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The growth characteristics of thick (100) CdTe epitaxial layers of a thickness up to 200 µm on a (100) GaAs substrate in a metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) system and fabrication of CdTe/n ϩ -GaAs heterojunction diodes for their possible applications in low-energy x-ray imaging detectors are reported. The grown epilayers were of high structural quality as revealed from the x-ray double-crystal rocking curve (DCRC) analysis, where the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) values of the (400) diffraction peaks was between 50 arcsec and 70 arcsec. The 4.2-K photoluminescence (PL) showed high-intensity bound-excitonic emission and very small defect-related peaks. The heterojunction diode fabricated had a good rectification property with a low value of reverse-bias current. The x-ray detection capability of the diode was examined by the time-of-flight (TOF) measurement, where good bias-dependent photoresponse was observed, but no carrier transport property could be deduced. It was found that the CdTe layer has a large number of trapping states as attributed to the cadmium-related vacancy and Ga-impurity, diffused from the substrate, related defect complexes.

Direct growth of high-quality, thick CdTe (211) epilayers, with thickness up to 100 mm, on Si (211) substrates in a vertical metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy system is reported. In order to obtain homo-orientation growth on Si substrates, pretreatment of the substrates was carried out in a separate chamber by annealing them together with pieces of GaAs at 800-900°C in a hydrogen environment. Grown epilayers had very good substrate adhesion. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) value of the x-ray double-crystal rocking curve from the CdTe (422) reflection decreased rapidly with increasing layer thickness and remained between 140-200 arcsec for layers .18 mm. Photoluminescence measurement at 4.2 K showed high-intensity, bound excitonic emission and very small defect-related deep emissions, indicating the high crystalline quality of the grown layers. Furthermore, a CdTe/n 1 -Si heterojunction diode was fabricated that exhibited clear rectifying behavior.

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The biodiversity loss of phytoplankton with eutrophication has been reported in many aquatic ecosystems, e.g., water pollution and red tides. This phenomenon seems similar, but different from the paradox of enrichment via trophic interactions, e.g., predator-prey systems. We here propose the paradox of enrichment by induced competitive interactions using multiple contact process (a lattice Lotka-Volterra competition model). Simulation results demonstrate how eutrophication invokes more competitions in a competitive ecosystem resulting in the loss of phytoplankton diversity in ecological time. The paradox is enhanced under local interactions, indicating that the limited dispersal of phytoplankton reduces interspecific competition greatly. Thus, the paradox of enrichment appears when eutrophication destroys an ecosystem either by elevated interspecific competition within a trophic level and/or destabilization by trophic interactions. Unless eutrophication due to human activities is ceased, the world's aquatic ecosystems will be at risk.

Production (abundance and biomass) and net calcification rates of the coccolithophorid Pleurochrysis carterae under different partial pressures of CO 2 (pCO 2 ) were examined using short (15, 24 and 39 h), long (7 d) and dark (7 d) incubation experiments. Short incubations were conducted at ambient, 500 and 820 ppm pCO 2 levels in natural seawater that was enriched with nutrients and inoculated with P. carterae. Long incubations were conducted at ambient and 1200 ppm pCO 2 levels in natural seawater (0.2 µm filtered as well as unfiltered) that was enriched with nutrients and inoculated with P. carterae. Dark incubations were conducted at ambient and 1200 ppm pCO 2 in unfiltered seawater that was inoculated with P. carterae. The abundance and biomass of coccolithophorids increased with pCO 2 and time. The abundance and biomass of most noncalcifying phytoplankton also increased, and were hardly affected by CO 2 inputs. Net calcification rates were negative in short incubations during the pre-bloom phase regardless of pCO 2 levels, indicating dissolution of calcium carbonate. Further, the negative values of net calcification in short incubations became less negative with time. Net calcification rates were positive in long incubations during blooms regardless of pCO 2 level, and the rate of calcification increased with pCO 2 . Our results show that P. carterae may adapt to increased (~1200 ppm) pCO 2 level with time, and such increase has little effect on the ecology of noncalcifying groups and hence in ecosystem dynamics. In dark incubations, net calcification rates were negative, with the magnitude being dependent on pCO 2 levels.

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