STUDIES ON MIXED MASS CULTIVATION OF ANABAENA SPP (NITROGEN-FIXING BLUE-GREEN-ALGAE, CYANOBACTERIA) ON A LARGE-SCALE

Studies on mixed mass cultivation of Anabaena spp. on a large scale (5170 m2) were conducted continuously for 3 years. Under the continental monsoon climate in northern subtropics (30-degrees-N, 115-degrees-E), 7-11 g dry weight m-2 day-1 of microalgal biomass on average was harvested in simple plastic greenhouses in the effective growth days during the warmer seasons. The maximum productivity was 22 g m-2 day-1 in the middle of summer. Observations on the productive properties of strains of Anabaena spp. indicated that they were different from and could compensate for each other in their productivities and adaptations to the seasonal changes. With different lining materials (PVC sheets, concrete, sand and soil) in the culture ponds, no significant variation of productivity was found, but bubbling with biogas in the middle of the day and the application of some growth regulating substances (2,4-D, NaHSO3 and extracts of oyster mushroom spawn) was able to improve the production. The cost of microalgal biomass in this way was around 0.75-1.0 US dollar(s) per kilogram.

Large-scale synthesis of single-phase, high-quality GaN nanocrystallites

Large-scale synthesis of high-quality GaN nano-crystallites has been achieved by direct reaction of a 4:1 molar Ga/Ga2O3 mixture with ammonia at 950degreesC. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that the produced GaN nanocrystallites were single hexagonal wurtzite structure with an average particle size around 45 nm. A sharp near band edge emission peak and a blue light emission peak were observed in photoluminescence spectroscopy. The synthesis approach is simple and easy to be commercialized.

Novel folding large-scale optical switch matrix with total internal reflection mirrors on silicon-on-insulator by anisotropy chemical etching

A compact optical switch matrix was designed, in which light circuits were folded by total internal reflective (TIR) mirrors. Two key elements, 2 x 2 switch and TIR mirror, have been fabricated on silicon-on-insulator wafer by anisotropy chemical etching. The 2 x 2 switch showed very low power consumption of 140 mW and a very high speed of 8 +/- 1 mus. An improved design for the TIR mirror was developed, and the fabricated mirror with smooth and vertical reflective facet showed low excess loss of 0.7 +/- 0.3 dB at 1.55 mum.

Temperature dependence of the formation of nano-scale indium clusters in InAlGaN alloys on Si(111) substrates

The temperature dependence of the formation of nano-scale indium clusters in InAlGaN quaternary alloys, which are grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition on GaN/Si(111) epilayers, is investigated. Firm evidence is provided to support the existence of phase separation, or nano-scale In-rich clusters, by the combined results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and micro-Raman spectra. The results of HRXRD and Raman spectra indicate that the degree of phase separation is strong and the number of In clusters in the InAlGaN layers on silicon substrate is higher at lower growth temperatures than that at higher growth temperatures, which limits the In and Al incorporated into the InAlGaN quaternary alloys. The detailed mechanism of luminescence in this system is studied by low temperature photoluminescence (LT-PL). We conclude that the ultraviolet (UV) emission observed in the quaternary InAlGaN alloys arises from the matrix of a random alloy, and the second emission peak in the blue-green region results from the nano-scale indium clusters.