It is demonstrated that photoluminescent porous Si (PS) layers exhibit definitely visible electroluminescence (EL). The PS layers were formed by anodization of single-crystal nondegenerate p-type Si wafers in an HF solution. The experimental EL cells are of the form semitransparent metal/PS layer/p-type Si/Al electrode. These cells show a rectifying junction behavior. When the forward current density reaches a certain value, stable visible (orange) light is uniformly emitted through a semitransparent electrode. A possible explanation of this is the radiative transition due to electron and hole injection into quantized states in PS.

The most common mechanism 1 for generating ultrasound in air is via a piezoelectric transducer, whereby an electrical signal is converted directly into a mechanical vibration. But the acoustic pressure so generated is usually limited to less than 10 Pa, the frequency bandwidth of most piezoelectric ceramics is narrow, and it is difficult to assemble such transducers into a fine-scale phase array with no crosstalk 2,3 . An alternative strategy using micromachined electrostatic diaphragms is showing some promise 4,5 , but the high voltages required and the mechanical weakness of the diaphragms may prove problematic for applications. Here we show that simple heat conduction from porous silicon to air results in high-intensity ultrasound without the need for any mechanical vibrational system. Our non-optimized device generates an acoustic pressure of 0.1 Pa at a power consumption of 1 W cm −2 , and exhibits a flat frequency response up to at least 100 kHz. We expect that substantial improvements in efficiency should be possible. Moreover, as this material lends itself to integration with conventional electronic circuitry, it should be relatively straightforward to develop finely structured phase arrays of these devices, which would give control over the wavefront of the acoustic emissions.

The effects of a treatment based on high-pressure water vapor annealing (HWA) on nanocrystalline porous silicon have been investigated in terms of the photoluminescence (PL) efficiency and stability. For originally nonluminescent samples with a relatively low porosity, the treatment produces highly efficient and stable luminescent nanocrystalline-Si (nc-Si) layers without affecting the emission wavelength. Under appropriate conditions of pressure (2.6 MPa) and temperature (260 °C), the PL external quantum efficiency reaches 23% at room temperature. Electron-spin-resonance and infrared absorption analyses show that the HWA treatment promotes surface oxidation of nc-Si under a minimized mechanical stress and consequently generates sufficiently passivated nc-Si∕SiO2 interfaces with an extremely low nonradiative defect density. This causes a drastic enhancement in the PL efficiency associated with a strong localization of excitons in nc-Si. As a practical approach, the HWA technique is very useful for fabrication of efficient and stable optoelectronic nc-Si devices.

To clarify the effect of surface passivation on the optical properties of nanocrystalline porous silicon (PS), the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of PS have been investigated by employing a high-pressure water vapor annealing (HWA). PS samples with various porosities were prepared on (100)-oriented p-type (4Ωcm) single-crystalline silicon wafers by electrochemical anodization. Some samples were then electrochemically oxidized. The HWA treatment was then applied to the prepared PS samples at 0.5–3MPa and 200–300°C for 2–3h. The PL intensities, spectra, and dynamics after HWA were measured in relation to surface analyses by Fourier-transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. It is shown that the HWA treatment leads to a drastic enhancement in both the PL efficiency and stability. Under the optimum condition, the PS sample exhibits an extremely high external quantum efficiency of 23% at room temperature. According to the FTIR spectra analyses, silicon nanocrystallites in HWA-treated PS are covered with a high-quality SiO2 tissue. The PL decays are found to be longer than those of as-prepared PS, and become closer to a single-exponential behavior near the PL peak wavelength. The observed high efficiency and stability of PL emission from HWA-treated PS is attributed to (i) suppression of nonradiative surface defect density, (ii) uniform passivation by unstrained thin oxides, and (iii) strong localization of excitons in silicon nanocrystals. This low-temperature treatment is very useful for obtaining highly efficient and stable luminescent PS and devices.

Highly efficient electroluminescence (EL) is obtained at low operating voltage (<5 V) from n+-type silicon-electrochemically oxidized thin porous silicon–indium–tin–oxide junctions. Continuous wave external quantum efficiency greater than 1% and power efficiency of 0.37% have been achieved. Considerable reduction of leakage current accounts for the enhancement of EL efficiency upon oxidation. The EL time response (≈30 μs) is slower than the photoluminescence one, due to slow electrical charging of porous silicon. No degradation of quantum efficiency is observed during operation and upon aging. This is attributed to the electrochemically grown oxide, which should provide a better surface passivation than the initial hydrogen coverage.

BackgroundSexual imprinting is important for kin recognition and for promoting outbreeding, and has been a driving force for evolution; however, little is known about sexual imprinting by auditory cues in mammals. Male mice emit song-like ultrasonic vocalizations that possess strain-specific characteristics.ObjectivesIn this study, we asked whether female mice imprint and prefer specific characteristics in male songs.Methods and FindingsWe used the two-choice test to determine the song preference of female C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. By assessing the time engaged in searching behavior towards songs played back to females, we found that female mice displayed an innate preference for the songs of males from different strains. Moreover, this song preference was regulated by female reproductive status and by male sexual cues such as the pheromone ESP1. Finally, we revealed that this preference was reversed by cross-fostering and disappeared under fatherless conditions, indicating that the behavior was learned by exposure to the father's song.ConclusionsOur results suggest that female mice can discriminate among male song characteristics and prefer songs of mice from strains that are different from their parents, and that these preferences are based on their early social experiences. This is the first study in mammals to demonstrate that male songs contribute to kin recognition and mate choice by females, thus helping to avoid inbreeding and to facilitate offspring heterozygosity.

Male mice emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) towards females during male–female interaction. It has been reported that USVs of adult male mice have the capability of attracting females. Although the waveform pattern of USVs is affected by genetic background, differences among strains with respect to USV and the effects of these differences on courtship behavior have not been analyzed fully. We analyzed USV patterns, as well as actual social behavior during USV recording, in 13 inbred mouse strains, which included laboratory and wild-derived strains. Significant effects of strain were observed for the frequency of USV emission, duration, and frequency of the waveform category. Principal component (PC) analysis showed that PC1 was related to frequency and duration, and PC2–4 were related to each waveform. In the comparison of USV patterns and behaviors among strains, wild-derived KJR mice displayed the highest scores for PC2–4, and female mice paired with KJR males did not emit rejection-related click sounds. It is assumed that the waveforms emitted by KJR males have a positive effect in male–female interaction. Therefore, we extracted waveforms in PC2–4 from the USV recordings of KJR mice to produce a sound file, "HIGH2-4". As a negative control, another sound file ("LOW2-4") was created by extracting waveforms in PC2-4 from strains with low scores for these components. In the playback experiments using these sound files, female mice were attracted to the speaker that played HIGH2-4 but not the speaker that played LOW2-4. These results highlight the role of strain differences in the waveforms of male USVs during male–female interaction. The results indicated that female mice use male USVs as information when selecting a suitable mate.

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