• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.208-214
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• 2015

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of low magnetic field on dose distribution in the partial-breast irradiation (PBI). Eleven patients with an invasive early-stage breast carcinoma were treated prospectively with PBI using 38.5 Gy delivered in 10 fractions using the $ViewRay^{(R)}$ system. For each of the treatment plans, dose distribution was calculated with magnetic field and without magnetic field, and the difference between dose and volume for each organ were evaluated. For planning target volume (PTV), the analysis included the point minimum ($D_{min}$), maximum, mean dose ($D_{mean}$) and volume receiving at least 90% ($V_{90%}$), 95% ($V_{95%}$) and 107% ($V_{107%}$) of the prescribed dose, respectively. For organs at risk (OARs), the ipsilateral lung was analyzed with $D_{mean}$ and the volume receiving 20 Gy ($V_{20\;Gy}$), and the contralateral lung was analyzed with only $D_{mean}$. The heart was analyzed with $D_{mean}$, $D_{max}$, and $V_{20\;Gy}$, and both inner and outer shells were analyzed with the point $D_{min}$, $D_{max}$ and $D_{mean}$, respectively. For PTV, the effect of low magnetic field on dose distribution showed a difference of up to 2% for volume change and 4 Gy for dose. In OARs analysis, the significant effect of the magnetic field was not observed. Despite small deviation values, the average difference of mean dose values showed significant difference (p<0.001), but there was no difference of point minimum dose values in both sehll structures. The largest deviation for the average difference of $D_{max}$ in the outer shell structure was $5.0{\pm}10.5Gy$ (p=0.148). The effect of low magnetic field of 0.35 T on dose deposition by a Co-60 beam was not significantly observed within the body for PBI IMRT plans. The dose deposition was only appreciable outside the body, where a dose build-up due to contaminated electrons generated in the treatment head and scattered electrons formed near the body surface.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.290-297
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• 2009

In case of radiation treatment using small field high-energy photon beams, an accurate dosimetry is a challenging task because of dosimetrically unfavorable phenomena such as dramatic changes of the dose at the field boundaries, dis-equilibrium of the electrons, and non-uniformity between the detector and the phantom materials. In this study, the absorbed dose in the phantom was measured by using an ion chamber and a diode detector widely used in clinics. $GAFCHROMIC^{(R)}$ EBT films composed of water equivalent materials was also evaluated as a small field detector and compared with ionchamber and diode detectors. The output factors at 10 cm depth of a solid phantom located 100 cm from the 6 MV linear accelerator (Varian, 6 EX) source were measured for 6 field sizes ($5{\times}5\;cm^2$, $2{\times}2\;cm^2$, $1.5{\times}1.5\;cm^2$, $1{\times}1\;cm^2$, $0.7{\times}0.7\;cm^2$ and $0.5{\times}0.5\;cm^2$). As a result, from $5{\times}5\;cm^2$ to $1.5{\times}1.5\;cm^2$ field sizes, absorbed doses from three detectors were accurately identified within 1%. Wheres, the ion chamber underestimated dose compared to other detectors in the field sizes less than $1{\times}1\;cm^2$. In order to correct the observed underestimation, a convolution method was employed to eliminate the volume averaging effect of an ion chamber. Finally, in $1{\times}1\;cm^2$ field the absorbed dose with a diode detector was about 3% higher than that with the EBT film while the dose with the ion chamber after volume correction was 1% lower. For $0.5{\times}0.5\;cm^2$ field, the dose with the diode detector was 1% larger than that with the EBT film while dose with volume corrected ionization chamber was 7% lower. In conclusion, the possibility of $GAFCHROMIC^{(R)}$ EBT film as an small field dosimeter was tested and further investigation will be proceed using Monte Calro simulation.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.110-118
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• 2018

We have designed a mid-infrared optical system for an airborne electro-optical targeting system. The mid-IR optical system is a dual-field-of-view (FOV) optics for an airborne electro-optical targeting system. The optics consists of a beam-reducer, a zoom lens group, a relay lens group, a cold stop conjugation optics, and an IR detector. The IR detector is an f/5.3 cooled detector with a resolution of $1280{\times}1024$ square pixels, with a pixel size of $15{\times}15{\mu}m$. The optics provides two stepwise FOVs ($1.50^{\circ}{\times}1.20^{\circ}$ and $5.40^{\circ}{\times}4.23^{\circ}$) by the insertion of two lenses into the zoom lens group. The IR optical system was designed in such a way that the working f-number (f/5.3) of the cold stop internally provided by the IR detector is maintained over the entire FOV when changing the zoom. We performed two analyses to investigate thermal effects on the image quality: athermalization analysis and Narcissus analysis. Athermalization analysis investigated the image focus shift and residual high-order wavefront aberrations as the working temperature changes from $-55^{\circ}C$ to $50^{\circ}C$. We first identified the best compensator for the thermal focus drift, using the Zernike polynomial decomposition method. With the selected compensator, the optics was shown to maintain the on-axis MTF at the Nyquist frequency of the detector over 10%, throughout the temperature range. Narcissus analysis investigated the existence of the thermal ghost images of the cold detector formed by the optics itself, which is quantified by the Narcissus Induced Temperature Difference (NITD). The reported design was shown to have an NITD of less than $1.5^{\circ}C$.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the image quality improvement and dosimetric effects on virtual monochromatic images of a Dual Source-Dual Energy CT(DS-DECT) for radiotherapy planning. Materials and Methods: Dual energy(80/Sn 140 kVp) and single energy(120 kVp) scans were obtained with dual source CT scanner. Virtual monochromatic images were reconstructed at 40-140 keV for the catphan phantom study. The solid water-equivalent phantom for dosimetry performs an analytical calculation, which is implemented in TPS, of a 10 MV, $10{\times}10cm^2$ photon beam incident into the solid phantom with the existence of stainless steel. The dose profiles along the central axis at depths were discussed. The dosimetric consequences in computed treatment plans were evaluated based on polychromatic images at 120 kVp. Results: The magnitude of differences was large at lower monochromatic energy levels. The measurements at over 70 keV shows stable HU for polystyrene, acrylic. For CT to ED conversion curve, the shape of the curve at 120 kVp was close to that at 80 keV. 105 keV virtual monochromatic images were more successful than other energies at reducing streak artifacts, which some residual artifacts remained in the corrected image. The dose-calculation variations in radiotherapy treatment planning do not exceed ${\pm}0.7%$. Conclusion: Radiation doses with dual energy CT imaging can be lower than those with single energy CT imaging. The virtual monochromatic images were useful for the revision of CT number, which can be improved for target coverage and electron densities distribution.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.4 no.7
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• pp.759-766
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• 1994

Our investigation aimed to reduce the leakage current of $Ta_2O_5$ thin film capacitor by layering SnOz thin film layer under Ta thin film, thereby supplying extra oxygen ions from the $SnO_{2}$ underlayer to enhance the stoichiometry of $Ta_2O_5$ during the oxidation of Ta thin film. Tantalum was evaporated by e-beam or sputtered on p-Si wafers with various deposition temperatures and was oxidized by dry--oxygen at the temperatures between $500^{\circ}C$ and $900^{\circ}C$. Aluminum top and bottom electrodes were formed to make Al/$Ta_2O_5$/p-Si/Al or $Al/Ta_2O_5/SnO_2$p-Si/AI MIS type capacitors. LCR meter and pico-ammeter were used to measure the dielectric constants and leakage currents of the prepared thm film capacitors. XRD, AES and ESCA were employed to confirm the crystallization of the thin f~lm and the compositions of the films. Dielectric constant of $Ta_2O_5$ thin film capacitor with $SnO_{2}$ underlayer was found to be about 200, which is about 10 times higher than that of $Ta_2O_5$ thin film capacitor without $SnO_{2}$ underlayer. In addition, higher oxidation temperatures increased the dielectric constants and reduced the leakage current. Higher deposition temperature generally gave lower leakage current. $Ta_2O_5/SnO_2$ capacitor deposited at $200^{\circ}C$ and oxidized at $800^{\circ}C$ showed significantly lower leakage current, $10^{-7}A/\textrm{cm}^2$ at $4 \times 10^{5}$V/cm, compared to the one without $SnO_{2}$ underlayer. XRD showed that $Ta_2O_5$ thin film was crystallized above $700^{\circ}C$. AES and ESCA showed that initially the $SnO_{2}$, underlayer supplied oxygen ions to oxidize the Ta layer, however, Sn also diffused into the Ta thin film layer to form a new $Ta_xSn_YO_Z$ , ternary oxide layer after all.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Cobalt silicide was used as a counter electrode in order to confirm its reliability in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices. 100 nm-Co/300 nm-Si/quartz was formed by an evaporator and cobalt silicide was formed by vacuum heat treatment at $700^{\circ}C$ for 60 min to form approximately 350 nm-CoSi. This process was followed by etching in $80^{\circ}C$-30% $H_2SO_4$ to remove the cobalt residue on the cobalt silicide surface. Also, for the comparison against Pt, we prepared a 100 nm-Pt/glass counter electrode. Cobalt silicide was used for the counter electrode in order to confirm its reliability in DSSC devices and maintained for 0, 168, 336, 504, 672, and 840 hours at $80^{\circ}C$. The photovoltaic properties of the DSSCs employing cobalt silicide were confirmed by using a simulator and potentiostat. Cyclic-voltammetry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry analyses were used to confirm the catalytic activity, microstructure, and composition, respectively. The energy conversion efficiency (ECE) as a function of time and ECE of the DSSC with Pt and CoSi counter electrodes were maintained for 504 hours. However, after 672 hours, the ECEs decreased to a half of their initial values. The results of the catalytic activity analysis showed that the catalytic activities of the Pt and CoSi counter electrodes decreased to 64% and 57% of their initial values, respectively(after 840 hours). The microstructure analysis showed that the CoSi layer improved the durability in the electrolyte, but because the stress concentrates on the contact surface between the lower quartz substrate and the CoSi layer, cracks are formed locally and flaking occurs. Thus, deterioration occurs due to the residual stress built up during the silicidation of the CoSi counter electrode, so it is necessary to take measures against these residual stresses, in order to ensure the reliability of the electrode.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.66-73
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• 2001

Purpose : For the research of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), fast neutrons generated from the MC-50 cyclotron with maximum energy of 34.4 MeV in Korea Cancer Center Hospital were moderated by 70 cm paraffin and then the dose characteristics were investigated. Using these results, we hope to establish the protocol about dose measurement of epi-thermal neutron, to make a basis of dose characteristic of epi-thermal neutron emitted from nuclear reactor, and to find feasibility about accelerator-based BNCT. Method and Materials : For measuring the absorbed dose and dose distribution of fast neutron beams, we used Unidos 10005 (PTW, Germany) electrometer and IC-17 (Far West, USA), IC-18, ElC-1 ion chambers manufactured by A-150 plastic and used IC-l7M ion chamber manufactured by magnesium for gamma dose. There chambers were flushed with tissue equivalent gas and argon gas and then the flow rate was S co per minute. Using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code, transport program in mixed field with neutron, photon, electron, two dimensional dose and energy fluence distribution was calculated and there results were compared with measured results. Results : The absorbed dose of fast neutron beams was $6.47\times10^{-3}$ cGy per 1 MU at the 4 cm depth of the water phantom, which is assumed to be effective depth for BNCT. The magnitude of gamma contamination intermingled with fast neutron beams was $65.2{\pm}0.9\%$ at the same depth. In the dose distribution according to the depth of water, the neutron dose decreased linearly and the gamma dose decreased exponentially as the depth was deepened. The factor expressed energy level, $D_{20}/D_{10}$, of the total dose was 0.718. Conclusion : Through the direct measurement using the two ion chambers, which is made different wall materials, and computer calculation of isodose distribution using MCNP simulation method, we have found the dose characteristics of low fluence fast neutron beams. If the power supply and the target material, which generate high voltage and current, will be developed and gamma contamination was reduced by lead or bismuth, we think, it may be possible to accelerator-based BNCT.