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SUMMARY Over the past few decades, seismic studies have revealed complex structural anomalies in the Earth’s deep interior at various scales, such as large low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs) and ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs) in the lowermost mantle, and small-scale scatterers in the mid-mantle. These structures which are critical for better understanding of the geodynamics and evolution of the deep Earth, need to be further resolved by high-resolution imaging techniques. The spectral-element method (SEM) can be used to accurately simulate seismic wave propagation in heterogeneous Earth models, and its application in full-waveform inversion (FWI) provides a promising high-resolution and high-fidelity imaging technique. But it can be computationally prohibitive when used to model small scale structures in the deep Earth based upon high-frequency seismic waves. The heavy computational cost can be circumvented by using hybrid methods, which restrict the main computation by SEM solver to only a small target region (e.g. above the CMB) encompassing possible 2-D/3-D anomalies, and apply efficient analytical or numerical methods to calculate the wavefield for 1-D background models. These forward modelling tools based on hybrid methods can be then used in the so-called ‘box tomography’ approach to resolve fine-structures in the deep Earth. In this study, we outline the theory of a hybrid method used to model small scale structures in the deep Earth and present its implementation based on SEM solvers in a three-step workflow. First, the wavefield generated by the source is computed for the 1-D background model with traction and velocity saved for the virtual boundary of the target region, which are then used as boundary inputs to simulate the wavefield in the target region based on absorbing boundary condition in SEM. In the final step, the total wavefield at receivers is reconstructed based upon the total wavefield on the virtual boundary computed in the previous step. As a proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate the workflow of the hybrid method based on a 2-D SEM solver. Examples of the hybrid method applied to a coupled fluid–solid model show that our workflow can accurately recover the scattered waves back to the surface. Furthermore, we benchmark the hybrid method on a realistic heterogeneous Earth model built from AK135-F and show how teleseismic scattered waves can be used to model deep Earth structures. By documenting the theory and SEM implementation of the hybrid method, our study lays the foundation for future two-way coupling of 3-D SEM solver with other efficient analytic or numerical 1-D solvers.

Traditional teleseismic traveltime tomography using body waves has imaged a lot of high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) models of mantle structures (e.g.,

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Summary In this paper, the problem of H∞ output tracking control for networked control systems with random time delays and system uncertainties is investigated. Effective sampling instant that is tightly related with transmission delay from sensor to actuator is proposed to ensure that the random variable time delay is always shorter than one effective sampling period. By using both active time‐varying sampling period strategy and hybrid node‐driven mechanism, the switching instant is coincided with the effective sampling instant. An augmented time‐varying networked tracking system model is provided by including the output tracking error as an additional state. However, random transmission delay causes indeterminate sampling period, which induces infinite subsystems. Gridding approach is introduced to transform the continuous time axis into discrete‐time sequences, which guarantees the finite number of switching rules. By employing multiple Lyapunov–Krasovskii functions, linear matrix inequality (LMI)‐based output tracking H∞ performance analysis is presented, and robust switching H∞ model reference tracking controller for networked control systems with communication constraints and system uncertainties is designed to guarantee asymptotic tracking of prescribed reference outputs while rejecting disturbances. Finally, simulation results illustrate the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed approaches. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Constant-voltage time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) measurements are performed on recently manufactured commercial 1.2 kV 4H-SiC power metal-oxidesemiconductor (MOS) field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) from three vendors. Abrupt changes of the electric field acceleration parameters (γ) are observed at oxide electric fields (Eox) around 8.5 MV/cm to 9 MV/cm for all commercial MOSFETs. Gate leakage currents and threshold voltage shifts are also monitored under different oxide fields (Eox = 8 MV/cm and 10 MV/cm). The results suggest the failure mode under high oxide electric field is modified by impact ionization or Anode Hole Injection (AHI) induced hole trapping. This observation agrees with previously published oxide reliability studies on SiC MOSFETs and suggests that constant-voltage TDDB measurements need to be carefully performed under low oxide fields to avoid lifetime overestimation caused by hole trapping. The extrapolated t 63% lifetimes (times to 63% failures) from TDDB measurements performed at Eox < 8.5 MV/cm are longer than 10 8 hours at 150°C for all vendors. The predicted lifetimes at Eox = 4 MV/cm demonstrate more than 10 5 times increases than the oxide lifetimes reported a decade ago, showing promising progress in SiC technology.Index Terms-Electron and hole trapping, impact ionization, gate oxide reliability, lifetime, silicon carbide (SiC) power MOS-FETs, time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB).

Silicon carbide (SiC) power integrated circuit (IC) technology allows monolithic integration of 600 V lateral SiC power MOSFETs and low-voltage SiC CMOS devices. It enables application-specific SiC ICs with high power output and work under harsh (high-temperature and radioactive) environments compared to Si power ICs. This work presents the device characteristics, SPICE modeling, and SiC CMOS circuit demonstrations of the first two lots of the proposed SiC power IC technology. Level 3 SPICE models are created for the high-voltage lateral power MOSFETs and low-voltage CMOS devices. SiC ICs, such as the SiC CMOS inverter and ring oscillator, have been designed, packaged, and characterized. Proper operations of the circuits are demonstrated. The effects of the trapped interface charges on the characteristics of SiC MOSFETs and SiC ICs are also discussed.