Current leading-edge CMOS transistors are about as small as they will get. We now have a simple, clear, very physical understanding of how these devices function, but it has not yet entered our textbooks. Besides, CMOS logic transistors, power transistors are increasingly important as are III-V heterostructure transistors for high-frequency communication. Transistor reliability is also important but rarely treated in introductory textbooks.As we begin a new era, in which making transistors smaller will no longer be a major driving force for progress, it is time to look back at what we have learned in transistor research. Today we see a need to convey as simply and clearly as possible the essential physics of the device that makes modern electronics possible. That is the goal of these lectures. This volume rearranges the familiar topics and distills the most essential among them, while adding most recent approaches which have become crucial to the discussion. To follow the lectures, readers need only a basic understanding of semiconductor physics. Familiarity with transistors and electronic circuits is helpful, but not assumed.

Current leading-edge CMOS transistors are about as small as they will get. We now have a simple, clear, very physical understanding of how these devices function, but it has not yet entered our textbooks. Besides, CMOS logic transistors, power transistors are increasingly important as are III-V heterostructure transistors for high-frequency communication. Transistor reliability is also important but rarely treated in introductory textbooks.As we begin a new era, in which making transistors smaller will no longer be a major driving force for progress, it is time to look back at what we have learned in transistor research. Today we see a need to convey as simply and clearly as possible the essential physics of the device that makes modern electronics possible. That is the goal of these lectures. This volume rearranges the familiar topics and distills the most essential among them, while adding most recent approaches which have become crucial to the discussion. To follow the lectures, readers need only a basic understanding of semiconductor physics. Familiarity with transistors and electronic circuits is helpful, but not assumed.

Advances in Laser Materials Processing: Technology, Research and Application, Second Edition, provides a revised, updated and expanded overview of the area, covering fundamental theory, technology and methods, traditional and emerging applications and potential future directions. The book begins with an overview of the technology and challenges to applying the technology in manufacturing. Parts Two thru Seven focus on essential techniques and process, including cutting, welding, annealing, hardening and peening, surface treatments, coating and materials deposition. The final part of the book considers the mathematical modeling and control of laser processes. Throughout, chapters review the scientific theory underpinning applications, offer full appraisals of the processes described and review potential future trends.

A fibre Bragg grating (FBG) is a type of distributed Bragg reflector constructed in a short segment of optical fibre that reflects particular wavelengths of light and transmits all the others. As such, FBGs can be used as inline optical filters to block certain wavelengths, or as wavelength-specific reflectors. Applications include optical fibre communications, sensors and fibre lasers. This book addresses the critical challenge of developing Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs) for applications as sensors in harsh and space environment. Coverage ranges from the basic principles through design, fabrication, and testing to their industrial implementation. A thorough review includes the in-depth examination of the FBGs properties and the most important developments in devices and applications. A particular emphasis is given to the applications of fibre optic sensors in the space environment, which is characterized mainly by vacuum, high thermal gradients, mechanical vibrations and various types of cosmic radiation. The book concludes with a summary and overview of challenges faced by FBG technology. The book is supplemented by an extensive survey of published papers, books and conference reports. As an added benefit, the book is structured in such a way as to provide useful and in-depth training and skills development to graduate/undergraduate students, specialised engineers, and academic/industrial experts.

Focusing on autonomous robotic applications, this cutting-edge resource offers a practical treatment of short-range radar processing for reliable object detection at the ground level. This unique book demonstrates probabilistic radar models and detection algorithms specifically for robotic land vehicles. Engineers and researchers may find detailed coverage of Simultaneous Localization and Map Building (SLAM) - an area referred to as the "Holy Grail" of autonomous robotics research.

This book provides comprehensive coverage of the major gyrator circuits, simulated inductors and related synthetic impedances. It offers a thorough review of research in this field to date, and includes an exceptionally wide range and number of circuit examples, along with their relevant design equations, limitations, performance features, advantages and shortcomings. The book provides useful information for academics wishing to keep up-to-date with developments in the design of gyrators and other related synthetic impedances, and can also be used as a reference guide by electronics engineers looking to select appropriate circuits for specific applications. The book begins with an introduction to the key concepts of integrated and simulated inductors. Later chapters go on to cover the gyrators, simulated inductors and other related synthetic impedances realised with a wide variety of active devices ranging from bipolar and MOS transistors to the ubiquitous IC op-amps, operational transconductance amplifiers, current conveyors, current feedback op-amps and numerous other modern electronic circuit building blocks.

Advances in Semiconductor Nanostructures: Growth, Characterization, Properties and Applications focuses on the physical aspects of semiconductor nanostructures, including growth and processing of semiconductor nanostructures by molecular-beam epitaxy, ion-beam implantation/synthesis, pulsed laser action on all types of III-V, IV, and II-VI semiconductors, nanofabrication by bottom-up and top-down approaches, real-time observations using in situ UHV-REM and high-resolution TEM of atomic structure of quantum well, nanowires, quantum dots, and heterostructures and their electrical, optical, magnetic, and spin phenomena. The very comprehensive nature of the book makes it an indispensable source of information for researchers, scientists, and post-graduate students in the field of semiconductor physics, condensed matter physics, and physics of nanostructures, helping them in their daily research.

Nanowires are an important sector of circuit design whose applications in very-large-scale integration design (VLSI) have huge impacts for bringing revolutionary advancements in nanoscale devices, circuits, and systems due to improved electronic properties of the nanowires. Nanowires are potential devices for VLSI circuits and system applications and are highly preferred in novel nanoscale devices due to their high mobility and high-driving capacity. Although the knowledge and resources for the fabrication of nanowires is currently limited, it is predicted that, with the advancement of technology, conventional fabrication flow can be used for nanoscale devices, specifically nanowires. Innovative Applications of Nanowires for Circuit Design provides relevant theoretical frameworks that include device physics, modeling, circuit design, and the latest developments in experimental fabrication in the field of nanotechnology. The book covers advanced modeling concepts of nanowires along with their role as a key enabler for innovation in GLSI devices, circuits, and systems. While highlighting topics such as design, simulation, types and applications, and performance analysis of nanowires, this book is ideally intended for engineers, practitioners, stakeholders, academicians, researchers, and students interested in electronics engineering, nanoscience, and nanotechnology.

Path Planning for Vehicles Operating in Uncertain 2D-environments presents a survey that includes several path planning methods developed using fuzzy logic, grapho-analytical search, neural networks, and neural-like structures, procedures of genetic search, and unstable motion modes.

Cellular Actuators: Modularity and Variability in Muscle-Inspired Actuation describes the roles actuators play in robotics and their insufficiency in emerging new robotic applications, such as wearable devices and human co-working robots where compactness and compliance are important. Piezoelectric actuators, the topic of this book, provide advantages like displacement scale, force, reliability, and compactness, and rely on material properties to provide displacement and force as reactions to electric stimulation. The authors, renowned researchers in the area, present the fundamentals of muscle-like movement and a system-wide study that includes the design, analysis, and control of biologically inspired actuators. This book is the perfect guide for researchers and practitioners who would like to deploy this technology into their research and products.

Advanced Piezoelectric Materials: Science and Technology, Second Edition, provides revised, expanded, and updated content suitable for those researching piezoelectric materials or using them to develop new devices in areas such as microelectronics, optical, sound, structural, and biomedical engineering. Three new chapters cover multilayer technologies with base-metal internal electrodes, templated grain growth preparation techniques for manufacturing piezoelectric single crystals, and piezoelectric MEMS technologies. Chapters from the first edition have been revised in order to provide up-to-date, comprehensive coverage of developments in the field. Part One covers the structure and properties of a range of piezoelectric materials. Part Two details advanced manufacturing processes for particular materials and device types, including three new chapters. Finally, Part Three covers materials development for three key applications of piezoelectric materials. Dr. Kenji Uchino is a pioneer in piezoelectric actuators, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State University, and Director of the International Center for Actuators and Transducers. He has authored 550 papers, 54 books and 26 patents in the ceramic actuator area.

The unique compendium presents special principles and techniques of spectroscopic measurements that are used in semiconductor manufacturing.Since industrial applications of spectroscopy are significantly different from those traditionally used in scientific laboratories, the design concepts and characteristics of industrial spectroscopic devices may vary significantly from conventional systems. These peculiarities are thus succinctly summarized in this volume for a wide audience of students, engineers, and scientific workers.Exceptionally well-illustrated with practical solutions in detail, this useful reference text will open new horizons in new research areas.

The development of nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has led to advancements in high-brightness LED technology for solid-state lighting, handheld electronics, and advanced bioengineering applications. Nitride Semiconductor Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) reviews the fabrication, performance, and applications of this technology that encompass the state-of-the-art material and device development, and practical nitride-based LED design considerations. Part one reviews the fabrication of nitride semiconductor LEDs. Chapters cover molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of nitride semiconductors, modern metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) techniques and the growth of nitride-based materials, and gallium nitride (GaN)-on-sapphire and GaN-on-silicon technologies for LEDs. Nanostructured, non-polar and semi-polar nitride-based LEDs, as well as phosphor-coated nitride LEDs, are also discussed. Part two covers the performance of nitride LEDs, including photonic crystal LEDs, surface plasmon enhanced LEDs, color tuneable LEDs, and LEDs based on quantum wells and quantum dots. Further chapters discuss the development of LED encapsulation technology and the fundamental efficiency droop issues in gallium indium nitride (GaInN) LEDs. Finally, part three highlights applications of nitride LEDs, including liquid crystal display (LCD) backlighting, infrared emitters, and automotive lighting. Nitride Semiconductor Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) is a technical resource for academics, physicists, materials scientists, electrical engineers, and those working in the lighting, consumer electronics, automotive, aviation, and communications sectors.

Unlike electroplating, electroless plating allows uniform deposits of coating materials over all surfaces, regardless of size, shape and electrical conductivity. Electroless copper and nickel-phosphorus deposits provide protective and functional coatings in industries as diverse as electronics, automotive, aerospace and chemical engineering. This book discusses the latest research in electroless depositions. After an introductory chapter, part one focuses on electroless copper depositions reviewing such areas as surface morphology and residual stress, modelling surface structure, adhesion strength of electroless copper deposit, electrical resistivity and applications of electroless copper deposits. Part two goes on to look at electroless nickel-phosphorus depositions with chapters on the crystallisation of nickel-phosphorus deposits, modelling the thermodynamics and kinetics of crystallisation of nickel-phosphorus deposits, artificial neural network (ANN) modelling of crystallisation temperatures, hardness evolution of nickel-phosphorus deposits and applications of electroless nickel-phosphorus plating. Written by leading experts in the field Electroless copper and nickel-phosphorus plating: Processing, characterisation and modelling is an invaluable guide for researchers studying electroless deposits or materials science as well as for those working in the chemical, oil and gas, automotive, electronics and aerospace industries.

There have been major recent advances in robotic systems that can replace humans in undertaking hazardous activities in demanding or dangerous environments. Published in association with the CLAWAR (Climbing and Walking Robots and Associated Technologies Association) (www.clawar.org), this important book reviews the development of robotic systems for de-mining and other risky activities such as fire-fighting. Part one provides an overview of the use of robots for humanitarian de-mining work. Part two discusses the development of sensors for mine detection whilst Part thee reviews developments in both teleoperated and autonomous robots. Building on the latter, Part four concentrates on robot autonomous navigation. The final part of the book reviews research on multi-agent-systems (MAS) and the multi-robotics-systems (MRS), promising tools that take into account modular design of mobile robots and the use of several robots in multi-task missions. With its distinguished editors and international team of contributors, Using robots in hazardous environments: landmine detection, de-mining and other applications is a standard reference for all those researching the use of robots in hazardous environments as well as government and other agencies wishing to use robots for dangerous tasks such as landmine detection and disposal.

Electrical motor products reviews the energy efficiency management laws for electrical motor products in United States, European Union (EU) and China. The energy efficiency certification requirements for the electrical motor products vary from country to country and are summarised here. International standards, testing methods and certification requirements for specific electrical motor products are discussed, including electric motors, pumps and fans. Finally, methods for improving energy efficiency are examined.

Autonomic networking aims to solve the mounting problems created by increasingly complex networks, by enabling devices and service-providers to decide, preferably without human intervention, what to do at any given moment, and ultimately to create self-managing networks that can interface with each other, adapting their behavior to provide the best service to the end-user in all situations. This book gives both an understanding and an assessment of the principles, methods and architectures in autonomous network management, as well as lessons learned from, the ongoing initiatives in the field. It includes contributions from industry groups at Orange Labs, Motorola, Ericsson, the ANA EU Project and leading universities. These groups all provide chapters examining the international research projects to which they are contributing, such as the EU Autonomic Network Architecture Project and Ambient Networks EU Project, reviewing current developments and demonstrating how autonomic management principles are used to define new architectures, models, protocols, and mechanisms for future network equipment.