Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Dans la littérature, plusieurs travaux ont été développés autour de la modélisation, l’analyse et la mise en place de politiques de maintenance pour les équipements sujets à des défaillances aléatoires. Ces travaux occultent souvent les réalités industrielles par des hypothèses telles que la connaissance a priori des distributions paramétriques des durées de vie et l’homogénéité des conditions d’exploitation des équipements. Ces hypothèses sont restrictives et constituent une source de biais parce qu’elles conditionnent l’analyse statistique des politiques de maintenance. Dans ce présent travail de thèse, de telles hypothèses sont relaxées pour permettre la prise en compte et la mise en valeurs des informations dérivant directement des données de durées vie issues de l’exploitation de l’équipement et ce sans passer par un modèle paramétrique intermédiaire. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse consiste alors en le développement de modèles statistiques et d’outils efficaces pour l’analyse des politiques de maintenance basées sur les données de durées de vie hétérogènes. Nous proposons en effet une démarche complète d’analyse de stratégies de maintenance en partant des données de durées de vie jusqu’à l’obtention des politiques optimales de maintenance en passant par une phase d’estimation des lois de probabilité. Les politiques de maintenance considérées sont appliques à des équipements usagés évoluant dans des environnements d’exploitation distingués par leur niveau de sévérité. Dans ce contexte, un modèle mathématique est proposé permettant d’évaluer et d’analyser théoriquement les coûts unitaires d’une stratégie de maintenance particulière dite de type âge. Cette analyse a permis d’établir les conditions nécessaires et suffisantes garantissant un âge optimal de remplacement préventif de l’équipement. Les coûts unitaires de maintenance sont complètement estimés par la méthode du Noyau de Parzen. Cette méthode d’estimation est non-paramétrique et définie par une fonction noyau et un paramètre de lissage. Il est également montré, dans nos travaux de recherche, que cet estimateur garantit une faible propagation des erreurs induites par le paramètre de lissage. Les résultats obtenus par la méthode du Noyau de Parzen sont proches des valeurs théoriques avec un faible coefficient de variation. Des extensions de la première politique de maintenance sont également proposées et étudiées. Ce travail de thèse s’achève par la proposition d’une approche permettant de mesurer et d’analyser le risque induit par le report d’une maintenance préventive. Ce risque est analysé à travers une fonction risque proposée / In the reliability literature, several researches works have been developed to deal with modeling, analysis and implementation of maintenance policies for equipments subject to random failures. The majority of these works are based on common assumptions among which the distribution function of the equipment lifetimes is assumed to be known. Furthermore, the equipment is assumed to experience only one operating environment. Such assumptions are indeed restrictive and may introduce a bias in the statistical analysis of the distribution function of the equipment lifetimes which in turn impacts optimization of maintenance policies. In the present research work, these two particular assumptions are relaxed. This relaxation allows to take into account of information related to conditions where the equipment is being operating and to focus on the statistical analysis of maintenance policies without using an intermediate parametric lifetimes distribution. The objective of this thesis consists then on the development of efficient statistical models and tools for managing the maintenance of equipments whose lifetimes distribution is unknown and defined through the heterogeneous lifetimes data. Indeed, this thesis proposes a framework for maintenance strategies determination, from lifetimes data acquisition toward the computation of optimal maintenance policies. The maintenance policies considered are assumed to be performed on used equipments. These later are conduct to experience their missions within different environments each of which is characterized by a degree of severity. In this context, a first mathematical model is proposed to evaluate costs induced by maintenance strategies. The analysis of these costs helps to establish the necessary and sufficient conditions to ensure the existence of an optimal age to perform the preventive maintenance. The maintenance costs are fully estimated by using the Kernel method. This estimation method is non-parametric and defined by two parameters, namely the kernel function and the smoothing parameter. The variability of maintenance costs estimator is deeply analyzed according to the smoothing parameter of Kernel method. From these analyses, it is shown that Kernel estimator method ensures a weak propagation of the errors due to the computation of smoothing parameter. In addition, several simulations are made to estimate the optimal replacement age. These simulations figure out that the numerical results from the Kernel method are close to the theoretical values with a weak coefficient of variation. Two probabilistic extensions of the first mathematical model are proposed and theoretically discussed. To deal with the problem of delayed preventive maintenance, an approach is proposed and discussed. The proposed approach allows evaluating the risk that could induce the delay taken to perform a preventive maintenance at the required optimal date. This approach is based on risk analysis conduct on the basis of a proposed risk function

Gallium nitride (GaN) has been targeted for use in high power (>30 W/mm) and high frequency (>160 GHz) application due to its wide band gap and its large break down field. One of the most significant advances in GaN devices has evolved from the AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). As a result of the large power densities being applied to these devices there can develop intense hot spots near areas of highest electric field. The hot spot phenomenon has been linked to a decrease in device reliability through a range of degradation mechanisms. In order to minimize the effect that hot spot temperatures have on device reliability a detailed understanding of relevant transport mechanisms must be developed. This study focuses on two main aspects of phonon transport within GaN devices. The first area of focus was to establish an understanding of phonon relaxation times within bulk GaN. These relaxation times were calculated from an application of Fermi's Golden Rule and explicitly conserve energy and crystal momentum. This analysis gives insight into the details behind the macroscopic thermal conductivity parameter. Once relaxation times for GaN were established a multiscale phonon transport modeling methodology was developed that allowed the Boltzmann Transport Equation to be coupled to the energy equation. This coupling overcomes some computational limits and allows for nanoscale phenomena to be resolved within a macroscopic domain. Results of the transport modeling were focused on benchmarking the coupling method as well as calculating the temperature distribution within an operating 6 finger HEMT.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

The present work is the fourth (and final) contribution to an inter-laboratory collaboration that was planned at the 3rd International Summit on Organic Photovoltaic Stability (ISOS-3). The collaboration involved six laboratories capable of producing seven distinct sets of OPV devices that were degraded under well-defined conditions in accordance with the ISOS-3 protocols. The degradation experiments lasted up to 1830 hours and involved more than 300 cells on more than 100 devices. The devices were analyzed and characterized at different points of their lifetimes by a large number of non-destructive and destructive techniques in order to identify specific degradation mechanisms responsible for the deterioration of the photovoltaic response. Work presented herein involves time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) in order to study chemical degradation in-plane as well as in-depth in the organic solar cells. Various degradation mechanisms were investigated and correlated with cell performance. For example, photo-oxidation of the active material was quantitatively studied as a function of cell performance. The large variety of cell architectures used (some with and some without encapsulation) enabled valuable comparisons and important conclusions to be drawn on degradation behaviour. This comprehensive investigation of OPV stability has significantly advanced the understanding of degradation behaviour in OPV devices, which is an important step towards large scale application of organic solar cells. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / In the first experiment high spin states in 194Tl, excited through the 181Ta (18O, 5n) heavyion fusion evaporation reaction were studied using the AFRODITE array at iThemba LABS. The γ-γ coincidences, RAD ratios and linear polarization measurements were carried out and the previously known level scheme of 194Tl was significantly extended. A total of five rotational bands four of which are new were observed. A pair of rotational bands associated with the πh9/2 ⊗ νi−1 13/2 configuration at lower spins and with the πh9/2 ⊗ νi−3 13/2 configuration at higher spins was found and interpreted as the first possible chiral bands followed above the band crossing. The two 4-quasiparticle bands show exceptionally close near-degeneracy in the excitation energies. Furthermore close similarity is also found in their alignments and B(M1)/B(E2) reduced transition probability ratios. In the second experiment lifetimes in 194Tl were measured using the DSAM technique with the excited states in this nucleus populated through the 181Ta (18O, 5n) reaction. A total of 25 lifetimes and 30 reduced transition probabilities of magnetic dipole B(M1) and electric quadrupole B(E2) have been evaluated. Furthermore B(M1) and B(E2) reduced transition probabilities in Bands 1 and 4, which have been regarded as chiral candidates, were found to be close to each other and reveals strong splitting along spin values. This further supports the proposed chiral nature of these two bands.

The present work is the fourth (and final) contribution to an inter-laboratory collaboration that was planned at the 3rd International Summit on Organic Photovoltaic Stability (ISOS-3). The collaboration involved six laboratories capable of producing seven distinct sets of OPV devices that were degraded under well-defined conditions in accordance with the ISOS-3 protocols. The degradation experiments lasted up to 1830 hours and involved more than 300 cells on more than 100 devices. The devices were analyzed and characterized at different points of their lifetimes by a large number of non-destructive and destructive techniques in order to identify specific degradation mechanisms responsible for the deterioration of the photovoltaic response. Work presented herein involves time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) in order to study chemical degradation in-plane as well as in-depth in the organic solar cells. Various degradation mechanisms were investigated and correlated with cell performance. For example, photo-oxidation of the active material was quantitatively studied as a function of cell performance. The large variety of cell architectures used (some with and some without encapsulation) enabled valuable comparisons and important conclusions to be drawn on degradation behaviour. This comprehensive investigation of OPV stability has significantly advanced the understanding of degradation behaviour in OPV devices, which is an important step towards large scale application of organic solar cells. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

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Photonic crystals (PhCs) are periodic dielectric structures that exhibit a photonic bandgap, i.e., a range of wavelength for which light propagation is forbidden. The special band structure related dispersion properties offer a realm of novel functionalities and interesting physical phenomena. PhCs have been manufactured using semiconductors and other material technologies. However, InP-based materials are the main choice for active devices at optical communication wavelengths. This thesis focuses on two-dimensional PhCs in the InP/GaInAsP/InP material system and addresses their fabrication technology and their physical properties covering both material issues and light propagation aspects. Ar/Cl2 chemically assisted ion beam etching was used to etch the photonic crystals. The etching characteristics including feature size dependent etching phenomena were experimentally determined and the underlying etching mechanisms are explained. For the etched PhC holes, aspect ratios around 20 were achieved, with a maximum etch depth of 5 microns for a hole diameter of 300 nm. Optical losses in photonic crystal devices were addressed both in terms of vertical confinement and hole shape and depth. The work also demonstrated that dry etching has a major impact on the properties of the photonic crystal material. The surface Fermi level at the etched hole sidewalls was found to be pinned at 0.12 eV below the conduction band minimum. This is shown to have important consequences on carrier transport. It is also found that, for an InGaAsP quantum well, the surface recombination velocity increases (non-linearly) by more than one order of magnitude as the etch duration is increased, providing evidence for accumulation of sidewall damage. A model based on sputtering theory is developed to qualitatively explain the development of damage. The physics of dispersive phenomena in PhC structures is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Negative refraction was experimentally demonstrated at optical wavelengths, and applied for light focusing. Fourier optics was used to experimentally explore the issue of coupling to Bloch modes inside the PhC slab and to experimentally determine the curvature of the band structure. Finally, dispersive phenomena were used in coupled-cavity waveguides to achieve a slow light regime with a group index of more than 180 and a group velocity dispersion up to 10^7 times that of a conventional fiber. / QC 20100712