This thesis focuses on two areas - the development of miniature plastic lasers that can be powered by LEDs, and the application of these lasers as highly sensitive sensors for vapours of nitroaromatic explosives (e.g. TNT). Polymer lasers are extremely compact visible lasers; the research described in the thesis is groundbreaking, driving forward the technology and physical understanding to allow these lasers to be routinely pumped by a single high-power LED. A notable advance in the work is the demonstration of nanoimprinted polymer lasers, which exhibit the world's lowest pump threshold densities by two orders of magnitude. The thesis also advances the application of these compact, novel lasers as highly sensitive detectors of explosive vapours, demonstrating that rapid detection can be achieved when microporous polymers are used. This work also demonstrates a prototype CMOS-based microsystem sensor for explosive vapours, exploiting a new detection approach.

Over the last fifty-plus years, the increased complexity and speed of integrated circuits have radically changed our world. Today, semiconductor manufacturing is perhaps the most important segment of the global manufacturing sector. As the semiconductor industry has become more competitive, improving planning and control has become a key factor for business success. This book is devoted to production planning and control problems in semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities. It is the first book that takes a comprehensive look at the role of modeling, analysis, and related information systems for such manufacturing systems. The book provides an operations research- and computer science-based introduction into this important field of semiconductor manufacturing-related research.

This book mainly focuses on the study of the high-temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 by vacuum, ultra-violet, laser-based, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). A new form of electron coupling has been identified in Bi2212, which occurs in the superconducting state. For the first time, the Bogoliubov quasiparticle dispersion with a clear band back-bending has been observed with two peaks in the momentum distribution curve in the superconducting state at a low temperature. Readers will find useful information about the technique of angle-resolved photoemission and the study of high-temperature superconductors using this technique. Dr. Wentao Zhang received his PhD from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

This book is based on nearly a decade of materials and electronics research at the leading research institution on the nitride topic in Europe. It is a comprehensive monograph and tutorial that will be of interest to graduate students of electrical engineering, communication engineering, and physics; to materials, device, and circuit engineers in research and industry; to all scientists with a general interest in advanced electronics.

This book presents extensive information on the mechanisms of epitaxial growth in III-nitride compounds, drawing on a state-of-the-art computational approach that combines ab initio calculations, empirical interatomic potentials, and Monte Carlo simulations to do so. It discusses important theoretical aspects of surface structures and elemental growth processes during the epitaxial growth of III-nitride compounds. In addition, it discusses advanced fundamental structural and electronic properties, surface structures, fundamental growth processes and novel behavior of thin films in III-nitride semiconductors. As such, it will appeal to all researchers, engineers and graduate students seeking detailed information on crystal growth and its application to III-nitride compounds.

The chapters in this edited book are written by some authors who have presented very high quality papers at the 2015 International Symposium of Next-Generation Electronics (ISNE 2015) held in Taipei, Taiwan. The ISNE 2015 was intended to provide a common forum for researchers, scientists, engineers, and practitioners throughout the world to present their latest research findings, ideas, developments, and applications in the general areas of electron devices, integrated circuits, and microelectronic systems and technologies. The scope of the conference includes the following topics: A. Green Electronics B. Microelectronic Circuits and Systems C. Integrated Circuits and Packaging Technologies D. Computer and Communication Engineering E. Electron Devices F. Optoelectronic and Semiconductor Technologies The technical program consisted of 4 plenary talks, 23 invited talks, and more than 250 contributed oral and poster presentations. Plenary speakers were recognized experts in their fields, and their talks focused on leading-edge technologies including: "The Future Lithographic Technology for Semiconductor Fabrication" by Dr. Alek C. Chen, Asia ASML, Taiwan. "Detection of Single Traps and Characterization of Individual Traps: Beginning of Atomistic Reliability Physics" by Prof. Toshiaki Tsuchiya, Shimane University, Japan. "The Art and Science of Packaging High-Coupling Photonics Devices and Modules", by Prof. Wood-Hi Cheng, National Chung-Hsing University, Taiwan. "Prospect and Outlook of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection in Emerging Technologies", by Prof. Juin J. Liou, University of Central Florida, USA. After a rigorous review process, the ISNE 2015 technical program committee has selected 10 outstanding presentations and invited the authors to prepare extended chapters for inclusion in this edited book. Of the 10 chapters, five are focused on the subject of electronic devices, and the other covers the circuit designs for various applications. The authors are working at the academia in Austria, United States, Korea, and Taiwan. The guest editors would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to all the members of the ISNE 2015 technical program committees for reviewing the papers and selecting the manuscripts for the edited book. We also thank all the authors for their valuable and excellent contributions to the book.

This book provides a comprehensive monograph on gate stacks in semiconductor technology. It covers the major latest developments and basics and will be useful as a reference work for researchers, engineers and graduate students alike. The reader will get a clear view of what has been done so far, what is the state-of-the-art and which are the main challenges ahead before we come any closer to a viable Ge and III-V MOS technology.

This book presents the physical characteristics and possible device applications of europium monoxide as well as materials based on it. It reveals the suitability of this material for device applications in super- and semiconductor spin electronics. Ferromagnetic semiconductors like europium monoxide have contributed to a fascinating research field in condensed matter physics. In the book are presented the electronic and magnetic properties and thermal and resonance parameters of this material, its peculiarities in external fields as a function of non-stoichiometry, doping level, both in single-crystal and thin-film states. Particular attention is paid to the possibility to use this monoxide or its solid solutions (composites) unconventionally for creating spin electronics structures which work at room temperature conditions. This book appeals to researchers, graduate students and professionals engaged in the development of semiconductor spin electronics and computer devices, technologists and theoretical physicists. It is important for the calculation, development and creation of spin memory devices for a quantum computer.

Quantum dots as nanomaterials have been extensively investigated in the past several decades from growth to characterization to applications. As the basis of future developments in the field, this book collects a series of state-of-the-art chapters on the current status of quantum dot devices and how these devices take advantage of quantum features. Written by 56 leading experts from 14 countries, the chapters cover numerous quantum dot applications, including lasers, LEDs, detectors, amplifiers, switches, transistors, and solar cells. "Quantum Dot Devices" is appropriate for researchers of all levels of experience with an interest in epitaxial and/or colloidal quantum dots. It provides the beginner with the necessary overview of this exciting field and those more experienced with a comprehensive reference source."

Due to the ever increasing electric fields in scaled CMOS devices, reliability is becoming a showstopper for further scaled technology nodes. Although several groups have already demonstrated functional Si channel devices with aggressively scaled Equivalent Oxide Thickness (EOT) down to 5A, a 10 year reliable device operation cannot be guaranteed anymore due to severe Negative Bias Temperature Instability.

This book focuses on the reliability of the novel (Si)Ge channel quantum well pMOSFET technology. This technology is being considered for possible implementation in next CMOS technology nodes, thanks to its benefit in terms of carrier mobility and device threshold voltage tuning. We observe that it also opens a degree of freedom for device reliability optimization. By properly tuning the device gate stack, sufficiently reliable ultra-thin EOT devices with a 10 years lifetime at operating conditions are demonstrated.

The extensive experimental datasets collected on a variety of processed 300mm wafers and presented here show the reliability improvement to be process - and architecture-independent and, as such, readily transferable to advanced device architectures as Tri-Gate (finFET) devices. We propose a physical model to understand the intrinsically superior reliability of the MOS system consisting of a Ge-based channel and a SiO2/HfO2 dielectric stack.

The improved reliability properties here discussed strongly support (Si)Ge technology as a clear frontrunner for future CMOS technology nodes."

This book deals with standard spectroscopic techniques which can be used to analyze semiconductor samples or devices, in both, bulk, micrometer and submicrometer scale. The book aims helping experimental physicists and engineers to choose the right analytical spectroscopic technique in order to get specific information about their specific demands. For this purpose, the techniques including technical details such as apparatus and probed sample region are described. More important, also the expected outcome from experiments is provided. This involves also the link to theory, that is not subject of this book, and the link to current experimental results in the literature which are presented in a review-like style. Many special spectroscopic techniques are introduced and their relationship to the standard techniques is revealed. Thus the book works also as a type of guide or reference book for people researching in optical spectroscopy of semiconductors.

In conventional metals, various transport coefficients are scaled according to the quasiparticle relaxation time, \tau, which implies that the relaxation time approximation (RTA) holds well. However, such a simple scaling does not hold in many strongly correlated electron systems, reflecting their unique electronic states. The most famous example would be cuprate high-Tc superconductors (HTSCs), where almost all the transport coefficients exhibit a significant deviation from the RTA results. To better understand the origin of this discrepancy, we develop a method for calculating various transport coefficients beyond the RTA by employing field theoretical techniques. Near the magnetic quantum critical point, the current vertex correction (CVC), which describes the electron-electron scattering beyond the relaxation time approximation, gives rise to various anomalous transport phenomena. We explain anomalous transport phenomena in cuprate HTSCs and other metals near their magnetic or orbital quantum critical point using a uniform approach. We also discuss spin related transport phenomena in strongly correlated systems. In many d- and f-electron systems, the spin current induced by the spin Hall effect is considerably greater because of the orbital degrees of freedom. This fact attracts much attention due to its potential application in spintronics. We discuss various novel charge, spin and heat transport phenomena in strongly correlated metals.

This book presents the proceedings of the International Conference on Recent Trends in Materials and Devices (ICRTMD 2019) held in India. It brings together academicians, scientists and industrialists from various fields for the establishment of enduring connections to solve the common global challenges across a number of disciplines. The conference provides a platform to tackle complex problems from a range of perspectives, thereby modeling integrated, solution-focused thinking and partnerships.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are already used in traffic signals, signage lighting, and automotive applications. However, its ultimate goal is to replace traditional illumination through LED lamps since LED lighting significantly reduces energy consumption and cuts down on carbon-dioxide emission. Despite dramatic advances in LED technologies (e.g., growth, doping and processing technologies), however, there remain critical issues for further improvements yet to be achieved for the realization of solid-state lighting. This book aims to provide the readers with some contemporary LED issues, which have not been comprehensively discussed in the published books and, on which the performance of LEDs is seriously dependent. For example, most importantly, there must be a breakthrough in the growth of high-quality nitride semiconductor epitaxial layers with a low density of dislocations, in particular, in the growth of Al-rich and and In-rich GaN-based semiconductors. The materials quality is directly dependent on the substrates used, such as sapphire, Si, etc. In addition, efficiency droop, growth on different orientations and polarization are also important. Chip processing and packaging technologies are key issues. This book presents a comprehensive review of contemporary LED issues. Given the interest and importance of future research in nitride semiconducting materials and solid state lighting applications, the contents are very timely. The book is composed of chapters written by leading researchers in III-nitride semiconducting materials and device technology. This book will be of interest to scientists and engineers working on LEDs for lighting applications. Postgraduate researchers working on LEDs will also benefit from the issues this book provides.

Light-emitting diodes are being widely used due to their efficient use of power. The applications for power LEDs include traffic lights, street lamps, automotive lighting, architectural lights, household light replacements, signage lighting (replacing neon strip lights and fluorescent tubes), and many more.
Powering (driving) these LED's is not always simple. Linear driving is inefficient and generates far too much heat. With a switching supply, the main issues are EMI and efficiency, and of course cost. The problem is to get a design that meets legal requirements and is efficient, while costing the least. This book covers the design trade-offs involved in LED driving applications, from low-power to UB-LEDs and beyond.
* Practical, "hands-on" approach to power supply design for LED drivers;
* Detailed examples of what works and why, throughout the design process;
* Commentary on how the calculated component value compares with the actual value used, including a description of why the choice was made.

This thesis reports a major breakthrough in discovering the superconducting mechanism in CeCoIn5, the "hydrogen atom" among heavy fermion compounds. By developing a novel theoretical formalism, the study described herein succeeded in extracting the crucial missing element of superconducting pairing interaction from scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments. This breakthrough provides a theoretical explanation for a series of puzzling experimental observations, demonstrating that strong magnetic interactions provide the quantum glue for unconventional superconductivity. Additional insight into the complex properties of strongly correlated and topological materials was provided by investigating their non-equilibrium charge and spin transport properties. The findings demonstrate that the interplay of magnetism and disorder with strong correlations or topology leads to complex and novel behavior that can be exploited to create the next generation of spin electronics and quantum computing devices.

This thesis provides a detailed introduction to quantum oscillation measurement and analysis and offers a connection between Fermi surface properties and superconductivity in high-temperature superconductors. It also discusses the field of iron-based superconductors and tests the models for the appearance of nodes in the superconducting gap of a 111-type pnictide using quantum oscillation measurements combined with band structure calculation. The same measurements were carried out to determine the quasiparticle mass in BaFe2(As1-xPx)2, which is strongly enhanced at the expected quantum critical point. While the lower superconducting critical field shows evidence of quantum criticality, the upper superconducting critical field is not influenced by the quantum critical point. These findings contradict conventional theories, demonstrating the need for a theoretical treatment of quantum critical superconductors, which has not been addressed to date. The quest to discover similar evidence in the cuprates calls for the application of extreme conditions. As such, quantum oscillation measurements were performed under high pressure in a high magnetic field, revealing a negative correlation between quasiparticle mass and superconducting critical temperature.

What are the relations between the shape of a system of cities and that of fish school? Which events should happen in a cell in order that it participates to one of the finger of our hands? How to interpret the shape of a sand dune? This collective book written for the non-specialist addresses these questions and more generally, the fundamental issue of the emergence of forms and patterns in physical and living systems. It is a single book gathering the different aspects of morphogenesis and approaches developed in different disciplines on shape and pattern formation. Relying on the seminal works of D'Arcy Thompson, Alan Turing and Rene Thom, it confronts major examples like plant growth and shape, intra-cellular organization, evolution of living forms or motifs generated by crystals. A book essential to understand universal principles at work in the shapes and patterns surrounding us but also to avoid spurious analogies.

Semiconductor nanostructures such as nanowires are promising building blocks of future nanoelectronic, nanophotonic and nanosensing devices. Their physical properties are primarily determined by the epitaxy process which is rather different from the conventional thin film growth. This book shows how the advanced nucleation theory can be used in modeling of growth properties, morphology and crystal phase of such nanostructures. The book represents a systematic account of modern nucleation theory in open systems, nanostructure nucleation and growth mechanisms, and possibilities for tuning the nanostructure properties to the desired values.

Harmonically modulated luminescence combines the advantages of highly sensitive luminescence metrology with an immediate dynamic access to carrier lifetime in semiconductors at a minimum of required a priori information. The present work covers theoretical, conceptual, and experimental advances of the harmonically modulated luminescence technique. Theoretical constraints of dynamic carrier lifetime techniques are rigorously elaborated, including the proof of their differential nature and their characteristics at nonuniform spatial distributions of recombination rate. The pathway toward a unified, reliable, and versatile harmonically modulated carrier lifetime metrology is delineated - covering the entire solar cell production chain from bare ingots to finished solar cells. Accurate access to miscellaneous relevant recombination and transport properties via harmonically modulated luminescence is demonstrated and experimentally validated, embracing injection-dependent carrier lifetimes at extremely low injection conditions, a spatially resolved carrier lifetime calibration of luminescence images, and accurate approaches to both net dopant concentration and minority carrier mobility.

This volume presents an in-depth review of experimental and theoretical studies on the newly discovered Fe-based superconductors. Following the Introduction, which places iron-based superconductors in the context of other unconventional superconductors, the book is divided into three sections covering sample growth, experimental characterization, and theoretical understanding. To understand the complex structure-property relationships of these materials, results from a wide range of experimental techniques and theoretical approaches are described that probe the electronic and magnetic properties and offer insight into either itinerant or localized electronic states. The extensive reference lists provide a bridge to further reading. Iron-Based Superconductivity is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers active in the fields of condensed matter physics and materials science in general, particularly those with an interest in correlated metals, frustrated spin systems, superconductivity, and competing orders.

This thesis elucidates electron correlation effects in topological matter whose electronic states hold nontrivial topological properties robust against small perturbations. In addition to a comprehensive introduction to topological matter, this thesis provides a new perspective on correlated topological matter. The book comprises three subjects, in which electron correlations in different forms are considered. The first focuses on Coulomb interactions for massless Dirac fermions. Using a perturbative approach, the author reveals emergent Lorentz invariance in a low-energy limit and discusses how to probe the Lorentz invariance experimentally. The second subject aims to show a principle for synthesizing topological insulators with common, light elements. The interplay between the spin-orbit interaction and electron correlation is considered, and Hund's rule and electron filling are consequently found to play a key role for a strong spin-orbit interaction important for topological insulators. The last subject is classification of topological crystalline insulators in the presence of electron correlation. Unlike non-interacting topological insulators, such two- and three-dimensional correlated insulators with mirror symmetry are demonstrated to be characterized, respectively, by the Z4 and Z8 group by using the bosonization technique and a geometrical consideration.

"Low-Power Design of Nanometer FPGAs Architecture and EDA "is an invaluable reference for researchers and practicing engineers concerned with power-efficient, FPGA design. State-of-the-art power reduction techniques for FPGAs will be described and compared. These techniques can be applied at the circuit, architecture, and electronic design automation levels to describe both the dynamic and leakage power sources and enable strategies for codesign.

Low-power techniques presented at key FPGA design levels for circuits, architectures, and electronic design automation, form critical, "bridge" guidelines for codesign
Comprehensive review of leakage-tolerant techniques empowers designers to minimize power dissipation
Provides valuable tools for estimating power efficiency/savings of current, low-power FPGA design techniques

This book presents a new filter design approach and concentrates on the circuit techniques that can be utilized when designing continuous-time low-pass filters in modern ultra-deep-submicron CMOS technologies for integrated wideband radio receivers. Coverage includes system-level issues related to the design and implementation of a complete single-chip radio receiver and related to the design and implementation of a filter circuit as a part of a complete single-chip radio receiver.

Presents a new filter design approach, emphasizing low-voltage circuit solutions that can be implemented in modern, ultra-deep-submicron CMOS technologies;Includes filter circuit implementations designed as a part of a single-chip radio receiver in modern 1.2V 0.13um and 65nm CMOS;Describes design and implementation of a continuous-time low-pass filter for a multicarrier WCDMA base-station;Emphasizes system-level considerations throughout.

"Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics in Semiconductors" is a well-established, specialist conference, held every two years, covering a range of topics of current interest to R&D in semiconductor physics/materials, optoelectronics, nanotechnology, quantum information processing. Papers accepted for publication are selected and peer-reviewed by members of the Program Committee during the conference to ensure both rapid and high-quality processing.