Femtosecond Laser Lift‐Off with Sub‐Band Gap Excitation for Production of Free‐Standing GaN LED Chips

Laser lift‐off (LLO) is commonly applied to separate functional thin films from the underlying substrate, in particular light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) on a gallium nitride (GaN) basis from sapphire. By transferring the LED layer stack to foreign carriers with tailored characteristics, for example, highly reflective surfaces, the performance of optoelectronic devices can be drastically improved. Conventionally, LLO is conducted with UV laser pulses in the nanosecond regime. When directed to the sapphire side of the wafer, absorption of the pulses in the first GaN layers at the sapphire/GaN interface leads to detachment. In this work, a novel approach towards LLO based on femtosecond pulses at 520 nm wavelength is demonstrated for the first time. Despite relying on two‐photon absorption with sub‐bandgap excitation, the ultrashort pulse widths may reduce structural damage in comparison to conventional LLO. Based on a detailed study of the laser impact as a function of process parameters, a two‐step process scheme is developed to create freestanding InGaN/GaN LED chips with up to 1.2 mm edge length and ≈5 μm thickness. The detached chips are assessed by scanning electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence, revealing similar emission properties before and after LLO

Colorimetric sensor for bad odor detection using automated color correction

Colorimetric sensors based on color-changing dyes offer a convenient approach for the quantitative measurement of gases. An integrated, mobile colorimetric sensor can be particularly helpful for occasional gas measurements, such as informal air quality checks for bad odors. In these situations, the main requirement is high availability, easy usage, and high specificity towards one single chemical compound, combined with cost-efficient production. In this contribution, we show how a well stablished colorimetric method can be adapted for easy operation and readout, making it suitable for the untrained end user. As an example, we present the use of pH indicators for the selective and reversible detection of NH3 in air (one relevant gas contributing to bad odors) using gas-sensitive layers dip coated on glass substrates. Our results show that the method can be adapted to detect NH3 concentrations lower than 1 ppm, with measure-to-result times in the range of a few minutes. We demonstrate that the color measurements can be carried out with the optical signals of RGB sensors, without losing quantitative performance

Fully Photonic Integrated Wearable Optical Interrogator

Wearable technology constitutes a pioneering and leading innovation and a market development platform worldwide for technologies worn close to the body. Wearable optical fiber sensors have the most value for advanced multiparameter sensing in digital health monitoring systems. We demonstrated the first example of a fully integrated optical interrogator. By integrating all the optical components on a silicon photonic chip, we realized a stable, miniaturized and low-cost optical interrogator for the continuous, dynamic, and long-term acquisition of human physiological signals. The interrogator was integrated in a wristband, enabling the detection of body temperature and heart sounds. Our study paves the way for the development of watch-sized integrated wearable optical interrogators with potential applications in health monitoring and can be directly exploited for the customized design of ultraminiaturized optical interrogator systems.H.L. acknowledges the support from the Tianjin Talent Special Support Program. J.D.P.G. acknowledges the support from the Serra Hunter Program, the ICREA Academia Program, and the Tianjin Distinguished University Professor Program. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 61675154), the Tianjin Key Research and Development Program (no. 19YFZCSY00180), the Tianjin Major Project for Civil-Military Integration of Science and Technology (no. 18ZXJMTG00260), the Tianjin Science and Technology Program (no. 20YDTPJC01380), and the Tianjin Municipal Special Foundation for Key Cultivation of China (no. XB202007)

Sex difference and intra-operative tidal volume: Insights from the LAS VEGAS study

BACKGROUND: One key element of lung-protective ventilation is the use of a low tidal volume (VT). A sex difference in use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) has been described in critically ill ICU patients.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether a sex difference in use of LTVV also exists in operating room patients, and if present what factors drive this difference.DESIGN, PATIENTS AND SETTING: This is a posthoc analysis of LAS VEGAS, a 1-week worldwide observational study in adults requiring intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals in 29 countries.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women and men were compared with respect to use of LTVV, defined as VT of 8 ml kg-1 or less predicted bodyweight (PBW). A VT was deemed 'default' if the set VT was a round number. A mediation analysis assessed which factors may explain the sex difference in use of LTVV during intra-operative ventilation.RESULTS: This analysis includes 9864 patients, of whom 5425 (55%) were women. A default VT was often set, both in women and men; mode VT was 500 ml. Median [IQR] VT was higher in women than in men (8.6 [7.7 to 9.6] vs. 7.6 [6.8 to 8.4] ml kg-1 PBW, P < 0.001). Compared with men, women were twice as likely not to receive LTVV [68.8 vs. 36.0%; relative risk ratio 2.1 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.1), P < 0.001]. In the mediation analysis, patients' height and actual body weight (ABW) explained 81 and 18% of the sex difference in use of LTVV, respectively; it was not explained by the use of a default VT.CONCLUSION: In this worldwide cohort of patients receiving intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery, women received a higher VT than men during intra-operative ventilation. The risk for a female not to receive LTVV during surgery was double that of males. Height and ABW were the two mediators of the sex difference in use of LTVV.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01601223

Ab initio study of NOx compounds adsorption on SnO2 surface

An ab initio study of the adsorption processes on NOx compounds on (1 1 0) SnO2 surface is presented with the aim of providing theoretical hints for the development of improved NOx gas sensors. From first principles calculations (DFT¿GGA approximation), the most relevant NO and NO2 adsorption processes are analyzed by means of the estimation of their adsorption energies. The resulting values and the developed model are also corroborated with experimental desorption temperatures for NO and NO2, allowing us to explain the temperature-programmed desorption experiments. The interference of the SO2 poisoning agent on the studied processes is discussed and the adsorption site blocking consequences on sensing response are analyzed

Machine-Readable Pattern for Colorimetric Sensor Interrogation

We present a systematic methodology to generate machine-readable patterns embodying all the elements needed to carry out colorimetric measurements with conventional color cameras in an automated, robust and accurate manner. Our approach relies on the well-stablished machine-readable features of the QR Codes, to detect the pattern, identify the color reference elements and the colorimetric spots, to calibrate the color of the image and to conclude a quantitative measurement. We illustrate our approach with a NH3 colorimetric indicator operating at distinct color temperature ambient lights, demonstrating that with our design, consistent measurements can be achieved, with independence on the illumination conditions

DNA-Origami-Driven Lithography for Patterning on Gold Surfaces with Sub-10 nm Resolution

Sub-10 nm lithography of DNA patterns is achieved using the DNA-origami stamping method. This new strategy utilizes DNA origami to bind a preprogrammed DNA ink pattern composed of thiol-modified oligonucleotides on gold surfaces. Upon denaturation of the DNA origami, the DNA ink pattern is exposed. The pattern can then be developed by hybridization with complementary strands carrying gold nanoparticles.We thank L. A. Bottomley for discussion. The Nanotechnology Platform at the IBEC for SEM technical support. This study was supported by the European Communities (FUNMOL, FP7-NMP-213382-2), Spanish Ministry of Economy (CTQ2010-20541, CTQ2014-52588-R, CTQ2014-61758-EXP) (IG, BM and RE), the Generalitat de Catalunya (2009/SGR/208 and 2009/SGR/505) (IG, BM and RE) and (2014 SGR 1442) (JS, MM), the CIBER-BBN (VI National R&D&I Plan 2008-2011) (IG, BM, MM, JS and RE), Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions, Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (IG, BM, RE, JS, MM), and from the European Research Council (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement n. 336917 (JDP). JDP acknowledges the support from the Serra Húnter Program.Peer reviewe

Ultraviolet Raman scattering in ZnO nanowires: Quasimode mixing and temperature effects

We use near-resonance Raman scattering to investigate zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires grown by chemical vapor deposition on Si substrates. We discuss the role of quasimode mixing on the wavenumber of the longitudinal optical (LO) bands, and we perform Raman measurements with different excitation powers to investigate possible laser heating effects. We find that in the Raman spectra of as-deposited nanowires grown along the c-axis of wurtzite, the LO bands are located slightly below the E1(LO) mode of bulk ZnO. We perform a calculation of the expected LO wavenumber in an ensemble of randomly oriented nanowires. Our analysis shows that light refraction, together with the orientation-dependent cross-section of the nanowires for the incoming light, counterbalances quasimode mixing effects in the as-grown product, giving rise to LO bands that are barely redshifted relative to the E1(LO) mode. In the case of ZnO nanowires that have been mechanically removed (scratched) and subsequently deposited onto separate Si substrates, we observe clear laser-induced heating. Temperature effects account well for the Raman wavenumber shifts displayed by the LO bands in the Raman spectra of the scratched nanowires. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Work supported by the Spanish Government (Project MAT2007- 63617 and Ramon y Cajal ProgramPeer Reviewe

Micro Light Plates for Photoactivated Micro-Power Gas Sensors

In this contribution we present a highly miniaturized device that integrates a photoactive material with a highly efficient LED light source. This so-called micro light plate configuration (µLP) allows for maximizing the irradiance impinging on the photoactive material, with a minimum power consumption, excellent uniformity and accurate control of the illumination. We demonstrate that, with the µLP approach, very efficient low power gas sensors can be built, and provide a detailed analysis of the rationales behind such improvement, as well as a quantitative model and a set of design rules to implement it in further integrated applications. As a demonstrator, we will describe a NO2 gas sensor operating in the part per billion range (ppb) with microwatt (µW) power consumption. These are the best figures reported to date in conductometric metal-oxides (MOX) sensors operated with light (instead of heat) at room temperature