Effective Work-Function Modulation by Aluminum-Ion Implantation for Metal-Gate Technology (Poly-Si/TiN/SiO2)

The impact of aluminum (Al) implantation into TiN/SiO₂ on the effective work function (EWF) of poly-Si/ TiN/SiO₂ is investigated. Al implanted at 5 keV with a dose of 5 times 10¹⁵ cm^-2 reduces the flatband voltage (V_FB) and the EWF of poly-Si/TiN/SiO₂ stack by ~150 mV compared with the unimplanted poly-Si/TiN/SiO₂ stack. This reduction of V_FB is found to be dose-dependent, which is correlated to the Al concentration at the TiN-SiO₂ interface as evidenced by secondary-ion-mass-spectrometry profiles. The interface dipole created due to the Al presence at the metal-dielectric interface is believed to contribute to the observed V_FB (or EWF) reduction (or increase). This technique for EWF modulation is promising for further threshold-voltage (V_t) tuning without any process complexities and is quite significant for planar and multiple gate field-effect transistors on fully depleted silicon on insulator.     

Sharing of SRAM Tables Among NPN-Equivalent LUTs in SRAM-Based FPGAs

This article introduces a novel lookup table (LUT) and its usage in the configurable logic block (CLB) architectures for SRAM-based field-programmable gate array (FPGA) architectures. The proposed CLB allows sharing of SRAM tables of LUTs among NPN-equivalent functions to reduce the size of memories used for storing the functions and also reduces the number of configuration bits required. We measured many different characteristics of FPGAs using our new CLB architecture, including area, delay, routing, and power requirements. We experimentally found that for many different FPGA architectures, CLBs can share one-fourth of their SRAM tables between two basic logic elements (BLEs), which reduced both power consumption and area without negatively affecting routing or wirelength, and there was only a negligible increase in critical path delay of 0.27%. Specifically, we find that FPGAs consisting of CLBs with 16 BLEs and 34 inputs can be implemented with eight normal SRAMs and four SRAMs shared between two BLEs, for an overall reduction of four out of sixteen SRAM tables per CLB. With this new CLB architecture, we measured an approximate reduction in overall power consumption of 2% and an estimated reduction in area of 3%     

Developing decision support for dialysis treatment of chronic kidney failure.

The complexity, variability, quantitative nature, and data density of treatment for chronic kidney failure make dialysis information systems excellent candidates for computerized decision support. We describe the development of an intelligent system building on existing knowledge and susceptible to reconfiguration on the basis of knowledge acquired during the use of the system. Various decision support techniques were used to design and develop the decision support modules. This paper briefly reviews the literature on clinical decision support, discusses some of the problems faced by practitioners in managing chronic kidney failure (end-stage renal disease) patients, and sets forth the decision support techniques used in developing a dialysis decision support system.     

Magneto-transport characterization using quantitative mobility-spectrum analysis

A quantitative mobility spectrum analysis (QMSA) of experimental Hall and resistivity data as a function of magnetic field is presented. This technique enables the conductivity contribution of bulk majority carriers to be separated from that of other species such as thermally generated minority carriers, electrons, and holes populating n and p doped regions, respectively, and two-dimensional species at surfaces and interface layers. Starting with a suitable first trial function such as the Beck and Anderson mobility spectrum analysis (MSA), a variation on the iterative procedure of Dziuba and Gorska is used to obtain a mobility spectrum which enables the various carrier species present in the sample to be identified. The QMSA algorithm combines the fully automated execution and visually meaningful output format of MSA with the quantitative accuracy of the conventional least-squares multi-carrier fitting procedure. Examples of applications to HgCdTe infrared detector materials and InAs/GaSb quantum wells are discussed. The ultimate goal of this paper is to provide an automated, universal algorithm which may be used routinely in the analysis and interpretation of magneto-transport data for diverse semiconductor materials and bandgap engineered structures.     

Low-power monolithic RF peak detector analysis

Closed-form expressions are derived for the transfer characteristic of a low-power monolithic RF peak detector. These are compared with computer simulation and experimental measurements     

Physiological parameter monitoring from optical recordings with a mobile phone

We show that a mobile phone can serve as an accurate monitor for several physiological variables, based on its ability to record and analyze the varying color signals of a fingertip placed in contact with its optical sensor. We confirm the accuracy of measurements of breathing rate, cardiac R-R intervals, and blood oxygen saturation, by comparisons to standard methods for making such measurements (respiration belts, ECGs, and pulse-oximeters, respectively). Measurement of respiratory rate uses a previously reported algorithm developed for use with a pulse-oximeter, based on amplitude and frequency modulation sequences within the light signal. We note that this technology can also be used with recently developed algorithms for detection of atrial fibrillation or blood loss.     

Passive 350 GHz Video Imaging Systems for Security Applications

Journal of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves - Passive submillimeter-wave imaging is a concept that has been in the focus of interest as a promising technology for personal security...     

Effect of Interface Regions on the Thermoelectric Properties of Alternating ZnO/ZnO:Al Stripe Structures

A series of bar-shaped samples consisting of lateral arrangements of alternating ZnO:Al and ZnO stripes was fabricated by radiofrequency (RF)-sputtering and microfabrication techniques on glass substrates. Throughout the series, the number of interfaces between ZnO and ZnO:Al was varied whilst the material fractions of ZnO:Al and ZnO within the bars were not altered. Lateral thermoelectric transport parameters, i.e., Seebeck effect and electrical resistivity, were measured as a function of temperature for all microstructured samples and two reference samples of ZnO:Al and undoped ZnO. The transport direction through the bar was perpendicular to the stripe direction, such that the electrons and phonons have to pass all interfaces. The transport coefficients of the microstructured samples show clear dependence on the number of interfaces between ZnO and ZnO:Al. Thermoelectric measurements, photoluminescence, and Raman measurements indicate that this is due to diffusion of Al donors along the grain boundaries into the undoped ZnO stripes, which takes place during the fabrication process. Modeling of the dependence of the Seebeck coefficient and the resistivity of the series of samples on the basis of a network model accounting for donor diffusion supports these findings.     

Analysis, design, and optimization of spiral inductors andtransformers for Si RF ICs

Silicon integrated circuit spiral inductors and transformers are analyzed using electromagnetic analysis. With appropriate approximations, the calculations are reduced to electrostatic and magnetostatic calculations. The important effects of substrate loss are included in the analysis. Classic circuit analysis and network analysis techniques are used to derive two-port parameters from the circuits. From two-port measurements, low-order, frequency-independent lumped circuits are used to model the physical behavior over a broad-frequency range. The analysis is applied to traditional square and polygon inductors and transformer structures as well as to multilayer metal structures and coupled inductors. A custom computer-aided-design tool called ASITIC is described, which is used for the analysis, design, and optimization of these structures. Measurements taken over a frequency range from 100 MHz to 5 GHz show good agreement with theory     

Monolithic AGC loop for a 160 Mb/s transimpedance amplifier

A new BiCMOS monolithic automatic gain control (AGC) amplifier with wide dynamic range is described. The forward gain path has 120 kΩ transimpedance, 140 MHz bandwidth, input noise current spectral density of 1.17 pA/√Hz and input signal current handling capability of 4 mA. An on-chip peak detector incorporating a 25 pA current source yields AGC hold times in the millisecond range