NOVASiC (France)

The paper presents e.NOVA Aerospace's innovative approach to atmospheric re-entry technology through the development of the Back From Space (BFS) project. The BFS aims to provide a low-cost, adaptable means of transporting payloads from orbit to Earth, addressing the growing demand for efficient microgravity environments for scientific and commercial purposes. Drawing on advancements in CubeSat technology and flexible thermal protection systems (F-TPS), the BFS project seeks to overcome limitations in current microgravity research methods by offering autonomous re-entry capabilities for small payloads. The paper discusses the evolution of CubeSat technology and highlights similar projects developed by leading space agencies such as NASA, ESA, and China. It delves into the market demand for microgravity environments and outlines the mission objectives, development process, and challenges faced by the BFS project. Furthermore, it examines the mechanical design, aerodynamics, landing capabilities, electronic unit, and roadmap for future development. Through collaborations with industry partners and research institutions, e.NOVA aims to revolutionize access to space and enable frequent, cost-effective microgravity experiments and payload returns.

Abstract We explore some of the risks related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) from an actuarial perspective based on research from a transregional industry focus group. We aim to define the key gaps and challenges faced when implementing and utilising modern modelling techniques within traditional actuarial tasks from a risk perspective and in the context of professional standards and regulations. We explore best practice guidelines to attempt to define an ideal approach and propose potential next steps to help reach the ideal approach. We aim to focus on the considerations, initially from a traditional actuarial perspective and then, if relevant, consider some implications for non-traditional actuarial work, by way of examples. The examples are not intended to be exhaustive. The group considered potential issues and challenges of using AI, related to the following key themes: Ethical ○ Bias, fairness, and discrimination ○ Individualisation of risk assessment ○ Public interest Professional ○ Interpretability and explainability ○ Transparency, reproducibility, and replicability ○ Validation and governance Lack of relevant skills available Wider themes This paper aims to provide observations that could help inform industry and professional guidelines or discussion or to support industry practitioners. It is not intended to replace current regulation, actuarial standards, or guidelines. The paper is aimed at an actuarial and insurance technical audience, specifically those who are utilising or developing AI, and actuarial industry bodies.

(111)-oriented cubic polytypes of silicon carbide (3C-SiC) films were grown by chemical vapor deposition on 2H-AlN(0001)/Si(111) and 2H-AlN(0001)/Si(110) templates. The structural and electrical properties of the films were investigated. For film thicknesses below 300 nm, the 3C-SiC material deposited on 2H-AlN/Si presented a better structural quality than the 3C-SiC films grown directly on Si(111) using the well-established two-step carbonization–epitaxy process. The good lattice match of 3C-SiC with AlN may open a reliable route towards high-quality thin heteroepitaxial 3C-SiC films on a silicon wafer. Nevertheless, the 3C-SiC was featured by the presence of twinned domains and small inclusions of 6H-SiC. The formation of a thin AlSiN film at the AlN/Si interface is also reported. This is the first time such AlSiN layers are described within an AlN/Si heterostructure. Furthermore, noticeable modifications were observed in the AlN film. First, the growth process of SiC on AlN induced a reduction of the dislocation density in the AlN, attesting to the structural healing of AlN with thermal treatment, as already observed for other AlN-based heterostructures with higher-temperature processes. The growth of SiC on AlN also induced a dramatic reduction in the insulating character of the AlN, which could be related to a noticeable cross-doping between the materials.

This paper presents a macro-and nanoscale electrical investigation of Schottky and metal-oxide junctions with hetero-epitaxial 3C-SiC layers grown on Si. Statistical current-density-voltage (J-V) characterization of Pt/3C-SiC Schottky diodes showed an increase of the reverse leakage current with increasing the devices diameters. Furthermore, C-V and J-V analyses of SiO2/3C-SiC capacitors revealed non-idealities of the thermal oxide, such as a high trapped positive charge (3×1012 cm−2) and a reduced breakdown field (EBD=6.5 MV/cm) compared to ideal SiO2. Nanoscale electrical characterizations by conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) and scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) allowed to shed light on the origin of non-ideal behavior of Schottky and thermal oxide junctions, by correlating the morphological features associated to 3C-SiC crystalline defects with local current transport and carrier density.

This paper relates the design of electromechanical actuators for camber actuation in a morphing flap. In order to reduce fuel consumption, the camber of an articulated wing or flap is controled to reach specific aerodynamic profiles. The wing is divided in 6 parts, connected with 5 hinges. The angles of the hinges are controled by the electromechanical actuators, through a proper leverage and a linear force. The leverages are specified for each articulation from the torques applied on it, which are calculated to reach the profiles under flight conditions. The electromechanical actuators consist in a motor, a gearbox and a screw and nut transmission. Their integration and their torque close control are presented

Free standing 3C-SiC wafers with a dimeter of 50 mm and a thickness of ca. 0.8 mm have been grown on a regular base using 3C-SiC CVD seed transfer from Si wafers to a poly-SiC-carrier and a sublimation epitaxy configuration. Up to the thickness of almost 1 mm, stable growth conditions of the cubic polytype have been achieved. The high supersaturation was kept stable by the proper design of the hot zone that enables a high axial temperature gradient at the growth interface. The Sirich gas phase was realized by the application of a Tantalum getter that was integrated into the graphitebased growth cell. Furthermore, an adaption of the growth setup allowed the growth of 3C material with a diameter of 95 mm and bulk material up to 3 mm on 25 mm diameter. Computer simulations were used to determine the supersaturation of the growth setup for different source-to-seed distances. The minimum supersaturation necessary for stable growth of cubic SiC was found to be higher 0.1 for seed already containing the required 3C polytype.

Emerging wide bandgap semiconductor devices such as the ones built with SiC have the potential to revolutionize the power electronics industry through faster switching speeds, lower losses, and higher blocking voltages, which are superior to standard silicon-based devices. The current epitaxial technology enables more controllable and less defective large area substrate growth for the hexagonal polymorph of SiC (4H-SiC) with respect to the cubic counterpart (3C-SiC). However, the cubic polymorph exhibits superior physical properties in comparison to its hexagonal counterpart, such as a narrower bandgap (2.3 eV), possibility to be grown on a silicon substrate, a reduced density of states at the SiC/SiO2 interface, and a higher channel mobility, characteristics that are ideal for its incorporation in metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors. The most critical issue that hinders the use of 3C-SiC for electronic devices is the high number of defects in bulk and epilayers, respectively. Their origin and evolution are not understood in the literature to date. In this manuscript, we combine ab initio calibrated Kinetic Monte Carlo calculations with transmission electron microscopy characterization to evaluate the evolution of extended defects in 3C-SiC. Our study pinpoints the atomistic mechanisms responsible for extended defect generation and evolution, and establishes that the antiphase boundary is the critical source of other extended defects such as single stacking faults with different symmetries and sequences. This paper showcases that the eventual reduction of these antiphase boundaries is particularly important to achieve good quality crystals, which can then be incorporated in electronic devices.

The synthesis of graphene on cubic silicon carbide on silicon pseudosubstrates draws enormous interest due to the potential integration of the 2D material with the well-established silicon technology and processing. However, the control of transport properties over large scales on this platform, essential for integrated electronics and photonics applications, has lagged behind so far, due to limitations such as 3C-SiC/Si interface instability and nonuniform graphene coverage. We address these issues by obtaining an epitaxial graphene (EG) onto 3C-SiC on a highly resistive silicon substrate using an alloy-mediated, solid-source graphene synthesis. We report the transport properties of EG grown over large areas directly on 3C-SiC(100) and 3C-SiC(111) substrates, and we present the corresponding physical models. We observe that the carrier transport of EG/3C-SiC is dominated by the graphene–substrate interaction rather than the EG grain size, sharing the same conductivity and same inverse power law as EG on 4H- or 6H-SiC(0001) substrates—although the grain sizes for the latter are vastly different. In addition, we show that the induced oxidation/silicates at the EG/3C-SiC interface generate a p-type charge in this graphene, particularly high for the EG/3C-SiC(001). When silicates are at the interface, the presence of a buffer layer in the EG/3C-SiC(111) system is found to reduce somewhat the charge transfer. This work also indicates that a renewed focus on the understanding and engineering of the EG interfaces could very well enable the long sought-after graphene-based electronics and photonics integrated on silicon.

The cubic polytype of SiC (3C-SiC) is the only one that can be grown on silicon substrate with the thickness required for targeted applications. Possibility to grow such layers has remained for a long period a real advantage in terms of scalability. Even the relatively narrow band-gap of 3C-SiC (2.3eV), which is often regarded as detrimental in comparison with other polytypes, can in fact be an advantage. However, the crystalline quality of 3C-SiC on silicon has to be improved in order to benefit from the intrinsic 3C-SiC properties. In this project new approaches for the reduction of defects will be used and new compliance substrates that can help to reduce the stress and the defect density at the same time will be explored. Numerical simulations will be applied to optimize growth conditions and reduce stress in the material. The structure of the final devices will be simulated using the appropriated numerical tools where new numerical model will be introduced to take into account the properties of the new material. Thanks to these simulations tools and the new material with low defect density, several devices that can work at high power and with low power consumption will be realized within the project.

PurposeStrabismus is usually treated by corrective surgery of the extraocular muscles, the parameters of which mainly depend on the misalignment measurement and hence on its precision. The current strabismus angle measurement (prism cover test) hasn't changed since the eighteenth century. This test is time‐consuming, cumbersome, severely limited by the child's cooperation, subjective and highly dependent on the examiner's skill and experience. Studies have shown a very high inter‐examiner variability in measurement results. Moreover, the angle of strabismus itself may vary over time and the current low‐efficiency test does not allow for multiple testing of the same patient, thus reducing the test's accuracy. Increasing the measurement accuracy and efficiency may reduce the number of reoperations and will improve results of strabismus surgery, prism prescriptions and orthoptic therapy and monitoring.MethodsWe are evaluating the accuracy and repeatability of NovaSight's novel strabismus angle measurement method using an automatic and objective system based on eye tracking, in comparison to the prism cover test results.ResultsA group of 23 adult subjects (average age 26.8 ± 4.6 years) with eye deviations, heterotropia and heterophoria, were tested by both the automatic and the manual tests in a masked fashion by two experienced optometrists. The clinical trial results show a high correlation of over 88% between the presented automatic test and the golden standard prism cover test while a significant difference in standard deviation was found, the repeatability of the automated test is twice as high as that of the manual test.ConclusionsThe system increases the examination accuracy and thus may reduce the number of strabismus reoperations. The system also reduces chair time significantly and has the potential to become the new standard of care.