Planar Template Research Articles

Quantum Dot Lasers Directly Grown on 300 mm Si Wafers: Planar and In-Pocket

We report for the first time the direct growth of quantum dot (QD) lasers with electrical pumping on 300 mm Si wafers on both a planar template and in-pocket template for in-plane photonic integration. O-band lasers with five QD layers were grown with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) in a 300 mm reactor and then fabricated into standard Fabry–Perot ridge waveguide cavities. Edge-emitting lasers are demonstrated with high yield and reliable results ready for commercialization and scaled production, and efforts to make monolithically integrated lasing cavities grown on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers vertically aligned and coupled to SiN waveguides on the same chip show the potential for 300 mm-scale Si photonic integration with in-pocket direct MBE growth.

Template Electrochemical Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite on a Titania–Silver Composite Surface for Potential Use in Implantology

Modern materials science, both in terms of functional and structural materials, is actively developing towards the creation of structures with a given ordering. A wide range of methods involves ordering the structure according to a template shape. Template synthesis is one of the mots wide-spread approaches. Most often, the template synthesis method is implemented under conditions of limiting the growth of the phase due to the geometry of the template. In the present work, a template electrochemical method is considered for calcium hydroxyapatite (HAp) coating synthesis, based on the replication of the planar template texture during deposition. In this case, the template is an array of silver microparticles immobilized on an electrically conductive substrate, separated by an insulator layer. The developed approach is similar to the mask metallization widely used in planar technology. In this work, the possibility of the template pulsed electrodeposition of ceramics rather than metal is shown using HAp as an example. This approach is interesting for materials science, in particular, for obtaining micro-ordered hydroxyapatite structures—a crystallochemical analogue of the inorganic bone tissue component—on the surface of bone implants, which can be implemented to improve their biomedical characteristics. As a result of our study, we experimentally determined the conditions for obtaining the composite coating TiO2/Ag/Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 with controlled phase structure, topology and localization of components on the surface, which was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, and X-ray Diffraction (SEM, EDS and XRD). The absence of cytotoxicity for the osteoblast-like cells of the developed coating was revealed by cytological tests.

TEMPLATE-SHAPE DEPENDENCE ASSEMBLY OF JANUS NANOPARTICLES AT WATER-OIL INTERFACE

In this work, we investigated the crystal formation of anisotropic nanoparticles, namely Janus particles, at the water-oil interface using the dissipative particle dynamics simulation method. By considering three different interface templates, including planar, droplet, and rod, we observe an increase of the disorder-order transition packing fraction with increasing the curvature radius of the templates. Furthermore, the nanoparticles in the planar template assemble into a hexagonal lattice, while for the two remaining templates they aggregate into colloidsome-like structures.

The Influence of Autofocus Lenses in the Camera Calibration Process

Camera calibration is a crucial step in robotics and computer vision. Accurate camera parameters are necessary to achieve robust applications. Nowadays, camera calibration process consists of adjusting a set of data to a pin-hole model, assuming that with a reprojection error close to zero, camera parameters are correct. Since all camera parameters are unknown, computed results are considered true. However, the pin-hole model does not represent the camera behavior accurately if the autofocus is considered. Real cameras with autofocus lenses change the focal length slightly to obtain sharp objects in the image, and this feature skews the calibration result if a unique pin-hole model is computed with a constant focal length. In this article, a deep analysis of the camera calibration process is done to detect and strengthen its weaknesses when autofocus lenses are used. To demonstrate that significant errors exist in computed extrinsic parameters, the camera is mounted in a robot arm to know true extrinsic camera parameters with an accuracy under 1 mm. It is also demonstrated that errors in extrinsic camera parameters are compensated with bias in intrinsic camera parameters. Since significant errors exist with autofocus lenses, a modification of the widely accepted camera calibration method using images of a planar template is presented. A pin-hole model with distance-dependent focal length is proposed to improve the calibration process substantially.

Jumping over obstacles with MIT Cheetah 2

This paper presents a planning framework for jumping over obstacles with quadruped robots. The framework accomplishes planning via a structured predictive control strategy that combines the use of heterogeneous simplified models over different prediction time scales. A receding multi-horizon predictive controller coordinates the approach before the jump using a kinematic point-mass model. Consideration of the optimal value function over different planning horizons enables the system to select an appropriate number of steps to take before jumping. The jumping motion is then tailored to the sensed obstacle by solving a nonlinear trajectory optimization problem. The solution of this problem online is enabled by exploiting the analyticity of the flow map for a planar bounding template model under polynomial inputs. By planning with this combination of models, MIT Cheetah 2 is shown to autonomously jump over obstacles up to 40 cm in height during high-speed bounding. Untethered results showcase the ability of the method to automatically adapt to obstacles of different heights and placements in a single trial.

Hybrid Top‐Down/Bottom‐Up Fabrication of Regular Arrays of AlN Nanorods for Deep‐UV Core–Shell LEDs

Core–shell nanostructures are predicted to highly improve the efficiency of deep‐UV light emitting diodes (LEDs), owing to their low defect density, reduced quantum‐confined Stark effect, high‐quality non‐polar growth and improved extraction efficiency. In this paper, we report on the nanofabrication of high‐quality AlN nanorod arrays using a hybrid top‐down/bottom‐up approach for use as a scaffold for UV LED structures. We describe the use of Displacement Talbot Lithography to fabricate a metallic hard etch mask to allow AlN nanorod arrays to be dry etched from a planar AlN template. In particular, we investigate the impact of etching parameters on the nanorod etch rate, tapering profile and mask selectivity in order to achieve vertical‐sided nanorod arrays with high aspect ratios. AlN facet recovery is subsequently explored by means of regrowth using Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy. Low pressure and high V/III ratio promote straight and smooth sidewall faceting, which results in an improvement of the optical quality compared to the initial AlN template. The promising results open new perspectives for the fabrication of high‐efficiency deep‐UV‐emitting core–shell LEDs.

A plane-based hand-eye calibration method for surgical robots

In order to calibrate the hand-eye transformation of the surgical robot and laser range finder (LRF), a calibration algorithm based on a planar template was designed. A mathematical model of the planar template had been given and the approach to address the equations had been derived. Aiming at the problems of the measurement error in a practical system, we proposed a new algorithm for selecting coplanar data. This algorithm can effectively eliminate considerable measurement error data to improve the calibration accuracy. Furthermore, three orthogonal planes were used to improve the calibration accuracy, in which a nonlinear optimization for hand-eye calibration was used. With the purpose of verifying the calibration precision, we used the LRF to measure some fixed points in different directions and a cuboid's surfaces. Experimental results indicated that the precision of a single planar template method was (1.37±0.24) mm, and that of the three orthogonal planes method was (0.37±0.05) mm. Moreover, the mean FRE of three-dimensional (3D) points was 0.24 mm and mean TRE was 0.26 mm. The maximum angle measurement error was 0.4 degree. Experimental results show that the method presented in this paper is effective with high accuracy and can meet the requirements of surgical robot precise location.

Metal–organic frameworks grown on a porous planar template with an exceptionally high surface area: promising nanofiller platforms for CO2 separation

A new concept of nanocomposites, MOFs on porous two-dimensional nanosheets (MP2), was demonstrated and showed great potential in real gas separation.

High-quality Ga-rich AlGaN grown on trapezoidal patterned GaN template using super-short period AlN/GaN superlattices for rapid coalescence

High quality crack-free Ga-rich Al26.1Ga73.9N film was grown on trapezoidal patterned GaN template (TPGT) by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The super-short period AlN/GaN superlattices structure was used to grow AlGaN material instead of the direct growth method. We obtained large lateral to vertical growth rate ratio larger than 4.79. The growth rate of GaN layer was proved to be the decisive factor of the lateral to vertical growth rate ratio. Moreover, for AlGaN growth, we found that that the TPGT is more beneficial to suppression of crack and relaxation of biaxial tensile strain than planar GaN template. The obtained results demonstrate that, comparing with AlGaN grown on planar GaN template, the threading dislocation density in AlGaN grown on TPGT was reduced from 2×109cm−2 to 2×108cm−2.

Image distortion correction for single-lens stereo vision system employing a biprism

A single-lens stereo vision system employing a biprism placed in front of the camera will generate unusual distortion in the captured image. Different from the typical image distortions due to lenses, this distortion is mainly induced by the thick biprism and appears to be incompatible with existing lens distortion models. A fully constrained and model-free distortion correction method is proposed. It employs all the projective invariants of a planar checkerboard template as the correction constraints, including straight lines, cross-ratio, and convergence at vanishing point, along with the distortion-free reference point as an additional constraint from the system. The extracted sample points are corrected by minimizing the total cost function formed by all these constraints. With both sets of distorted and corrected points, and the intermediate points interpolated by a local transformation, the correction maps are determined. Thereafter, all the subsequent images could be distortion corrected by the correction maps. This method performs well on the distorted image data captured by the system and shows improvements in accuracy on the camera calibration and depth recovery compared with other correction methods.

Retraction Note to: Fundamental Discovery of New Phases and Direct Conversion of Carbon into Diamond and hBN into cBN and Properties

We review the discovery of new phases of carbon (Q-carbon) and BN (Q-BN) and address critical issues related to direct conversion of carbon into diamond and hBN into cBN at ambient temperatures and pressures in air without any need for catalyst and the presence of hydrogen. The Q-carbon and Q-BN are formed as a result of quenching from super undercooled state by using high-power nanosecond laser pulses. We discuss the equilibrium phase diagram (P vs T) of carbon, and show that by rapid quenching, kinetics can shift thermodynamic graphite/diamond/liquid carbon triple point from 5000 K/12 GPa to super undercooled carbon at atmospheric pressure in air. Similarly, the hBN-cBN-Liquid triple point is shifted from 3500 K/9.5 GPa to as low as 2800 K and atmospheric pressure. It is shown that nanosecond laser heating of amorphous carbon and nanocrystalline BN on sapphire, glass, and polymer substrates can be confined to melt in a super undercooled state. By quenching this super undercooled state, we have created a new state of carbon (Q-carbon) and BN (Q-BN) from which nanocrystals, microcrystals, nanoneedles, microneedles, and thin films are formed depending upon the nucleation and growth times allowed and the presence of growth template. The large-area epitaxial diamond and cBN films are formed, when appropriate planar matching or lattice matching template is provided for growth from super undercooled liquid. The Q-phases have unique atomic structure and bonding characteristics as determined by high-resolution SEM and backscatter diffraction, HRTEM, STEM-Z, EELS, and Raman spectroscopy, and exhibit new and improved mechanical hardness, electrical conductivity, and chemical and physical properties, including room-temperature ferromagnetism and enhanced field emission. The Q-carbon exhibits robust bulk ferromagnetism with estimated Curie temperature of about 500 K and saturation magnetization value of 20 emu g−1. We have also deposited diamond on cBN by using a novel pulsed laser evaporation of carbon and obtained cBN/diamond composites, where cBN acts as template for diamond growth. Both diamond and cBN grown from super undercooled liquid can be alloyed with both p- and n-type dopants. This process allows carbon to diamond and hBN to cBN conversions and formation of useful nanostructures and microstructures at ambient temperatures in air at atmospheric pressure on practical and heat-sensitive substrates in a controlled way without need for any catalysts and hydrogen to stabilize sp3 bonding for diamond and cBN phases.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Fundamental Discovery of New Phases and Direct Conversion of Carbon into Diamond and hBN into cBN and Properties

We review the discovery of new phases of carbon (Q-carbon) and BN (Q-BN) and address critical issues related to direct conversion of carbon into diamond and hBN into cBN at ambient temperatures and pressures in air without any need for catalyst and the presence of hydrogen. The Q-carbon and Q-BN are formed as a result of quenching from super undercooled state by using high-power nanosecond laser pulses. We discuss the equilibrium phase diagram (P vs T) of carbon, and show that by rapid quenching, kinetics can shift thermodynamic graphite/diamond/liquid carbon triple point from 5000 K/12 GPa to super undercooled carbon at atmospheric pressure in air. Similarly, the hBN-cBN-Liquid triple point is shifted from 3500 K/9.5 GPa to as low as 2800 K and atmospheric pressure. It is shown that nanosecond laser heating of amorphous carbon and nanocrystalline BN on sapphire, glass, and polymer substrates can be confined to melt in a super undercooled state. By quenching this super undercooled state, we have created a new state of carbon (Q-carbon) and BN (Q-BN) from which nanocrystals, microcrystals, nanoneedles, microneedles, and thin films are formed depending upon the nucleation and growth times allowed and the presence of growth template. The large-area epitaxial diamond and cBN films are formed, when appropriate planar matching or lattice matching template is provided for growth from super undercooled liquid. The Q-phases have unique atomic structure and bonding characteristics as determined by high-resolution SEM and backscatter diffraction, HRTEM, STEM-Z, EELS, and Raman spectroscopy, and exhibit new and improved mechanical hardness, electrical conductivity, and chemical and physical properties, including room-temperature ferromagnetism and enhanced field emission. The Q-carbon exhibits robust bulk ferromagnetism with estimated Curie temperature of about 500 K and saturation magnetization value of 20 emu g−1. We have also deposited diamond on cBN by using a novel pulsed laser evaporation of carbon and obtained cBN/diamond composites, where cBN acts as template for diamond growth. Both diamond and cBN grown from super undercooled liquid can be alloyed with both p- and n-type dopants. This process allows carbon to diamond and hBN to cBN conversions and formation of useful nanostructures and microstructures at ambient temperatures in air at atmospheric pressure on practical and heat-sensitive substrates in a controlled way without need for any catalysts and hydrogen to stabilize sp3 bonding for diamond and cBN phases.

Enhanced quantum efficiency of AlGaN photodetectors by patterned growth

Al0.45Ga0.55N metal–semiconductor–metal photodetectors were grown by MOVPE on planar and on stripe patterned epitaxial laterally overgrown (ELO) AlN/sapphire templates. By comparing devices on different template types, the influence of the average dislocation density, the distribution of dislocations, and composition modulations due to inhomogeneous gallium incorporation on the external quantum efficiency (EQE) were evaluated. The reduction of the average dislocation density from 6 × 109 cm−2 on the planar template to about 2 × 109 cm−2 by ELO increases the EQE. For electron transport perpendicular to the ELO stripes, this increase is about 70%. Due to the stripe‐like dislocation distribution in the absorber layers on ELO templates, the EQE becomes up to a factor of 3 higher than for planar templates, when the electrodes are perpendicular to the ELO stripes and electron transport is along the stripes. Photoconductive gain was found at elevated bias for absorber layers on standard ELO templates with electrodes perpendicular to the ELO stripes. The gain can be attributed to carrier transport in zig‐zag shaped Ga‐rich channels caused by facetted growth on ELO templates. The gain only appears, if the aluminum mole fraction differences Δx are higher than 0.07. At 30 V bias, the EQE of such detectors is more than 3 orders of magnitude higher compared to planar device.

The Structural Role of Cholesterol in Cell Membranes: From Condensed Bilayers to Lipid Rafts

CONSPECTUS: Defining the two-dimensional structure of cell membranes represents one of the most daunting challenges currently facing chemists, biochemists, and biophysicists. In particular, the time-averaged lateral organization of the lipids and proteins that make up these natural enclosures has yet to be established. As the classic Singer-Nicolson model of cell membranes has evolved over the past 40 years, special attention has focused on the structural role played by cholesterol, a key component that represents ca. 30% of the total lipids that are present. Despite extensive studies with model membranes, two fundamental issues have remained a mystery: (i) the mechanism by which cholesterol condenses low-melting lipids by uncoiling their acyl chains and (ii) the thermodynamics of the interaction between cholesterol and high- and low-melting lipids. The latter bears directly on one of the most popular notions in modern cell biology, that is, the lipid raft hypothesis, whereby cholesterol is thought to combine with high-melting lipids to form "lipid rafts" that float in a "sea" of low-melting lipids. In this Account, we first describe a chemical approach that we have developed in our laboratories that has allowed us to quantify the interactions between exchangeable mimics of cholesterol and low- and high-melting lipids in model membranes. In essence, this "nearest-neighbor recognition" (NNR) method involves the synthesis of dimeric forms of these lipids that contain a disulfide moiety as a linker. By means of thiolate-disulfide interchange reactions, equilibrium mixtures of dimers are then formed. These exchange reactions are initiated either by adding dithiothreitol to a liposomal dispersion to generate a small amount of thiol monomer or by including a small amount of thiol monomer in the liposomes at pH 5.0 and then raising the pH to 7.4. We then show how such NNR measurements have allowed us to distinguish between two very different mechanisms that have been proposed for cholesterol's condensing effect: (i) an umbrella mechanism in which the acyl chains and cholesterol become more tightly packed as cholesterol content increases because they share limited space under phospholipid headgroups and (ii) a template mechanism whereby cholesterol functions as a planar hydrophobic template at the membrane surface, thereby maximizing hydrophobic interactions and the hydrophobic effect. Specifically, our NNR experiments rule out the umbrella mechanism and provide strong support for the template mechanism. Similar NNR measurements have also allowed us to address the question of whether the interactions between low-melting kinked phospholipids and cholesterol can play a significant role in the formation of lipid rafts. Specifically, these NNR measurements have led to our discovery of a new physical principle in the lipids and membranes area that must be operating in biological membranes, that is, a "push-pull" mechanism, whereby cholesterol is pushed away from low-melting phospholipids and pulled toward high-melting lipids. Thus, to the extent that lipid rafts play a role in the functioning of cell membranes, low-melting phospholipids must be active participants.

Simulation of polymer rheology in an electrically induced micro- or nano-structuring process based on electrohydrodynamics and conservative level set method

An electrically induced structuring process, such as an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) approach for fabricating polymeric micro-/nano-structures in various micro-/nano-devices, was performed by applying a voltage to an electrode pair consisting of a planar or structured template and a polymer-coated substrate sandwiching an air gap, resulting in either periodic columns or template-modulated structures. Analytical approaches were explored to characterize this micro-/nano-structuring process, based on a linear thermodynamic instability of the polymer film combining capillary waves and electrostatic forces, leading to a definition of “most unstable wavelength” in relation to various process variables such as external voltage, polymer film thickness, and so on. For mathematical simplicity, the linear stability analysis was only carried out to demonstrate an initiation of the polymer structuring under electrical induction by an infinite planar template, and cannot numerically visualize the evolution of the polymer structure which grows from an initially flat film upwards to the template underside. Therefore, a numerical modelling of such a process, which is capable of demonstrating a full-cycle evolution of the polymer structuring, is desirable to provide an in-depth insight into this electrically induced structuring technique. This paper presents a detailed numerical formulation for simulating the rheological behaviour for this structuring process based on EHD equations and a conservative level set approach. Firstly, a numerical simulation is performed to demonstrate the dynamic evolution of periodic structures for a planar (non-structured) template and compared with the linear instability analysis to validate the effectiveness of the proposed numerical modelling. Then simulations are performed to numerically visualize the evolution of a polymer structure induced by a structured template, with a subsequent discussion about the influences of some critical process variables, such as voltage, air gap, polymer thickness, depth of template patterns, and so on, on the electrohydrodynamic rheology of the polymer.

Facet recovery and light emission from GaN/InGaN/GaN core-shell structures grown by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy on etched GaN nanorod arrays

The use of etched nanorods from a planar template as a growth scaffold for a highly regular GaN/InGaN/GaN core-shell structure is demonstrated. The recovery of m-plane non-polar facets from etched high-aspect-ratio GaN nanorods is studied with and without the introduction of a hydrogen silsesquioxane passivation layer at the bottom of the etched nanorod arrays. This layer successfully prevented c-plane growth between the nanorods, resulting in vertical nanorod sidewalls (∼89.8°) and a more regular height distribution than re-growth on unpassivated nanorods. The height variation on passivated nanorods is solely determined by the uniformity of nanorod diameter, which degrades with increased growth duration. Facet-dependent indium incorporation of GaN/InGaN/GaN core-shell layers regrown onto the etched nanorods is observed by high-resolution cathodoluminescence imaging. Sharp features corresponding to diffracted wave-guide modes in angle-resolved photoluminescence measurements are evidence of the uniformity of the full core-shell structure grown on ordered etched nanorods.

A Method of Line Structured Light Vision System Calibration Based on Stereo Vision

It is a difficult task to get enough numbers of highly accurate control points for projector calibration in line structured light vision system. A new projector calibration method based on binocular stereo vision is proposed in this paper. Two cameras calibration can be done usingtraditional camera calibration method and they composed a binocular stereo vision. In projector calibration procedure, a planar template was located at several different positions in front of the stereo vision system. Two cameras captured the stripe images in each position simultaneously. Every center points of the laser stripe can be used as control points of the projector plane. The 3D coordinate of the stripe center points can be obtained through binocular stereo vision principle easily. So the light plane can be calculated quickly. Experiments were carried out and the result shows that the proposed method is flexible and stable.

A method for correcting non-linear geometric distortion in ultra-wide-angle imaging system

Images of panoramic field of view obtained by ultra-wide-angle imaging system with large tilt angle will produce non-linear geometric distortion including radial and perspective distortion. In this paper, an integrated correcting method was proposed based on projective invariance property and planar template. The radial distortion is corrected by using the central points of planar grid template image, the cross-ratio invariability of collinear points, and the distortion parameters obtained by nonlinear optimization objective function. The perspective distortion is corrected by using perspective transform method. Experiments and analysis of non-linear geometric distorted images with different imaging modes suggested high accuracy of the proposed method.

An Approach for Self-Calibration by a Quartered Circle

The camera calibration is a key step for converting a projective reconstruction into a metric one, which is equivalent to recovering the unknown intrinsic parameters with each image. A circle is a common geometric primitive for the camera self-calibration. To avoid the limit of circle center to the camera self-calibration in a planar template, a method how to solve out the vanishing line is proposed. Then using the property of vanishing line, the camera intrinsic parameters are figured out and the camera self-calibration is achieved. The template contains a quartered circle in the study. Firstly, the camera is used to take photographs of the template from three or more direction. Secondly, using the ellipse and two mutually perpendicular diameters which are extracted from the image, according to the polarity principle and making use of the invariant property of cross-ratio of four lines which are intersected in one same point, the vanishing line can be solved out. In the end, the circular points can be figured out by the intersection between vanishing line and the circle. And using the property of the circular points, the self- calibration is realized.

Piezoelectric and electromechanical properties with textured NKLNT lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

Crystal-oriented 1-mol% Li2O-excess (Na0.51K0.47Li0.02)(Nb0.8Ta0.2)O3 (NKLNT) was manufactured from variously-sized NaNbO3 (NN) templates via reactive template grain growth. The effect of NN template size was investigated in regard to the degree of orientation and the piezoelectric properties of NKLNT. A planar NN template was prepared via the topochemical microcrystal conversion method, and its size was controlled by adding excess Na2CO3 to Bi2.5Na3.5Nb5O18 (BNN) precursor. The NN template size increased with the amount of Na2CO3 that was added to the BNN. The degree of orientation was high in tape-casted NKLNT, and its piezoelectric properties were considerably improved. The piezoelectric properties of oriented NKLNT varied with the NN template size, which was not exhibited in a non-oriented state, which state is related to the change in the degree of orientation. The results show that the template size has an effect on the degree of orientation and on the piezoelectric properties of oriented NKLNT.