Experimental Characterization Of Electrical Current Leakage In Poly(Dimethylsiloxane) Microfluidic Devices

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) is usually considered as a dielectric material and the PDMS microchannel wall can be treated as an electrically insulated boundary in an applied electric field. However, in certain layouts of microfluidic networks, electrical leakage through the PDMS microfluidic channel walls may not be negligible, which must be carefully considered in the microfluidic circuit design. In this paper, we report on the experimental characterization of the electrical leakage current through PDMS microfluidic channel walls of different configurations. Our numerical and experimental studies indicate that for tens of microns thick PDMS channel walls, electrical leakage through the PDMS wall could significantly alter the electrical field in the main channel. We further show that we can use the electrical leakage through the PDMS microfluidic channel wall to control the electrolyte flow inside the microfluidic channel and manipulate the particle motion inside the microfluidic channel. More specifically, we can trap individual particles at different locations inside the microfluidic channel by balancing the electroosmotic flow and the electrophoretic migration of the particle.

A large-area photolithography technique based on surface plasmons leakage modes

An atomic force microscope (AFM) assisted surface plasmons leakage radiation photolithography technique has been numerically demonstrated by using two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (2D-FDTD) method. With the aid of a metallic AFM tip, particular characteristic of the Kretstchmann configuration to excite surface plasmons (SPs) is utilized to achieve large-area patterns with high spatial resolution and contrast, the photoresist could be exposed with low power laser due to the remarkable local field enhancement at the metal/dielectric interface and the resonant localized SPs modes near the tip. Good tolerance on the film thickness and incident angle has been obtained, which provides a good practicability for experiments. This photolithography technique proposed here can realize large-area, high-resolution, high-contrast, nondestructive, arbitrary-structure fabrication of nanoscale devices. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Arsenate on Microcystin Content and Leakage of Microcystis Strain PCC7806 Under Various Phosphate Regimes

Both arsenic pollution and eutrophication are prominent environmental issues when considering the problem of global water pollution. It is important to reveal the effects of arsenic species on cyanobacterial growth and toxin yields to assess ecological risk of arsenic pollution or at least understand naturally occurring blooms. The sensitivity of cyanobacteria to arsenate has often been linked to the structural similarities of arsenate and phosphate. Thus, we approached the effect of arsenate with concentrations from 10(-8) to 10(-4) M on Microcystis strain PCC7806 under various phosphate regimes. The present study showed that Microcystis strain PCC7806 was arsenate tolerant up to 10(-4) M. And such tolerance was without reference to both content of intra- and extra-cellular phosphate. It seems that arsenate involved the regulation of microcystin synthesis and cellular polyphosphate contributed to microcystin production of Microcystis responding to arsenate, since there was a positive linear correlation of the cellular microcystin quota with the exposure concentration of arsenate when the cells were not preconditioned to phosphate starvation. It is presumed that arsenate could help to actively export microcystins from living Microcystis cells when preconditioned to phosphate starvation and incubated with the medium containing 1 mu M phosphate. This study firstly provided evidence that microcystin content and/or release of Microcystis might be impacted by arsenate if it exists in harmful algal blooms. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 24:97 94, 2009.

Predominant occurrence of apical cell divisions in Oedogoniam pakistanense and its phylogenetic significance

A rare terrestrial species, Oedogonium pakistanense, was first recorded from Hubei Province, south-central China. Morphological characters. including the predominant occurrence of apical cell division and unique lateral apical caps, are described. The growth of the filaments in O. pakistanense from China is usually the result of the repeated divisions of the apical cells and intercalary divisions are rare. It is suggested that this species may represent an evolutionary transition between Oedogonium and Oedocladium, the latter being a terrestrial genus with branched filaments and cell division more often terminal than intercalary.

Effect of surface treatment of GaN based light emitting diode wafers on the leakage current of light emitting diode devices

To form low-resistance Ohmic contact to p-type GaN, InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well light emitting diode wafers are treated with boiled aqua regia prior to Ni/Au (5 nm/5 nm) film deposition. The surface morphology of wafers and the current-voltage characteristics of fabricated light emitting diode devices are investigated. It is shown that surface treatment with boiled aqua regia could effectively remove oxide from the surface of the p-GaN layer, and reveal defect-pits whose density is almost the same as the screw dislocation density estimated by x-ray rocking curve measurement. It suggests that the metal atoms of the Ni/Au transparent electrode of light emitting diode devices may diffuse into the p-GaN layer along threading dislocation lines and form additional leakage current channels. Therefore, the surface treatment time with boiled aqua regia should not be too long so as to avoid the increase of threading dislocation-induced leakage current and the degradation of electrical properties of light emitting diodes

Role of Ga vacancies in enhancing the leakage current of GaN Schottky barrier ultraviolet photodetectors

The leakage current of GaN Schottky barrier ultraviolet photodetectors is investigated. It is found that the photodetectors adopting undoped GaN instead of lightly Si-doped GaN as an active layer show a much lower leakage current even when they have a higher dislocation density. It is also found that the density of Ga vacancies in undoped GaN is much lower than in Si-doped GaN. The Ga vacancies may enhance tunneling and reduce effective Schottky barrier height, leading to an increase of leakage current. It suggests that when undoped GaN is used as the active layer, it is necessary to reduce the leakage current of GaN Schottky barrier ultraviolet photodetector.

Influence of penetrating V-pits on leakage current of GaN based p-i-n UV detector

The leakage mechanism of GaN-based p-i-n (p-AlGaN/i-GaN/n-GaN) UV detector has been investigated. With the same dislocation density, devices made from material with higher density of V-pits on surface produce larger leakage current. SEM images show that some V-pits penetrate into i-GaN layer, sometimes even the n-GaN layer. If p-ohmic contact metal (Ni/Au) deposits in the V-pits, Schottky contact would be formed at the interface of metal and i-GaN, or form ohmic contact at the interface of metal and n-GaN. The existence of parallel Schottky junction and ohmic contact resistance enhances the leakage current greatly.

Influence of indium-tin-oxide thin-film quality on reverse leakage current of indium-tin-oxide/n-GaN Schottky contacts

Indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/n-GaN Schottky contacts were prepared by e-beam evaporation at 200 degrees C under various partial pressures of oxygen. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and positron beam measurements were employed to obtain chemical and structural information of the deposited ITO films. The results indicated that the observed variation in the reverse leakage current of the Schottky contact and the optical transmittance of the ITO films were strongly dependent on the quality of the ITO film. The high concentration of point defects at the ITO-GaN interface is suggested to be responsible for the large observed leakage current of the ITO/n-GaN Schottky contacts. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Influence of crystal perfection on the reverse leakage current of the SiGe Si p-n heterojunction diodes

Double-crystal X-ray diffraction and I-V characterization have been carried out on the GSMBE grown SiGe/Si p-n heterojunction materials. Results show that the SiGe alloys crystalline quality and the misfit dislocations are critical influences on the reverse leakage current. The crystal perfection and/or the degree of metastability of the Sice alloys have been estimated in terms of the model proposed by Tsao with the experimental results. High-quality p-n heterojunction diodes can be obtained by optimizing the SiGe alloy structures, which limit the alloys in the metastable states. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Leakage current analysis in AlGaInP/GaInP multi-quantum well lasers by the electrical derivative method - art. no. 60202F

In AlGaInP/GaInP multi-quantum well (MQW) lasers, the electron leakage current is a much more serious problem than that in laser diodes with longer wavelength. To further improve the output performance, the leakage current should be analyzed. In this letter, the temperature dependence of electrical derivative characteristics in AlGaInP/GaInP multi-quantum well lasers was measured, and the potential barrier for electron leakage was obtained. With the help of secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) measurement, theoretical analysis of the potential barrier was presented and compared with the measurement result. The influence of p-cladding doping level and doping profile on the potential barrier was discussed, and this can be helpful in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth.

Analysis of leakage current in GaAs micro-solar cell arrays

The output characteristics of micro-solar cell arrays are analyzed on the basis of a modified model in which the shunt resistance between cell lines results in current leakage. The modification mainly consists of adding a shunt resistor network to the traditional model. The obtained results agree well with the reported experimental results. The calculation results demonstrate that leakage current in substrate affects seriously the performance of GaAs micro- solar cell arrays. The performance of arrays can be improved by reducing the number of cells per line. In addition, at a certain level of integration, an appropriate space occupancy rate of the single cell is recommended for ensuring high open circuit voltages, and it is more appropriate to set the rates at 80%-90% through the calculation.

Threshold behavior in backgating in GaAs metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors: Induced by limitation of channel-substrate junction to leakage current

An analytical model is proposed to understand backgating in GaAs metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs), in which the effect of channel-substrate (CS) junction is included. We have found that the limitation of CS junction to leakage current will cause backgate voltage to apply directly to CS junction and result in a threshold behavior in backgating effect. A new and valuable expression for the threshold voltage has been obtained. The corresponding threshold electric field is estimated to be in the range of 1000-4000 V/cm and for the first time is in good agreement with reported experimental data. More, the eliminated backgating effect in MESFETs that are fabricated on the GaAs epitaxial layer grown at low temperature is well explained by our theory. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.

Influence of crystal perfection on the reverse leakage current of the SiGe Si p-n heterojunction diodes

Double-crystal X-ray diffraction and I-V characterization have been carried out on the GSMBE grown SiGe/Si p-n heterojunction materials. Results show that the SiGe alloys crystalline quality and the misfit dislocations are critical influences on the reverse leakage current. The crystal perfection and/or the degree of metastability of the Sice alloys have been estimated in terms of the model proposed by Tsao with the experimental results. High-quality p-n heterojunction diodes can be obtained by optimizing the SiGe alloy structures, which limit the alloys in the metastable states. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of leakage current in GaAs micro-solar cell arrays

The output characteristics of micro-solar cell arrays are analyzed on the basis of a modified model in which the shunt resistance between cell lines results in current leakage. The modification mainly consists of adding a shunt resistor network to the traditional model. The obtained results agree well with the reported experimental results. The calculation results demonstrate that leakage current in substrate affects seriously the performance of GaAs micro- solar cell arrays. The performance of arrays can be improved by reducing the number of cells per line. In addition, at a certain level of integration, an appropriate space occupancy rate of the single cell is recommended for ensuring high open circuit voltages, and it is more appropriate to set the rates at 80%-90% through the calculation.