Current reliability issues and future technologies for systems on silicon – processes, circuits, chip architecture, and design

The progress of silicon technology is opening the era of “systems on silicon” in which a large-scale memory, a CPU, and other logic macros will be integrated on a single chip. These kinds of chips, called system LSIs, have an especially promising future in mobile and multimedia applications but face inherent technical problems related to the reliability of ultrathin oxide film, conflict in the processing of different components, increased gate and subthreshold leakage currents, memory bottlenecks, and design complexity. This paper reviews the system LSIs and then introduces related technologies in processing, circuits, chip architecture, and design. It also discusses the influence of the system LSIs on business strategies.     

Characterisation of volatile sulphur-containing compounds generated in crushed leaves of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum Rottler)

To characterise the composition of sulphur-containing constituents in Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum Rottler), GC–MS and HPLC analyses were carried out, using 12 varieties of Chinese origin, 4 varieties of Japanese origin and 6 commercially available cultivars. Five disulphides (dimethyl, allyl methyl, methyl 1-(E)-propenyl, diallyl, and allyl 1-(E)-propenyl), two trisulphides (dimethyl and allyl methyl), and two vinyldithiins (3-vinyl-[4H]-1,2- and 2-vinyl-[4H]-1,3-) were identified on the basis of their mass spectral and GC-retention data. Among the detected sulphur compounds, sulphides with a methyl group predominated over those with an allyl group. This was supported by the HPLC estimations, suggesting that all cultivars examined had much greater amounts of methiin than alliin. Also, two novel compounds were tentatively identified as [3H,4H]-1,2-dithiin and [2H,4H]-1,3-dithiin on the basis of their mass spectral features, GC-retention data, and some experimental results on their formation in reaction mixtures with different proportions of methiin and alliin. Their formation mechanism was proposed.     

An outcome of nuclear safety research in JAERI: case study for LOCA

An outcome of nuclear safety research (NSR) done by JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute) was case studied by the bibliometric method. (1) For LOCA (loss-of-coolant accident) a domestic share of JAERI in monoclinic research paper was 63% at the past (20) 1978–1982 but was decreased to 40% at the present 1998–2002. For co-authored papers a domestic share between JAERI and PS (public sectors) was zero at past (20) but increased to 4% at the present. Research cooperation is active between Tokyo University and JAERI or between JAERI and Nagoya University. (2) It is revealed that LOCA outputs born by NSR-JAERI reflected partly to those of the Safety Licensing Guidelines, however, a share of NSR-JAERI could not determined due to the lack of necessary information in the Guideline.     

Construction and field measurement of high-speed railway test embankment built on Indian expansive soil “Black Cotton Soil”

The railway embankment applied to high-speed railways is required to have high performance in terms of strength and deformation characteristics. Especially in the case of railway embankments that support slab tracks, the allowable settlement is very small. There are two technical challenges in constructing high-speed rail embankments to support slab tracks in India. The first challenge is dealing with problematic black cotton soil (BCS), which is widely distributed in India but very unusual soil in Japan. The second challenge is posed by the strict deformation requirement in the construction of the embankments. In this study, a 6 m-high test embankment was constructed on BCS in India. The deformation of the embankment and changes in water content were measured over a period of 18 months. In the construction of the test embankment, two different BCS countermeasures were applied. The results of the tests on this embankment were compared with those from an embankment without countermeasures. Complicated deformation behaviors, including settlement and the uplift of embankment, were observed in the section without countermeasure. However, in the embankment with cement-mixed gravelly soil (CGS) slab improvement with geosynthetics, the much lower amplitude of embankment deformation is evidence of the effectiveness of this countermeasure. The cohesive non-swelling soil (CNS) layer applied immediately below the embankment to reduce the water content fluctuation of BCS was not effective enough for use for high-speed railway embankment. Besides determining the technical challenges for the BCS countermeasures, the results of this study confirmed that a high-performance embankment can be constructed with Indian embankment material by performing sufficient compaction management.     

A novel MOSFET with vertical signal‐transfer capability for 3D‐structured CMOS image sensors

We have developed a novel MOSFET that can transfer signals vertically without through‐silicon vias but by using a fully depleted silicon‐on‐insulator (FDSOI) structure with its source region connected to the back electrodes as well as the front ones. A prototype MOSFET fabricated using the backside anisotropic wet etching technique has confirmed that the electrical characteristics measured from the front and the back electrodes are identical. The subthreshold factor S of the prototype was found to be 64.5 mV/decade, suggesting a good switching performance. Since the double‐sided MOSFET has vertical signal‐transfer capability and excellent operating characteristics, it is expected to contribute to developing a More‐than‐Moore type device of three‐dimensional integration such as pixel‐parallel image sensors. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Field instrument for simultaneous large dynamic range measurement of atmospheric hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, and sulfur dioxide

We describe a membrane-based collection/analysis system that differentially monitors H2S and CH3SH, and to which a conductometric SO2 analyzer using the same collector was coupled. A diffusion scrubber (DS) comprised of a Nafion tube collects H2S selectively while a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (pPTFE) DS collects both H2S and CH3SH. Both gases are measured via their ability to react with fluorescein mercuric acetate (FMA) which results in decreased fluorescence. The limited dynamic range of a negative signal procedure was overcome by using dual DS units comprised of short and long scrubbers, placed serially in the liquid flow line. Different DS designs and membrane materials were investigated. H2S, CH3SH, and SO2 from a biogenic point source were continuously measured, and the H2S/CH3SH data compared well with a standard procedure involving Tedlar bag collection, preconcentration and thermal desorption from a Tenax trap, and measurement by gas chromatography/flame photometric detection. Walkaround portability of the instrument and very large dynamic range measurement of H2S and SO2 were demonstrated around the Mt. Aso volcano.     

A low-carbon scenario creation method for a local-scale economy and its application in Kyoto city

On May 2008, Kyoto city government set up a low-carbon target of a 50% GHG reduction by 2030 compared to the 1990 level. To contribute to these discussions, we developed a local (city-scale) low-carbon scenario creation method. An estimation model was developed to show a quantitative and consistent future snapshot. The model can explicitly treat the uncertainty of future socio-economic situations, which originate from the openness of local economy. The method was applied to Kyoto city, and countermeasures to achieve the low-carbon target were identified. Without countermeasures, emissions would increase 12% from 2000. Among the measures, the reduction potential of energy efficiency improvements to residential and commercial sectors was found to be relatively large (15% and 18% of total reductions, respectively). The reduction potential of the passenger transport sector, in which the city government's policy is especially important, was 17% of the total amount. A sensitivity analysis showed that a 10% increase in exports leads to an 8.5% increase in CO₂ emissions, and a 20% increase in the share of the commuters from outside the city leads to a 3.5% decrease of CO₂ emissions because of the smaller number of residents in the city.     

Programmed High‐Hole‐Mobility Supramolecular Polymers from Disk‐Shaped Molecules

In this paper a simple, casting solution technique for the preparation of two‐dimensional (2D) arrays of very‐high molecular weight (MW) 1D‐Pc supramolecular inorganic polymers is described. The soluble fluoroaluminium tetra‐tert‐butylphthalocyanine (ttbPcAlF) is synthesized and characterized, which can be self‐assembled to form 2D arrays of very‐high‐MW 1D‐Pc supramolecular inorganic polymers. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) demonstrates that the 1D‐ttbPcAlF, having a cofacial ring spacing of ～0.36 nm and an interchain distance of ～1.7 nm, self‐assembles into 2D‐nanosheets (～140 nm in length, ～20 nm in width, and equivalent to MW of 3.2 × 10⁵ g mol^?1). The film cast from a 1,2‐dichloroethane (DCE) solution shows a minimum hole‐mobility of ～0.3 cm² V^?1 s^?1 at room temperature by flash‐photolysis time‐resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) measurements and a fairly high dark dc‐conductivity of ～1 × 10^?3 S cm^?1.     

The impact of divorce precedents on the Japanese divorce rate

This paper undertakes a time series analysis of the Japanese divorce rate using annual data over the period 1964–2006. One of the key innovations of the paper is to use court decisions on divorce disputes to construct an index that seeks to measure how the probability of success in a divorce suit has changed over time. The computed index suggests that if it is the culpable party lodging the divorce suit, the probability of the suit being successful has clearly increased over time. The probability of winning a divorce suit appears to be an important factor in explaining the long-run rise in the Japanese divorce rate. The divorce rate also appears to be counter-cyclical.     

Critical thickness of GaAs/InGaAs and AlGaAs/GaAsP strained quantum wells grown by organometallic chemical vapor deposition

In this paper we describe a study of strained quantum wells (QWs) as a means to experimentally observe the critical thickness (h _c) for the formation of interfacial misfit dislocations. Two material systems were investigated: GaAs/In_0.11Ga_0.89As, in which the QW layers are under biaxialcompression, and Al_0.35Ga_0.65As/GaAs_0.82P_0.18, in which the QW layers are under biaxialtension. Samples were grown by atmospheric pressure organometallic chemical vapor deposition, and characterized by low-temperature photoluminescence (PL), x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, and Hall measurements. For both material systems, the observed onset of dislocation formation agrees well with the force-balance model assuming a double-kink mechanism. However, overall results indicate that the relaxation is inhomogeneous. Annealing at 800–850° C had no significant effect on the PL spectra, signifying that even layers that have exceededh _c and have undergone partial relaxation are thermodynamically stable against further dislocation propagation.