The lack of a standardized database of eddy covariance observations has been an obstacle for data‐driven estimation of terrestrial CO₂ fluxes in Asia. In this study, we developed such a standardized database using 54 sites from various databases by applying consistent postprocessing for data‐driven estimation of gross primary productivity (GPP) and net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE). Data‐driven estimation was conducted by using a machine learning algorithm: support vector regression (SVR), with remote sensing data for 2000 to 2015 period. Site‐level evaluation of the estimated CO₂ fluxes shows that although performance varies in different vegetation and climate classifications, GPP and NEE at 8 days are reproduced (e.g., r² = 0.73 and 0.42 for 8 day GPP and NEE). Evaluation of spatially estimated GPP with Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2 sensor‐based Sun‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence shows that monthly GPP variations at subcontinental scale were reproduced by SVR (r² = 1.00, 0.94, 0.91, and 0.89 for Siberia, East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, respectively). Evaluation of spatially estimated NEE with net atmosphere‐land CO₂ fluxes of Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) Level 4A product shows that monthly variations of these data were consistent in Siberia and East Asia; meanwhile, inconsistency was found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Furthermore, differences in the land CO₂ fluxes from SVR‐NEE and GOSAT Level 4A were partially explained by accounting for the differences in the definition of land CO₂ fluxes. These data‐driven estimates can provide a new opportunity to assess CO₂ fluxes in Asia and evaluate and constrain terrestrial ecosystem models.

Rising atmospheric CO₂ concentration ([CO₂]) enhances photosynthesis and reduces transpiration at the leaf, ecosystem, and global scale via the CO₂ fertilization effect. The CO₂ fertilization effect is among the most important processes for predicting the terrestrial carbon budget and future climate, yet it has been elusive to quantify. For evaluating the CO₂ fertilization effect on land photosynthesis and transpiration, we developed a technique that isolated this effect from other confounding effects, such as changes in climate, using a noisy time series of observed land-atmosphere CO₂ and water vapor exchange. Here, we evaluate the magnitude of this effect from 2000 to 2014 globally based on constraint optimization of gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration in a canopy photosynthesis model over 104 global eddy-covariance stations. We found a consistent increase of GPP (0.138 ± 0.007% ppm⁻¹; percentile per rising ppm of [CO₂]) and a concomitant decrease in transpiration (−0.073% ± 0.006% ppm⁻¹) due to rising [CO₂]. Enhanced GPP from CO₂ fertilization after the baseline year 2000 is, on average, 1.2% of global GPP, 12.4 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ or 1.8 Pg C yr⁻¹ at the years from 2001 to 2014. Our result demonstrates that the current increase in [CO₂] could potentially explain the recent land CO₂ sink at the global scale.

(La₂O₃)_1-x (Al₂O₃) _x composite films (La₂O₃:Al₂O₃ = 100:0, 80:20, 67:33, 50:50) were synthesized using pulsed laser deposition. We investigated their thermal stability and electrical properties as high dielectric constant gate dielectric films. La₂O₃ (an Al₂O₃ content of 0%) films were uniformly crystallized as La-silicate after rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 1000°C for 15 s in an N₂ ambient. We found that the addition of Al₂O₃ suppresses crystallization, and amorphous structures are retained in the samples with an Al₂O₃ content of 33% or greater. Furthermore, Al₂O₃ addition suppresses diffusion of Si into upper composite films during RTA. The smallest capacitance equivalent oxide thickness of 1.2 nm was achieved for a sample with an Al₂O₃ content of 20% and with leakage current density of 3.9×10^-3 A/cm² at + 1 V relative to the flat band voltage.

The initial growth process of ${\mathrm{Si}}_{\text{1−x−y}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_x{\mathrm{C}}_y$ thin films on Si(001) surfaces is examined by scanning tunneling microscopy. The surface morphology of the film critically depends on the C fraction in the film. Evidence is presented on an atomic scale that the epitaxial growth of ${\mathrm{Si}}_{\text{1−x−y}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_x{\mathrm{C}}_y$ films with large C fractions is dominated by phase separation between Si–C and Si–Ge, concomitant with C condensation on the surface of the growing films. We find that the addition of a thin (1–2 ML) SiGe interlayer between the ${\mathrm{Si}}_{\text{1−x−y}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_x{\mathrm{C}}_y$ film and the Si substrate drastically improves the film structure, leading to a planar morphology even with large C fractions present in the film.