Numerous research institutes have been studying semiconductor devices using two-dimensional materials for several years. However, the findings of these studies have yet to demonstrate the performance of digital devices that could replace silicon devices in the semiconductor industry. Nonetheless, the high carrier mobility and saturation velocity of 2-D materials remain attractive for semiconductor device performance, particularly in analog devices where these features can be utilized. In this research, we fabricated a phase-shift controller, a typical component of analog circuits, using 2-D materials and verified its operational characteristics. Analog circuits do not require large area integration, so we employed graphene, which has relatively simple formation and processing, as the 2-D material. Devices using graphene as a channel exhibit a V-shaped I–V characteristic, allowing for the input voltage to be adjusted to produce various modes of output characteristics. This means that the same devices can generate a phase-shifted output and an output with double the frequency by simply adjusting the input voltage range. This research is particularly meaningful since it demonstrates not only the potential of 2-D materials but also their potential for direct application to the semiconductor industry. These findings will contribute to the development of system IC technology and various applications.
The radiolytic decomposition of oxalic acid was investigated using gamma irradiation for decontamination of nuclear power systems. The study used high-purity analytical grade chemicals, with initial concentrations of oxalic acid prepared at 1, 2, 5, and 10 mM, and the initial pH was adjusted to 2-3 at each test condition. Gamma irradiation was performed using a high-level Co-60 source, and absorbed doses were 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 kGy. The results showed that the efficiency of gamma irradiation decreased with longer gamma exposure time, and the G-value increased with the initial concentration of oxalic acid. Interestingly, the G-value decreased with accumulated radiation dose, but the removal increased. The dose constant ranged from 0.1695 to 0.0536 kGy-1 at different initial concentrations, and the G-value was inversely proportional to the dose constant. The study concluded that oxalic acid was successfully degraded by gamma irradiation, and 92% removal was obtained at the initial concentration of 10 mM. The mineralization of oxalic acid at higher concentrations was more difficult due to the great number of generated intermediates.
North Korea continues to upgrade and display its long-range rocket launchers to emphasize its military strength. Recently Republic of Korea kicked off the development of anti-artillery interception system similar to Israel’s “Iron Dome”, designed to protect against North Korea’s arsenal of long-range rockets. The system may not work smoothly without the function assigning interceptors to incoming various-caliber artillery rockets. We view the assignment task as a dynamic weapon target assignment (DWTA) problem. DWTA is a multistage decision process in which decision in a stage affects decision processes and its results in the subsequent stages. We represent the DWTA problem as a Markov decision process (MDP). Distance from Seoul to North Korea’s multiple rocket launchers positioned near the border, limits the processing time of the model solver within only a few second. It is impossible to compute the exact optimal solution within the allowed time interval due to the curse of dimensionality inherently in MDP model of practical DWTA problem. We apply two reinforcement-based algorithms to get the approximate solution of the MDP model within the time limit. To check the quality of the approximate solution, we adopt Shoot-Shoot-Look(SSL) policy as a baseline. Simulation results showed that both algorithms provide better solution than the solution from the baseline strategy.