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.

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, …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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) …

Reed-Solomon Codes Construction & Decoding, Samuel J. Parsons

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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

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.

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 …

Suppressing Delta-I Noise In Mcml Circuits In Mixed Signal Environment, Ritesh Jayant Mehta

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

This work addresses the problem of simultaneous switching noise (SSN) in mixed signal environment. It is shown that the Metal Oxide Semiconductor Current Mode Logic (MCML) can be used to minimize the SSN. In short channel devices, Drain Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) effect causes the current mismatch problem. It is seen that this current mismatch problem aggravates SSN. Basic logic gates were designed using MCML topology at 5 Gbps. Parasitic model was introduced at power supply lines and substrate to study the behaviour of these logic gates in the presence of parasitics. Interpolation type delay cells were used to suppress …

Improved Covariance Model Parameter Estimation Using Rna Thermodynamic Properties, Jennifer A. Smith, Kay C. Wiese

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Covariance models are a powerful description of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) families that can be used to search nucleotide databases for new members of these ncRNA families. Currently, estimation of the parameters of a covariance model (state transition and emission scores) is based only on the observed frequencies of mutations, insertions, and deletions in known ncRNA sequences. For families with very few known members, this can result in rather uninformative models where the consensus sequence has a good score and most deviations from consensus have a fairly uniform poor score. It is proposed here to combine the traditional observed-frequency information with …

Localization In Noisy Environment Using Extended Kalman Filter, Aneeket Suresh Patkar

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

Localization is an important aspect of Wireless Sensor Networks. Information regarding the position of the sensor nodes is not always known. Without the position information of the sensors, the data reported by the sensors is of little use. Various approaches have been used to perform localization using some information about the sensor node. Potential field approach for localization, using distance information has been successfully tested with satisfactory results. However in case of noisy environment, the range measurements have greater inaccuracy. In such cases, localization using the above algorithm can provide some inaccuracy. To rectify such erroneous localization situations, Extended Kalman …

Decoupling Of Hamiltonian System With Applications To Linear Quadratic Problem, Vishal Gupta

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis provides a method of decoupling the Hamiltonian system with application to linear quadratic problem in control system. Resulting decoupled Hamiltonian system helps in formulating easy closed form solution to various optimal control problems. These closed form solution are improvement over the problem of solving first order nonlinear differential equations in conventional methods. Decoupling also eliminates the constraint, "Q = 0 " for certain type of optimal control.

On The Study Of Multi-Channel Eeg: Lossless Compression, Signal Modeling And Classification, Yodchanan Wongsawat

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Recently, electroencephalogram (EEG) has become necessary for diagnosis, telemedicine, and brain computer interface (BCI). This thesis investigates three signal processing tools which can explore multi-channel structures of the EEG for different applications such as lossless compression, artifact removal, and classification. First, this thesis presents a method for approximating the Karhunen-Loeve transform (KLT) of multi-channel EEG signals. The proposed transform is further parameterized by lifting factorization by which the coefficients' dynamic range is controlled through a proposed pivoting scheme, rendering a reversible structure under quantization of coefficients called IntSKLT. A lossless coder for multi-channel EEG signals which exploits inter-channel correlation among …

Integrated Mems Microsensors, Murali M. Chitteboyina

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Many Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) products have been commercialized at a fraction of the cost and size of conventional devices. Low cost, small sizes and multi-function are the ultimate objectives of commodity MEMS devices. An intelligent micro-system requires that the processing circuitry, sensors, and actuators be integrated on the same chip. Integrated MEMS can improve performance of the overall product in several applications. In this work integrated MEMS devices are investigated through semiconducting Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBaCuO) microbolometer arrays on complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrates, a novel tunable infrared microspectrometer, and a novel device-level packaging technique for MEMS resonators. …

Design And Functionality Analysis Of Operational Amplifiers With Rail-To-Rail Input And Output Capability, Mingsheng Peng

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The operational amplifier (op amp) is a fundamental building block in analog integrated circuit design. For low power-supply voltages, the common-mode input voltage and the output voltage of op amps are always required to be able to swing from the negative power-supply rail to the positive power-supply rail, i.e., rail-to-rail. In this dissertation, op amps with rail-to-rail input and output capability are investigated. This dissertation mainly focuses on the rail-to-rail input stage design. Two different rail-to-rail input stages with a single differential pair and a common-mode adapter are presented. The common-mode adapter is used to shift the common-mode input voltage. …