Resistivity network and structural model of the oxide cathode for CRT application

In this paper, the electrical properties of oxide cathode and oxide cathode plus, supplied by LG Philips Displays, have been investigated in relation to different cathode activation regimes and methods. Oxide cathode activation treatment for different durations has been investigated. The formations of the compounds associated to the diffusion of reducing elements (Mg, Al, and W) to the Ni cap surface of oxide cathode were studied by a new suggestion method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used as analytical techniques. Al, W, and Mg doping elements take place during heating to 1080 K (Ni-Brightness) under a rich controlled Ba–SrO atmosphere through an acceleration life test. The chemical transport of these elements was occurred mainly by the Ni cap grain boundary mechanism with significant pile-up of Mg compounds. Al and W show a superficial concentrations and distribution. A new structural and resistivity network model of oxide cathode plus are suggested. The new structural model shows a number of metallic and metallic oxide pathways are exist at the interface or extended through the oxide coating. The effective values of the resistances and the type of the equivalent circuit in the resistivity network model are temperature and activation time dependent.</p

Highly sensitive label-free in vitro detection of aflatoxin B1 in an aptamer assay using optical planar waveguide operating as a polarization interferometer

This work reports on further development of an optical biosensor for the in vitro detection of mycotoxins (in particular, aflatoxin B1) using a highly sensitive planar waveguide transducer in combination with a highly specific aptamer bioreceptor. This sensor is built on a SiO2–Si3N4–SiO2 optical planar waveguide (OPW) operating as a polarization interferometer (PI), which detects a phase shift between p- and s-components of polarized light propagating through the waveguide caused by the molecular adsorption. The refractive index sensitivity (RIS) of the recently upgraded PI experimental setup has been improved and reached values of around 9600 rad per refractive index unity (RIU), the highest RIS values reported, which enables the detection of low molecular weight analytes such as mycotoxins in very low concentrations. The biosensing tests yielded remarkable results for the detection of aflatoxin B1 in a wide range of concentrations from 1 pg/mL to 1 μg/mL in direct assay with specific DNA-based aptamers

Optimization of apta-sensing platform for detection of prostate cancer marker PCA3

This work is a continuation of our research into the development of simple, reliable, and cost-effective methods for the early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). The proposed method is based on the electrochemical detection of the PCA3 biomarker of PCa (long non-coded RNA transcript expressed in urine) using a specific aptamer labeled with a redox group (methylene blue). The electrochemical measurements (cyclic voltammograms) obtained from electrodes functionalized with the aptamer were complemented in this work by another biosensing technique: total internal reflection ellipsometry (TIRE). In addition to proving the concept of the detection of PCA3 in low concentrations down to 90 pM, this study improved our understanding of the processes by which PCA3 binds to its specific aptamer. The high specificity of the binding of PCA3 to the aptamer was assessed by studying the binding kinetics, which yielded an affinity constant (KD) of 2.58 × 10−9 M. Additional XPS measurements confirmed the strong covalent binding of aptamers to gold and showed spectral features associated with PCA3 to aptamer binding

Detection of β-amyloid peptide (1–16) and amyloid precursor protein (APP770) using spectroscopic ellipsometry and QCM techniques: A step forward towards Alzheimers disease diagnostics

A highly sensitive method of spectroscopic ellipsometry in total internal reflection mode (TIRE) was exploited for detecting β-amyloid peptide (Aβ1–16) in the direct immune reaction with monoclonal DE2 antibodies (raised against Aβ1–16) electrostatically immobilised on the surface of gold. A rapid detection of Aβ1–16 in a wide range of concentrations from 5 μg/ml down to 0.05 ng/ml was achieved using a cost-effective and label-free direct immunoassay format. TIRE dynamic spectral measurements proved that the immune reaction between DE2 monoclonal antibodies and Aβ1–16 is highly specific with the affinity constant KD = 1.46 × 10−8 mol/l. The same DE2 antibodies were utilised for detection of amyloid precursor protein APP770, a larger protein containing Aβ1–16 domain, using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements in liquid. A combination of QCM and TIRE kinetics results allowed the evaluation of the originally unknown concentration of APP770 in complete medium solution containing other proteins, salts, and amino acids

Electron conduction associated with the chemical transport of reducing elements in oxide cathode for CRT's application

In the present work, the formation of compounds associated to the diffusion of reducing elements (Mg, Al and W) to the Ni cap surface of oxide cathode has been studied by a new method. This method used two cathodes, one of them is coated and the other is uncoated, to be in an attach-contact mounted in a dummy tube. Different analytical techniques were used for this study: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and I/V electrical measurements. After oxide cathode plus decomposited and activated, Al and Mg doping elements take place during heating to 810 degrees C (Ni-Br) under a rich controlled Ba/SrO atmosphere through an acceleration life test. It is shown that the chemical transport occurs mainly by a grain boundary mechanism with significant pile-up of Mg compounds. Al and W show a superficial concentrations and distribution. The dc electrical characteristic shows very strong rectifying behaviour through the M-S junction due to the I/V curves, particularly after 144 h acceleration life time. The characteristics are found to be reversible and reproducible, and viewed a rectification ratio (r) of 100. The calculated ideality factor shows a value of n = 9.6, which is evidenced to the tunnelling conduction. The theoretical calculation shows that the interface thickness grows to (similar to 6 mu m) after accelerated the cathode to 1896 h. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Activation Process-Dependent Characteristics of Novel Thermionic Oxide Cathodes for CRT Application

The emission and conductivity characteristics of oxide cathodes depend largely on the activation process. In this paper, the electrical properties of new type of oxide cathodes for cathode ray tube (CRT) application, supplied by LG Philips Displays, have been investigated in relation to different cathode activation regimes. The influence of the activation process over different durations has been investigated. A temperature of T = 1425 K was chosen to be higher than the optimum cathode activation temperature (T = 1200 K), and the other temperature of T = 1125 K was lower than that. The electron activation energy (E) was found to vary in the range from 0.58 to 2.28 eV for cathodes activated at the higher temperature regime, and from 1.08 to 1.9 eV for those activated at the lower temperature regime. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron diffraction X-ray (EDX) analyses show a structural phase transformation in the oxide material that was activated at 1125 K for a period of 1-12 hours. The SEM mapping shows a large contamination of Ba in the top layer of oxide material. The activator agents tungsten and aluminum are found to penetrate into the BaO\SrO layer in two different ways