12,177 research outputs found

    Diffusion and electrical properties of Boron and Arsenic doped poly-Si and poly-GexSi1x(x 0.3)Ge_xSi_1-x(x~0.3) as gate material for sub-0.25 µm complementary metal oxide semiconductor applications

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    In this paper the texture, morphology, diffusion and electrical (de‐) activation of dopants in polycrystalline GexSi1-x and Si have been studied in detail. For gate doping B+,BF2+ and As+ were used and thermal budgets were chosen to be compatible with deep submicron CMOS processes. Diffusion of dopants is different for GeSi alloys, B diffuses significantly more slowly and As has a much faster diffusion in GeSi. For B doped samples both electrical activation and mobility are higher compared to poly‐Si. Also for the first time, BF2+ data of doped layers are presented, these show the same trend as the B doped samples but with an overall higher sheet resistance. For arsenic doping, activation and mobility are lower compared to poly‐Si, resulting in a higher sheet resistance. The dopant deactivation due to long low temperature steps after the final activation anneal is also found to be quite different. Boron‐doped GeSi samples show considerable reduced deactivation whereas arsenic shows a higher deactivation rate. The electrical properties are interpreted in terms of different grain size, quality and properties of the grain boundaries, defects, dopant clustering, and segregation, and the solid solubility of the dopants

    An O ( n log n ) algorithm for the two-machine ow shop problem with controllable machine speeds

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    Paper presented at the AEA-Conference in Göteborg, Sweden, 9-11 May 1996 In this paper we discuss the influence of tax shifting on wages and employment. The paper is related to earlier research in this field, both for the Netherlands and for other European welfare states. Our approach differs since we pay explicit attention to the well-known theoretical result that it does not matter which side of the market is taxed (Dalton''''s Law). We will analyse the mechanisms behind tax shifting. Further we want to analyse whether a shift from employers'''' to employees'''' burden has an influence on wages and employment. The paper discusses the influence of taxes on wages and employment in various bargaining settings: the perfect competition model, right-to-manage models (including that of bilateral monopoly) and efficiency wage models are analysed. We conclude that the results depend on the framework that is used in the description of wage setting behaviour. The theorem that it is irrelevant which side of the market is taxed, does not hold for right-to-manage and efficiency wage models. In estimations for the Netherlands, the elasticity of wage costs with respect to employers'''' taxes is usually found to lie around 0.9, whereas the elasticity with respect to employees'''' taxes usually is found to lie around 0.4. This apparent violation of Dalton''''s Law has never been explained before. However, it can be explained from our analysis. Moreover, we show the importance of this result for the impact of a recent tax reform in the Netherlands on wages.public economics ;

    Multisource Self-calibration for Sensor Arrays

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    Calibration of a sensor array is more involved if the antennas have direction dependent gains and multiple calibrator sources are simultaneously present. We study this case for a sensor array with arbitrary geometry but identical elements, i.e. elements with the same direction dependent gain pattern. A weighted alternating least squares (WALS) algorithm is derived that iteratively solves for the direction independent complex gains of the array elements, their noise powers and their gains in the direction of the calibrator sources. An extension of the problem is the case where the apparent calibrator source locations are unknown, e.g., due to refractive propagation paths. For this case, the WALS method is supplemented with weighted subspace fitting (WSF) direction finding techniques. Using Monte Carlo simulations we demonstrate that both methods are asymptotically statistically efficient and converge within two iterations even in cases of low SNR.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

    Fundamental Imaging Limits of Radio Telescope Arrays

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    The fidelity of radio astronomical images is generally assessed by practical experience, i.e. using rules of thumb, although some aspects and cases have been treated rigorously. In this paper we present a mathematical framework capable of describing the fundamental limits of radio astronomical imaging problems. Although the data model assumes a single snapshot observation, i.e. variations in time and frequency are not considered, this framework is sufficiently general to allow extension to synthesis observations. Using tools from statistical signal processing and linear algebra, we discuss the tractability of the imaging and deconvolution problem, the redistribution of noise in the map by the imaging and deconvolution process, the covariance of the image values due to propagation of calibration errors and thermal noise and the upper limit on the number of sources tractable by self calibration. The combination of covariance of the image values and the number of tractable sources determines the effective noise floor achievable in the imaging process. The effective noise provides a better figure of merit than dynamic range since it includes the spatial variations of the noise. Our results provide handles for improving the imaging performance by design of the array.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

    On-line signal analysis of partial discharges in medium-voltage power cables

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    Partial discharges are symptomatic of many degradation phenomena in power cables and may cause further deterioration of the insulation in many cases. Electrical im- pulses, generated by partial discharges, travel towards the cable ends, and can there be detected using appropriate sensors. Continuous monitoring of the insulation con- dition can be achieved by on-line detection and location of partial discharge (PD) signals. An important aspect of such a diagnostic is the analysis of on-line measure- ments. The research reported in this thesis is aimed at analysis of PD signals from on-line measurements and location of discharge sites. Signal analysis depends on knowledge of both signals and disturbances that are to be expected. To that end, characteristics of PD signals in medium voltage cables are studied in this thesis. The result of this study is a signal model of the propagation path between the discharge site and the sensors. The model accounts for cable sections with di®erent properties, and incorporates the propagation channel load impedances, i.e. the equipment to which a cable is terminated in an on-line situation. The exact propagation properties and load impedances depend on the speci¯c cable connection under test, and are unknown a priori. For this reason, research is conducted on meth- ods that enable experimental characterization of the parameters, by evaluating the response of the cable to applied transients. The presented methods rely on the ex- traction of pulses that are re°ected on impedance transitions within the cable system under test. On-line ¯eld measurements are corrupted by noise and interference, which impede PD signal detection and location. Generally, narrowband interferences resulting from radio broadcasts dominate the measurements, thus prohibiting data-acquisition trig- gered by PD signals. Broadband background noise is present within the entire PD signal bandwidth, and therefore poses a fundamental limit on PD signal analysis. Generally, existing extraction techniques for PD signals only partially exploit a priori knowledge of both signals and interference. In this thesis, matched ¯lters are ap- plied that are derived from the signal model, and are optimally adapted to the signals that can be expected. Besides signal extraction, matched ¯lters provide a means to estimate the PD magnitude and the signal arrival time. Likewise, discharge location methods based on the signal model are proposed, resulting in optimal location esti- mators. Computer simulations illustrate the e®ectiveness of the proposed algorithms and show that the attainable accuracy can be speci¯ed by theoretical bounds. Accurate PD location relies on estimation of the di®erence in arrival times of signals originating from the same discharge. In case of on-line detection, the cable is connected to the grid, and signals are not necessarily re°ected at the cable ends. Therefore signal detection at both sides is generally required for the purpose of dis- charge location. Synchronization of the measurement equipment is achieved using pulses that are injected into the cable connection. Finite-energy disturbances, such as PD signals that originate outside the cable connection under test, frequently occur in on-line situations. Since measurements are synchronously conducted at both cable ends, pulses originating within and outside the cable can be distinguished by examining the di®erence in time of arrival. Moreover, in many situations, the signal direction of arrival can be determined by detecting pulses in two di®erent current paths at a cable termination. This method is applied as an additional technique to discriminate PD signals and disturbances. Based on the results of research, a measurement system is proposed, which enables automated on-line PD detection and location in medium voltage cable connections. The conceptual design is validated by experiments, and the results demonstrate that the practical application is promising

    An Attempt to Detect the Galactic Bulge at 12 microns with IRAS

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    Surface brightness maps at 12 microns, derived from observations with the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), are used to estimate the integrated flux at this wavelength from the Galactic bulge as a function of galactic latitude along the minor axis. A simple model was used to remove Galactic disk emission (e.g. unresolved stars and dust) from the IRAS measurements. The resulting estimates are compared with predictions for the 12 micron bulge surface brightness based on observations of complete samples of optically identified M giants in several minor axis bulge fields. No evidence is found for any significant component of 12m emission in the bulge other than that expected from the optically identified M star sample plus normal, lower luminosity stars. Known large amplitude variables and point sources from the IRAS catalogue contribute only a small fraction to the total 12 micron flux.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 13 pages of text including tables in MS WORD97 generated postscript; 3 figures in postscript by Sigma Plo

    Opportunity for development or necessary nuisance? The case for viewing working with interpreters as a bonus in therapeutic work

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    This paper explores the central role a language interpreter can play in the process of the therapeutic relationship. Although others have described the changes to the therapeutic dyad that the presence of a third party (an interpreter) brings, little attention has been paid to the advantages and additional opportunities of this altered therapeutic situation. This paper details these gains and further argues that clinicians who are willing to gain experience of working with interpreters will find that benefits accrue at the micro and macro levels: at the micro level, through enhancement of their work with individual non English speaking clients, and at the macro level through learning about different cultural perspectives, idioms of distress and the role of language in the therapeutic endeavour. This is in addition to developing skills to fulfil legal and professional requirements relating to equity of service provision. Some ideas are offered to explain the negative slant than runs throughout the literature in this area and tends to colour the overall discussion of therapeutic work with interpreters and, before the final section, makes some specific suggestions which may help maximise the gains possible in such work while reducing difficulties

    Metabifurcation analysis of a mean field model of the cortex

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    Mean field models (MFMs) of cortical tissue incorporate salient features of neural masses to model activity at the population level. One of the common aspects of MFM descriptions is the presence of a high dimensional parameter space capturing neurobiological attributes relevant to brain dynamics. We study the physiological parameter space of a MFM of electrocortical activity and discover robust correlations between physiological attributes of the model cortex and its dynamical features. These correlations are revealed by the study of bifurcation plots, which show that the model responses to changes in inhibition belong to two families. After investigating and characterizing these, we discuss their essential differences in terms of four important aspects: power responses with respect to the modeled action of anesthetics, reaction to exogenous stimuli, distribution of model parameters and oscillatory repertoires when inhibition is enhanced. Furthermore, while the complexity of sustained periodic orbits differs significantly between families, we are able to show how metamorphoses between the families can be brought about by exogenous stimuli. We unveil links between measurable physiological attributes of the brain and dynamical patterns that are not accessible by linear methods. They emerge when the parameter space is partitioned according to bifurcation responses. This partitioning cannot be achieved by the investigation of only a small number of parameter sets, but is the result of an automated bifurcation analysis of a representative sample of 73,454 physiologically admissible sets. Our approach generalizes straightforwardly and is well suited to probing the dynamics of other models with large and complex parameter spaces

    Optimal staffing under an annualized hours regime using Cross-Entropy optimization

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    This paper discusses staffing under annualized hours. Staffing is the selection of the most cost-efficient workforce to cover workforce demand. Annualized hours measure working time per year instead of per week, relaxing the restriction for employees to work the same number of hours every week. To solve the underlying combinatorial optimization problem this paper develops a Cross-Entropy optimization implementation that includes a penalty function and a repair function to guarantee feasible solutions. Our experimental results show Cross-Entropy optimization is efficient across a broad range of instances, where real-life sized instances are solved in seconds, which significantly outperforms an MILP formulation solved with CPLEX. In addition, the solution quality of Cross-Entropy closely approaches the optimal solutions obtained by CPLEX. Our Cross-Entropy implementation offers an outstanding method for real-time decision making, for example in response to unexpected staff illnesses, and scenario analysis
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