This thesis examines the extent to which the private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Sector in South Africa is responsive to national development. National development is understood as associated with a range of socio-economic imperatives which include challenges of poverty, unemployment, inequality, the ravages of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its associated impacts. In addition to these, the educational component of national development is to ensure access, redress and equity, which are necessary to undo the impacts of an apartheid-related skills regime. Skills development is considered a crucial means to respond to these challenges. Without skills for formal and informal labour markets, as well as productive self-employment, South Africa’s capacity to respond to the new globalised era is likely to be considerably stunted and will negatively affect its developmental trajectory. The methodology used in this study included a mix of quantitative and qualitative strategies to obtain the size, shape and nature of provision. The quantitative component, undertaken in the course of 2002, was supplemented by randomly chosen qualitative case studies. Together, they provided the basis for unravelling a sector distinct in nature, form and content. Developing a comprehensive typology provides important insight into responsiveness of a sector characterised by wide-ranging provision forms. The typology of provider type based on profitability and form, i.e. ‘for-profit’, ‘non-profit’ and ‘in-house’ providers, was replaced with a multi-dimensional model. Learner type, as a primary typological category, includes the ‘pre-employed’, ‘unemployed’, the employed ‘self-funded employee’ and the ‘corporate client’. Provider types responding to these learner types are distinguished on the basis of location, delivery patterns and programming. The various provider forms include ‘multi-providers’, ‘specialist providers’, ‘consultants’, ‘in-house’ and ‘non-profit’ providers. Provider purposes include those responding to employment, either formal labour market or self-employment, and self-development, including leisure-related skilling and lifelong learning. Learner types and training purpose determine the manner, form and characteristics of provision. This understanding of a widely divergent and heterogeneous sector provides the context for assessing its contribution to national development in South Africa. The notions of responsiveness and receptiveness are used as conceptual devices to assess the role of the sector. Responsiveness describes specific labour market purpose, while receptiveness refers to the social development and educational imperatives of access, redress and equity. The sheer size of the sector suggests an important demand-led element of provision and represents an important measure of receptiveness to national development prerogatives. The conservative estimate of 706 884 learners, located at 4178 sites for 864 providers that pre-registered with the Department of Education in 2001, provide the basis for serious consideration of the sector. The sector adequately responds to the immediate short-term needs of employers. Programmes offered for corporate providers respond more deliberately to their immediate short-term skill requirements and which has made it possible for them to outsource a considerable proportion of their training. In addition, there is no other education and training form flexible enough to provide for the training needs of employees, and sometimes the customers of corporate concerns, as in product upgrading and support, at times and locations suitable to their requirements. Private providers did not necessarily have more linkages with the formal labour market than do public providers and are not necessarily able to secure more effectively employment opportunities for their pre- and unemployed learners With respect to receptiveness, the sector comprises learner patterns consistent with national demographics. The sector is associated with an older, employed learner type, typically enrolled in shorter-term courses. This demonstrates the sector’s accessibility. In comparison with their public counterparts, costs were not prohibitive and programme structure allowed adequate flexibility to enable learners to weave in and out of the system. Variable admission requirements also allowed learners to slot into appropriate levels. The absence of data makes comparative judgements of throughput, and quality, with public institutions difficult to make. The current need to regulate all providers equally may not be the most efficient way of dealing with the sector. In light of the national development prerogative to protect those most vulnerable from the risk of market failure, there is need to grant support to those providers most responsive to this group - in this instance, those ‘full time’ providers responding to the pre- and unemployed learner set. The market adequately regulates providers responding to the employed and corporate client groups.

<div>Germanium-based MOS device which is considered as one of the promising alternative channel materials has been studied with well-known FinFET, nanowire structures and HKMG (High-k metal gate). Recent introduction of Ferroelectric (FE) Zr-doped HfO₂ (Hf_xZr_1-xO₂, HZO) has opened various possibilities both in memory and logic</div><div>applications.</div><div><br></div><div>First, integration of FE HZO into the conventional Ge platform was studied to demonstrate Ge FeFET. The FE oxide was deposited with optimized atomic layer deposition (ALD) recipe by intermixing HfO₂ and ZrO₂. The HZO film was characterized with FE tester, XRD and AR-XPS. Then, it was integrated into conventional gate stack of Ge devices to demonstrate Ge FeFETs. Polarization switching was measured with ultrafast measurement set-up down to 100 ps.</div><div><br></div><div>Then, HZO layer was controlled for the first demonstration of hysteresis-free Ge negative capacitance (NC) CMOS FinFETs with sub-60mV/dec SS bi-directionally at room temperature towards possible logic applications. Short channel effect in Ge NCFETs were compared with our reported work to show superior robustness. For smaller widths that cannot be directly written by the e-beam lithography tool, digital etching on Ge fins were optimized.</div><div>Lastly, Ge FeFET-based synaptic device for neuromorphic computing was demonstrated. Optimum pulsing schemes were tested for both potentiation and depression which resulted in highly linear and symmetric conductance profiles. Simulation was done to analyze Ge FeFET's role as a synaptic device for deep neural network.</div>

Les propriétés électriques et physiques de structures à faible dimensionalité ont été étudiées pour des applications dans des domaines divers comme l'électronique, les capteurs. La mesure du bruit bruit à basse fréquence est un outil très utile pour obtenir des informations relatives à la dynamique des porteurs, au piègeage des charges ou aux mécanismes de collision. Dans cette thèse, le transport électronique et le bruit basse fréquence mesurés dans des structures à faible dimensionnalité comme les dispositifs multi-grilles (FinFET, JLT...), les nanofils 3D en Si/SiGe, les nanotubes de carbone ou à base de graphène sont présentés. Pour les approches " top-down " et " bottom-up ", l'impact du bruit est analysé en fonction de la dimensionalité, du type de conduction (volume vs surface), de la contrainte mécanique et de la présence de jonction metalsemiconducteur.

Se presenta un estudio de las oscilaciones microondas en régimen de gran señal en dispositivos activos de estado sólido caracterizados por su función descriptiva sinusoidal. Para ello se han confeccionado programas de cálculo frecuencial no lineal que resuelven circuitos de microondas formados por una o varias no linealidades cargadas por cualquier circuito pasivo externo. Por último se hace un estudio experimental exhaustivo para comprobar la aplicabilidad de los métodos precedentemente descritos.

Les propriétés électriques et physiques de structures à faible dimensionalité ont été étudiées pour des applications dans des domaines divers comme l'électronique, les capteurs. La mesure du bruit bruit à basse fréquence est un outil très utile pour obtenir des informations relatives à la dynamique des porteurs, au piègeage des charges ou aux mécanismes de collision. Dans cette thèse, le transport électronique et le bruit basse fréquence mesurés dans des structures à faible dimensionnalité comme les dispositifs multi-grilles (FinFET, JLT...), les nanofils 3D en Si/SiGe, les nanotubes de carbone ou à base de graphène sont présentés. Pour les approches " top-down " et " bottom-up ", l'impact du bruit est analysé en fonction de la dimensionalité, du type de conduction (volume vs surface), de la contrainte mécanique et de la présence de jonction metal-semiconducteur.

El País Valencià fou ocupat per les tropes franquistes en dues etapes: la primera l'abril-juny de 1938 quan s'arribà a la Mediterrània i fins el front de Nules; la segona, amb el final de la guerra que suposà l'ocupació de la resta del territori. En aquest treball analitzem la instauració del nou règim als territoris que corresponen a les províncies de València i de Castelló de la Plana. L'estudi repassa les principals institucions (ajuntaments, diputacions, governs civils, FET i de les JONS locals i provincials, CIIM núm. 3 i cambres de Comerç, Indústria i Navegació) per veure quina fou la seua actuació i qui foren les persones que ocuparen els seus càrrecs. A través d'aquesta anàlisi podrem comprovar quines foren les diferències arran de l'ocupació en dos temps, a més d'aprofundir en les relacions entre les diferents faccions de la dreta (fonamentalment carlistes versus falangistes), en els conflictes entre institucions i en la influència dels poders centrals. I tot plegat ens serveix per entendre alguna cosa més sobre la naturalesa del mateix règim. / The Valencian Country was occupied by Franco's troops in two stages: the first in April-June 1938, when they reached the Mediterranean sea and along it to the front of Nules; the second, with the end of the war which meant the occupation of the rest of the territory. This paper analyzes the new regime's instauration in the provinces of València and Castelló de la Plana. The study looks at the major institutions (town councils, provincial councils, governs civils, the local and provincial structures of FET i de les JONS, CIIM no. 3 and chambers of Commerce, Industry and Navigation) to see what was their practice and who were the people who occupied their main posts. Through this analysis we will see what were the differences due to the two-time occupation. We will also explore the relations between the different right wing factions (especially Carlists versus Falangist), the institutional conflicts and the central powers' influence (especially Ramon Serrano Suñer). All of which will helps us to understand a bit more on the regime's fascist nature.

Práce je zaměřena na výzkum nové struktury umožňující charakterizaci fyzikálních vlastností grafenu při přesně řízených podmínkách. Návrh spojuje MEMS piezoelektrický rezonátor spolu s Hall Bar/FET strukturou. Tento přístup umožňuje měnit vlastnosti grafenu odděleně nebo společně dvěma metodami. Mechanický způsob je založen na relativní deformaci způsobené rezonátorem, na kterém je umístěna grafenová monovrstva. Navrhovaná struktura umožňuje měřit vlastnosti grafenu vyvolané pouze změnou mechanického pnutí a frekvencí nucených kmitů bez vlivu vnějšího elektrického pole. Druhý přístup přidává možnost ovládat fyzikální vlastnosti grafenu pomocí elektrického pole FET struktury. Tato technika využívá grafenovou monovrstvu jako laditelný sensor pro molekulární detekci. Měření koncentrace v jednotkách ppb není konstrukčně ničím limitováno. Realizované frekvenčně laditelné piezoelektrické MEMS rezonátory s monovrstvou grafenu budou využitelné v mnoha oblastech pro detekci na molekulové úrovni. Výsledné struktury budou vyrobeny v souladu s požadavky na bio- a CMOS kompatibilitu.

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / See the attached abstract below

As part of the EU SmartVista project to develop a multi-modal wearable sensor for health diagnostics, field-effect transistor (FET) based biosensors were explored, with glucose as the analyte, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or monolayer MoS2 as the semiconducting sensing layer.  Numerous arrays of CNT-FETs and MoS2-FETs were fabricated by photolithographic methods and packaged as integrated circuits.  Functionalization of the sensing layer using linkers and enzymes was performed, and the samples were characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and electrical measurements. ON/OFF ratios of 102 p-type and &lt; 102 n-type were acheived, respectively, and the work helped survey the viability of realizing such sensors in a wearable device. / EU Horizon 2020 - SmartVista (825114)

Chemical sensor based systems that are used for detection, identification, or quantification of various gases are very complex in nature. Sensor response data collected as a multivariate time series signals encounters gradual change of the sensor characteristics(known as sensor drift) due to several reasons. In this thesis, drift component of a silicon carbide Field-Effect Transistor (SiC-FET) sensor data was analyzed using time series. The data was collected from an experiment measuring output response of the sensor with respect to gases emitted by certain experimental object at different temperatures. Augmented Dickey Fuller Test (ADF) was carried out to analyze the sensor drift which revealed that stochastic trend along with deterministic trend characterized the drift components of the sensor. The drift started to rise in daily measurements which contributed to the total drift. / Traditional Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and deep learning based Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) algorithm were carried out to forecast the sensor drift in reduced set of data. However, reduction of the data size degraded the forecasting accuracy and imposed loss of information. Therefore, careful selection of data using only one temperature from the temperature cycle was chosen instead of all time points. This chosen data from sensor array outperformed forecasting of sensor drift than reduced dataset using both traditional and deep learning methods.