This thesis presents the research results of a correlation and model based on nano and macroindentation hardness measurements. The materials used to develop and test the correlation include bulk tantalum and O1 tool steel. Following the literature review and a detailed description of the experimental techniques, the results of the nanoindentation hardness measurements are presented. After applying the methods and correlation recommended here, the results should give an accurate value of hardness in the Vickers scale for microstructural features that are too small to be precisely and exclusively measured using the traditional macroindentation hardness technique. The phenomena and influential factors in nanoindentation hardness testing are also discussed. These phenomena and theories are consistent with the microstructural behavior predicted in the Nix and Gao model for mechanism-based strain gradients. Implementing the correlation factors and/or correlation curve, accurate results can be found for metals over a broad hardness range. Initially, this research may impact the pipeline division of the petroleum industry by providing a correlation to the Vickers scale for nanoindentation testing of microstructural features. This thesis may also provide a research methodology to develop hardness correlations for materials other than metals. This thesis consists of eight chapters. Following an introduction in Chapter I, the research motivations and objectives are highlighted in Chapter II. Chapter III explains the multi-scale indentation techniques used in this thesis and Chapter IV presents the materials preparation techniques used. Then, the results are presented in Chapter V, followed by the factors affecting nanoindentation hardness in Chapter VI. Finally, Chapters VII and VIII reveal the indentation contact analysis, correlation, and conclusions of this research, respectively.

The demand for high performance microelectronic products drives the development of 3-D chip-stacking structure. By the introduction of through-silicon-via (TSV) into 3-D flip-chip packages, microelectronic performance is improved by increasing circuit capacity and diminishing signal delay. However, TSV-embedded structure also raises concerns over many reliability issues that come with the steep thermal and mechanical transient responses, increasing numbers of bi-material interfaces and reduced component sizes. In this research, defect initiation induced by thermalmechanical phenomena is studied to establish the early failure modes within 3-D flip-chip packages. It is found that low amplitude but extremely high frequency thermal stress waves would occur and attenuate rapidly in the first hundreds of nanoseconds upon power-on. Although the amplitude of these waves is far below material yielding points, their intrinsic characteristics of high frequency and high power density are capable of compromising the integrity of all flip-chip components. By conducting spectral analysis of the stress waves and applying the methodology of accumulated damage evaluation, it is demonstrated that micron crack initiation and interconnect debond are highly probable in the immediate proximity of the heat source. Such a negative impact exerted by the stress wave in the early, while brief, transient period is recognized as the short time scale dynamic effect. Researched results strongly indicate that short-time scale effects would inflict very serious reliability issues in 3-D flip-chip packages. The fact that 3-D flip-chip packages accommodate a large amount of reduced-size interconnects makes it vulnerable to the attack of short time scale propagating stress waves. In addition, the stacking structure also renders shearing effect extremely detrimental to 3-D flip-chip integrity. Finally, several guidelines effective in discouraging short-time scale effects and thus improving TSV flip-chip package reliability are proposed

This dissertation uses multiple tools to investigate tropical anvil, i.e., thick, non-precipitating cloud associated with deep convection with the main objectives to provide a climatology of tropics-wide anvil properties and a better understanding of anvil formation, and to provide a more realistic assessment of the radiative impact of tropical anvil on the large-scale circulation. Based on 10 years (1998-2007) of observations, anvil observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation (PR) shows significant geographical variations, which can be linked to variations in the parent convection. Strong upper level wind shear appears to assist the generation of anvil and may further explain the different anvil statistics over land and ocean. Variations in the large-scale environment appear to play a more important role in anvil production in regions where convection regularly attains heights greater than 7 km. For regions where convection is less deep, variations in the depth of the convection and the large-scale environment likely contribute more equally to anvil generation. Anvil radiative heating profiles are estimated by extrapolating millimeter cloud radar (MMCR) radiative properties from Manus to the 10-year TRMM PR record. When the unconditional anvil areal coverage is taken into account, the anvil radiative heating becomes quite weak, increasing the PR latent heating profile by less than 1 percent at mid and upper levels. Stratiform rain and cirrus radiative heating contributions increase the upper level latent heating by 12 percent. This tropical radiative heating only slightly enhances the latent heating driven model response throughout the tropics, but more significantly over the East Pacific. These modest circulation changes suggest that previous studies may have overemphasized the importance of radiative heating in terms of Walker and Hadley circulation variations. Further, the relationship of cloud radiative heating to latent heating needs to be taken into account for more realistic studies of cloud radiative forcing on the large-scale circulation.

Diverse dendrimer peripheries are often produced through convergent synthesis with multiple protection-deprotection steps. Achieving such diversity while maintaining monodispersity, has previously proven problematic. Interception of an electrophilic poly(monochlorotriazine) dendrimer with a molecule of interest bearing a reactive, nucleophilic group presents an efficient method to achieve large quantities of dendrimers with biologically relevant peripheries. Kilogram-scale synthesis of a triazine-based dendrimer relies on reaction of the dichlorotriazine monomer with the amine terminated dendrimer to afford a poly(monochlorotriazine) dendrimer. Normally, the dendrimer is then reacted with piperidine, an inexpensive “cap” due to its chemically inert nature after reaction. The dendrimer then undergoes a global deprotection to afford an amine-terminated dendrimer. Subsequent iterations with the dichlorotriazine monomer affords higher generation architectures. Intercepting the poly(monochlorotriazine) dendrimer with biologically relevant molecules containing reactive amines enables the development of a drug delivery vehicle. Desferrioxamine B, an iron chelate, and camptothecin, and anticancer drug, are two clinically approved drugs of interest investigated for macromolecular drug delivery. Upon acylation of each drug with BOC-isonipecotic acid, substitution on the dendrimer may occur with varying levels of success depending on the drug in question. Upon successful substitution to afford the desired product,biological studies may be performed. Each synthetic approach will be discussed along with alternative routes leading to this general strategy.

A novel design methodology of a decentralized adaptive sliding mode control scheme for a class of large-scale systems with mismatched disturbances and uncertainties in each subsystem and interconnections is proposed in this thesis. The main idea of this new method is that the design of the switching surface of each subsystem is through the design of a pseudo-feedback controller which can stabilize the dynamics when system is in the sliding mode. The feedback gain of the pseudo controller then becomes a important parameter of switching surface. The proposed controllers of each subsystem contain three parts. The first part is measurable feedback signals, and the second part is an adaptive control mechanism, which is used for overcoming the disturbances and uncertainties of each subsystem and interconnections among subsystems. The information of upper bound of those disturbances and uncertainties are not required. The third part of the decentralized controllers is used for adjusting the convergent rate of state variables of the controlled system. The asymptotical stability is guaranteed for each subsystem even if the mismatched perturbations exist when employing the proposed control scheme. An example is demonstrated for showing the feasibility of the proposed methodology.

A methodology of designing a novel sliding surface for a class of large-scale systems with matched and mismatched perturbations is proposed in this thesis. The main idea is that some adaptive mechanisms are embedded both in the sliding surface function and in the controllers, so that not only the mismatched perturbations are suppressed during the sliding mode, but also the information of upper bound of perturbation is not required except the upper bound of perturbation from input channel. The proposed controller of each subsystem contains two parts. The first part is measurable feedback signals, and the second part is an adaptive control mechanism, which is used for overcoming the perturbation of each subsystem as well as interconnections among subsystems. The dynamics of the controlled system can be driven into the sliding surface in a finite time, and the property of asymptotical stability of each subsystem is guaranteed. Two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology.

Based on the Lyapunov stability theorem, a methodology of designing a decentralized multi-surface adaptive sliding mode control scheme is proposed in this thesis for a class of large-scale nonlinear systems with mismatched perturbations and interconnections. By utilizing the sliding mode control technique, the designed decentralized robust controller with adaptive mechanisms embedded enable the output of each subsystem to track its own desired output signal, and stabilize the whole large-scale system as well as each subsystem at the same time. In addition, the accuracy of output tracking can be adjusted through the designed parameter embedded in the controller. The purpose of the adaptive mechanisms included in the controller is to adapt the unknown upper bounds of perturbations and interconnections. Finally, two illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology.

In the previous time, the grand occasion of Taiwanese money flooding over the foot, which means the plenty of jobs were offered everywhere and money were absolutely easy to be earned in Taiwan, no longer exists nowadays. Moreover, along with mainland China emerging advantageously as playing the role of the world factory, the small and medium-scale Taiwanese enterprises, once reached the peak in issuing the economic miracle, have either closed the business, or moved out to other countries. Furthermore, the part of Taiwanese enterprises which still defends tenaciously in Taiwan, even including the Hi-Tech star's industry, has to conduct the business cautiously with frightened under Chinese market dramatic rising. That is to prove, it is certain to conclude that the small and medium-scale Taiwanese enterprises should make their effort carefully as well. It is fortunately for me to work for this sort of Taiwanese traditional small and medium- scale enterprise that is under the global economic overbearing tide seriously. Thus, from the specific experience of my service, I found the most essential concerned factor of regarding to plow Taiwan deeply or enter the mainland is frequently for survival besides seeking the development of enterprises. Within the fast change of the economic circumstance nowadays, the purpose of this study is to analyze the cause and effect of enterprises in accordance with economic environment of globalization and those fierce change. Additionally, this study also attempts to discovery a set of decision logic, which is suitable for the medium and small-scale industry according to the analysis. Initially, the chapter 2, literature review, tries to analyze the motivation and strategic module of Taiwanese traditional medium and small-scale industry proceeding globalization through reviewing the theory of economics and management. Moreover, the chapter 4, the strategy analysis of a case industry, intends to discovery the advantage and disadvantage of globalization by data analysis. One is to examine the impact and threaten on enterprises¡¦ operation and the other is to find opportunities brought under the wave of globalization from the operator¡¦s view of enterprises. Eventually, the chapter 6, revolution and conclusion, approaches to provide specific suggestions about the strategic operation for that case industry as well as to conclude with the influence of globalization on Taiwanese traditional medium and small-scale industry. Overall, due to the economic environment having the rapid change constantly, framing and executing the enterprise¡¦s conducting strategy must do some prediction to the future economic circumstance in addition to solve the problem which has been discovered. However, the focus point of prediction is not on the degree of accuracy but mainly on the direction. Thus, it can be illustrated in the other way, no matter whether the enterprise changes or not at present that is all for variable situations in the future. In conclusion, the basic principle of enterprises conducting continuously forever is only to control the direction and adjust their organization

A ratiometric laser induced fluorescence (LIF) thermometry applied to micro-scale temperature measurement for natural convection flows. To eliminate incident light non-uniformity and imperfection of recording device, two fluorescence dyes are used: one is temperature sensitive fluorescence dye (Rhodamine B) and another is relatively temperature insensitive fluorescence dye (Rhodamine 110). Accurate and elaborate calibration for intensity ratio verses temperature obtained using an isothermal cuvette, which was controlled by two thermo-bathes. 488nm Ar-ion laser used for incident light and two filter sets used for separating each fluorescence emission. Thermally stratified filed of 10mm channel with micro-scale resolution measured within 1.3?C uncertainty of liner prediction with 23?m x 23?m spatial resolution. Natural convection flows at 10mm channel also observed. The several difficulties for applying to heated evaporating meniscus were identified and a few resolutions were suggested.

As the demand for oil and gas resources increases, the need to venture into more hostile environments becomes a dynamic focus in the petroleum industry. One problem associated with certain high risk formations is lost circulation. As a result, engineers have concentrated research efforts on developing novel Lost Circulation Materials (LCM’s) that will effectively treat thief zones. The most pioneering LCM’s require mixing energy to activate a reaction involving two or more chemicals. However, minimal research has been conducted to accurately predict downhole mixing capabilities. Therefore, this research focuses on developing a correlation between laboratory experiments and scaled model experiments for accurate prediction of downhole mixing energies in terms of flow rate for adequate mixing of lost circulation prevention fluids.