The dependence of growth rate of GaN buffer layer on growth parameters by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy

The growth rate of GaN buffer layers on sapphire grown by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) in an atmospheric pressure, two-channel reactor was studied. The growth rate, as measured using laser reflectance, was found to be dependent on growth temperature, molar flow rate of the sources tin this case, trimethylgallium and ammonia) and the input configuration of sources into the reactor. A model of the GaN buffer layer growth process by MOVPE is proposed to interpret the experimental evidence. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The growth of an AlGaN/GaN modulation-doped heterostructure by NH3 source molecular beam epitaxy

Using NH3 cracked on the growing surface as the nitrogen precursor, an AlGaN/GaN modulation-doped (MD) heterostructure without a buffer layer was grown on a nitridated sapphire substrate in a home-made molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. Though the Al composition is as low as 0.036, as deduced from photoluminescence (PL) measurements, the AlGaN barrier layer can be an efficient carrier supplier for the formation of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the heterointerface. The 2DEG characteristics are verified by the variable temperature Hall measurements down to 7 K. Using a parallel conduction model, we estimate the actual mobility of the 2DEG to be 1100 cm(2)/V s as the sheet carrier density to be 1.0 x 10(12) cm(-2). Our results show that the AlGaN/GaN system is very suitable for the fabrication of high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of growth interruption on self-assembled InAs/GaAs islands

The effect of growth interruption on the InAs deposition and its subsequent growth as self-assembled island structures, in particular the material transport process of the InAs layers has been investigated by photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy measurements. InAs material in structures with only coherent islands transfers from the wetting layer to the formed islands and the growth interruption causes a red shift of PL peak energy. On the other hand, the PL peak shifts to higher energy in structures containing simultaneously coherent and noncoherent islands with dislocations. In this case, the noncoherent islands capture InAs material from the surrounding wetting layer as well as coherent islands, which casues a reduction in the size of these islands. The variations in the PL intensity and line width are also discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

GaN epilayers grown at high growth rate using gas source molecular beam epitaxy method

High-quality GaN epilayers have been grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy using ammonia as the nitrogen source. During the growth, the growth rate is up to 1.2 mu m/h and can be varied from 0.3 to 1.2 mu m. The unintentional n-type doping as low as 7x10(17) cm(-3) was obtained at room temperature. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectrum was dominated by near-edge emission without deep-level related luminescence, indicative of high-quality epilayers. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Properties of GaN epilayers with various growth conditions grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy

GaN epilayers on sapphire (0001) substrates were grown by the gas source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE) method using ammonia (NH,) gas as the nitrogen source. Properties of gallium nitride (GaN) epilayers grown under various growth conditions were investigated. The growth rate is up to 0.6 mu m/h in our experiments. Cathodoluminescence, photoluminescence and Hall measurements were used to characterize the films. It was shown that the growth parameters have a significant influence on the GaN properties. The yellow luminescence was enhanced at higher growth temperature. And a blue emission which maybe related to defects or impurity was observed. Although the emission at 3.31 eV can be suppressed by a low-temperature buffer layer, a high-quality GaN epilayer can be obtained without the buffer layer. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of growth temperature on highly mismatched InAs grown on GaAs substrates by MBE

InAs layers were grown on GaAs by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at substrate temperature 450 and 480 degrees C, and the surface morphology was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We have observed a high density of hexagonal deep pits for samples grown at 450 degrees C, however, the samples grown at 480 degrees C have smooth surface. The difference of morphology can be explained by different migration of cations which is temperature dependent. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) studies showed that the growth temperature also affect the distributions of threading dislocations in InAs layers because the motion of dislocations is kinetically limited at lower temperature. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid thermal annealing processing of GaN epilayer on sapphire(0 0 0 1)

The effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in a Nz ambient up to 900 degrees C has been investigated for GaN films grown on sapphire(0 0 0 1) substrates. Raman spectra, X-ray diffractometry and Hall-effect studies were performed for this purpose. The Raman spectra show the presence of the E-2 (high) mode and a shift in the wave number of this mode with respect to the annealing processing. This result suggests the presence and relaxation of residual stress due to thermal expansion misfit in the films which are confirmed by X-ray measurements and the structure quality of GaN epilayer was improved. Furthermore, the electron mobility increased at room temperature with respect to decrease of background electron concentration after RTA. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of GSMBE growth and characteristics of high-quality strained In0.63Ga0.37As/InP quantum wells

High-quality compressively strained In0.63Ga0.37As/InP quantum wells with different well widths (1-11 nm) have been grown coherently on InP substrates using a home-made gas source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE) system. The indium composition in the wells of the sample was determined by means of high-resolution X-ray diffraction and its computer simulation. it is found that the exciton transition energies determined by photoluminescence (PL) at 10 K are in good agreement with those calculated using a deformation potential model. Sharp and intense peaks for each well can be well resolved in the 10 K PL spectra. For wells narrower than 4 nm, the line width of the PL peaks are smaller than the theoretical values of the line-width broadening due to 1 hit interface fluctuation, showing that the interface fluctuation of our sample is within 1 ML. For wells of 7 and 9 nm, the PL peak widths are as low as 4.5 meV.

Growth of Cubic GaN by MOCVD at High Temperature

High quality cubic GaN (c-GaN) is grown by metalorganic vapor deposition (MOCVD) at an increased growth temperature of 900 ℃, with the growth rate of 1.6 μm/h. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of room temperature photoluminescence (PL) for the high temperature grown GaN film is 48meV. It is smaller than that of the sample grown at 830 ℃. In X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement, the high temperature grown GaN shows a (002) peak at 20° with a FWHM of 21'. It can be concluded that, although c-GaN is of metastable phase, high growth temperature is still beneficial to the improvement in its crystal quality. The relationship between the growth rate and growth temperature is also discussed.

川西亚高山针叶林主要针叶树种年轮生态学研究

米亚罗地区是四川西部较为典型的亚高山针叶林区域之一。为建立该地区主要针叶树种岷江冷杉、云杉、紫果云杉和红杉的年轮宽度年表资料，了解不同海拔高度岷江冷杉原始林和不同恢复过程的人工针叶林及次生混交林树木径向生长规律，结合样地调查，用生长锥钻取了树木芯样做年轮生态学分析。芯样经过标准化程序固定和打磨抛光后，用WinDENDRO图像分析系统测量年轮宽度序列，用COFECHA程序交叉定年和控制测量数据质量，用ARSTAN程序建立了4个主要针叶树种的地区年表和不同海拔高度岷江冷杉林及人工针叶林和次生混交林针叶树的样地年表。 4个主要针叶树种年轮宽度年表的平均敏感度低于0.2，而其晚材宽度年表都具相对较高的平均敏感度。早材宽度与年轮总宽度标准化年表间的相关系数均在0.9以上；晚材宽度与年轮总宽度标准化年表间的相关系数则种间差异较大，红杉的最高，岷江冷杉的最低。岷江冷杉晚材宽度与年轮总宽度的相关性从1970年以后明显下降，而其他种的相关系数则随时间变化较小。树种之间标准化年表显著正相关，而云杉与紫果云杉和红杉与岷江冷杉之间相关系数明显较高。年表序列的第1主分量表达了4个树种树木共同径向生长变化格局；第2至第4主分量分别表达了云杉属和冷杉属、常绿针叶树种和落叶针叶树种以及云杉和紫果云杉树木径向生长变化差异。 不同海拔高度的8个岷江冷杉样地年轮宽度年表序列敏感度大体上随海拔高度升高而降低。各样地早材宽度与年轮总宽度年表之间的相关系数均在0.9以上，且随海拔高度变化不大；晚材宽度与年轮总宽度之间的相关系数随海拔高度的变化较大，并有随海拔升高而降低的趋势。样地年表序列之间相关系数差异很大，高海拔样地年表间多为显著正相关；低海拔样地年表间的相关系数变化不一；高海拔和低海拔样地年表之间相关性较差，且多不显著。样地年表的第1主分量能解释年表序列总方差的37.5%，反映了不同海拔高度岷江冷杉林木共同的径向生长变化格局；第2和第3主分量分别解释总方差的24.5%和18.2%，表现出明显的高海拔和低海拔样地树木间不同的径向生长变化，除一些样地例外，它们一般与低海拔样地年表有正相关，与高海拔样地年表有负相关。在那些另外的样地，海拔以外的其他因素可能也影响了树木径向生长变化。不同海拔高度样地林木的生长抑制和生长释放频率在不同时期表现出较大的差异，表明了不同的干扰历史和林木补充时间。 人工针叶林和次生混交林各样地林木早材宽度与其年轮总宽度年表之间相关系数均高达0.9以上；晚材宽度与年轮总宽度年表之间也都显著正相关，但人工针叶林样地的明显较高。样地年表序列之间的相关关系表现为，林分起源和经营管理相似的样地年表之间的相关系数明显较高，如人工针叶林与人工针叶林尽管树种不同，但样地年表之间显著正相关，而与次生混交林样地年表间关系不显著；反之亦然。综合比较各项生长参数及不同时期的树木径向生长速率，人工针叶林树木的胸径增长至少在40年以内是优于次生混交林的同种（或不同种）针叶树的。不同样地林木生长释放和生长抑制及人工针叶林树木胸高断面积增长分析表明，除严重的人为干扰外，林分郁闭后林木密度过大是造成高频率生长抑制的主要原因，在林分发育的适当时期通过抚育间伐等措施调控林分密度，是保证林木胸高断面积在一定时期内保持较高的连年增长的关键。日本落叶松作为引进的树种，在海拔3100 m左右种植表现良好，近30年来各项生长指标均高于林龄相近的云杉人工林，因此，适当用其作为川西亚高山针叶林采伐迹地快速恢复是合理的。 Miyaluo area is one of the typical regions covered by subalpine coniferous forests in western Sichuan province of southwestern China. To develop the regional tree-ring width chronology series for the dominant conifers such as Abies faxoniana, Picea asperata, P. purpurea and Larix potaninii, and to understand the radial growth patterns of conifers in Abies faxoniana natural forest stands at different altitudes, and in coniferous plantations and natural regenerated mixed stands in their different restoring processes as well, increment cores were sampled in the field together with conventional plots investigations for dendroecological analyses. After the increment cores being prepared according to standard procedures, the ring widths (total-ring and intra-ring widths) were measured with a WinDENDRO image-analysis system, and the measured tree-ring sequences were crossdated and quality-controlled with the software COFECHA. Using the software ARSTAN, we developed tree-ring width based chronology series of the four dominant conifers, eight site-specific Abies faxoniana chronologies, and seven site-specific chronologies of conifers in coniferous plantations and natural regenerated mixed stands. Mean sensitivities for total ring width chronologies of the four sampled dominant conifers were all below 0.2, while those for the latewood width chronologies of the same species were relatively much higher. Correlation coefficients between standard earlywood and total ring width chronologies of the four conifers were all above 0.9, but those between standard latewood and total ring width chronologies exhibited differences among species, with the coefficient of Larix potaninii the highest and that of Abies faxoniana the lowest. Correlation coefficients between latewood and total ring width of A. faxoniana obviously decreased from 1920-1970 for successive 50-year segments with 10-years lag analyses, though the same for the other three species changed unnoticeably with time. Tree-ring standard chronologies among species showed significant positive correlations, with the correlation coefficients between chronologies of Picea asperata and P. purpurea, and of Larix potaninii and Abies faxoniana relatively much higher. The first principal component of tree-ring chronologies represented the common radial growth patterns of the four conifers in Miyaluo area. The second, third and fourth PCs expressed the differences in radial growth responses for the genus Picea and Abies, for the evergreen and deciduous confers, and for the two species of the genus Picea, respectively. In general, mean sensitivities of the eight Abies faxoniana site-specific tree-ring width chronologies decreased with increasing altitude. The correlation coefficients between earlywood and total ring width chronologies for all sites reached 0.9, which did not change much with altitude; but those between latewood and total ring width chronologies diversified, with a decreasing tendency from lower altitudinal sites to higher altitudinal sites. Correlation coefficients among site chronologies varied considerably, with significant positive correlations among higher site chronologies, mixed results among lower site chronologies, and poor and insignificant correlations between chronologies of higher site and lower site. The first PC, which represents 37.5% of the total variance, reflected a common radial growth response at sites of different altitudes, and it showed a tendency of explaining more variance with increasing altitude. The second and the third PCs contributed to 24.5% and 18.2% of the total variance, respectively, exhibiting distinctive differences in radial growth responses between low- and high-altitudinal sites. With some exceptions, the radial growth represented by the second and third PCs had a positive correlation with that at the low-altitudinal sites and a negative correlation with that at the high-altitudinal sites. For those exceptional sites, factors other than altitude might also play a role in affecting tree-ring growth variations. Trees in stands of different altitudes showed great differences in frequencies of growth suppressions and releases through times, suggesting different disturbance histories and periods when trees recruiting to the canopy. Correlation coefficients between earlywood and total ring width chronologies for all sites of coniferous plantations and natural regenerated mixed stands were also above 0.9; and the same between latewood width and total ring width chronologies all positively correlated, too, with the coefficients of the coniferous plantations obviously much higher. Correlations among site chronologies showed that the coefficients among sites with similar stand origin and management regimes were much higher than those among sites with different stand origin and management regimes. For example, significant positive correlations were found for chronologies among different coniferous plantations, irrespective of species differences; while insignificant correlations between chronologies of the same conifer from a coniferous plantation and a natural regenerated mixed stand, and vise versa. Integrative comparisons of different tree growth parameters and radial growth rates at different stages indicated that the diameter at breast height (DBH) increments for trees in coniferous plantations were faster than those for trees of the same (or different) species in the natural regenerated mixed stands, at least within their first 40 years of stand development. Analyses of growth releases and suppressions, and basal area increments of trees in different stands demonstrated that over-dense individuals after canopy closure was the main factor resulting in high frequencies of radial growth suppressions, with some exceptions of severe man-made disturbances. Therefore, to ensure a continuous basal area current annual increment in certain periods, tree density controlling through thinning in due time during the stand development process are necessary. It should be mentioned that, as an introduced conifer to Miyaluo area, Larix kaempferi grew quite well at altitude of ca. 3100 m after planting in 1970s. In their near 30 years of stand development, Larix kaempferi trees exhibited faster growth in various parameters than Picea asperata trees of the similar stand age did. Thus we think it reasonable to use Larix kaempferi as a fast restoring species at appropriate sites of cutting blanks of subalpine coniferous forests in western Sichuan.

黄土高原不同密度刺槐(Robinia pseudoacia)林地水分生产力与土壤干燥化效应模拟

应用WinEPIC模型模拟研究了1957~2001年期间黄土高原半湿润区长武和半干旱区延安不同密度刺槐(Robinia pseudoacia)林地水分生产力演变规律和深层土壤干燥化效应。结果:(1)长武和延安高密度(6000株/hm2)、中高密度(4500株/hm2)、中低密度(3000株/hm2)和低密度(1500株/hm2)等4种处理刺槐林地逐年生物量模拟值均呈现快速增加、达到最大值后又逐年波动性降低的变化趋势,林地密度越高早期逐年生物量越高,后期逐年生物量差异缩小,两地均以低密度处理逐年生物量平均值和累积生物量模拟值最高;(2)4种密度处理45年生刺槐林地年均耗水量值基本相等,长武和延安分别为603mm和566mm,但生长前期年耗水量明显高于后期,并高于同期年降水量,林地密度越高前期耗水量越高,中期以后各密度处理耗水量基本接近且波动趋势基本一致,林地密度越高干旱胁迫程度越重;(3)模拟生长初期,4种密度处理刺槐林地0~10m土层逐月土壤有效含水量均呈现强烈的波动性降低趋势,长武各密度处理刺槐林地分别在7~23年生、延安分别在7~17年生之后逐月土壤有效含水量均在0~200mm较低水平上随降水量变化而波动..

Electrochemical deposition of silver in room-temperature ionic liquids and its surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect

The use of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) as media for electrochemical application is very attractive. In this work, the electrochemical deposition of silver was investigated at a glassy carbon electrode in hydrophobic 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF6) and hydrophilic 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIMBF4) RTILs and in KNO3 aqueous solution by cyclic voltammetric and potentiostatic transient techniques. The voltammograms showed the presence of reduction and oxidation peaks associated with the deposition and dissolution of silver from AgBF4 in both BMIMPF6 and BMIMBF4, resembling the redox behavior of AgNO3 in KNO3 aqueous solution. A crossover loop was observed in all the cyclic voltammograms of these electrochemical systems, indicating a nucleation process. From the analysis of the experimental current transients, it was shown that the electrochemical deposition process of silver in these media was characteristic of 3D nucleation with diffusion-controlled hemispherical growth, and the silver nucleation closely followed the response predicted for progressive nucleation in BMIMPF6 and instantaneous nucleation in KNO3 aqueous solution, respectively.

GABAA receptor chloride channels are involved in the neuroprotective role of GABA following oxygen and glucose deprivation in the rat cerebral cortex but not in the hippocampus.

Assays on "ex vivo" sections of rat hippocampus and rat cerebral cortex, subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) and a three-hour reperfusion-like (RL) recovery, were performed in the presence of either GABA or the GABA(A) receptor binding site antagonist, bicuculline. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and propidium iodide were used to quantify cell mortality. We also measured, using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), the early transcriptional response of a number of genes of the glutamatergic and GABAergic systems. Specifically, glial pre- and post-synaptic glutamatergic transporters (namely GLAST1a, EAAC-1, GLT-1 and VGLUT1), three GABAA receptor subunits (α1, β2 and γ2), and the GABAergic presynaptic marker, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65), were studied. Mortality assays revealed that GABAA receptor chloride channels play an important role in the neuroprotective effect of GABA in the cerebral cortex, but have a much smaller effect in the hippocampus. We also found that GABA reverses the OGD-dependent decrease in GABA(A) receptor transcript levels, as well as mRNA levels of the membrane and vesicular glutamate transporter genes. Based on the markers used, we conclude that OGD results in differential responses in the GABAergic presynaptic and postsynaptic systems.

Investigation of the genetic susceptibility to osteoporosis in the Irish population

Osteoporosis is a complex skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength. Variation in bone mineral density (BMD) is a contributing factor. The aim of this research as to select informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in potential candidate genes from loci suggestively linked to BMD variation for fine mapping. The gene regulated by oestrogen in breast cancer 1 (GREB1), located at 2p25.1, was selected. GREB1 transcription is initiated early in the oestrogen receptor alpha regulated pathway. There was significant association between GREB1_03 and BMD variation at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (FN) in the discovery cohort. Significant association was observed between GREB1_04 and FN BMD in the replication cohort. The development and differentiation enhancing factor 2, the integrin cytoplasmic domain associated protein 1 and A-disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 were selected due to their respective roles in cell mobility and adhesion. There was no linkage or association observed between the Chr2 cluster SNPs and BMD. Two factors in bone remodelling are the attraction of bone cell precursors and endocrine regulation of the process, primarily through the action of parathyroid hormone (PTH). The C-C chemokine receptor type 3 (CCR3) encodes a CC chemokine receptor expressed in osteoclast precursors. The PTH receptor type 1 (PTHR1) encodes a G-protein coupled receptor for PTH. Association was observed between CCR3 haplotypes and BMD variation at the FN. There was no linkage or association observed between PTHR1 SNPs and BMD variation. Population genetic studies with complex phenotypes endeavour to elucidate the traits genetic architecture. This study presents evidence of association between GREB1 and BMD variation and as such, introduces GREB1 as a novel gene target for osteoporosis genetics studies. It affirms that common genomic variants in PTHR1 are not associated with BMD variation in Caucasians and supports the evidence that CCR3 may be contributing to BMD variation

Human uterine leiomyoma-derived fibroblasts stimulate uterine leiomyoma cell proliferation and collagen type I production, and activate RTKs and TGF beta receptor signaling in coculture.

BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) are benign smooth muscle tumors that often contain an excessive extracellular matrix (ECM). In the present study, we investigated the interactions between human uterine leiomyoma (UtLM) cells and uterine leiomyoma-derived fibroblasts (FB), and their importance in cell growth and ECM protein production using a coculture system. RESULTS: We found enhanced cell proliferation, and elevated levels of ECM collagen type I and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 after coculturing. There was also increased secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor-2, and platelet derived growth factor A and B in the media of UtLM cells cocultured with FB. Protein arrays revealed increased phosphorylated receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) of the above growth factor ligands, and immunoblots showed elevated levels of the RTK downstream effector, phospho-mitogen activated protein kinase 44/42 in cocultured UtLM cells. There was also increased secretion of transforming growth factor-beta 1 and 3, and immunoprecipitated transforming growth factor-beta receptor I from cocultured UtLM cells showed elevated phosphoserine expression. The downstream effectors phospho-small mothers against decapentaplegic -2 and -3 protein (SMAD) levels were also increased in cocultured UtLM cells. However, none of the above effects were seen in normal myometrial cells cocultured with FB. The soluble factors released by tumor-derived fibroblasts and/or UtLM cells, and activation of the growth factor receptors and their pathways stimulated the proliferation of UtLM cells and enhanced the production of ECM proteins. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the importance of interactions between fibroid tumor cells and ECM fibroblasts in vivo, and the role of growth factors, and ECM proteins in the pathogenesis of uterine fibroids.