Everyone makes decisions, some simple, others complex. In business-to-business (B2B) marketing environments, decision-making becomes even more complicated. The decision-makers require an adequate set of facts to support their decision-making. In order to provide the necessary decision-support, B2B organisations invest huge amounts of money in information systems such as enterprise resources planning applications, customer relationship management software, and other types of databases. These systems store, analyse, manipulate and/or integrate internal data and perhaps force-feed it to the decision-makers; what we call a foie-gras approach. On the other hand, organisations may allow the decision-makers to search for the desired facts or decision-support by themselves; what we refer to as anarchic resources utilisation. Alternatively, the decision-makers may utilise resources with a combination of the two approaches. Previous studies have shown that many factors may influence the resources utilisation; however, not many studies have been conducted in the B2B context. This research, therefore, aims to provide a better understanding of how decision-makers utilise the available resources by firstly identifying B2B factors affecting the resources utilisation, and then explaining how these factors influence them. Results from in-depth interviews with the marketing decision-makers from three case studies show that the value of customers, supplier-customer relationships, and the nature of demand are the most influential B2B factors affecting the resources utilisation of the decision-makers. Other factors such as experience, nature of decisions, and management style are also found to have considerable impact on the approach the decision-makers adopt. In order to provide adequate decision-support, the providers may need to consider these factors and understand their effects on the decision-makers in the organisation, and design or choose the right information system(s); this should then result in better quality decisions.

Neste trabalho foram investigadas estruturas de diodos Schottky de carbeto de silício (SiC) com potencial uso em detectores de energia de partículas carregadas. Para tanto, foram fabricados diodos Schottky de SiC do tipo Metal-Isolador-Semicondutor (MIS). Uma estrutura MIS é considerada uma vez que o SiC sempre forma em sua superfície uma fina camada de oxicarbeto de silício (SiCxOy) nativo, de difícil remoção por ataques químicos. Foi desenvolvido um modelo modificado da teoria de Emissão Termiônica (TE), de modo a levar em conta o óxido nativo e/ou finas camadas dielétricas inseridas entre metal e semicondutor nas estruturas de diodos Schottky. Foram fabricadas estruturas alumínio/dielétrico/silício para caracterização dos dielétricos utilizados. Foram depositados os dielétricos de SiO2, TiO2, HfO2 e Al2O3 entre o metal Ni e o semicondutor de SiC, variando as espessuras de 1 a 8 nm. As espessuras depositadas foram confirmadas por Elipsometria espectral e Reflectometria de raio X, anteriormente à deposição por sputtering do contato Schottky de Ni. Após a deposição e o tratamento térmico do Ni, as estruturas de diodos Schottky foram caracterizadas eletricamente por meio de medidas de Corrente-Tensão (I-V) e Capacitância-Tensão (C-V), variando a temperatura de medida. Foi observado que a presença de uma fina camada dielétrica entre metal e semicondutor aumenta artificialmente a Altura da Barreira Schottky (SBH), diminuindo a corrente reversa quando o diodo é polarizado reversamente. Por meio do modelo modificado da TE, foi calculada uma espessura variando de 0.18 – 0.20 nm para o oxicarbeto de silício presente nos diodos estudados. As SBH reais foram extraídas por meio das medidas de I-V, variando-se a temperatura. Foram obtidos os valores da SBH de 1.39, 1.32 e 1.26 V, para os dielétricos TiO2, Al2O3, HfO2 e com 1 nm de espessura nominal cada, respectivamente. Para esses, o fator de idealidade calculado ficou próximo de 1. Espessuras de dielétricos acima de 4 nm começam a apresentar características de capacitores Metal-Óxido-Semicondutor e não de diodos Schottky. Por fim, reportamos as estruturas de Ni/Al2O3/4H-SiC/Ni e Ni/HfO2/4H-SiC/Ni, com 1 nm de dielétrico depositado, para uso como detector de partículas alfa no experimento de Espectrometria de Retroespalhamento Rutherford (RBS). Ambos os detectores apresentaram corrente reversa menor que 70 nA.cm-2 e resolução em energia de 76 keV, para polarização reversa de 40 V. / In the present work, silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes with potential use in energy particle detectors were investigated. Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) SiC Schottky diodes were fabricated. The MIS structures are considered because SiC always forms a thin native silicon oxycarbide (SiCxOy) layer in its surface that is difficult to remove by chemical means. A modified Thermionic Emission theory (TE) was developed to take into account the native oxide and/or thin dielectric layers present between metal and semiconductor in Schottky diodes. Aluminum/dielectric/silicon structures were fabricated for the dielectric characterization. SiO2, TiO2, HfO2 and Al2O3 dielectrics were deposited between Ni and SiC, with thicknesses varying from 1 to 8 nm. The deposited dielectrics layers thicknesses were confirmed by Ellipsometry spectra and X ray reflectometry before deposition of Ni Schottky contacts by sputtering. After Ni deposition and annealing, the Schottky diodes were electrically characterized by Current-Voltage (I-V) and Capacitance-Voltage measurements, varying the temperature. A thin dielectric layer present between metal and semiconductor artificially augments the Schottky Barrier Height (SBH) and lowers the reverse current when the diodes are reverse biased. A 0.18 – 0.20 nm of SiCxOy layer was inferred for the diodes using the modified TE. The real SBH was extracted from the I-V measurements and presented values of 1.39, 1.32 and 1.26 V for the diodes with 1 nm of TiO2, Al2O3 and HfO2, respectively. For these, an ideality factor close to 1 was calculated. Diodes with thicker (>4 nm) dielectrics layers shows Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor capacitors behavior. Ni/Al2O3/4H-SiC/Ni and Ni/HfO2/4H-SiC/Ni structures with 1 nm of dielectric layer thickness were used in Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry experiments. Both detectors presented reverse current lower than 70 nA.cm-2 and energy resolution of 76 keV, when applied 40 V reverse bias.

Data from new subsurface studies, lithologic analyses, radiocarbon dating, and geologic mapping demonstrate that an early middle Wisconsinan (MIS 3) to late Wisconsonan (MIS2) till sheet is more widespread in northcentral Iowa than previously assumed. This till had been mapped to the west of and beneath the late Wisconsinan (MIS 2) Des Moines Lobe (DML); this thesis research has shown that the boundary of that till sheet extends 40 to 50 km east of the DML margin. Sediments deposited by the MIS 3 glacier are termed the Sheldon Creek Formation; they share many lithologic properties with DML Dows Formation deposits. Some of these shared properties, such as clasts of Pierre Shale, suggest a similar northwesterly provenance and glacial flow from the Keewatin Dome of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during both glaciations. Radiocarbon ages of organic materials within and beneath the Sheldon Creek Formation, as well as stratigraphic relationships in cores and outcrops, suggest that the unit accumulated during two distinct advances, herein named the Ft. Dodge Advance (ca. 46-40 ka) and the Lehigh Advance (ca. 34-29 ka). The presence of ice in Iowa before the regional Last Glacial Maximum has important implications for modeling buildup of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) and understanding the regional variability of ice sheet extent during the last glacial period. Existing models the LIS buildup are challenged by the pre-MIS 2 chronology reported here, which puts the ice sheet much farther south during MIS 3b than had previously been reported. This points to a much earlier buildup of the Keewatin Dome than previously assumed. The timing of the Sheldon Creek advances appear to coincide with Heinrich events 3 and 5 in the North Atlantic, indicating that both the Keewatin and Laurentian Domes of the ice sheet were large at this time. Further work needs to be done to determine if the MIS 3b and early MIS 2 Sheldon Creek Formation deposits in Iowa are unique, or if there are other unrecognized deposits from these time periods.

Memoria para optar al título de Ingeniera Civil Industrial / Construyendo Mis Sueños es una organización sin fines de lucro que diseña, desarrolla y transfiriere herramientas que apoyan el desarrollo del sector de la microempresa en Chile, con especial énfasis en aquellas personas y comunidades que viven en condiciones de vulnerabilidad social y económica. El principal objetivo que tiene CMS es potenciar el microemprendimiento empoderando a las personas y cerrando las brechas de desigualdad que existen. La organización tiene cuatro tipos de actividades que permiten avanzar hacia el objetivo principal. En primer lugar, CMS implementa programas de formación, capacitación, diagnóstico y asesoría a ciertos grupos de emprendedores con características similares. Además, opera cuatro de los 51 Centros de Desarrollo de Negocios de SERCOTEC, cuya función es brindar apoyo a pequeños empresarios. En tercer lugar, dicta varios cursos en la Universidad de Chile, en los cuales los alumnos aprenden de la microempresa y trabajan con microemprendedores de los CDN. Finalmente, CMS desarrolla material educativo de gestión de emprendimiento, que facilita la capacitación y asistencia técnica que se les brinda a los emprendedores. En la actualidad, el sector de la microempresa en Chile está creciendo a una tasa de más del 6% anual, cada año hay más y más personas que requieren capacitarse para poder desenvolverse óptimamente en el ecosistema. Para poder hacerse cargo de lo anterior, CMS necesita tener clara su estrategia y las metas que permitirán alcanzarla, de lo contrario no podrá responder a los requerimientos de la situación actual en el país ni tampoco lograr un real impacto económico y social en los microemprendedores que lo necesiten. La solución propuesta para hacerse cargo de lo expuesto es diseñar un sistema de control de gestión a nivel estratégico que permitirá mejorar la gestión de la organización y aumentar los estándares de calidad. Este SCG se diseñó en base a los principios del Balanced Scorecard que propusieron David Norton y Robert Kaplan el año 1992. Para lograr lo anterior, se realiza un análisis exhaustivo del entorno en que se encuentra CMS y del ambiente interno de la organización, utilizando los principios del análisis FODA. Gracias a ello, es posible redefinir la estrategia de la organización y los objetivos específicos para alcanzarla. Teniendo los objetivos claros, se procede a la definición de los indicadores que medirán el nivel de avance del cumplimiento de éstos, utilizando metas claras y concretas. Además, se proponen formas de alcanzar estas metas correcta y óptimamente. Finalmente, se considera que el resultado de este trabajo cumple con los objetivos planteados y permitirá a la organización gestionarse de mejor forma y entregar el mejor servicio posible a sus clientes, por lo que se realizan recomendaciones para poder implementar adecuadamente el sistema propuesto.

Malgré de nombreux efforts tant sur le plan observationnel que théorique, nous ne connaissons que très peu de choses sur la nature des sources X très lumineuses qui n'appartiennent pas au noyau de la galaxie hôte et qui semblent dépasser (ou dépassent) très largement la limite d'Eddington d'un objet de quelques masses solaires. Ce travail présente dans une première partie l'étude multi-longueurs d'onde d'un échantillon de certains de ces objets à travers les observations X des satellites ROSAT et XMM-Newton et les résultats d'observations optiques menées à l'Observatoire de Haute-Provence, à l'ESO et au CFHT. Ces objets ont été étudiés depuis des décennies sans qu'ils aient livré aucun de leurs secrets, et pour la première fois de nombreuses nébuleuses en émission ont été découvertes à proximité de la source X. Et plus encore, une de ces nébuleuses semble être photoionisée par les rayons X ce qui tend à prouver par la même occasion que l'émission X de l'objet dépasse largement la limite d'Eddington d'un objet de quelques dizaines de masses solaires ! Une deuxième partie de ce travail est consacrée à une tâche plus technique qui fut l'écriture d'un programme intégré à une chaîne de traitement automatique des données du satellite européen XMM-Newton.

¡@¡@In the dynamic knowledge-oriented age, organizations need continuously develop existing capabilities and new capabilities to adapt changeable environment and maintain their competitive competence. Not trying to make all staff learn all things, organizations need knowledge integration to coordinate knowledge held in different individuals. Specified knowledge in separate individuals could be integrated into organizational capabilities, the basis of competitive competence, through designing of appropriate organizational structure, authority, communication, decisions making and mechanism. ¡@¡@Because of the business environment full of Internet and Web, IT capability has become a critical factor in building potential competitive competence. ¡@¡@In the view of Knowledge-Based Theory of Firm and Hyper-Text Organization, this research emphasizes the coordination of organizational structure and knowledge management. Applying organizational structure and different integration mechanisms collected from related literature, exam the relation between the factors of knowledge integration and core capability of MIS department. Try to achieve efficient knowledge creation, utility and transfer through the discussion. ¡@¡@An empirical survey methodology is applied to test the research model and hypotheses proposed in this study. Six out of seven hypotheses are validated in our research model with Path Analysis. The research result reveals that knowledge integration has significant impact on MIS department capability. Organizational structure design, including business structure design, project structure design and knowledge codification, has critical contribution to knowledge integration.

In this study, metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitances were prepared with rf magnetron sputtering of Ta2O5 on both n-type GaN and p-type GaN. And metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitances were prepared with conjugated rigid-rod polymers PBT on n-type GaN. The processes of fabrication the diodes were shown, and the structures of MOS/MIS diodes were represented. Hysteresis was observed in high-frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. And the hysteresis was changed with different scanning delay time on scanning step. They were ascribed to mobile charges and interface charges. The carrier concentration were calculated and compared with the Hall results. The flatband voltage and threshold voltage were calculated and compared with C-V curves which were measured.

Zugl.: Darmstadt, Techn. Univ., Diss., 2009

Thèses (M.Sc.A.)--Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), 2001. / Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 20 juin 2006). Publié aussi en version papier.

Th. doct.-ing.--Électronique--Grenoble--I.N.P., 1980. N°: DI 174.