Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Metal Modulation Epitaxy Growth For Extremely High Hole Concentrations Above 10(19) Cm(-3) In Gan, Gon Namkoong, Elaissa Trybus, Kyung Keun Lee, Michael Moseley, W. Alan Doolittle, David C. Look

Applied Research Center Publications

The free hole carriers in GaN have been limited to concentrations in the low 10¹⁸ cm⁻³ range due to the deep activation energy, lower solubility, and compensation from defects, therefore, limiting doping efficiency to about 1%. Herein, we report an enhanced doping efficiency up to ~10% in GaN by a periodic doping, metal modulation epitaxy growth technique. The hole concentrations grown by periodically modulating Ga atoms and Mg dopants were over ~1.5 x 10¹⁹ cm⁻³.

© 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Interactive Visualization Of Information Hierarchies And Applications On The Web, Confesor Santiago Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The visualization of information hierarchies is concerned with the presentation of abstract hierarchical information about relationships between various entities. It has many applications in diverse domains such as software engineering, information systems, biology, and chemistry. Information hierarchies are typically modeled by an abstract tree, where vertices are entities and edges represent relationships between entities. The aim of visualizing tree drawings is to automatically produce drawings of trees which clearly reflect the relationships of the information hierarchy.

This thesis is primarily concerned with problems related to the automatic generation of area-efficient grid drawings of trees, interactively visualizing information hierarchies, and applying …

Optimization Of Optical Computed Tomography Techniques For The Synthesis Of Particle Aggregate Models, Patrick Anthony Giordano Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The characterization of 3-D shapes of particles in geomaterial aggregate mixtures is important for understanding the micro-mechanics of granular materials. Also, numerical synthesis of 3-D particle shapes from their corresponding shape descriptors is required for developing discrete element models (DEMs) that can be used to predict particle contact-forces, and ultimately the shear strength of the aggregate mixture.

Previous work has shown that Fourier-based 3-D shape descriptors can be constructed for aggregate mixtures, using a statistical combination of 2-D projections. Furthermore, optical tomography methods using the Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (ART) algorithm has proved capable of synthesizing 3-D shapes from 2-D projections, …

Algorithme D’Elaboration D’Un Reseau Electrique A Gestion Optimale D’Ecoulement Des Puissances, Tarek Mesbah

Boukhemis Chetate

Un des baromètres (indicateurs du niveau d’évolution ) de développement d’un pays, est sa consommation en énergie électrique ; dont tout industrie et mode de vie des résidents en dépend. Partant sur ce point capital nous avons organisé la thèse afin de gérer le parc énergétique national d’une manière rationnelle. Cette étude peut servir dans la compréhension et l’analyse approfondie de l’état de la stabilité de notre réseau électrique, qui a montré sa fragilité après l’incident vécu le 03/02/2003, qui a prouvé l’urgence de prendre en charge toutes les insuffisances enregistrées pour éviter que cet incident se reproduise. La thèse …

Development Of The Impedance-Based Arc-Flash Determination Device (Iadd), Timothy Smith

All Theses

This thesis entitled, 'Development of the Impedance based Arc-Fault Determination Device (IADD)' details the development of a testing device that, when attached to an electrical node on the power system and through observations on voltage, current and phase shift with a step load change, determines the effective Thevenin or Norton impedance at the point of test. This thesis includes discussion of the theory and design process that enables the determination of an equivalent circuit, software development using National Instruments' LabView software development package and suggestions for future development.
The purpose of this thesis is to produce a device that can …

Fabrication, Electrical Characterization, And Annealing Of Al/, Cu/, And Au/4h-Sic Schottky Diodes, Nikhil Karkhanis

All Theses

Schottky diodes were fabricated on n-type 4H-SiC with Nickel ohmic contacts and Aluminum, Copper, and Gold Schottky contacts. An improved and revised fabrication process was developed in the course of this research project. The Schottky diodes were electrically characterized using I-V and C-V measurements to extract electrical parameters which include Schottky barrier height, ideality factor, the diode series resistance, and substrate doping density. Al/4H-SiC and Au/4H-SiC were annealed at 600¼C and 500¼C respectively to improve the Schottky parameters. Schottky barrier height was raised and the ideality factor was reduced in both cases. Significant improvement was observed in the ideality factor …

Relative Intensity Noise Study In The Injection-Locked Integrated Electroabsorption Modulator-Lasers, Xiaomin Jin, Bennet Yun Tarng, Shun Lien Chuang

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

A High Power, High Efficiency Amplifier Using Gan Hemt, Bumjin Kim, Dennis Derickson, Cheng Sun

Electrical Engineering

A class B and a class F power amplifier are described using a GaN HEMT device. They both were designed to operate at a frequency of 1.7 GHz with the same bias conditions. The performances of each amplifier were successfully simulated and compared. A class B amplifier was physically implemented and achieved a high power-added-efficiency of 69.2%, 39.9 dBm output power and associated gain of 14.9 dB. The experimental results were in close agreement to the simulation results.

Distance Estimation Between Transceivers Over Short Distances, Karsten Lowe

All Theses

Three methods for determining distances between a user and a fixed coordinate system are considered. One system is based on 802.11g packet communications, another on HF radio carrier frequency interference, and the final system on a signal transmitted over a radio channel. Emphasis is placed on the use of these systems in indoor, building-sized environments. Tests are performed to examine the effectivness and potential of these methods. None of the suggested methods are determined to be usable. Reasons for their failure are examined.

On The Stability Of Region Count In The Parameter Space Of Image Analysis Methods, Li Yu

All Dissertations

In this dissertation a novel bottom-up computer vision approach is proposed. This approach is based upon quantifying the stability of the number of regions or count in a multi-dimensional parameter scale-space. The stability analysis comes from the properties of flat areas in the region count space generated through bottom-up algorithms of thresholding and region growing, hysteresis thresholding, variance-based region growing. The parameters used can be threshold, region growth, intensity statistics and other low-level parameters. The advantages and disadvantages of top-down, bottom-up and hybrid computational models are discussed. The approaches of scale-space, perceptual organization and clustering methods in computer vision are …

Wafer Probe And Package Test Failure Analysis, Deepa Kalva

All Theses

In recent years, NAND flash memory has gained a lot of momentum in the semiconductor industry and has become an ideal choice for many consumer and communication products. One of the key elements in the successful production of NAND flash memory is to incorporate elaborate testing methods to ensure functionality and reliability before the part reaches the customer. This in turn necessitates the evaluation and understanding of different failure mechanisms, and the development of methodologies to correct problems.
In this thesis, failure analysis was performed on NAND flash memory at wafer and package level. This involved massive data collection and …

Techniques For Improving The Performance Of Coupled Oscillator Arrays, Venkatesh Seetharam

All Dissertations

Coupled oscillator arrays (COAs) have excellent synchronization properties that can be utilized to develop a low cost alternative to phased array systems for beam steering applications. The primary concerns in implementing the COA architecture are the sensitivity to cell-to-cell component variation and poor phase noise performance. Wide injection locking range oscillators reduce the sensitivity to component variation but degrade the array phase noise performance. The objective of this dissertation is to alleviate the concerns hindering the application of COAs by employing techniques to realize COAs with wide mutual injection locking ranges (MILR), improved phase noise characteristics and beam steering capabilities. …

Multi-Objective Generation Scheduling With Hybrid Energy Resources, Manas Trivedi

All Dissertations

In economic dispatch (ED) of electric power generation, the committed generating units are scheduled to meet the load demand at minimum operating cost with satisfying all unit and system equality and inequality constraints. Generation of electricity from the fossil fuel releases several contaminants into the atmosphere. So the economic dispatch objective can no longer be considered alone due to the environmental concerns that arise from the emissions produced by fossil fueled electric power plants. This research is proposing the concept of environmental/economic generation scheduling with traditional and renewable energy sources. Environmental/economic dispatch (EED) is a multi-objective problem with conflicting objectives …

High Quality Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth And Characterization Of Lead Titanate Zirconate Based Complex-Oxides, Xing Gu

Theses and Dissertations

Research interest in complex oxides has resurged owing to progress in modern epitaxial techniques. Among such oxides, lead-titanate-based thin films such as PbTiO₃ (PTO) and Pb(Zr_xTi_1−x)O₃ (PZT) offer attractive advantages for a wide variety of applications. Moreover, integration between functional oxides with compound semiconductors has the potential to realize multi-functional devices which enjoy the properties from both groups of materials. Ferroelectric materials with a perovskite structure (ABO₃) and semiconductors such as GaN with a hexagonal structure, require a careful choice of a bridge layer and suitable epitaxial technique. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) …

The Effect Of Contact Length On Adhesion Between Carbon Nanotubes On Silicon Dioxide, Robert C. Davis, Kaylee Mcelroy, Aaron R. Hopkins

Faculty Publications

The force of adhesion was measured for single walled carbon nanotubes grown over lithographically defined silicon dioxide trenches. We varied contact lengths between the nanotubes and silicon dioxide from 230 to 850 nm. Suspended nanotubes were pushed vertically into the trenches with an atomic force microscope tip, causing them to slip along the surface. Previous work done at shorter contact lengths found that tension was constant with contact length [J. D. Whittaker et al., Nano Lett. 6, 953 (2006)]. This study finds that when the nanotube contact length approaches 1 µm, the tension at which nanotubes slip begins to increase …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2007, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

The senior design competition helps to focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects …

Formulation Of Integral Equations Using Analytic Green's Functions In Elliptic Cylindrical And Prolate Spheroidal Coordinates, Adam Schreiber

All Theses

It is desired to develop and present techniques, using analytic Green's functions in elliptic cylindrical coordinates and in prolate spheroidal coordinates, for formulating integral equations for physically practicable structures and sources. Equivalent models for two structures are introduced which serve as guides in the derivation of analytic Greens functions, comprising special functions and satisfying required boundary conditions. Expressions for needed field components are represented in terms of integrals of Greens functions times unknowns, and integral equations follow from the proper relationships among sources and field components needed to satisfy Maxwell's equations.

System For Sequentially Providing Aberation Corrected Electromagnetic Radation To A Spot On A Sample At Multiple Angles Of Incidence, Martin M. Liphardt, John A. Woollam,

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

A system for sequentially providing electromagnetic radia tion to a spot on a sample at different angles of incidence, and after reflection therefrom into a detector. The system includes a plurality of spherical mirrors, and a refractive element for correcting aberration.

Rotating Or Rotatable Compensator Systemi Providing Aberation Corrected Electromagnetic Raadation To A Spot On A Sample At Multiple Angles Of Ancidence, Martin M. Liphardt, Blaine D. Johs, Jeffrey S. Hale, Craig M. Herzinger, Steven E. Green, Ping He, John A. Woollam

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

The present invention relates to ellipsometer systems, and more particularly to ellipsometer systems comprising trans missive rotating or stepwise rotatable compensators for continuously or step-wise varying polarization states and further comprising transmissive multi-element lens focusing of a spectroscopic electromagnetic beam into a small, chromatically relatively undispersed area spot on a sample system. The ellipsometer system optionally is present in an environmental control chamber.

Optimizing Wireless Network Throughput: Methods And Applications, Pengchang Zhan

Theses and Dissertations

Ever since Marconi succeeded in his first demonstration on the possibility to communicate over the air overseas about a century ago, wireless communications have experienced dramatic improvements. Today's world sees the penetration of wireless communications into human life almost everywhere, from a simple remote control for TV to a cellular phone. With a better understanding of the adverse nature of the wireless propagation channels, engineers have been able to invent various clever techniques, i.e. Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology, spread spectrum communications, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to name a few, to achieve fast and reliable communications over each …

Optimal Sizing And Location Of Static And Dynamic Reactive Power Compensation, Wenjuan Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

The key of reactive power planning (RPP), or Var planning, is the optimal allocation of reactive power sources considering location and size. Traditionally, the locations for placing new Var sources were either simply estimated or directly assumed. Recent research works have presented some rigorous optimization-based methods in RPP. Different constraints are the key of various optimization models, identified as Optimal Power Flow (OPF) model, Security Constrained OPF (SCOPF) model, and Voltage Stability Constrained OPF model (VSCOPF).

First, this work investigates the economic benefits from local reactive power compensation including reduced losses, shifting reactive power flow to real power flow, and …

Electro-Thermal Modeling Of Sic Power Electronic Systems, Hui Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

As the development of Silicon (Si) semiconductor technology slows down due to its material limitations, more and more attention is being paid to wide bandgap material based semiconductor technology. Silicon Carbide (SiC) has been widely recognized as the material for next generation power electronic devices. However, a great deal of work needs to be done before SiC power devices can be widely applied. This dissertation addresses this need and has conducted research on the modeling of SiC power electronic system. More specifically, a method for system modeling of a SiC power system based on basic physics and device tests is …

Stochastic Signal Processing And Power Control For Wireless Communication Systems, Mohammed Mohsen Olama

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with dynamical modeling, estimation and identification of wireless channels from received signal measurements. Optimal power control algorithms, mobile location and velocity estimation methods are developed based on the proposed models.

The ultimate performance limits of any communication system are determined by the channel it operates in. In this dissertation, we propose new stochastic wireless channel models which capture both the space and time variations of wireless systems. The proposed channel models are based on stochastic differential equations (SDEs) driven by Brownian motions. These models are more realistic than the time invariant models encountered in the literature …

Image Segmentation Using Pde, Variational, Morphological And Probabilistic Methods, Yongsheng Pan

Doctoral Dissertations

The research in this dissertation has focused upon image segmentation and its related areas, using the techniques of partial differential equations, variational methods, mathematical morphological methods and probabilistic methods. An integrated segmentation method using both curve evolution and anisotropic diffusion is presented that utilizes both gradient and region information in images. A bottom-up image segmentation method is proposed to minimize the Mumford-Shah functional. Preferential image segmentation methods are presented that are based on the tree of shapes in mathematical morphologies and the Kullback-Leibler distance in information theory. A thorough evaluation of the morphological preferential image segmentation method is provided, and …

Design Of A Cost-Efficient Reconfigurable Pipeline Adc, Wenchao Qu

Doctoral Dissertations

Power budget is very critical in the design of battery-powered implantable biomedical instruments. High speed, high resolution and low power usually cannot be achieved at the same time. Therefore, a tradeoff must be made to compromise every aspect of those features. As the main component of the bioinstrument, high conversion rate, high resolution ADC consumes most of the power. Fortunately, based on the operation modes of the bioinstrument, a reconfigurable ADC can be used to solve this problem. The reconfigurable ADC will operate at 10-bit 40 MSPS for the diagnosis mode and at 8-bit 2.5 MSPS for the monitor mode. …

Life Cycle Aware Computing: Reusing Silicon Technology, John Y. Oliver, Rajeevan Amirtharajah, Venkatesh Akella, Roland Geyer, Frederic T. Chong

Electrical Engineering

Despite the high costs associated with processor manufacturing, the typical chip is used for only a fraction of its expected lifetime. Reusing processors would create a "food chain" of electronic devices that amortizes the energy required to build chips over several computing generations.

Efficiency Study Of Adjustable Speed Drive With Dual Motor Connection, C. Mitsui, S. Tu, Taufik, M. Anwari

Electrical Engineering

This paper presents a study of AC adjustable speed drive when used to operate two induction motors. The impact of running the two motors under various loading conditions and operating output frequency to overall efficiency of the adjustable speed drives under room temperature will be discussed. Data obtained from laboratory and their analysis will be presented

Agricultural Applications For Electromagnetic Exposure, H. Aliakbarian, A. Enayati, Hossein Ameri Mahabadi, M. Ashayer Soltani

Hossein Ameri Mahabadi

Despite the advances in bug controlling and antifreezing operations of agricultural products, the devastation of Sunne pests and freezing is still enormous. Traditional treatments such as chemical insecticides for bug controlling and covering to avoid freezing have not been sufficient. In the presented paper, new ideas of using electromagnetic treatment for anti-freezing operation, pre-harvest Sunne pest control, and Orchid flower control are introduced.

A Fast Image Super-Resolution Algorithm Using An Adaptive Wiener Filter, Russell C. Hardie

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A computationally simple super-resolution algorithm using a type of adaptive Wiener filter is proposed. The algorithm produces an improved resolution image from a sequence of low-resolution (LR) video frames with overlapping field of view. The algorithm uses subpixel registration to position each LR pixel value on a common spatial grid that is referenced to the average position of the input frames. The positions of the LR pixels are not quantized to a finite grid as with some previous techniques. The output high-resolution (HR) pixels are obtained using a weighted sum of LR pixels in a local moving window. Using a …

Collaborative Routing Algorithm For Wireless Sensor Network Longevity, Shishir Bashyal, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study proposes a new parameter for evaluating longevity of wireless sensor networks after showing that the existing parameters do not properly evaluate the performance of algorithms in increasing longevity. This study also proposes an ant inspired Collaborative Routing Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Network Longevity (CRAWL) that has scalability and adaptability features required in most wireless sensor networks. Using the proposed longevity metrics and implementing the algorithm in simulations, it is shown that CRAWL is much more adaptive to non-uniform distribution of available energy in sensor networks. The performance of CRAWL is compared to that of a non-collaborative algorithm. Both …