry nomenclature

* Learn from "best design practices""

This book provides technological perspective and comprehensive overview on the research efforts related to II-VI group cadmium based semiconducting nanomaterials. It describes state-of-the-art information on different synthesis methods for preparation of these materials using a variety of experimental strategies. The effects of synthesis roots on structural, thermal, mechanical, lattice vibronic, electronic, optical and carrier transport characteristics of these nano-structures are systematically analyzed. A wide target readership comprising of students, researchers, scholars, scientists, technicians, academicians, industrialists can benefit from this book, as cadmium based semiconductors possess significant research and industrial interest thanks to their innovative properties.

This book describes a novel, efficient and powerful scheme for designing and evaluating the performance characteristics of any electronic filter designed with predefined specifications. The author explains techniques that enable readers to eliminate complicated manual, and thus error-prone and time-consuming, steps of traditional design techniques. The presentation includes demonstration of efficient automation, using an ANSI C language program, which accepts any filter design specification (e.g. Chebyschev low-pass filter, cut-off frequency, pass-band ripple etc.) as input and generates as output a SPICE(Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis) format netlist. Readers then can use this netlist to run simulations with any version of the popular SPICE simulator, increasing accuracy of the final results, without violating any of the key principles of the traditional design scheme.

This book examines in detail the nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau functional, the model most commonly used in the study of superconductivity. Specifically covered are cases in the presence of a strong magnetic field and with a sufficiently large Ginzburg-Landau parameter kappa. Spectral Methods in Surface Superconductivity is intended for students and researchers with a graduate-level understanding of functional analysis, spectral theory, and the analysis of partial differential equations. The book also includes an overview of all nonstandard material as well as important semi-classical techniques in spectral theory that are involved in the nonlinear study of superconductivity.

Full and accessible coverage of the key concepts governing the reduction, containment, and measurement of unintentional electromagnetic radiation.
The rapid proliferation of computers, CD players, and other digital electronic systems in recent years has made unintentional electromagnetic radiation increasingly difficult to control. Control and Measurement of Unintentional Electromagnetic Radiation provides a thorough examination of the basic principles underlying the problem, enabling readers to design solutions and applications to combat it effectively. Using a simple mathematical approach limited to algebra and trigonometry, this timely book meets the growing need for a more complete understanding of electromagnetic phenomena. Essential reading for electronics system designers and users as well as consultants and researchers, this book offers:
* An overview of intentional electromagnetic radiators -- antennas
* Examination and modeling of sinusoidal circuit-current radiations
* Frequency domain descriptions of periodic voltages, including a simple method for decomposing many often-used periodic voltage waveshapes into their sinusoidal components
* Easily obtainable descriptions of the measured radiations of periodic, time-varying circuit currents
* Techniques for controlling circuit-current radiations by adjusting different parameters, such as voltage amplitude and waveshape, circuit-current path geometry and impedance
* Radiation containment principles -- fully and partially contained radiating currents, slot antennas, and more
* Basic coverage of the radiation measurement process--from antenna calibration, measurement, geometry, and the measurement environment to test-site construction and validation.

This book discusses the analysis, circuit modeling, and applications of transmission lines loaded with electrically small resonators (mostly resonators inspired by metamaterials), focusing on the study of the symmetry-related electromagnetic properties of these loaded lines. It shows that the stopband functionality (resonance) that these lines exhibit can be controlled by the relative orientation between the line and the resonator, which determines their mutual coupling. Such resonance controllability, closely related to symmetry, is essential for the design of several microwave components, such as common-mode suppressed differential lines, novel microwave sensors based on symmetry disruption, and spectral signature radio-frequency barcodes. Other interesting aspects, such as stopband bandwidth enhancement (due to inter-resonator coupling, and related to complex modes) and magnetoelectric coupling between the transmission lines and split-ring resonators, are also included in the book.

This book provides a systematic presentation of the principles and practices behind the synthesis and functionalization of graphene and grapheme oxide (GO), as well as the fabrication techniques for transparent conductors from these materials. Transparent conductors are used in a wide variety of photoelectronic and photovoltaic devices, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), solar cells, optical communication devices, and solid-state lighting. Thin films made from indium tin oxide (ITO) have thus far been the dominant source of transparent conductors, and now account for 50% of indium consumption. However, the price of Indium has increased 1000% in the last 10 years. Graphene, a two-dimensional monolayer of sp2-bonded carbon atoms, has attracted significant interest because of its unique transport properties. Because of their high optical transmittance and electrical conductivity, thin film electrodes made from graphene nanosheets have been considered an ideal candidate to replace expensive ITO films. Graphene for Transparent Conductors offers a systematic presentation of the principles, theories and technical practices behind the structure-property relationship of the thin films, which are the key to the successful development of high-performance transparent conductors. At the same time, the unique perspectives provided in the applications of graphene and GO as transparent conductors will serve as a general guide to the design and fabrication of thin film materials for specific applications.

Semiconductor heterostructures represent the backbone for an increasing variety of electronic and photonic devices, for applications including information storage, communication and material treatment, to name but a few. Novel structural and material concepts are needed in order to further push the performance limits of present devices and to open up new application areas. This thesis demonstrates how key performance characteristics of three completely different types of semiconductor lasers can be tailored using clever nanostructure design and epitaxial growth techniques. All aspects of laser fabrication are discussed, from design and growth of nanostructures using metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy, to fabrication and characterization of complete devices.

The book presents information about Terahertz science, Terahertz photodetectors and Terahertz Lasers. A special emphasis is given to room temperature operation of long wavelength photodetectors based on novel quantum dots (Centered Defect Spherical Quantum Dots). Moreover, a complete analysis of systems based on Quantum Cascade structures to detect far infrared wavelengths is provided. Finally, the book presents Terahertz laser principles considering multi-color lasers in this range of wavelengths. Written as a background for graduate students in the Optics field.

"FIB Nanostructures "reviews a range of methods, including milling, etching, deposition, and implantation, applied to manipulate structures at the nanoscale. Focused Ion Beam (FIB) is an important tool for manipulating the structure of materials at the nanoscale, and substantially extends the range of possible applications of nanofabrication. FIB techniques are widely used in the semiconductor industry and in materials research for deposition and ablation, including the fabrication of nanostructures such as nanowires, nanotubes, nanoneedles, graphene sheets, quantum dots, etc. The main objective of this book is to create a platform for knowledge sharing and dissemination of the latest advances in novel areas of FIB for nanostructures and related materials and devices, and to provide a comprehensive introduction to the field and directions for further research. Chapters written by leading scientists throughout the world create a fundamental bridge between focused ion beam and nanotechnology that is intended tostimulate readers' interest in developing new types of nanostructures for application to semiconductor technology. These applications are increasingly important for the future development of materials science, energy technology, and electronic devices. The book can be recommended for physics, electrical engineering, and materials science departments as a reference on materials science and device design."

This book is the first comprehensive collection of electronic aspects of different kinds of elastomer composites, including combinations of synthetic, natural and thermoplastic elastomers with different conducting fillers like metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, or graphenes, and many more. It covers elastomer composites, which are useful in electronic applications, including chemical and physical as well as material science aspects. The presented elastomer composites have great potential for solving emerging new material application requirements, for example as flexible and wearable electronics. The book is structured and organized by the rubber/elastomer type: each chapter describes a different elastomer matrix and its composites. While introducing to important fundamentals, it is application-oriented, discussing the current issues and challenges in the field of elastomer composites. This book will thus appeal to researchers and scientists, to engineers and technologists, but also to graduate students, working on elastomer composites, or on electronics engineering with the composites, providing the readers with a sound introduction to the field and solutions to both fundamental and applied problems.

This book explores the impacts of important material parameters on the electrical properties of indium arsenide (InAs) nanowires, which offer a promising channel material for low-power electronic devices due to their small bandgap and high electron mobility. Smaller diameter nanowires are needed in order to scale down electronic devices and improve their performance. However, to date the properties of thin InAs nanowires and their sensitivity to various factors were not known. The book presents the first study of ultrathin InAs nanowires with diameters below 10 nm are studied, for the first time, establishing the channel in field-effect transistors (FETs) and the correlation between nanowire diameter and device performance. Moreover, it develops a novel method for directly correlating the atomic-level structure with the properties of individual nanowires and their device performance. Using this method, the electronic properties of InAs nanowires and the performance of the FETs they are used in are found to change with the crystal phases (wurtzite, zinc-blend or a mix phase), the axis direction and the growth method. These findings deepen our understanding of InAs nanowires and provide a potential way to tailor device performance by controlling the relevant parameters of the nanowires and devices.

The fundamental concept of quantum coherence plays a central role in quantum physics, cutting across disciplines of quantum optics, atomic and condensed matter physics. Quantum coherence represents a universal property of the quantum s- tems that applies both to light and matter thereby tying together materials and p- nomena. Moreover, the optical coherence can be transferred to the medium through the light-matter interactions. Since the early days of quantum mechanics there has been a desire to control dynamics of quantum systems. The generation and c- trol of quantum coherence in matter by optical means, in particular, represents a viable way to achieve this longstanding goal and semiconductor nanostructures are the most promising candidates for controllable quantum systems. Optical generation and control of coherent light-matter states in semiconductor quantum nanostructures is precisely the scope of the present book. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in the subject of quantum coh- ence. We are currently witnessing parallel growth of activities in different physical systems that are all built around the central concept of manipulation of quantum coherence. The burgeoning activities in solid-state systems, and semiconductors in particular, have been strongly driven by the unprecedented control of coherence that previously has been demonstrated in quantum optics of atoms and molecules, and is now taking advantage of the remarkable advances in semiconductor fabrication technologies. A recent impetus to exploit the coherent quantum phenomena comes from the emergence of the quantum information paradigm.

"Real time" imaging techniques have assisted materials science studies especially for non-ambient environments. These techniques have never been collectively featured in a single venue. The book is an assembly of materials studies utilizing cutting edge real time imaging techniques, emphasizing the significance and impact of those techniques.

This thesis presents first observations of superconductivity in one- or two-atomic-scale thin layer materials. The thesis begins with a historical overview of superconductivity and the electronic structure of two-dimensional materials, and mentions that these key ingredients lead to the possibility of the two-dimensional superconductor with high phase-transition temperature and critical magnetic field. Thereafter, the thesis moves its focus onto the implemented experiments, in which mainly two different materials thallium-deposited silicon surfaces and metal-intercalated bilayer graphenes, are used. The study of the first material is the first experimental demonstration of both a gigantic Rashba effect and superconductivity in the materials supposed to be superconductors without spatial inversion symmetry. The study of the latter material is relevant to superconductivity in a bilayer graphene, which was a big experimental challenge for a decade, and has been first achieved by the author. The description of the generic and innovative measurement technique, highly effective in probing electric resistivity of ultra-thin materials unstable in an ambient environment, makes this thesis a valuable source for researchers not only in surface physics but also in nano-materials science and other condensed-matter physics.