Traditional in-situ soil compaction monitoring methods are often limited in their application, thus quality control of compacted fills and roadway embankments remains a challenging problem. As a result, new methods are being developed to more accurately measure in-situ compaction parameters. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is one such method. Several advances have been made over the past few years to further the use of TDR technology in water content and density measurement of compacted fill. The one-step method relies on the measurement of the apparent dielectric constant in conjunction with the bulk electrical conductivity, and correlates them through two soil-specific constants, f and g. The two measurements, together with other soil specific constants, are then used to back calculate the water content and density in a single step. However, questions remain regarding the accuracy and bias of TDR measurements in relation to other "established" in-situ procedures such as the nuclear gage and speedy moisture. Results from an experimental program to obtain calibration constants for typical sands used in roadway construction are presented. A number of side-by-side tests are performed to compare the measurements obtained using the TDR one-step method to those obtained form other methods. Conducting such side-by-side tests is a critical step in the progress and eventual widespread usage of the one-step method. In addition, all the results are compared against an independent measurement of the in-place density from a slurry-replacement method. The objective of the independent measurement is to provide a baseline for accurate and unbiased evaluation of TDR and other technologies.

High performance miniaturized passives are of great importance for advanced nanoelectronic packages for several applications including efficient power delivery. Low cost thin film capacitors fabricated directly on package (and/or on-chip) are an attractive approach towards realizing such devices. This thesis aims to explore fundamental frequency dependent dielectric and insulating properties of thin film high-k dielectric constant in the perovskite and perovskite-related complex oxides. Throughout this thesis, we have successfully observed the role of structure, strain and oxygen stoichiometry on the dielectric properties of thin film complex oxides, allowing a greater understanding of processing conditions and polarization mechanisms. In the first section of the thesis, we explore novel processing methods in the conventional ferroelectric, barium strontium titanate, \(Ba_{1-x}Sr_xTiO_3 (BST)\), using ultraviolet enhanced oxidation techniques in order to achieve improvements in the dielectric properties. Using this method, we also explore the growth of BST on inexpensive non-noble metals such as Ni which presents technical challenges due to the ability to oxidize at high temperatures. We observe a significant lowering of the dielectric loss while also lowering the process temperature which allows us to maintain an intimate interface between the dielectric layer and the metal electrode. The second section of this thesis explores the novel dielectric material, Lanthanum Strontium Nickelate, \(La_{2-x}Sr_xNiO_4 (LSNO)\), which exhibits a colossal dielectric response. For the first time, we report on the colossal dielectric properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial thin film LSNO. We observe a significant polarization dependence on the microstructure due to the grain/grain boundary interaction with charged carriers. We next grew epitaxial films on various insulating oxide substrates in order to decouple the grain boundary interaction. Here we observed substrate dependent dielectric properties associated with induced strain. We also observe, due to the p-type carriers in LSNO, pn junction formation when grown epitaxially on the conducting oxide degenerate n-type Nb-doped \(SrTiO_3\). Finally we explore the growth mechanism of epitaxial LSNO as a function of high oxygen content. Due to the ability for LSNO to take in interstitial oxygen, a reoriented growth is observed at a critical thickness, thereby allowing us to vary anisotropy as a function of deposition conditions. / Engineering and Applied Sciences

Periodic mesoporous material is a class of solids that possess periodically ordered pores with sizes of 2–50 nm. After a brief introduction to the synthesis, structure, property and function of periodic mesoporous materials in general in Chapter 1, a specific type of periodic mesoporous material, periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO), is examined in detail in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 focus on the application of periodic mesoporous organosilica as low-dielectric-constant (low-k) insulating materials on semiconductor microprocessors. Specifically, Chapter 3 introduces a vapor-phase delivery technique, vacuum-assisted aerosol deposition, for the synthesis of PMO thin films; Chapter 4 studies one property crucial for the application of low-k PMO in detail—hydrophobicity. The focus of Chapter 5 turns to a novel sandwich-structured nanocomposite made of periodic mesoporous silica and graphene oxide. In Chapter 6, progress towards the synthesis of periodic mesoporous quartz is summarized. A conclusion and an outlook are given in Chapter 7.

Periodic mesoporous material is a class of solids that possess periodically ordered pores with sizes of 2–50 nm. After a brief introduction to the synthesis, structure, property and function of periodic mesoporous materials in general in Chapter 1, a specific type of periodic mesoporous material, periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO), is examined in detail in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 focus on the application of periodic mesoporous organosilica as low-dielectric-constant (low-k) insulating materials on semiconductor microprocessors. Specifically, Chapter 3 introduces a vapor-phase delivery technique, vacuum-assisted aerosol deposition, for the synthesis of PMO thin films; Chapter 4 studies one property crucial for the application of low-k PMO in detail—hydrophobicity. The focus of Chapter 5 turns to a novel sandwich-structured nanocomposite made of periodic mesoporous silica and graphene oxide. In Chapter 6, progress towards the synthesis of periodic mesoporous quartz is summarized. A conclusion and an outlook are given in Chapter 7.

Driven by ever growing demands of miniaturization, increased functionality, high performance and low cost for microelectronic products and packaging, embedded passives will be one of the key emerging techniques for realizing the system integration which offer various advantages over traditional discrete components. Novel materials for embedded capacitor applications are in great demand, for which a high dielectric constant (k), low dielectric loss and process compatibility with printed circuit boards are the most important prerequisites. To date, no available material satisfies all these prerequisites and research is needed to develop materials for embedded capacitor applications. Conductive filler/polymer composites are likely candidate material because they show a dramatic increase in their dielectric constant close to the percolation threshold. One of the major hurdles for this type of high-k composites is the high dielectric loss inherent in these systems. In this research, material and process innovations were explored to design and develop conductive filler/polymer nanocomposites based on nanoparticles with controlled parameters to fulfill the balance between sufficiently high-k and low dielectric loss, which satisfied the requirements for embedded decoupling capacitor applications. This work involved the synthesis of the metal nanoparticles with different parameters including size, size distribution, aggregation and surface properties, and an investigation on how these varied parameters impact the dielectric properties of the high-k nanocomposites incorporated with these metal nanoparticles. The dielectric behaviors of the nanocomposites were studied systematically over a range of frequencies to determine the dependence of dielectric constant, dielectric loss tangent and dielectric strength on these parameters.

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第14161号 / 工博第2995号 / 新制||工||1444(附属図書館) / 26467 / UT51-2008-N478 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科マイクロエンジニアリング専攻 / (主査)教授 立花 明知, 教授 榊 茂好, 教授 木村 健二 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

Les matériaux de structure pérovskite de formule générale ABO3 sont les ferroélectriques les plus étudiés pour leurs propriétés intéressantes dans de nombreuses applications technologiques. Cependant leurs propriétés sont directement reliées à la structure et sont fortement conditionnées par les transitions de phases qui dépendent de la température, de la composition chimique et de la pression. Dans le manuscrit de thèse, le comportement sous haute pression de deux matériaux pérovskite SrTi1-xZrxO3 (STZ) et KNb1-XTaXO3 (KNT) est étudié et différentes techniques de frittage pour améliorer la densité des céramiques et optimiser les propriétés ferroélectriques des céramiques K(Nb0.40Ta0.60)O3 et (KxNa1-x)Nb0.6Ta0.4O3 sont examinées.Des analyses sous hautes pressions par spectroscopie Raman et diffraction des rayons X des poudres de SrTi1-xZrxO3 (x= 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7) et KNb1-XTaXO3 (x=0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.9) en enclume diamant ont été réalisées. Les spectres Raman montrent une augmentation des modes Raman avec la pression pour les poudres de STZ indiquant que la pression induit des transitions de phases vers des symétries plus basses de la maille dans ces composés.De plus, les expériences de spectroscopie Raman ont fait apparaître une décroissance des modes Raman lorsque la pression est augmentée, montrant bien que la pression induit des transitions de phases vers des structure plus symétriques. L'évolution du mode Raman principal pour les phases orthorhombique et quadratique a été suivi jusqu'à ce que la phase cubique apparaîsse, ce qui nous a permis de proposer un diagramme de phase pression-composition pour les composés KNT.Trois différentes techniques de frittage, utilisation d'additifs, frittage en deux paliers et SPS ont été étudiées pour les céramiques de K(Nb0.4Ta0.6)O3 et (KxNa1-x)Nb0.6Ta0.4O3 . La constante diélectrique et les pertes en fonction de la température des céramiques ont été améliorées par l'utilisation du KF comme additif de frittage et par le frittage en deux paliers. Les échantillons densifiés par SPS présentent une microstructure fine et possèdent les plus fortes densités. Ils ont les meilleurs propriétés ferroélectriques. Aucun changement significatif de la température de Curie ne semble être induit par le taux de Na, et on observe cependant une augmentation de la constante diélectrique et des propriétés ferroélectriques suivant le taux de Na. / Perovskite materials whose general chemical formula is ABO3 are one of the most study ferroelectrics due to the interesting properties that they have for technological applications. However, their properties are directly related to structural phase transitions that could depend of temperature, composition and pressure. In the studies presented here, we first examined the high-pressure behavior of two perovskite materials SrTi1-xZrxO3 (STZ) and KNb1-XTaXO3 (KNT), and we later continued to investigate different sintering techniques in order to improve the densification, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of K(Nb0.40Ta0.60)O3 and (KxNa1-x)Nb0.6Ta0.4O3 ceramics.High-pressure Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction investigations of SrTi1-xZrxO3 (x= 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7) and KNb1-XTaXO3 (x=0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.9) powders were conducted in diamond anvil cells. Raman scattering experiments showed and increased of Raman modes with pressure for the STZ samples, which indicates that pressure induced phase transitions towards lower symmetry for these compounds.Moreover, high pressure Raman spectroscopy experiments showed a decrease of the Raman modes as the pressure was increased for the KNT samples, showing that pressure induced phase transitions towards higher symmetries. The evolution of the main Raman modes for the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases were followed until the cubic phase was reach, and allowed us to propose a pressure-composition phase diagram for the KNT compounds.Three different sintering techniques, sintered aids, two step sintering and spark plasma sintering, were used on K(Nb0.4Ta0.6)O3 and (KxNa1-x)Nb0.6Ta0.4O3 ceramics. The use of KF as sintered aid and the two step sintering method showed an improvement of the dielectric constant and dielectric losses of these samples. SPS samples presented a fine microstructure with the highest density and the best ferroelectric behavior. We did not detect any changes on the Curie temperature due the amount of Na but and increase of the dielectric constant and the ferroelectric properties was observed due to the amount of Na.

No presente trabalho descreve-se: a determinação da permitividade dielétrica complexa através de medidas de fase; a aplicação de técnicas de correlação e análise em séries de Fourier, para a determinação da fase, amplitude, qualidade e deformação do sinal atrasado; os circuitos eletrônicos do medidor de fase e do oscilador de U.B.F. programável; a programação desenvolvida em FORTRAN IV e MACRO-ASSEMBLER para o computador PDP 11/45, utilizado para operar o medidor de fase e o oscilador de U.B.F. / In the present work we describe: the determination of the complex dielectric permittivity by phase shift measurements; the application of correlation and Fourier series analyses to determine the phase shift, amplitude, quality and deformation of the shifted signal; the designed electronic hardware of the phase meter and programmb1e ultra-low frequency oscillator; the developed software written in FORTRAN IV and MACRO- ASSEMBLER for PDP 11/45, to operate the phase meter

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-19T12:56:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SINARA DE FATIMA FREIRE DOS SANTOS.pdf: 5017143 bytes, checksum: 47814d067ba298cd245c1c37cd698b95 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present work has the objective to purify the babassu and soy biodiesel using as adsorbent bentonite clay and talc, under monitoring by measurements of dielectric constant, index of acidity and humidity test. Initially, it was determined the quality of babassu oil and soy through physic-chemical, then was synthesized methylic and ethylic biodiesel. The talc and bentonite adsorbents were characterized for their surface area, pore diameter, MEV, XRD and FTIR. During the purification of biodiesel was used some percentages of adsorbent (0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4% for 50 g of biodiesel) and adsorption times of 20, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min, under constant agitation and ambient temperature, the results were compared with the process of washing with acidified water, by monitoring with measurements of dielectric constant, acidity index and humidity test. The evaluation of the purification of biodiesel by dry washing, monitored by dielectric constants, got better answers than the process of washing with acidified water, with lower values of dielectric constant around 4.0% of adsorbent and 120 min of adsorption time .In relation to the index of acidity and the humidity test, samples of purified biodiesel with the adsorbent are in accordance with the specifications of the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). Therefore, it is considered that the methodology for dry washing, as well as monitoring by dielectric constant, is feasible as a method of purification and monitoring, respectively, using as references the results of conventional purification process. / O presente trabalho tem o objetivo de otimizar as condições do processo de purificação a seco de biodiesel, utilizando como adsorvente a bentonita e o talco, sob monitoramento por medidas de constante dielétrica, índice de acidez e teor de umidade. Inicialmente, foi determinada a qualidade dos óleos de babaçu e soja através de testes físico-químicos, em seguida foi sintetizado o biodiesel metílico e etílico. Os adsorventes foram caracterizados por adsorção de nitrogênio, microscopia eletrônica de varredura, difração de raios-X e infravermelho. Durante a purificação do biodiesel utilizou-se várias percentagens de adsorventes (0,5, 1, 2, 3 e 4% por 50 g de biodiesel) e tempos de adsorção de 20, 30, 60, 90 e 120 min, sob agitação constante e temperatura ambiente, os resultados foram comparados com o processo de lavagem com água acidificada, através do monitoramento com medidas de constante dielétrica, índice de acidez e teor de umidade. A avaliação da purificação do biodiesel por lavagem a seco, monitorada por constantes dielétricas, obteve respostas melhores que o processo de lavagem com água acidificada, com menores valores de constante dielétrica em torno de 4,0 % de adsorvente e 120 min de tempo de adsorção. Em relação ao índice de acidez e o teor de umidade, as amostras de biodiesel purificadas com os adsorventes, estão de acordo com as especificações da Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (ANP). Portanto, considera-se que a metodologia por lavagem a seco, bem como, o monitoramento por constante dielétrica, é viável como método de purificação e monitoramento, respectivamente, usando como referências os resultados obtidos do processo de purificação convencional.

Progress in the fields of wearable computing, soft robotics and bio hybrid engineering depend on new classes of soft multifunctional materials that match the mechanical properties of soft biological tissue and possess high toughness, while having metal-like electrical and thermal properties.