[en] We demonstrate an energy-efficient programmable via concept using indirectly heated phase-change material. This via structure has maximum phase-change volume to achieve a minimum on resistance for high performance logic applications. Process development and material investigations for this device structure are reported. The device concept is successfully demonstrated in a standard CMOS-compatible technology capable of multiple cycles between on/off states for reconfigurable applications.

[en] Improvements are proposed to the well-known T-history method, which is widely used for thermal properties measurement of phase change materials (PCM). Our improvements refer to the experimental arrangement, to the way of measurement processing, as well as to the kind and presentation format of the final results. The proposed arrangement has a controlled indoor environment and is fully automatic, without need for staff attendance, even for repeated sets of measurements of the same or different PCM simultaneously. The proposed way of measurement processing is based on the use of thermal delay (i.e. temperature difference) between PCM and a reference fluid at any specified time and not in the use of their time delay at any specified temperature. This fundamental change leads to increased accuracy and considerable reduction of duration and labour of the measurement processing, as proved by the performed measurements of various PCM. The effective thermal capacity function as a final result is proved to be more useful than the results of the original method. The new procedure is a first step towards defining specifications for the measurement of PCM thermal properties

[en] The endurance characteristics of phase change memory are studied. With operational cycles, the resistances of reset and set states gradually change to the opposite direction. What is more, the operational conditions that are needed are also discussed. The failure and the changes are concerned with the compositional change of the phase change material. An abnormal phenomenon that the threshold voltage decreases slightly at first and then increases is observed, which is due to the coaction of interface contact and growing active volume size changing. (paper)

[en] In this paper, the thermal characterization of the chosen phase change materials (PCMs) was done using a conventional DSC analysis initially. However, the thermophysical properties of a very small amount of measured samples differ from those of the bulk measurements, including heterogeneous additives. Inconsistent results were observed in the DSC analysis, particularly for the inorganic PCM samples. Hence, a T-History experimental characterization for PCM investigation was carried out. The results obtained using DSC and fabricated T-History evaluation were compared and discussed in detail. The validated results showed that the T-History method of characterization is better compared to DSC analysis, especially, in the case of inorganic salt-hydrated PCMs due to its consistent and reasonable accuracy in measurements. The validated results also suggest that the RT28 and HS29 PCMs could be employed either as building integrated components or in separate energy storage modules in order to enhance passive cooling in future building construction. (paper)

[en] In an attempt to increase the heat transfer rate and reduce the convective currents during the freezing of phase change materials (PCM) in storage tanks, externally finned circular tubes are studied experimentally. The parameters analysed in this work include number of fins, fin length, initial degree of superheat and freezing time

[en] Highlights: • Five PCM are characterized using tow techniques for PV temperature regulation. • Thermophysical properties of interest are determined and compared with literature. • Determined PCM properties are discussed as criteria for PV temperature regulation. • One PCM identified as potential candidate for PV temperature regulation. - Abstract: Five solid–liquid phase change materials comprising three basic classes, paraffin waxes, salt hydrates and mixtures of fatty acids were thermophysically characterized for thermal regulation applications in photovoltaics. The PCM were investigated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Temperature History Method to find their thermophysical properties of interest. The relationship between thermophysical properties of the PCM and their choice as temperature regulators in photovoltaics is discussed in relation to the ambient conditions under which PV systems operate

[en] Phase-change materials (PCMs) that can reversibly transit between crystalline and amorphous phases have been widely used for data-storage and other functional devices. As PCMs scale down to nanoscale, the properties and transition procedures can vary, bringing both challenges and opportunities in scalability. This article describes the physical structures, properties and applications of nanoscale phase-change materials and devices. The limitations and performance of scaling properties in phase-change materials and the recent progress and challenges in phase-change devices are presented. At the end, some emerging applications related to phase-change materials are also introduced. (topical review)

[en] This book deals with analysis of heat transfer which includes nonlinear analysis examples, radiation heat transfer, analysis of heat transfer in ANSYS, verification of analysis result, analysis of heat transfer of transition with automatic time stepping and open control, analysis of heat transfer using arrangement of ANSYS, resistance of thermal contact, coupled field analysis such as of thermal-structural interaction, cases of coupled field analysis, and phase change.

[en] Reconfigurable metamaterials have emerged as promising platforms for manipulating the spectral and spatial properties of terahertz waves without being limited by the characteristics of naturally existing materials. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of various types of reconfigurable metamaterials that are utilized to manipulate the intensity, phase, polarization, and propagation direction of terahertz waves. We discuss various reconfiguration mechanisms based on optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical stimuli while using semiconductors, superconductors, phase-change materials, graphene, and electromechanical structures. The advantages and disadvantages of different reconfigurable metamaterial designs in terms of modulation efficiency, modulation bandwidth, modulation speed, and system complexity are discussed in detail. (report on progress)

[en] We study the effect of electric field on crystallisation kinetics in phase change materials within the framework of classical nucleation theory. We identify the parameter set where the electric field has a pronounced effect on the crystallisation of phase-change materials.