DE LA TESIS DOCTORALTítulo: Diseño, fabricación y caracterización de sensores de capa gruesaDoctorando: Peter Tsolov IvanovDirector: Xavier Correig BlancharLos sensores de gases de estado sólido han demostrado ser muy prometedores parasupervisar la emisión de los agentes contaminadores en el aire, porque son una opciónde bajo coste para la construcción de analizadores de gases. Algunos problemas serelacionados con este tipo de dispositivos, especialmente su baja selectividad y el altoconsumo de energía, siguen sin resolver. El objetivo de esta tesis doctoral es eldesarrollo de nuevos sensores y matrices de sensores con mejorada selectividad yreducido consumo de energía.La metodología usada en esta tesis consiste en fabricar matrices de sensores hechas desensores con distintas selectividades. Como la respuesta del sensor es diferente endistintas temperaturas de trabajo y como los distintos dopantes o los filtros catalíticosaceleran o reducen la respuesta del sensor, los diferentes sensores dan diferentesreacciones. Combinando estas reacciones y con la ayuda de técnicas del reconocimientode patrones, se pueden crear grupos de sensores capaces de distinguir entre distintosagentes contaminantes.La tesis comienza repasando los métodos usados para la fabricación de los sensores degases y discutiendo los problemas relacionados con la baja selectividad de los óxidosmetálicos. Se especifican también los diferentes métodos para aumentar la selectividad.Se introduce y se describe detalladamente la técnica de screen-printing. Losexperimentos se realizaron con cuatro tipos de substratos de sensores (cerámica, silicio,microhotplate y silicon-on-insulator) y con más de 15 capas activas basadas en dióxidode estaño y trióxido de tungsteno (puras y dopadas con oro, platino, plata, titanio ypaladio). Una amplia variedad de compuestos volátiles (amoníaco, etanol, acetona ybenceno), de gases (monóxido de carbono, dióxido de nitrógeno, metano y sulfuro dePhD thesis of Peter Tsolov Ivanov Resumen de la tesis doctoralhidrógeno) y de algunas mezclas binarias ha sido medida. Los resultados obtenidos porlos análisis cuantitativos y cualitativos de los gases estudiados con una matriz desensores basada en cuatro sensores simples nos han llevado a descubrir el óptimosensor/matriz para los distintos gases/mezclas binarias.Los resultados demostraron que, con la ayuda de redes neuronales Fuzzy ARTMAP, esposible identificar y cuantificar simultáneamente los gases analizados usando solamenteuna matriz de microhotplates (cuatro sensores) con la misma capa activa. Los sensoresde SnO2 y de WO3 dopados demostraron diversa respuesta a los agentes contaminantesprobados. Componiendo cuidadosamente la matriz de sensores y definiendo bien latemperatura de trabajo podemos discriminar, con un alto grado de éxito, los diversosgases probados sin la necesidad de técnicas de reconocimiento de patrones.La conclusión principal que se puede sacar de esta tesis es que las matrices de sensores,junto con las técnicas de reconocimiento de patrones, se pueden utilizar para aumentarperceptiblemente la selectividad de los sensores de óxidos metálicos. La simplicidad delos métodos propuestos permite su uso en el desarrollo de analizadores de gases másbaratos y narices electrónicas portátiles.A partir de la investigación realizada durante esta tesis doctoral se han elaborado 15artículos publicados en revistas internacionales, 10 comunicaciones en las conferenciasinternacionales y 3 comunicaciones en conferencias españolas.PhD thesis of Peter Tsolov Ivanov Resume of the doctoral thesis / OF THE DOCTORAL THESISTitle: Design, Fabrication and Characterization of Thick-Film Gas SensorsDoctorate: Peter Tsolov IvanovDirector: Xavier Correig BlancharSolid-state gas sensors have proved to be very promising for monitoring the emission ofair pollutants because they are a low cost option for constructing gas analysers. Someproblems associated to this approach, especially their deficient selectivity and highpower consumption, remain unsolved. The aim of this doctoral thesis is to develop newsensors and sensor matrices that can improve the selectivity of metal oxide gas sensorsand decrease their power consumption.The methodology used here consists of creating sensor matrices made from sensors withdifferent selectivities. As the sensor response is different at different workingtemperatures and as the different dopants or catalytic filters accelerate or reduce thesensor response, the different sensors give different reactions. If these reactions arecombined, sensor groups capable of discriminating between different pollutants can beobtained with the help of pattern recognition techniques.The thesis begins by reviewing the methods used for fabricating gas sensors anddiscussing the problems caused by the poor selectivity of metal oxide gas sensors andthe methods for increasing their selectivity. Then, the screen-printing technique isintroduced and described. The experiments were performed with four different types ofgas sensor substrates (ceramic, silicon, microhotplate and silicon-on-insulator) and morethan 15 active layers (undoped and doped with gold, platinum, silver, titanium andpaladium tin dioxide and tungsten trioxide sensitive layers). A wide variety of volatilecompounds (ammonia, ethanol, acetone and benzene), gases (carbon monoxide,nitrogen dioxide, methane and hydrogen sulphide) and some binary mixtures weremeasured. The results obtained from quantitative and qualitative gas analysis using thePhD thesis of Peter Tsolov Ivanov Resume of the doctoral thesissensor response from a simple 4 sensor based matrix led to the optimal sensor/sensormatrix for gas/binary mixtures.The results showed that, with the help of fuzzy ARTMAP neural networks, it is possibleto identify and simultaneously quantify the gases analysed by using only one MHP-chip(four sensors) with the same active layer. The doped SnO2 and WO3 sensors showeddifferent response to the tested pollutants. Composing carefully the sensor matrix anddefining well the working temperature we were able to discriminate, with a high successrate, between the different test gases with no need for pattern recognition techniques.The main conclusion that can be drawn from this thesis is that sensor matrices can beused, coupled to dynamic pattern recognition techniques, to significantly increase theselectivity of metal oxide sensors. The simplicity of the methods implemented makesthem suitable for developing low-cost gas analysers and hand-held e-noses.The research carried out during this doctoral thesis resulted in 15 articles beingpublished in international journals, 10 communications at international conferences and3 communications at a Spanish national conference.PhD thesis of Peter Tsolov Ivanov Resumen de la tesis doctoral

The Argentine Pampa is a global producer of maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max L. (Merr.), however agricultural practices have caused severe soil degradation and amplified greenhouse gas (GHG) production rates. This study presents the effects of maize-legume intercrops compared with maize and soybean sole crops on GHG production rates and soil physical properties over two field seasons. It also presents the results from a laboratory study in which GHGs were quantified from soils amended with maize and soybean crop residues. In the field study, soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations were significantly greater (p<0.05) in the maize sole crop and intercrops, whereas soil bulk density was significantly lower in the intercrops and as a consequence soil infiltration was higher. Soil total nitrogen (TN) concentrations were not significantly different between treatments. Soil CO2 production rates were significantly greater in the maize sole crop but did not differ significantly for N2O. However, over the two field seasons both trace gases showed a general trend of greater production rates in the maize sole crop followed by the soybean sole crop. Linear regression between soil GHGs and soil temperature or volumetric soil moisture accounted for up to 51% of the variability in soil CO2 production rates and 60% of the soil N2O production rates. In the laboratory study, soil GHG production rates varied between treatments and between residue addition for both CO2 and N2O but varied only narrowly between treatments and experiments for CH4. Results from this study provided further insight into the effect of agroecosystem management practices on GHG production rates and soil physical and chemical characteristics, and contributed to improving our understanding of optimal agroecosystem design.

In this work, an electronic gas company was chosen as a research objective to understand how to execute the strategic planning and competition in an emerging market such as solar cell industry. First, individual industrial analysis was carried out for both electronic gas industry and solar cell industry, which provide the connections and characteristics between these two industrial segments. A project was selected as an example for detail explanation. It covers the initial competition attitudes of individual competitors; the crisis of silane shortage during the new industry segment emerging; how our company deals with the shortage crisis; how to identify the penetration strategies through a series of sales tactics and to confine the competitor advantages in order to obtain the maximum profit. In the conclusions, the track of competition planning was reviewed and the characteristics of gas industry were categorized for future research interests. Meanwhile, related theories were used to compared and contrasted in order to support the business case from the academic approach. At the end, a summary of competition review was included to outline how the organization rigidity causing an near-miss crisis to the overall strategic planning; why the early engagements to the emerging industrial segment is extremely critical to the electronic gas company; how the front line sales and marketing personnel to identify the business opportunities; also how to obtain the necessary resources in an internal competition.

Thesis--Utrecht. / Vita. Errata slip inserted. Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-89).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-193).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2009. / "Submitted to Department of Mathematics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves [90]-94)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Chemistry. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-152). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR38991

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Johns Hopkins University, 1929. / Each part has special t.p. Biography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1930. / From Physical review, v. 36, October 1, 1930.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-166).