Current Electronic Technology Research Articles

Design of a Neural Network Model for Point-Defect Microcavities in Two-Dimensional Silicon-Based Dielectric Column Photonic Crystals

Currently, circuits are becoming more and more highly integrated, but current electronic chip technology has difficulty in meeting the requirements for increased data transmission speed and capacity because of its characteristics of increased energy loss due to interactions between electronic components. In contrast, photonic technology is a promising solution due to its characteristics of high speed, wide bandwidth, and low interaction. Photonic crystals are materials with an artificial periodic dielectric structure, with photonic bandgap and localization properties that are critical to their performance. Photonic crystals, which use photons as an information transfer medium, allow flexible control of photon propagation, just as electrons are controlled in semiconductors, and the study of multifunctional photonic crystals is important for the construction of integrated optical circuits. This paper proposes a neural network-based model to analyze and predict the optical properties of point defect microcavities in 2D silicon-based dielectric column photonic crystals. By modeling the complex relationship between the structural parameters of the photonic crystal and its optical response, a theoretical approach for the design of 2D silicon dielectric column photonic crystals can be provided.

电子信息技术在企业安全管理中的应用探讨

With the rapid development of China’s social economy and the continuous advancement of science and technology, current electronic information technology has also made major breakthroughs and has been increasingly used in enterprise safety management. However, it cannot be denied that the current application of electronic information technology in the safety management practice of Chinese enterprises is not ideal, and there are still many problems that need to be solved urgently. Based on this, this study first analyzes the application characteristics of electronic information technology, then analyzes the application principles of electronic information technology in enterprise safety management, secondly analyzes the problems existing in electronic information technology in enterprise safety management, and finally elaborates on the application of electronic information technology in enterprise safety management. Application strategies in enterprise security management to provide a useful reference in enterprise security management.

Fabrication and Characterization of Epitaxial Graphene Field Effect Transistor Devices Based on a Monolithic Bottom Gate

Current electronics technology increasingly demands higher integration, flexibility, higher efficiency, and performance aspects such as compatibility with higher temperature operation of the semiconductor devices, which may find limitations when silicon is used. The superior intrinsic properties of SiC, eventually combined with the ability of growing monolithically epitaxial, high quality graphene on a SiC wafer (1), makes it a reliable alternative for some electronic applications, such as field effect transistors (FET), radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers, integrated circuits (IC), or sensors. In this work, we describe the fabrication and preliminary electrical characterizations of epitaxial graphene (EG) on a SiC substrate FET devices based on an alternative back gate architecture. We propose a new approach in which the FET device is built on a 4◦ off-axis cut, N+ doped 4H-SiC substrate (the back gate) with, on top of, it a 1μm semi-insulating homoepitaxial layer of SiC compensated with vanadium (the dielectric layer). EG will be used as FET conduction channel. Using this V-compensated dielectric layer is aimed to minimize effects on the FET characteristics such as from defects in the SiC crystal, especially below the FET active areas, which would have occurred when using ion implantation to create a buried gate. The EG film was grown by the high temperature Si sublimation method under an Ar ambient. Raman spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were applied in the structural characterization of epigraphene. The lack of D-peak in Raman spectra, together with SEM and AFM images, indicate that high quality monolayer to few layer epitaxial graphene fully covering the SiC surface is deposited. The electrical characteristics of the EG channel-devices and the functionality of the bottom gate were examined with 2-probe and 4-probe method. The electrical properties of the FET devices were also investigated with 3 terminal configuration.

Improving thermal conductivity of ethylene-vinyl acetate composites by covalent bond-connected carbon nanotubes@boron nitride hybrids

Efficient thermal management materials have become one of the main challenges faced by the rapid development of current electronic technology. In this study, a covalent bond was first designed to connect carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and boron nitride (BN) to prepare CNTs@BN hybrids, and then the prepared CNTs@BN hybrids were used to enhance the thermal conductivity of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) matrix. The results indicated that the covalent bond connections between CNTs and BN effectively reduced the interfacial thermal resistance and promoted the construction of a continuous and efficient heat conduction network. Finally, the thermal conductivity of EVA composite reached 7.84 W m−1 K−1, which was 2613% higher than that of EVA matrix. The sensitive response of EVA composite to temperature further demonstrated its excellent thermal management capability. The EVA composite also had good thermal stability and stable electrical insulation performance, which further guaranteed its application in electronic equipment.

TID Effects Induced by ARACOR, 60Co, and ORIATRON Photon Sources in MOS Devices: Impact of Geometry and Materials

Total ionizing dose (TID) effects induced by different photon sources are studied in MOS devices. The dose factor (DF), defined as the ratio between dose deposition in dosimeter and actual dose deposition in MOS-sensitive oxides (SOs), is estimated using Monte-Carlo simulations of energetic photons striking simple device structures. An effective TID approach is proposed to account for both the real ionizing dose depositions in small volumes and the charge yield. This method is applied to a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology using three photon sources: the usual ARACOR and <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">60</sup> Co sources, which deliver several tens of kiloelectron volt photons and ~1.25-MeV photons, respectively, and a third facility named ORIATRON, a 6-MeV electron linear accelerator that produces photons on a wide energy spectrum. This topic, investigated intensively in the literature a few decades ago, is revisited in the context of several evolutions including: new radiation sources, novel simulation tools, and device scaling, which all impact ionizing dose deposition in microsensitive volumes of current electronic technologies. Dedicated numerical simulations demonstrate the importance of taking into account the entire stack of materials in order to get the most accurate estimations of TID in the SO. Descriptions of the back-end-of-line (BEOL) layers (especially when the technology uses copper), the polysilicon gate, the Buried OXide (BOX) (for SOI devices), but also of the substrate and package are mandatory in these simulations, since dose enhancement and/or backscattered photons can be a significant source of TID variation in the gate oxide. Also the package lid composition and its thickness can be major TID contributors. The results show that the use of a prefilter with lead and aluminum can optimize ionizing dose deposition

Chlorine doping of MoSe2 flakes by ion implantation.

The efficient integration of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) into the current electronic device technology requires mastering the techniques of effective tuning of their optoelectronic properties. Specifically, controllable doping is essential. For conventional bulk semiconductors, ion implantation is the most developed method offering stable and tunable doping. In this work, we demonstrate n-type doping in MoSe2 flakes realized by low-energy ion implantation of Cl+ ions followed by millisecond-range flash lamp annealing (FLA). We further show that FLA for 3 ms with a peak temperature of about 1000 °C is enough to recrystallize implanted MoSe2. The Cl distribution in few-layer-thick MoSe2 is measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. An increase in the electron concentration with increasing Cl fluence is determined from the softening and red shift of the Raman-active A1g phonon mode due to the Fano effect. The electrical measurements confirm the n-type doping of Cl-implanted MoSe2. A comparison of the results of our density functional theory calculations and experimental temperature-dependent micro-Raman spectroscopy data indicates that Cl atoms are incorporated into the atomic network of MoSe2 as substitutional donor impurities.

Twistable dipolar aryl rings as electric field actuated conformational molecular switches.

The ability to control the chemical conformation of a system via external stimuli is a promising route for developing molecular switches. For eventual deployment as viable sub-nanoscale components that are compatible with current electronic device technology, conformational switching should be controllable by a local electric field (i.e. E-field gateable) and accompanied by a rapid and significant change in conductivity. In organic chemical systems the degree of π-conjugation is linked to the degree of electronic delocalisation, and thus largely determines the conductivity. Here, by means of accurate first principles calculations, we study the prototypical biphenyl based molecular system in which the dihedral angle between the two rings determines the degree of conjugation. In order to make this an E-field gateable system we create a net dipole by asymmetrically functionalising one ring with: (i) electron withdrawing (F, Br and CN), (ii) electron donating (NH2), and (iii) mixed (NH2/NO2) substituents. In this way, the application of an E-field interacts with the dipolar system to influence the dihedral angle, thus controlling the conjugation. For all considered substituents we consider a range of E-fields, and in each case extract conformational energy profiles. Using this data we obtain the minimum E-field required to induce a barrierless switching event for each system. We further extract the estimated switching speeds, the conformational probabilities at finite temperatures, and the effect of applied E-field on electronic structure. Consideration of these data allow us to assess which factors are most important in the design of efficient gateable electrical molecular switches.

Multi-energy inter-pixel coincidence counters for charge sharing correction and compensation in photon counting detectors.

Smaller pixel sizes of x-ray photon counting detectors (PCDs) are advantageous for count rate capabilities but disadvantageous for charge sharing. With charge sharing, the energy of an x-ray photon may be split and one photon may produce two or more counts at adjacent pixels, both at lower energies than the incident energy. This "double-counting" increases noise variance and degrades the spectral response. Overall, it has a significantly negative impact on the performance of PCD-based computed tomography (CT). Charge sharing is induced by the detection physics and occurs regardless of count rates; thus, it is impossible to avoid. We propose in this paper a method that has a potential to address both noise and bias added by charge sharing. We propose applying a multi-energy inter-pixel coincidence counter (MEICC) technique, which uses energy-dependent coincidence counters, keeps the book of charge sharing events during data acquisition, and provides the exact number of charge sharing occurrences, which can be used to either correct or compensate for them after the acquisition is completed. MEICC does not interfere with the primary counting process; therefore, PCDs with MEICC will remain as fast as those without MEICC. MEICC can be implemented using current electronics technology because its inter-pixel coincidence counters used to handle digital data are rather simple. We evaluated Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRLB) of PCDs with and without MEICC using a Monte Carlo simulation. When the number of energy windows was four or larger and eight neighboring pixels were used, the CRLBs of 225-µm PCD with MEICC normalized by those of the current PCD with the same number of windows were 0.361-0.383 for water density images of two basis functions, which was only 5.7-16.4% worse than those of a PCD without charge sharing (which were at 0.329-0.358). In contrast, the normalized CRLBs of the PCD with one coincidence counter were 0.466-0.499, which were 37.3-45.6% worse than the PCD without charge sharing. The use of eight neighboring pixels provided ~10% better CRLB values than four neighboring pixels for MEICC. With four energy windows, decreasing the number of coincidence counters from 16 to 9 only slightly increased the CRLB from 0.255 to 0.269 (which corresponded to as little as a 5.5% change). The normalized CRLBs of MEICC for K-edge imaging (gold) were 0.295-0.426, while those of the one coincidence counter were 0.926-0.959 and the ideal PCDs were 0.126-0.146. The proposed MEICC provides spectral information that can be used to address charge sharing problems in PCDs and is expected to satisfy the requirements for clinical x-ray CT. MEICC is very effective, especially for K-edge imaging, which requires accurate spectral information.

Ionic Amplifying Circuits Inspired by Electronics and Biology

Biological ion channels are a fundamental component of all cells and enable an immense amount of processes which are essential for life. Some of these channels possess inherently low conductance, producing currents below the shot noise limit that cannot be measured with current electronic technology. Sodium glucose cotransporters (SGLTs), in particular, play a key role in the dietary uptake of glucose transports in the small intestine. A single SGLT produces currents on the order of 10−2 fA. One possibility to measure this miniscule current is to ionically amplify biological channel output before measuring it electronically. Thus through electronics and biology, we were inspired to create an abiotic, fully ionic, nanoscale bipolar junction transistor. To further increase amplification, a circuit known from electronics as the Darlington amplifier is then employed. In this arrangement the amplified output of one transistor is used as the input for a second transistor. Through this usage, the amplification can be increased to more than the product of the individual device amplifications. The circuits we report function at gate voltages < 1 V, respond to sub-nA gate currents, and offer ion current amplification with a gain up to ∼300. Ionic amplifiers will enable probing new biochemical processes, and mimicking of physiological amplification processes, among others.

Electronic and Thermal Properties of Graphene and Recent Advances in Graphene Based Electronics Applications.

Recently, graphene has been extensively researched in fundamental science and engineering fields and has been developed for various electronic applications in emerging technologies owing to its outstanding material properties, including superior electronic, thermal, optical and mechanical properties. Thus, graphene has enabled substantial progress in the development of the current electronic systems. Here, we introduce the most important electronic and thermal properties of graphene, including its high conductivity, quantum Hall effect, Dirac fermions, high Seebeck coefficient and thermoelectric effects. We also present up-to-date graphene-based applications: optical devices, electronic and thermal sensors, and energy management systems. These applications pave the way for advanced biomedical engineering, reliable human therapy, and environmental protection. In this review, we show that the development of graphene suggests substantial improvements in current electronic technologies and applications in healthcare systems.

Growth dynamics of SiGe nanowires by the vapour–liquid–solid method and its impact on SiGe/Si axial heterojunction abruptness

The vapour–liquid–solid (VLS) method is by far the most extended procedure for bottom-up nanowire growth. This method also allows for the manufacture of nanowire axial heterojunctions in a straightforward way. To do this, during the growth process, precursor gases are switched on/off to obtain the desired change in the nanowire composition. Using this technique, axially heterostructured nanowires can be grown, which are crucial for the fabrication of electronic and optoelectronic devices. SiGe/Si nanowires are compatible with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, which improves their versatility and the possibility of integration with current electronic technologies. Abrupt heterointerfaces are fundamental for the development and correct operation of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Unfortunately, the VLS growth of SiGe/Si heterojunctions does not provide abrupt transitions because of the high solubility of group IV semiconductors in Au, with the corresponding reservoir effect that precludes the growth of sharp interfaces. In this work, we studied the growth dynamics of SiGe/Si heterojunctions based on already developed models for VLS growth. A composition map of the Si–Ge–Au liquid alloy is proposed to better understand the impact of the growing conditions on the nanowire growth process and the heterojunction formation. The solution of our model provides heterojunction profiles that are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. Finally, an in-depth study of the composition map provides a practical approach to the drastic reduction of heterojunction abruptness by reducing the Si and Ge concentrations in the catalyst droplet. This converges with previous approaches, which use catalysts aiming to reduce the solubility of the atomic species. This analysis opens new paths to the reduction of heterojunction abruptness using Au catalysts, but the model can be naturally extended to other catalysts and semiconductors.

Indicador per para fuego forestal y red de sensores para detección temprana de incendios forestales en Costa Rica

Si la OCDE otorga a Costa Rica la oportunidad de ingresar, la utilización de tecnologías modernas para apagar y controlar los incendios forestales, contribuirán a fortalecer la percepción que se tiene del país y facilitarán sin duda el ingreso.&lt;br /&gt;Se considera incendio forestal el fuego sin control en una zona boscosa En Costa Rica, entre los años 1998 y 2006, los incendios forestales han afectado 35428ha y en el año 2007 al menos 2468ha, según información del CONIFOR (MINAET) [1]. Como efecto inmediato, esta situación contribuye a la desaparición del bosque. Esta realidad, además de otras actividades, como la tala y la caza, demandan contribuir al control de estas agresiones al bosque. Las tecnologías electrónicas actuales, aplicadas a la protección ambiental, ofrecen una solución posible, particularmente la utilización de redes inalámbricas de sensores (RdSI) para la Detección Temprana de Incendios Forestales (DTIF), y aunque no se han explotado al máximo en Costa Rica, actualmente se investiga el diseño de redes de este tipo para utilizarlas en la protección del bosque.&lt;br /&gt;La preparación anticipada, o la reacción que un país o región tenga para enfrentar los diferentes problemas o desastres ambientales que afectan el desarrollo sostenible, se pueden manifestar por medio de indicadores PER (presión estado respuesta) de la OCDE, (Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económico), y en el caso de los incendios forestales se emplea el indicador IPIF (Índice de presión de incendio forestal) que relaciona el área forestal quemada con el área forestal no afectada, o sea, el efecto de estos incendios se refleja en los indicadores ambientales respectivos.

Electrothermal Multiscale Modeling and Simulation Concepts for Power Electronics

This paper presents a finite-element-based simulation methodology to improve on multiscale modeling and analysis limitations of power electronics development. The method utilizes homogenization and nonmatching grid concepts to offer a high degree of flexibility and reduce computational effort. The applied homogenization method provides effective material properties to realize full-chip modeling performance without the need to model geometric details. The concept of nonmatching grids allows the inclusion of a subregion with substantially finer mesh than its surrounding regions. This allows the flexible integration of micrometer scale geometries with a high degree of detail within the full-chip model. Both concepts are thoroughly introduced and an application to a state-of-the-art power electronics semiconductor technology is presented. This paper focuses on electrothermal interaction and is experimentally verified on a dedicated test structure. The presented results provide electrothermal insights in current power electronic technologies and emphasize their potential to further improve the robustness and reliability of next generation technologies.

(Invited) Low Power Stt-Mram and Its Application to Normally-Off Processor

Reduction of the power consumption of mobile electronic devices is one of the principal issues in current and future electronics technology. In particular, reducing the power consumption of the processor is critical because it increases as the processor’s performance improves. Normally-off computing is one of the solutions. Standby power of a cache memory while the device power is on but the memory is idle accounts for a large proportion of the processor’s power consumption, which can be eliminated by shutting down the cache memory during the idle time and turning it on instantly when the memory becomes active. The key technology for the normally-off processor to reduce power effectively is a fast, low-power, non-volatile memory for the cache memory to replace the current SRAM cache memory. Among the various non-volatile memories, Spin Transfer Torque Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (STT-MRAM) is the most promising candidate for the cache memory of the normally-off processor because of its potential performance in terms of fast switching and scalability. A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) storage element having perpendicular magnetization (p-MTJ) reduces the writing current of the STT-MRAM, which enables scaling of the STT-MRAM. However, for power saving of the normally-off processor, small write current and short write pulse duration time must be achieved simultaneously. In other words, write charge, which is write current multiplied by write pulse width, is a key parameter for power saving. Toshiba demonstrated STT switching of the p-MTJ with write charge of 90 fC whose write pulse width was 1 ns and write current was 90 uA. Simulation of the processor’s power consumption with this STT MRAM showed good power saving. Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert (LLG) micromagnetic simulation of spin-transfer torque shows that a coherent precession of the spin plays an important role for fast switching of the p-MTJ. Initially, when the write current is applied to the p-MTJ, each spin precesses independently and the spin stays in the initial direction. It corresponds to incubation delay time. Immediately after the precession of each spin is synchronized and rotates coherently, switching of the spin begins. Therefore, the coherency of the spin precession needs to be controlled for further improvement of the fast switching of the p-MTJ. A part of this work was supported by NEDO.

Theo Murphy International Scientific Meeting between the UK and China on the chemistry and physics of functional materials

Single crystals of elemental or simple binary or ternary materials, such as Si, GaN or Nb3Sn, have been the basis of many past and current electronic, optoelectronic and energy technologies. However, there has been a recognition that in order to meet demanding future performance requirements and to

DiaTreat: A New Method of Communication for Better Diagnosis and Treatment of Dental Problems

The aim of this article is to present a simple method of communication between two oral health professionals so that the problem can be conveyed easily and treatment options obtained equally easily and quickly, using current electronic communication technologies. Treatment of dental problems involves a thorough understanding of the underlying dental and medical conditions. The arena of dentistry being ever changing, with new specialties arising each year, it has become virtually impossible for an average dentist to keep track of all the treatment modalities available for various problems at a given time. It is the duty of a dentist, however, to treat his patients to the best of his ability. Professional ethics bind the other health professionals to render their opinion to the dentist so that the patient will ultimately get the best possible treatment. Method of communication is the only problem remaining in the path to achieving a total oral health care. DiaTreat is a unique method of clinical charting by which a dentist can incorporate all the ailments affecting his patient, and by withholding the patients name and address, can communicate with any of his colleagues for their opinion on the best treatment option for his patient. It is a new and innovative method of communication between a dentist and specialist. Even though it has some shortcomings of its own, on a wider range, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks of the system. CLINICAL AND ACADEMIC SIGNIFICANCE: This can also be used by educational institutes for easy communication during interdisciplinary exchanges. Improvements need to be made yet to incorporate all the ailments known in dental discipline and make communication a comprehensive one.

A Systematic Review of Patient Tracking Systems for Use in the Pediatric Emergency Department

BackgroundPatient safety is of great importance in the pediatric emergency department (PED). The combination of acutely and critically ill patients and high patient volumes creates a need for systems to support physicians in making accurate and timely diagnoses. Electronic patient tracking systems can potentially improve PED safety by reducing overcrowding and enhancing security. ObjectivesTo enhance our understanding of current electronic tracking technologies, how they are implemented in a clinical setting, and resulting effect on patient care outcomes including patient safety. MethodsNine databases were searched. Two independent reviewers identified articles that contained reference to patient tracking technologies in pediatrics or emergency medicine. Quantitative studies were assessed independently for methodological strength by two reviewers using an external assessment tool. ResultsOf 2292 initial articles, 22 were deemed relevant. Seventeen were qualitative, and the remaining five quantitative articles were assessed as being methodologically weak. Existing patient tracking systems in the ED included: infant monitoring/abduction prevention; barcode identification; radiofrequency identification (RFID)- or infrared (IR)-based patient tracking. Twenty articles supported the use of tracking technology to enhance patient safety or improve efficiency. One article failed to support the use of IR patient sensors due to study design flaws. ConclusionsSupport exists for the use of barcode-, IR-, and RFID-based patient tracking systems to improve ED patient safety and efficiency. A lack of methodologically strong studies indicates a need for further evidence-based support for the implementation of patient tracking technology in a clinical or research setting.

Modelling multi-pulse population dynamics from ultrafast spectroscopy.

Current advanced laser, optics and electronics technology allows sensitive recording of molecular dynamics, from single resonance to multi-colour and multi-pulse experiments. Extracting the occurring (bio-) physical relevant pathways via global analysis of experimental data requires a systematic investigation of connectivity schemes. Here we present a Matlab-based toolbox for this purpose. The toolbox has a graphical user interface which facilitates the application of different reaction models to the data to generate the coupled differential equations. Any time-dependent dataset can be analysed to extract time-independent correlations of the observables by using gradient or direct search methods. Specific capabilities (i.e. chirp and instrument response function) for the analysis of ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopic data are included. The inclusion of an extra pulse that interacts with a transient phase can help to disentangle complex interdependent pathways. The modelling of pathways is therefore extended by new theory (which is included in the toolbox) that describes the finite bleach (orientation) effect of single and multiple intense polarised femtosecond pulses on an ensemble of randomly oriented particles in the presence of population decay. For instance, the generally assumed flat-top multimode beam profile is adapted to a more realistic Gaussian shape, exposing the need for several corrections for accurate anisotropy measurements. In addition, the (selective) excitation (photoselection) and anisotropy of populations that interact with single or multiple intense polarised laser pulses is demonstrated as function of power density and beam profile. Using example values of real world experiments it is calculated to what extent this effectively orients the ensemble of particles. Finally, the implementation includes the interaction with multiple pulses in addition to depth averaging in optically dense samples. In summary, we show that mathematical modelling is essential to model and resolve the details of physical behaviour of populations in ultrafast spectroscopy such as pump-probe, pump-dump-probe and pump-repump-probe experiments.

E-Learning: Liberation of Education and Training with Evolving Library and Technology Support

Support of the library has always been traditionally considered imperative for the completeness of education. Even in the current electronic technology mediated e-learning, the evolving form of the library is considered necessary. It is remarkable that the same technology means are driving both the e-learning and library transformation process. A library professional having acquired such technological skills can therefore add value to the e-learning process. The paper discusses the impacts of e-learning on the learner, teacher, and library using the framework of the laws of media enunciated by Marshall McLuhan. It further discusses howe-learning and new form of the library fit well in the emerging concept of self-service society. To spread the modern education to the remote corners of India, a strategy of promoting the e-learning aided by the advanced library and technology is recommended.DOI: 10.14429/djlit.29.225

&lt;i&gt;The Database of Mid-Victorian Wood-Engraved Illustration&lt;/i&gt; (review)

Reviewed by: The Database of Mid-Victorian Wood-Engraved Illustration Brian Maidment (bio) The Database of Mid-Victorian Wood-Engraved Illustration, ed. Julia Thomas, 2004–2007, University of Cardiff, 23 October 2007, http://www.dmvi.cardiff.ac.ukDOI: 10.3366/E1355550208000131 Many readers of the Journal of Victorian Culture will know about the 'Database of Mid-Victorian Wood-Engraved Illustration' (hereafter DVMI) largely because Julia Thomas, David Skilton and the team at the Centre for Editorial and Intertextual Research at Cardiff, who have worked on the project since 2004, have been assiduous in their attendance at conferences and academic events, and ever eager to consult, discuss and demonstrate their work. An AHRC funded project, DVMI has sought not just to assemble a particular but comprehensive body of a certain kind of illustration and make it available in the most helpful and refined way possible using current electronic and digital technology, but also to ask scholars a number of key questions about the nature of 'illustration' as a mode endlessly negotiating between textuality and visuality. Clearly there is also an implied polemic here about 'subordination', a riposte to the crudely evidential uses to which images are still frequently subjected by textually focussed academics, and a plea for the visuality of Victorian texts to be emphatically re-instated. Put simply, which, in the light of the above is a difficult thing to do, the DVMI might seem a worthwhile but small-scale project – a data base of nearly 900 wood engraved illustrations taken from periodicals and books published in 1862, seeking comprehensiveness within the terms of its own definitions of 'literary illustration', but acknowledging that, even for a single year's output of this kind, profusion reigns. The assembled images have been drawn mainly a number of repositories, including Cardiff University Library, the Ashmolean Museum and a fortuitously identified collection of illustrations held in Aberystwyth. At the meekest level, then, DVMI has established a useful repository of images, reproduced at high resolution in an invitingly usable form, and drawn variously by well known artists such as Millais, by specialist illustrators like Arthur Boyd Houghton or Frederick Walker, and by relatively obscure, or even nameless, artists and engravers drawn into the jobbing marketplace by the development of, especially, monthly [End Page 108] fiction bearing magazines aimed at what might be called the 'serious leisure' market. The sources are predominantly periodicals but also include illustrated novels, like Wilkie Collins's After Dark, gift books and anthologies. It seems likely that, if for no other reason, DVMI will become familiar to many teachers as a reliable source of module handbook covers and illustrations for other scholarly purposes. But, of course, projects like this cannot be described simply as repositories or 'resources', and beyond its intention to provide a searchable and easily navigable source of images, DVMI has been conceived as an ambitious attempt to think through and articulate those descriptive categories and modes of approach that scholars might want to bring to images in order to assemble research material and enhance interpretative potential. Working through the implications of this task has been central to the construction of the data-base. The immediate issue was, of course, the onerous but essential task of describing the contents of each image in ways that can then be organised into searchable categories. The difficulty here is the need for both accuracy and objectivity. If one of the scholarly outcomes of DVMI is likely to be an increased level of interpretative sophistication in the reading and understanding of images within, alongside or independent from texts, it is nonetheless crucial that the data-base offers no interpretative mechanisms of its own, or else it becomes, disastrously, a map of misreading. It is up to the users of the data-base, and not its compilers, to formulate their own misinterpretations of what they see. Julia Thomas herself tells a wonderful story of sending out a number of images to lay and academic readers both to help form a descriptive method for the data-base and to gauge some of the ways in which misreading occurs. One image showed a scene at a race meeting, (Walter Crane's 'The London Carnival' from London...