Ballistic electron emission microscopy spectroscopy study of AlSb and InAs/AlSb superlattice barriers

Due to its large band gap, AlSb is often used as a barrier in antimonide heterostructure devices. However, its transport characteristics are not totally clear. We have employed ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) to directly probe AlSb barriers as well as more complicated structures such as selectively doped n-type InAs/AlSb superlattices. The aforementioned structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaSb substrates. A 100 Å InAs or 50 Å GaSb capping layer was used to prevent surface oxidation from ex situ processing. Different substrate and capping layer combinations were explored to suppress background current and maximize transport of BEEM current. The samples were finished with a sputter deposited 100 Å metal layer so that the final BEEM structure was of the form of a metal/capping layer/semiconductor. Of note is that we have found that hole current contributed significantly to BEEM noise due to type II band alignment in the antimonide system. BEEM data revealed that the electron barrier height of Al/AlSb centered around 1.17 eV, which was attributed to transport through the conduction band minimum near the AlSb X point. Variation in the BEEM threshold indicated unevenness at the Al/AlSb interface. The metal on semiconductor barrier height was too low for the superlattice to allow consistent probing by BEEM spectroscopy. However, the superlattice BEEM signal was elevated above the background noise after repeated stressing of the metal surface. A BEEM threshold of 0.8 eV was observed for the Au/24 Å period superlattice system after the stress treatment

Radiation transport equations in non-Riemannian space-times

The transport equations for polarized radiation transfer in non-Riemannian, Weyl-Cartan type space-times are derived, with the effects of both torsion and non-metricity included. To obtain the basic propagation equations we use the tangent bundle approach. The equations describing the time evolution of the Stokes parameters, of the photon distribution function and of the total polarization degree can be formulated as a system of coupled first order partial differential equations. As an application of our results we consider the propagation of the cosmological gamma ray bursts in spatially homogeneous and isotropic spaces with torsion and non-metricity. For this case the exact general solution of the equation for the polarization degree is obtained, with the effects of the torsion and non-metricity included. The presence of a non-Riemannian geometrical background in which the electromagnetic fields couple to torsion and/or non-metricity affect the polarization of photon beams. Consequently, we suggest that the observed polarization of prompt cosmological gamma ray bursts and of their optical afterglows may have a propagation effect component, due to a torsion/non-metricity induced birefringence of the vacuum. A cosmological redshift and frequency dependence of the polarization degree of gamma ray bursts also follows from the model, thus providing a clear observational signature of the torsional/non-metric effects. On the other hand, observations of the polarization of the gamma ray bursts can impose strong constraints on the torsion and non-metricity and discriminate between different theoretical models.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in PR

Critical couplings and string tensions via lattice matching of RG decimations

We calculate critical couplings and string tensions in SU(2) and SU(3) pure lattice gauge theory by a simple and inexpensive technique of two-lattice matching of RG block transformations. The transformations are potential moving decimations generating plaquette actions with large number of group characters and exhibit rapid approach to a unique renormalized trajectory. Fixing the critical coupling $\beta_c(N_\tau)$ at one value of temporal lattice length $N_\tau$ by MC simulation, the critical couplings for any other value of $N_\tau$ are then obtained by lattice matching of the block decimations. We obtain $\beta_c(N_\tau)$ values over the range $N_\tau = 3 - 32$ and find agreement with MC simulation results to within a few percent in all cases. A similar procedure allows the calculation of string tensions with similarly good agreement with MC data.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, 1 figur

Research on trust model in container-based cloud service

Container virtual technology aims to provide program independence and resource sharing. The container enables flexible cloud service. Compared with traditional virtualization, traditional virtual machines have difficulty in resource and expense requirements. The container technology has the advantages of smaller size, faster migration, lower resource overhead, and higher utilization. Within container-based cloud environment, services can adopt multi-target nodes. This paper reports research results to improve the traditional trust model with consideration of cooperation effects. Cooperation trust means that in a container-based cloud environment, services can be divided into multiple containers for different container nodes. When multiple target nodes work for one service at the same time, these nodes are in a cooperation state. When multi-target nodes cooperate to complete the service, the target nodes evaluate each other. The calculation of cooperation trust evaluation is used to update the degree of comprehensive trust. Experimental simulation results show that the cooperation trust evaluation can help solving the trust problem in the container-based cloud environment and can improve the success rate of following cooperation

Mapping of AlxGa1–xAs band edges by ballistic electron emission spectroscopy

We have employed ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) to study the energy positions in the conduction band of AlxGa1 – xAs. Epilayers of undoped AlxGa1 – xAs were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on conductive GaAs substrates. The Al composition x took on values of 0, 0.11, 0.19, 0.25, 0.50, 0.80 and 1 so that the material was examined in both the direct and indirect band gap regime. The AlxGa1 – xAs layer thickness was varied from 100 to 500 Å to ensure probing of bulk energy levels. Different capping layers and surface treatments were explored to prevent surface oxidation and examine Fermi level pinning at the cap layer/AlxGa1 – xAs interface. All samples were metallized ex situ with a 100 Å Au layer so that the final BEEM structure is of the form Au/capping layer/AlxGa1 – xAs/bulk GaAs. Notably we have measured the Schottky barrier height for Au on AlxGa1 – xAs. We have also probed the higher lying band edges such as the X point at low Al concentrations and the L point at high Al concentrations. Variations of these critical energy positions with Al composition x were mapped out in detail and compared with findings from other studies. Local variations of these energy positions were also examined and found to be on the order of 30–50 meV. The results of this study suggest that BEEM can provide accurate positions for multiple energy levels in a single semiconductor structure

Effect of cylindrical geometry on the wet thermal oxidation of AlAs

We have investigated the wet thermal oxidation of AlAs in cylindrical geometry, a typical configuration for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. Through both experiment and theoretical calculations, we demonstrate a significantly different time dependence for circular mesas from what has been reported in the literature both in studies of stripes and in a study of circular mesas. We attribute this different time dependence to the effect of geometry on the oxidation

Strain in wet thermally oxidized square and circular mesas

In this paper, we report the observation, through optical microscopy, of drumhead-like patterns in square and circular mesas which have been wet thermally oxidized to completion. Micro-Raman spectroscopy measurements are used to show that these patterns roughly correspond to variations in strain induced in surrounding semiconductor layers by the oxidation process. In addition, the patterns have a specific orientation with respect to the crystallographic axes of the semiconductor. A crystallographic dependence of the oxidation process itself is demonstrated and used to explain the orientation of the drumhead patterns

Design of an instrumented smart cutting tool and its implementation and application perspectives

This paper presents an innovative design of a smart cutting tool, using two surface acoustic wave (SAW) strain sensors mounted onto the top and the side surface of the tool shank respectively, and its implementation and application perspectives. This surface acoustic wave-based smart cutting tool is capable of measuring the cutting force and the feed force in a real machining environment, after a calibration process under known cutting conditions. A hybrid dissimilar workpiece is then machined using the SAW-based smart cutting tool. The hybrid dissimilar material is made of two different materials, NiCu alloy (Monel) and steel, welded together to form a single bar; this can be used to simulate an abrupt change in material properties. The property transition zone is successfully detected by the tool; the sensor feedback can then be used to initiate a change in the machining parameters to compensate for the altered material properties.The UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB) for supporting this research (SEEM Project, contract No. BD266E