25,419 research outputs found
Critical Review of Theoretical Models for Anomalous Effects (Cold Fusion) in Deuterated Metals
We briefly summarize the reported anomalous effects in deuterated metals at
ambient temperature, commonly known as "Cold Fusion" (CF), with an emphasis on
important experiments as well as the theoretical basis for the opposition to
interpreting them as cold fusion. Then we critically examine more than 25
theoretical models for CF, including unusual nuclear and exotic chemical
hypotheses. We conclude that they do not explain the data.Comment: 51 pages, 4 Figure
Tantalum-based diffusion barriers in Si/Cu VLSI metallizations
We have studied sputter-deposited Ta, Ta36Si14, and Ta36Si14N50 thin films as diffusion barriers between Cu overlayers and Si substrates. Electrical measurements on Si n + p shallow junction diodes demonstrate that a 180-nm-thick Ta film is not an effective diffusion barrier. For the standard test of 30-min annealing in vacuum applied in the present study, the Ta barrier fails after annealing at 500 °C. An amorphous Ta74Si26 thin film improves the performance by raising the failure temperature of a /Ta74Si26(100 nm)/Cu(500 nm) metallization to 650 °C. Unparalled results are obtained with an amorphous ternary Ta36Si14N50 thin film in the Si/Ta36Si14N50 (120 nm)/Cu(500 nm) and in the Si/TiSi2(30 nm)/Ta36SiN50 (80 nm)/Cu(500 nm) metallization that break down only after annealing at 900 °C. The failure is induced by a premature crystallization of the Ta36Si14N50 alloy (whose crystallization temperature exceeds 1000 °C) when in contact with copper
Micrometre-scale refrigerators
A superconductor with a gap in the density of states or a quantum dot with
discrete energy levels is a central building block in realizing an electronic
on-chip cooler. They can work as energy filters, allowing only hot
quasiparticles to tunnel out from the electrode to be cooled. This principle
has been employed experimentally since the early 1990s in investigations and
demonstrations of micrometre-scale coolers at sub-kelvin temperatures. In this
paper, we review the basic experimental conditions in realizing the coolers and
the main practical issues that are known to limit their performance. We give an
update of experiments performed on cryogenic micrometre-scale coolers in the
past five years
Micrometre-scale refrigerators
A superconductor with a gap in the density of states or a quantum dot with
discrete energy levels is a central building block in realizing an electronic
on-chip cooler. They can work as energy filters, allowing only hot
quasiparticles to tunnel out from the electrode to be cooled. This principle
has been employed experimentally since the early 1990s in investigations and
demonstrations of micrometre-scale coolers at sub-kelvin temperatures. In this
paper, we review the basic experimental conditions in realizing the coolers and
the main practical issues that are known to limit their performance. We give an
update of experiments performed on cryogenic micrometre-scale coolers in the
past five years
Roadmap on semiconductor-cell biointerfaces.
This roadmap outlines the role semiconductor-based materials play in understanding the complex biophysical dynamics at multiple length scales, as well as the design and implementation of next-generation electronic, optoelectronic, and mechanical devices for biointerfaces. The roadmap emphasizes the advantages of semiconductor building blocks in interfacing, monitoring, and manipulating the activity of biological components, and discusses the possibility of using active semiconductor-cell interfaces for discovering new signaling processes in the biological world
Quasiclassical Green's function approach to mesoscopic superconductivity
Recent experiments on mesoscopic normal-metal--superconductor
heterostructures resolve properties on length scales and at low temperatures
such that the temperature is below the Thouless energy . We
describe the properties of these systems within the framework of quasiclassical
many-body techniques. Diffusive and ballistic systems are covered, both in
equilibrium and nonequilibrium situations. Thereby we demonstrate the common
physical basis of various subtopics.Comment: 38 pages, LaTeX, sup.sty-style file included, to appear in
Superlattices and Microstructures; several minor changes and corrections of
typographical errors, two updated figure
Transport of Surface States in the Bulk Quantum Hall Effect
The two-dimensional surface of a coupled multilayer integer quantum Hall
system consists of an anisotropic chiral metal. This unusual metal is
characterized by ballistic motion transverse and diffusive motion parallel
(\hat{z}) to the magnetic field. Employing a network model, we calculate
numerically the phase coherent two-terminal z-axis conductance and its
mesoscopic fluctuations. Quasi-1d localization effects are evident in the limit
of many layers. We consider the role of inelastic de-phasing effects in
modifying the transport of the chiral surface sheath, discussing their
importance in the recent experiments of Druist et al.Comment: 9 pages LaTex, 9 postscript figures included using eps
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