This book discusses physical design and mask synthesis of directed self-assembly lithography (DSAL). It covers the basic background of DSAL technology, physical design optimizations such as placement and redundant via insertion, and DSAL mask synthesis as well as its verification. Directed self-assembly lithography (DSAL) is a highly promising patterning solution in sub-7nm technology.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the methods and variety of Kelvin probe force microscopy, including technical details. It also offers an overview of the recent developments and numerous applications, ranging from semiconductor materials, nanostructures and devices to sub-molecular and atomic scale electrostatics. In the last 25 years, Kelvin probe force microscopy has developed from a specialized technique applied by a few scanning probe microscopy experts into a tool used by numerous research and development groups around the globe. This sequel to the editors' previous volume "Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy: Measuring and Compensating Electrostatic Forces," presents new and complementary topics. It is intended for a broad readership, from undergraduate students to lab technicians and scanning probe microscopy experts who are new to the field.

This book discusses the tribological, rheological and optical properties of liquid-crystal nanomaterials as well as lubricant media. It also describes the formation of liquid-crystal materials and the application of cholesteric liquid-crystal compounds in technical friction units and in human and animal joints. Further, it shows the connection between the tribological and other physical properties of liquid-crystal cholesterol compounds and develops a lubricity conceptual model of cholesteric-nematic, liquid-crystalline nanostructures on the basis of physical and energetic interpretations. This general model is valid for all surfaces and friction pairs, including biopolymers, and could lead to applications of cholesteric liquid-crystalline nanomaterials in different friction units and tribosystems as well as in the treatment of joint diseases.

This book provides an overview of the noteworthy developments in the field of micromachining, with a specific focus on microinjection systems used for biological micromanipulation. The author also explores the design, development, and fabrication of new mechanical designs for micromachines, with plenty of examples that elucidate their modeling and control. The design and fabrication of a piezoelectric microinjector, constant force microinjector, constant force microgripper, PDVF microforce sensor, and a piezoelectric microsyringe are presented as examples of new technology for microinjection systems. This book is appropriate for both researchers and advanced students in bioengineering.

The book deals with intelligent control of mobile robots, presenting the state-of-the-art in the field, and introducing new control algorithms developed and tested by the authors. It also discusses the use of artificial intelligent methods like neural networks and neuraldynamic programming, including globalised dual-heuristic dynamic programming, for controlling wheeled robots and robotic manipulators,and compares them to classical control methods.

The Shingo Enterprise Excellence Prize Model (SEEM) has exerted global influence over the ways that exceptional organizations formulate/deploy strategy with its focus on processes, Lean thinking, continuous improvement, innovation, workforce development, and supplier strategies. This book details the SEEM, which lies at the heart of the Shingo Prize. It will link the theoretical underpinnings of the SEEM and their implications for practice. Case studies illustrate important points. Selected tools that support practical implementation of the model are discussed and their use illustrated. This book will deepen understanding of why the model works and how implementation can be accomplished.

This brief provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary research and materials technologies utilizing oriented-attachment nanocrystals (OA NCs) for the energy conversion devices. Starting with a historical introduction, the book presents basic theory with an emphasis on thermodynamic and kinetic models of the oriented-attachment nanocrystals growth. Further chapters review recent advances in the synthesis, characterization, and application of the oriented-attachment nanocrystals in fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells and photocatalysis. This book will appeal to researchers and scholars from a variety of disciplines including electrochemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, physics and mechanical engineering.

Strategic Excellence in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industries is a process of applied strategic thinking designed to develop a strategy empowered with the agility to adapt to changing circumstances and to drive a high performing culture of ideal behaviors. It is infused with the insight and the thought leadership of the Shingo Model and the scientific thinking of Lean Six Sigma. The book goes beyond the classic approach to strategic planning by driving effective execution of the strategy through the embedment of collective ownership and organization-wide alignment into the entire process. Significant advances in strategic planning and management have been developed over decades of learning and practice. Many of those advances, however, have been developed in the manufacturing industry and have not been translated into terms easily applicable to the A/E/C (Architectural / Engineering / Construction) industry. This book incorporates current best practices from cutting edge organizations around the globe and presents those in a way that they can easily be applied to A/E/C organizations through an efficient and effective process.

Moustafa Nawito describes in detail the development process of a novel platform of Readout Integrated Circuits (ROICs), which enable the realization of miniaturized multi-parameter biomedical implants intended for long-term in-vivo monitoring. He presents new circuits and techniques for fully integrated sinusoidal generation, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as well as on-chip measurement of pH levels, oxygen concentration and temperature. The author draws conclusions of the development process and delivers guidelines for further innovations.

This book examines the characteristics of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells with a focus on deriving realistic finite element models. The book also explains in detail how to set up measuring systems, data analysis, and PEM Fuel Cells' static and dynamic characteristics. Covered in detail are design and operation principles such as polarization phenomenon, thermodynamic analysis, and overall voltage; failure modes and mechanisms such as permanent faults, membrane degradation, and water management; and modelling and numerical simulation including semi-empirical, one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional models. It is appropriate for graduate students, researchers, and engineers who work with the design and reliability of hydrogen fuel cells, in particular proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

This book covers the continually expanding field of metal nanoparticles and clusters, in particular their size-dependent properties and quantum phenomena. The approaches to the organization of atoms that form clusters and nanoparticles have been advancing rapidly in recent times. These advancements are described through a combination of experimental and computational approaches and are covered in detail by the authors. Recent highlights of the various emerging properties and applications ranging from plasmonics to catalysis are showcased.

This book provides an introduction to the biological background of heart functioning and analyzes the various materials and technologies used for the development of microfluidic systems dedicated to cell culture, with an emphasis on cardiac cells. The authors describe the characterization of microfluidic systems for cardiac cell culture and center their discussion of the use of stem cell stimulation based on four different types: electrical, biochemical, physical, and mechanical. This book is appropriate for researchers focused on on-chip technologies and heart studies, students in bioengineering and microengineering courses, and a variety of professionals, such as biotechnologists, biomedical engineers, and clinicians working in the cardiac diseases field.

This book presents a systemic view of nanophenomena in terms of disordered condensed media with characteristics arising at various hierarchical levels from nanoagents/nanoparticles through multiple technological interfaces to the creation of micro- or mesostructures with essential nanodimensional effects. These properties can be seen in various schemes for the functionalization of nanocarbon systems, namely, CNTs, GNRs, GNFs, carbon-based nanoaerogels, nanofoams, and so on, where nonregularities characterize surface nanointeractions and various nanointerconnects, resulting in both predictable and unpredictable effects. Beginning with nanosensing and finishing with other forms of functionalized nanomaterials, these effects will define the prospective qualities of future consumer nanoproducts and nanodevices. This book covers all aspects of nonregular nanosystems arising from the fundamental properties of disordered nanosized media, from electronic structure, surface nanophysics, and allotropic forms of carbon such as graphene and fullerenes including defect characterization, to spintronics and 3D device principles. Nonregular Nanosystems will be of interest to students and specialists in various fields of nanotechnology and nanoscience, experts on surface nanophysics and nanochemistry, as well as managers dealing with marketing of nanoproducts and consumer behavior research.

This book shares the knowledge of active and prestigious worldwide researchers and scholars in the field of healthcare monitoring as authors investigate historical developments, summarize latest advancements, and envision future prospects on wearable, attachable, and invisible devices that monitor diverse physiological information. The coverage of the book spans multiple disciplines, from biomechanics, to bioelectricity, biochemistry, biophysics and biomaterials. There is also wide coverage of various physical and chemical quantities such as electricity, pressure, flow, motion, force, temperature, gases, and biomarkers. Each chapter explores the background of a specific monitoring device, as well as its physical and chemical principles and instrumentation, signal processing and data analysis, achieved outcomes and application scenarios, and future research topics. There are chapters on: Electrocardiograms, electroencephalograms, and electromyograms Measurement of flow phenomenon Latest wearable technologies for the quantification of human motion Various forms of wearable thermometers Monitoring of gases and chemical substances produced during metabolism...and more! This book is appropriate and accessible for students and scientists, as well as researchers in biomedical engineering, computer engineers, healthcare entrepreneurs, administrative officers, policy makers, market vendors, and healthcare personnel. It helps to provide us with insights into future endeavors, formulate innovative businesses and services, and will help improve people's health and quality of life.

This book comprehensively and systematically introduces readers to the theories, structures, performance and applications of non-driven mechanical and non-driven micromechanical gyroscopes. The book is divided into three parts, the first of which mainly addresses mathematic models, precision, performance and operating error in non-driven mechanical gyroscopes. The second part focuses on the operating theory, error, phase shift and performance experiments involving non-driven micromechanical gyroscopes in rotating flight carriers, while the third part shares insights into the application of non-driven micromechanical gyroscopes in control systems for rotating flight carriers. The book offers a unique resource for all researchers and engineers who are interested in the use of inertial devices and automatic control systems for rotating flight carriers. It can also serve as a reference book for undergraduates, graduates and instructors in related fields at colleges and universities.

This book presents essential algorithms for the image processing pipeline of photo-printers and accompanying software tools, offering an exposition of multiple image enhancement algorithms, smart aspect-ratio changing techniques for borderless printing and approaches for non-standard printing modes. All the techniques described are content-adaptive and operate in an automatic mode thanks to machine learning reasoning or ingenious heuristics. The first part includes algorithms, for example, red-eye correction and compression artefacts reduction, that can be applied in any photo processing application, while the second part focuses specifically on printing devices, e.g. eco-friendly and anaglyph printing. The majority of the techniques presented have a low computational complexity because they were initially designed for integration in system-on-chip. The book reflects the authors' practical experience in algorithm development for industrial R&D.

This book is a comprehensive treatment of micro and nanofabrication techniques, and applies established and research laboratory manufacturing techniques to a wide variety of materials. It is a companion volume to "Micro and Nanomanufacturing" (2007) and covers new topics such as aligned nanowire growth, molecular dynamics simulation of nanomaterials, atomic force microscopy for microbial cell surfaces, 3D printing of pharmaceuticals, microvascular coaptation methods, and more. The chapters also cover a wide variety of applications in areas such as surgery, auto components, living cell detection, dentistry, nanoparticles in medicine, and aerospace components. This is an ideal text for professionals working in the field, and for graduate students in micro and nanomanufacturing courses.

This book provides details on various micro and precision manufacturing and finishing operations performed by conventional and advanced processes, including micro-manufacturing of micro-tools and precision finishing of engineered components. It describes the process mechanism, principles and parameters while performing micro-fabrication and precision finishing operations. The text provides the readers with knowledge of micro and precision manufacturing and encourages them to explore the future venues in this field.

This book showcases the state of the art in the field of sensors and microsystems, revealing the impressive potential of novel methodologies and technologies. It covers a broad range of aspects, including: bio-, physical and chemical sensors; actuators; micro- and nano-structured materials; mechanisms of interaction and signal transduction; polymers and biomaterials; sensor electronics and instrumentation; analytical microsystems, recognition systems and signal analysis; and sensor networks, as well as manufacturing technologies, environmental, food and biomedical applications. The book gathers a selection of papers presented at the 19th AISEM National Conference on Sensors and Microsystems. Held in Lecce, Italy in February 2017, the event brought together researchers, end users, technology teams and policy makers.

This book reviews the work in the field of nanoadsorbents derived from natural polymers, with a special emphasis on materials finding application in water remediation. It includes natural materials both with an organic or an inorganic skeleton, from which the nanomaterials can be made. Those nanomaterials can therefore be used to reinforce other matrices and in their pristine form have an extraordinary adsorption efficiency. Being of natural or biological origin, the materials described in this book distinguish themselves as eco-friendly and non-toxic. The book describes how these benefits of the described materials can be combined and exploited. It will thus appeal to chemists, nanotechnologists, environmental engineers and generally all scientist working in the field of water pollution and remediation as an inspiration for the innovation toward new technologies.

This book provides a powerful source to develop new, rapid and highly efficient materials for the application in various fields of oil and gas. It focuses on the synthesis, characterization and applications of various Nanomaterials, presenting the state-of-the-art in developments and innovations in nanocomposites. This book provides the complete practical and theoretical information about the synthesis of nanoparticles with potential use in the field of oil and gas.

The year was 1930. Ferdinand de Vazeilles of Nanterre, France, had been asked by the makers of Gergovia spark plugs to produce a promotional item to advertise their product. His design of a spark plug on wheels, complete with fenders and running boards, was manufactured by a local foundry. It sparked several series of miniature vehicles in the 1930s, produced by de Vazeilles under the name of Solido, the firm he founded in 1932. This truly classic brand of die cast miniature vehicles attracts new admirers today, while it continues to fascinate those who discovered it many years ago. One of the early collectors, Ed Force has 1200 Solido models, nearly all of which are illustrated here in full color. with the company history and a detailed accounting of models and variations listed in an easy-to-use format, this book is a must for collectors of Solido and other die cast vehicles. To help the collector assess a model's value, a price guide is included, with a high price (what a collector who must have a mint boxed model might be willing to pay) and a lower price (what a collector might be willing to pay for a pleasant mint boxed model).

Metallic quantum clusters belonging to intermediate size regime between two and few hundred of atoms, represent unique building blocks of new materials. Nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics of liganded silver and gold quantum clusters reveal remarkable features which can be tuned by size, structure and composition. The two-photon absorption cross sections of liganded noble metal quantum clusters are several orders of magnitude larger than that of commercially-available dyes. Therefore, the fundamental photophysical understanding of those two-photon processes in liganded clusters with few metal atoms deserve special attention, in particularly in context of finding the mechanisms responsible for these properties. A broad range of state-of-the-art experimental methods to determine nonlinear optical properties (i.e. two-photon absorption, two-photon excited fluorescence and second harmonic generation) of quantum clusters are presented. The experimental setup and underlying physical concepts are described. Furthermore, the theoretical models and corresponding approaches are used allowing to explain the experimental observations and simultaneously offering the possibility to deduce the key factors necessary to design new classes of nanoclusters with large NLO properties. Additionally, selected studied cases of liganded silver and gold quantum clusters with focus on their NLO properties will be presented as promising candidates for applications in imaging techniques such as fluorescence microscopy or Second-Harmonic Generation microscopy.

This thesis describes the fabrication of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures using very high permittivity dielectrics (based on rare earths) grown by high-pressure sputtering from metallic targets. It demonstrates the possibility of depositing high permittivity materials (GdScO3) by means of high pressure sputtering from metallic targets using in situ plasma oxidation on Si and indium phosphate (InP) substrates. The advantage of this system is the high working pressure, which causes the particles to undergo multiple collisions and become thermalized before reaching the substrate in a pure diffusion process, thus protecting the semiconductor surface from damage. This work presents a unique fabrication using metallic targets and involving a two-step deposition process: a thin metallic film is sputtered in an Ar atmosphere and this film is then plasma oxidized in situ. It also demonstrates the fabrication of GdScO3 on Si with a permittivity value above 30 from metallic Gd and Sc targets. Since co-sputtering was not possible, a nanolaminate of these materials was deposited and annealed. The electrical properties of these devices show that the material is highly interesting from a microelectronic integration standpoint.

This book presents a comprehensive review of particle image velocimetry (PIV) and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) as tools for experimental fluid dynamics (EFD). It shares practical techniques for high-speed photography to accurately analyze multi-phase flows; in particular, it addresses the practical know-how involved in high-speed photography, including e.g. the proper setup for lights and illumination; optical systems to remove perspective distortion; and the density of tracer particles and their fluorescence in the context of PIV and PTV. In this regard, using the correct photographic technique plays a key role in the accurate analysis of the respective flow. Practical applications include bubble and liquid flow dynamics in materials processes agitated by gas injection at high temperatures, mixing phenomena due to jet-induced rotary sloshing, and wettability effects on the efficiency of the processes.