Mortgage lending in Korea : an example of a countercyclical macroprudential approach

Regulatory regimes are actively discussing macroprudential policy. Korea pursued a countercyclical macroprudential approach to prevent the overheating of mortgage lending and to minimize the risk of loan default. The Korean financial supervisory authority made adjustments in response to both the condition of the housing market and trends in mortgage loans. The lessons learned from the Korean experience are applicable to other situations. First, regulations regarding loan-to-value and debt-to-income ratios and other restrictions on mortgage lending can be employed as an important part of a countercyclical framework. Next, measures need to be applied in a timely manner and according to the specific conditions of each country. Finally, authorities should preemptively prepare macroprudential instruments before banks enter a period of rapid mortgage lending to avoid reckless mortgage lending operations and weaken any speculative motive in the housing market.Access to Finance,Debt Markets,Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress,Banks&Banking Reform,Housing Finance

Silicon microcavity and microchannel plasma devices: spectroscopy and time-resolved optical experiments

Novel microcavity and microchannel plasma devices in Si have provided new and efficient sources of visible, ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation. The realization of this new platform for devices is implemented through VLSI and MEMS fabrication techniques. In this thesis, the basic physics of plasma discharges is presented, and the performance of Si microplasma devices with inverted pyramidal cavity and V-grooved channel configurations is described in some detail