Understanding patient-perceived outcomes is crucial for assessing the effectiveness and acceptability of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. This study aimed to explore patient-perceived outcomes of receiving direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). This study was a part of a mixed-methods case study of the Prince Charles Hospital program for improving access to HCV treatment in community settings. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with nine patients who were in different stages of their treatment for HCV. The participants were recruited using purposive sampling. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Patients emphasised 'having more energy' when reporting improvements in their physical health following treatment. They also reported a newly developed sense of freedom and hope. Improved physical and mental health empowered them to start a healthy lifestyle and to practise self-protection from the risk of re-infection. Patients highlighted their desire to help other patients to receive treatment, which was connected to their experience of the services that they received and their perceived health outcomes. Patients expect and experience various outcomes that are related to the physical, psychological and social aspects of living with, and being cured of HCV. Emphasis on the short-term outcomes of receiving HCV treatment may improve HCV treatment uptake and adherence rates.

/pdf/i-m-over-the-moon-patient-perceived-outcomes-of-hepatitis-c-4ucihvg7hh.pdf

‘I’m over the moon!’: patient-perceived outcomes of hepatitis C treatment

The authors report on the fabrication of photonic crystals in the InP∕InGaAsP∕InP material system for applications at telecommunication wavelengths. To achieve low optical loss, the photonic crystal holes must demonstrate smooth sidewalls and should be simultaneously deep and cylindrical. The authors present the etching process of these structures based on a Cl2∕Ar∕N2 chemistry with an inductively coupled plasma reactive-ion etching system. A systematic analysis is provided on the dependency of the hole sidewall roughness, depth, and shape on the process parameters such as etching power, pressure, and chemical composition of the plasma. They found that a low plasma excitation power and a low physical etching are beneficial for achieving deep holes, whereas for the nitrogen content in the plasma, a delicate balance needs to be found. Nitrogen has a negative impact on the hole shape and surface roughness but is capable of preventing underetching below the mask by passivation of the sidewalls. With the autho...

Detailed analysis of the influence of an inductively coupled plasma reactive-ion etching process on the hole depth and shape of photonic crystals in InP/InGaAsP

In this chapter the technology to fabricate fully integrated active-passive structures is presented in general. The fabrication technologies that were used to realize the devices in this thesis work are presented. Their compatibility with the full active-passive processing scheme is discussed. Two important aspects of the fabrication of active components, namely the contact metallization and the facet coating, are investigated and discussed more in detail.

/pdf/ultrafast-integrated-semiconductor-laser-technology-at-1-55-42nmxp898e.pdf

Ultrafast integrated semiconductor laser technology at 1.55 µm

Photonic crystals consist of an ensemble of periodic optical scatterers which, through their coherent interaction, induce a photonic band structure and eventually a band gap for certain optical frequencies. Photonic crystals promise to greatly enhance the control over the flow of light and, consequently, to initiate important technological developments in the fields of semiconductor lasers, LED-based lighting or highly integrated all-optical signal processing. The fabrication of photonic crystals at telecommunications (1.3-1.55μm) or visible wavelengths requires fabrication methods (patterning and pattern transfer) with nanometer-scale accuracy. In view of optoelectronic applications, the first part of this dissertation describes technology developments to fabricate planar photonic crystal structures in the InP material system. In the second part, transmission and near-field optical measurements are described to characterize the fabricated devices. As the first step in fabrication, the lithography determines to a large extent the accuracy with which nano-structures can be fabricated. Using electron-beam lithography, special emphasis has to be put on correcting proximity effects which are particularly sever due to the combination of the high electron backscatter efficiency of InP and the high density of objects in a photonic crystal design. In the course of this work, a proximityeffect correction software was developed which is tailored to the needs of photonic-crystal fabrication. In collaboration with Raith GmbH the software was extended to fulfill the requirements of general nano-patterning and was commercialized under the brand name “NanoPECS”. As a step further, a newly developed simulation method based on the energy deposition in the resist, was used to assess the accuracy limits of different proximity-effect correction methods and to investigate the effect of proximity and geometrical parameters on the lithography result. It was found

Nanometer-scale technology and near-field characterization of InP-based planar photonic-crystal devices

We present a measurement technique to quantify sidewall roughness inside planar photonic crystal (PhC) holes. Atomic force microscopy is used to scan hole cross-section profiles. By fitting a circle onto each scan line and subtracting this circle from the measurement data, a quantitative value for the deviation from the ideal cylindrical hole shape is extracted. We investigate the sidewall roughness of InP-based PhC holes depending on the nitrogen content of the semiconductor etching plasma. The existence of a trade-off between hole undercut and surface roughness by optimizing the flux of nitrogen during the plasma etching of the PhC holes is confirmed. We further quantify with this technique the influence of the direct-writing of octagons instead of circles by electron-beam lithography on the measured roughness.

Sidewall roughness measurement inside photonic crystal holes by atomic force microscopy

Monolithic photonic integration offers unsurpassed perspectives for higher functional density, new functions, high per-formance, and reduced cost for the telecommunication. Advanced local material growth techniques and the emerging photonic crystal (PhC) technology are enabling concepts towards high-density photonic integration, unprecedented per-formance, multi-functionality, and ultimately optical systems-on-a-chip. In this paper, we present our achievements in photonic integration applied to the fabrication of InP-based mode-locked laser diodes capable of generating optical pulses with sub-ps duration using the heterogeneous growth of a new uni-traveling carrier ultrafast absorber. The results are compared to simulations performed using a distributed model including intra-cavity reflections at the sections inter-faces and hybrid mode-locking. We also discuss our work on InP-based photonic crystals (PhCs) for dense photonic integration. A combination of two-dimensional modeling for functional optimization and three-dimensional simulation for real-world verification is used. The fabricated structures feature more than 3.5μm deep holes as well as excellent pattern-transfer accuracy using electron-beam lithography and advanced proximity-effects correction. Passive devices such as waveguides, 60° bends and power splitters are characterized by means of the end-fire technique. The devices are also investigated using scanning-near field optical microscopy. The PhC activity is extended to the investigation of TM bandgaps for all-optical switches relying on intersubband transitions at 1.55μm in AlAsSb/InGaAs quantum wells.

Photonic Integration for High Density and Multi-Functionality in the InP Material System

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Photonic Integration for High Density and Multi-Functionality in the InP Material System