R. Ramesh - Böcker

This edited volume is intended to address in a comprehensive and integrated manner three major areas of national and international security research from an information systems-centric perspective: legal and policy frameworks; intelligence and security informatics; and emergency preparedness and infrastructure protection. The discussions are replete with real-world case studies and examples that present the concepts using an integrated, action-oriented and theory-based approach to validate the frameworks presented and to provide specific insights on the technical approaches and organizational issues under investigation.This book is intended to be used as both a textbook and a comprehensive research handbook. The contributors to this edited volume are renowned experts in their respective fields. Most of the chapters contained in this book provide an updated comprehensive survey of the related field and also specific findings from cutting-edging innovative research. To facilitate its adoption as a textbook, all the authors have included specific discussion questions that could be utilized to stimulate discussions and potentially further research in the area. This book addresses three major areas of national and international security research from an information systems-centric perspective. It focuses on legal and policy frameworks, intelligence and security informatics, and emergency preparedness and infrastructure protection. Real-world case studies are used as examples to provide specific insights.

This is a compilation of current research and development in very important ferroelectric device technologies, namely ferroelectrics for dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) and non-volatile ferroelectric random access memories (NV-FRAMs). Given the rapid pace of development and the broad scope of the general topic of ferroelectric materials, readers will benefit from such a focused presentation. The primary focus of the book is to expound the materials and device aspects of these technologies. All the chapters have been written by leaders in their fields. Therefore, each chapter provides a comprehensive treatment of a specific topic of relevance to these two technologies.

The past five years have witnessed some dramatic developments in the general area of ferroelectric thin films materials and devices. Ferroelectrics are not new materials by any stretch ofimagination. Indeed, they have been known since the early partofthis century and popular ferroelectric materials such as Barium Titanate have been in use since the second world war. In the late sixties and seventies, a considerable amountofresearch and development effort was made to create a solid state nonvolatile memory using ferroelectrics in a vary simple matrix-addressed scheme. These attempts failed primarily due to problems associated with either the materials ordue to device architectures. The early eighties saw the advent of new materials processing approaches, such as sol-gel processing, that enabled researchers to fabricate sub-micron thin films of ferroelectric materials on a silicon substrate. These pioneering developments signaled the onsetofa revival in the areaofferroelectric thin films, especially ferroelectric nonvolatile memories. Research and development effort in ferroelectric materials and devices has now hit a feverish pitch, Many university laboratories, national laboratories and advanced R&D laboratories oflarge IC manufacturers are deeply involved in the pursuit of ferroelectric device technologies. Many companies worldwide are investing considerable manpower and resources into ferroelectric technologies. Some have already announced products ranging from embedded memories in micro­ controllers, low density stand-alone memories, microwave circuit elements, andrf identification tags. There is now considerable optimism that ferroelectric devices andproducts will occupy a significant market-share in the new millennium.

Advances in synthesis and characterization of dielectric, piezoelectric and ferroelectric thin films are included in this volume. Dielectric, piezoelectric and ferroelectric thin films have a tremendous impact on a variety of commercial and military systems including tunable microwave devices, memories, MEMS devices, actuators and sensors. Recent work on piezoelectric characterization, AFE to FE dielectric phase transformation dielectrics, solution and vapor deposited thin films, and materials integration are among the topics included. Novel approaches to nanostructuring, characterization of material properties and physical responses at the nanoscale also is included.