We outline a number of high temperature superconducting Josephson junction-based devices including superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) developed for a wide range of applications including geophysical exploration, magnetic anomaly detection, terahertz (THz) imaging and microwave communications. All these devices are based on our patented technology for fabricating YBCO step-edge junction on MgO substrates. A key feature to the successful application of devices based on this technology is good stability, long term reliability, low noise and inherent flexibility of locating junctions anywhere on a substrate.

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As sensitive magnetic sensors, magnetometers based on superconducting quantum interference devices can be used for the detection of weak magnetic fields. These signals can be generated by diverse origins, for example, brain electric activity, myocardium electric activity, and nuclear precession of hydrogen protons. In addition, weak current induced in the low-temperature detectors, for example, transition-edge sensors can be detected using SQUIDs. And, change of magnetic flux quantum generated in a superconducting ring can be detected by SQUID, which can be used for realization of mechanical force. Thus, SQUIDs are key elements in precision metrology. In Korea, development of low-temperature SQUIDs based on Nb-Josephson junctions was started in late 1980s, and Nb-based SQUIDs have been used mainly for biomagnetic measurements; magnetocardiography and magnetoencephalography. High-T_c SQUIDs, being developed in mid 1990s, were used for magnetocardiography and nondestructive evaluation. Recently, SQUID-based low-field nuclear magnetic resonance technology is under development. In this paper, we review the past progress and recent activity of SQUID applications in Korea, with focus on biomagnetic measurements.

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Magnetoencephalography (MEG) measures very weak neuromagnetic signals using SQUID sensors. Standard MEG analyses include averaged waveforms, isofield maps and equivalent current dipoles. Beamforming MEG analyses provide us with frequency-dependent spatiotemporal information about the cerebral oscillatory changes related to not only somatosensory processing but also language processing. Language dominance is able to be evaluated using laterality of power attenuation in the low γ band in the frontal area. Neuromagnetic signals of the unilateral upper movements are able to be decoded using a support vector machine.

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The voltage biased SQUID Bootstrap Circuit (SBC) was recently demonstrated for direct readout of SQUID signals. The SBC combines current- and voltage-feedbacks in one circuit to suppress the preamplifier noise. It offers not only a good noise performance, but also wide tolerance of SQUID parameters. Using SBC gradiometer, the bio-magnetic signals were successfully measured. In this paper, we overview the concept of SBC and its applications.

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Magnetospinography (MSG) is one of the most promising techniques to detect the nerve activity of spinal cords thanks to its noninvasiveness and high spatial/temporal resolutions. Multichannel superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) MSG measurement systems optimized for supine subjects have been developed previously and employed in clinical applications in hospitals. Magnetic source analyses of MSG data based on spatial filter techniques reveal the transition of reconstructed current distributions adjacent to the spinal cord. The propagation of the neural signals was noninvasively visualized. The MSG measurements provide significant diagnostic information such as irregularities in the transitions of the reconstructed current distribution and/or considerable decreases in the current intensity at the lesion. Such functional imaging of the spinal cord in addition to conventional neurologic examinations and morphological imaging will be fairly effective in presurgical lesion localizations of the spinal cord.

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The three-bit balanced ternary quantum voltage generator was designed and tested. This voltage generator is based on zero-crossing Shapiro steps (ZCSSs) in asymmetric two-junction SQUID. ZCSSs were observed on the current-voltage curves, and maximum and minimum current of ZCSSs were almost same, respectively for the three bits. 27-step quantum voltages from -13Φ₀f to +13Φ₀f were observed by combinations of inputs of bit1, bit2 and bit3.

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We have fabricated printed active antenna for flexible information tag which have a loop antenna combined with step-edge vertical channel organic field-effect transistor (SVC-OFET). Fabrication using printing process, characterization of SVC-OFETs, and performances of active antenna elements are discussed in detail.

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When we apply a voltage to a supported lipid bilayer self-spreading through a nanometer-scale gap (nanogap), the effects can be divided into two types. One is that there is no voltage-dependent change in the self-spreading behavior. Namely, the lipid bilayer passes through a nanogap without any stagnation. The other reveals that the self-spreading of a lipid bilayer can be controlled by an electric field modulation between nanogap electrodes. As a mechanism for these phenomena, we have proposed an electrostatic trapping model, in which the relationship between the thickness of an electric double layer and the nanogap spacing plays a crucial role. Here, to confirm the validity of this mechanism, we investigated the ionic concentration dependence of an electrolyte solution on the self-spreading behavior, which enabled us to tune the thickness of the electric double layer precisely. The result exhibited a certain threshold for controlling the self-spreading behavior. We also approximated the electric potential in the nanogap by using the Debye-Hückel equation. Our calculation result was in good agreement with the ionic concentration dependence experiments, suggesting the validity of our proposed mechanism. The results described in this work provide useful information regarding the realization of nanobio devices and the fundamental study of nanoelectronics.

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As an application of low electric field to biomedical engineering, this paper attempts to study the dose-effect of biological effects caused by msPEF with experiments on HeLa cells. MTT assay was used to trace the cell electroporation and examine cell viability. It is observed that with the increasing electric field intensity and pulse numbers, IRE effects will occur successively.

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A two-dimensional microarray of ten thousand (100×100) chondrocyte-spheroids was successfully constructed with a 100-µm spacing on a micropatterned gold electrodes that were coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels. The PEGylated surface as a cytophobic region was regulated by controlling the gel structure through photolithography. In this way, a PEG hydrogel was modulated enough to inhibit outgrowth of chondrocytes from cell adhering region in the horizontal direction. These structural control of PEG hydrogel was critical for inducing formation of three-dimensional chondrocyte condensations (spheroids) within 24 hours. We report noninvasive monitoring of the cellular functional change at the cell membrane using a chondrocyte-based field effect transistor (FET), which is based on detection of extracellular potential change induced as a result of the interaction between extracellular matrix (ECM) protein secreted from spheroid and substrate at the cell membrane. The interface potential change at the cell membrane/gate insulator interface can be monitored during the uptake of substrate without any labeling materials. Our findings on the time course of the interface potential would provide important information to understand the uptake kinetics for cellular differentiation.

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By using electric-field-induced optical second-harmonic generation (EFISHG) measurement, we investigated interfacial carrier behavior in organic solar cells (OSCs) with a blocking layer of bathocuproine (BCP). Results evidently showed that the Maxwell-Wagner type excess charges accumulate on both pentacene/C₆₀ and C₆₀/BCP interfaces. Also, the measurement under short-circuit and open-circuit conditions clearly showed the different photo-induced carrier behaviors in the OSCs devices. Our work proved that the dielectric nature of OSCs dominates the operation of our OSCs and the EFISHG technique is very effective to characterize the dielectric performance of the OSCs.

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We demonstrated the reduced surface roughness of poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) thin films with different ratios fabricated by the electrospray deposition (ESD) method. Aggregated structures were observed at the lower voltage, and the uniformity became bad at the higher voltage. Anyway, the minimum root mean square (RMS) roughness was 1.46nm by optimizing the applied voltage.

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A self-assembled monolayer having a benzophenone unit as a photoreactive terminal group (BP-SAM) was prepared on an indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrode, on which a hole-transport layer of a phenoxazine-dioctylfluorene copolymer (H5) was spin-coated and irradiated with UV light. After washing the physisorbed H5 molecules, contact angle measurement and ellipsometry showed that the H5 molecules can be tethered to the ITO surface via the BP-SAM. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were prepared in the structure of ITO/H5 hole transport layer/tris(8-hydroxyquinolato) aluminum/bathocuproin/LiF/Al electrode with and without the BP-SAM layer on the surface of ITO. The device with the BP-SAM showed higher current density and higher luminance due to the improvement of contact at the ITO/H5 interface by forming covalent bonds via the BP-SAM.

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We investigated oxidation time dependence of graphene oxide employing modified Hummer method by dynamic light scattering. Oxidation reaction proceeded rapidly within about 24 hours, and was saturated. It is suggested that graphene oxides were not able to freely fragment. This implies that the oxidation reactions occur at the limited sites.

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In order to obtain the uniform film having well-defined lead halide-based layer perovskite structure, we proposed squeezed out method. It is found that the optimized condition with respect to docosylammonium bromide is revealed by employing hexadecylammonium bromide among tetradecylammonium bromide, hexadecylammonium bromide and octadecylammonium bromide.

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Fluoropolymer thin films were prepared by the ion-assisted vapor deposition polymerization (IAD) of 2-(perfluorohexyl) ethylacrylate (Rf-6). The adhesion strength of the film to substrates was estimated by sonicating the films in water and by immersing the films into dichloro-pentafluoro propane (HCFC225). The Rf-6 polymer films by IAD showed stronger adhesion to glass compared to a spin-coated Teflon AF film. The adhesion strength was improved with increasing ion energy E_ion of IAD. The IAD films showed superior adhesion to PET surface compared to the glass substrate. The Rf-6 polymer film was effective as a single-layer antireflective coating. The refractive index of the film was 1.368 (λ=546nm), which increased slightly with increasing E_ion. IAD can be a promising method to prepare fluoropolymer thin films due to the solvent-less process and the flexibility in controlling the film characteristics by the ion energy.

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It has been reported that the temporal change of current during the deposition shows a plateau and a break, similar to those found in a photocurrent profile taken by the time-of-flight technique for the investigation of photocarrier dynamics in condensed matters, enabling the estimation of electrophoretic mobility of colloidal particles in the suspension. The estimation of the electrophoretic mobility from transient current during the deposition by the simple drift model is based on the assumption that a constant electric field is uniformly applied between the positive and negative electrodes. Therefore, it is important to check if this assumption is satisfied. It is also important to measure the temporal evolution of film thickness, because this may give information about uniformity of colloidal size in the suspension. This study addresses these topics and validity of the assumption is confirmed.

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After brief introduction of our new microscope unit with an immersion objective and ionic liquid used as a refractive index matching medium, in this paper, we describe the studies on dipole orientation imaging of single molecules under high vacuum conditions as one of the important applications of our microscope.

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The reaction path from acetyl acetone (pentane-2,4-dione) to lutidine derivative is calculated at the HF/3-21G + ZPC level(ZPC=zero point energy correction), and MP2/6-31G(d,p) + ZPC level. As a model for porous glass, H₂Si=O and (OH)₂Si=O make chemical bonds or strong complex with FLUORAL-P that decrease the activation energy of a H₂O elimination reaction.

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We report enhanced photocurrent properties of dye/Au-loaded titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films on Au gratings. Au-loaded TiO₂ nanopowders were first synthesized by a modified sol-gel method and then prepared by the impregnation method. We also fabricated dye-sensitized solar cells, which were composed of Au grating/Au-TiO₂/TMPyP-SCC LbL (20 bilayers)/electrolyte/ITO substrates. Short-circuit photo-current measurements showed that Au-loaded TiO₂ with grating-coupled surface plasmon excitation can enhance the short-circuit photocurrentof the fabricated cells.

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In situ UV-vis. absorption spectra of cytochrome c adsorbed on ITO electrode was observed with slab optical waveguide spectroscopy combining pulse potential step (PPS) between 0.3 and -0.45V vs. Ag/AgCl. The amount of cytochrome c adsorbed on ITO electrode was estimated from the amount of coulomb of the peaks in cyclic voltammogram to be about a monolayer coverage in this experimental condition. Spectral change between oxidized and reduced cytochrome c by PPS was finished in about 20msec with phosphate buffer solution. The results strongly proved that SOWG spectroscopy should be effective for in situ observation of ET reaction kinetics of surface adsorbed molecules.

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Process variation causes significant fluctuations in the timing performance of analog circuits, which causes a fraction of circuits to fail specifications. By testing the delay-performance, we can recognize the failed circuits during production testing. In this paper, we have proposed a low overhead and process tolerant delay evaluation circuit for built-in self test (BIST) function for analog differential circuits. This circuit contains a delay generation cell, an input differential signal generation cell, a delay matching cell, a sample-hold circuit, and a comparator. This circuit was implemented with 0.18µm CMOS process. Simulation results over process variation, devices mismatch and layout parasitics, but without silicon measurement, show that the accuracy in delay detection is within 5ps. A case study was done over a feed-forward equalizer (FFE). A typical use of this circuit is testing the delay of various FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filters.

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