A theoretical design basis for minimizing CMOS fixed taper bufferarea

This paper develops a theoretical basis for the minimization of chip area required for fixed taper buffer design. It modifies the well-known procedure for minimizing delay time in such circuits to derive a minimum number of required stages. Rather than minimize delay time, the procedure realizes a specified buffer delay time using a stage-area scale factor that minimizes the total area of the buffer. Since an integer number of tapered stages must be used while the calculations lead to noninteger results, the effects of roundoff errors are included     

Cortical implants for the blind

Arrays of stimulating electrodes can be placed in the brain itself, in the visual cortex, to bring vision to the profoundly blind. However, when designing such devices one needs to take into consideration the fact that the visual pathway maps images onto cortical structures in a complex and unpredictable way     

Reduction of loading effect by tungsten etchback in a magneticallyenhanced reactive ion etcher

The plug loading effect occurring during the etchback of tungsten was investigated in a magnetically enhanced reactive ion etcher using SF ₆/Ar mixtures. It was found that while the plug loading effect is independent of varying SF₆/Ar flow rate ratio and magnetic field intensity, it is reduced under the condition of high selectivity of tungsten relative to TiN which was achieved at high chamber pressure and low RF power. It is proposed that when TiN is used as a glue layer, the W etch rate enhancement in the plug is mainly controlled by a local loading effect. Under the optimized etchback conditions the plug loss was successfully controlled without the tungsten residue left on severe topology     

Gildes model studies of aqueous chemistry. III. Initial SO2-induced atmospheric corrosion of copper

The GILDES computer model, incorporating Stumm's concept of proton- and ligand-promoted dissolution, has been used to simulate the exposure of copper at room temperature to 210 ppb sulfur dioxide and 80% relative humidity. The agreement is good between the calculations and laboratory exposures performed under these exposure conditions. Surface reactions are relatively more important at lower relative humidities and the dominant corrosion products formed are solid state Cu₂SO₃, CuSO₃ and Cu₂U. Free-radical redox processes are important participants and control the relative distribution of Cu(I)- and Cu(H)-containing corrosion products.     

Finite twist and extension of a cylindrical elastic membrane

Summary We consider a circular cylindrical membrane subjected to longitudinal extension and twist. The associated equilibrium deformation is considered to be axisymmetric and the analysis is based on a direct two-dimensional formulation. Wrinkling of the membrane is taken into account in an approximate way by introducing arelaxed strain energy function derived from the neo-Hookean strain energy for isotropic elastic solids. Analytical formulae for wrinkled parts of the membrane are used to corroborate the results of a numerical treatment of the full boundary value problem.Dedicated to the memory of A. C. Pipkin     

Measurement of the tunnel rate in SIS' tunnel junctions as function of bias voltage

Cryogenic detectors with superconducting tunnel junctions can provide an energy resolution improved by at least one order of magnitude compared with standard semiconductor detectors. While the detection principle was already demonstrated many years ago, the past years were dedicated to the transition from the laboratory sample to practical detectors. Our most favored detector design gives rise to tunnel junctions with electrodes of unequal energy gaps. In such hetero tunnel junctions bias conditions can be established which cause a negative signal current. We report the experimental verification of this effect, and we discuss the yield of charge signal of cryogenic detectors based upon superconducting tunnel junctions.     

Comparative Rheomechanical and Adhesive Properties of Two Hydrocolloid Dressings: Dependence on the Degree of Hydration

Hydration is believed to modify the mechanical properties (resistance to stress) and the rheological (viscoelastic) properties of hydrocolloid dressings. Rheomechanical properties in turn influence adhesional properties. In this work the relationships between the degree of hydration and the rheomechanical and the adhesive properties of two different commercial dressings (regular and nondispersive) were investigated. The two dressings showed different hydration characteristics. The regular dressing takes up water rapidly and tends to reach saturation after 12 hr. As the dressing swells and loses its integrity there is an accompanying reduction of both rheomechanical and adhesive properties. The nondispersive dressing exhibits a linear water uptake profile over extended periods of hydration up to 4 days. It does not swell and its rheomechanical and adhesive properties remain unchanged after hydration, The comparative evaluation of the results obtained with the various methods points to the relevance of mechanical and viscoelastic properties to the functionality assessment of dressings.     

Measurement of the dielectric constant of highly absorbing polar liquids at microwave frequencies

Nomograms are given for claculating the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of polar liquids by measuring the standing wave ratio for an infinitely thick layer of fluid and the layer thickness at which wave reflection is minimum. Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 2, pp. 46–47, February, 1996.     

Author index,vol. 70 (1994/1995)

Author index, vol. 70 (1994/1995)