Atomic Layer Deposition

Over the course of this semester understanding of the theory and application of Atomic Layer Deposition [ALD] was pursued, all in preparation for further research focusing on the charge carrier type, density, and mobility in ultrathin film ZnO. At the beginning of the semester a wide array of scientific articles was read in order to build up a basic understanding of the processes at play, at which point hands on experience was acquired on the ALD system present in Parag Banerjee’s lab. The following paper simply reflects the knowledge gained throughout this process as well as where that knowledge will be applied in future endeavors

Electrodeposition of Boron Fiber

From previous experiments, it was determined that nickel was able to coat boron fiber, however this was done unevenly, with cracks characterizing the coating. This was where it was hypothesized that the boron fiber crossed the interface of the nickel electrolyte solution during electrodeposition. This was different than the coating at the middle, which was all under the electrolyte solution, and was characterized by a smoother surface. This experiment sought to find a way to coat the nickel across the boron fiber wire evenly. SEM images were taken at the top and at the middle of the fiber. An overview picture of the area the SEM was taken, and then zoomed in on to focus on the surface characteristic (the overview was taken at x500 and the zoomed in version was taken at x950). From the images gathered, it was able to be concluded that the cracks characterizing the surface at the top of the filament form earlier experiments were not present

Labview Applications for Quantum Mass Spectroscopy

Describes a project to automate a atomic deposition layer system and couple a quadruple mass spectrometer to the atomic layer deposition graphic user interface to bring in the data acquisition under an integrated user platform

EXPLOITING PROCESS SYNERGY BETWEEN ANODIC ALUMINUM OXIDE NANOTEMPLATES AND ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION: FROM THIN FILMS TO 3D NANO-ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Self-assembled, 3D nanoporous templates present an opportunity to develop devices which are lithography-free, massively scalable and hence, highly manufacturable. Self-limited deposition processes on the other hand, allow functional thin films to be deposited inside such templates with precision and unprecedented conformality. Taken together, the combination of both processes provides a powerful ‘toolbox’ to enable many modern nano devices. In this work, I will present data in three parts. First, I will demonstrate the capabilities of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), a self-limited thin film deposition technique in preparing nanoalloyed Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films. These films are visibly transparent and electrically conducting. Structure-property relationships are established that highlight the power of ALD to tailor film compositions at the nanoscale. Next, I will use ALD ZnO films in conjunction with aged, ALD V2O5 films to form pn junctions which show rectification with an Ion/Ioff as high as 598. While, the ZnO is a well known n-type semiconductor, the discovery of p-type conductivity in aged V2O5 is surprising and is found to be due to the protonic (H+) conductivity of intercalated H2O in V2O5. Thus, we demonstrate a mixed electronic-ionic pn junction for the first time. Finally, I combine the material set of the pn junction with self-assembled, anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) 3D nanoporous templates to create 3D nanotubular pn junctions. The pn junctions are built inside pores which are only 90nm wide and up to 2μm deep and show rectification with Ion/Ioff of 16.7. Process development and integrations strategies will be discussed that allow for large scale manufacturing of such devices a real possibility.John and Maureen Hendricks Foundatio

Reusing view-dependent animation

In this paper we present techniques for reusing view-dependent animation. First, we provide a framework for representing view-dependent animations. We formulate the concept of a view space, which is the space formed by the key views and their associated character poses. Tracing a path on the view space generates the corresponding view-dependent animation in real time. We then demonstrate that the framework can be used to synthesize new stylized animations by reusing view-dependent animations. We present three types of novel reuse techniques. In the first we show how to animate multiple characters from the same view space. Next, we show how to animate multiple characters from multiple view spaces. We use this technique to animate a crowd of characters. Finally, we draw inspiration from cubist paintings and create their view-dependent analogues by using different cameras to control different body parts of the same characte

The Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment Among Adults With Incident Heart Failure: The “Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke” (REGARDS) Study

Background Cognitive impairment (CI) is estimated to be present in 25%–80% of heart failure (HF) patients, but its prevalence at diagnosis is unclear. To improve our understanding of cognition in HF, we determined the prevalence of CI among adults with incident HF in the REGARDS study. Methods and Results REGARDS is a longitudinal cohort study of adults ≥45 years of age recruited in the years 2003–2007. Incident HF was expert adjudicated. Cognitive function was assessed with the Six-Item Screener. The prevalence of CI among those with incident HF was compared with the prevalence of CI among an age-, sex-, and race-matched cohort without HF. The 436 participants with incident HF had a mean age of 70.3 years (SD 8.9), 47% were female, and 39% were black. Old age, black race, female sex, less education, and anticoagulation use were associated with CI. The prevalence of CI among participants with incident HF (14.9% [95% CI 11.7%–18.6%]) was similar to the non-HF matched cohort (13.4% [11.6%–15.4%]; P < .43). Conclusions A total of 14.9% of the adults with incident HF had CI, suggesting that the majority of cognitive decline occurs after HF diagnosis. Increased awareness of CI among newly diagnosed patients and ways to mitigate it in the context of HF management are warranted

System of crop intensification for more productive, resource-conserving, climate-resilient, and sustainable agriculture: experience with diverse crops in varying agroecologies

With continually increasing demand for food accompanied by the constraints of climate change and the availability and quality of soil and water, the world’s farmers are challenged to produce more food per hectare with less water, and with fewer agrochemical inputs if possible. The ideas and methods of the system of rice intensification which is improving irrigated rice production are now being extended/adapted to many other crops: wheat, maize, finger millet, sugarcane, tef, mustard, legumes, vegetables, and even spices. Promoting better root growth and enhancing the soil’s fertility with organic materials are being found effective means for raising the yields of many crop plants with less water, less fertilizer, reduced seeds, fewer agrochemicals, and greater climate resilience. In this article, we review what is becoming known about various farmer-centred innovations for agroecological crop management that can contribute to agricultural sustainability. These changes represent the emerging system of crop intensification, which is being increasingly applied in Asian, African, and Latin American countries. More research will be needed to verify the efficacy and impact of these innovations and to clarify their conditions and limits. But as no negative effects for human or environmental health have been identified, making these agronomic options more widely known should prompt more investigation and, to the extent justified by results, utilization of these methodologies