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Hafnium aluminates films with 50 mol% of Hf were deposited onto Si(100) using atomic layer deposition. The films were annealed by RTP at 1000 o C for 60 s in pure N 2 or N 2 +5%O 2 and by LASER at 1200 o C for 1ms in pure N 2 . Then, they were characterized by X-ray spectroscopies, ellipsometry, Rutherford backscattering and scanning electron microscopy. For thin films annealed by RTP in N 2 , phase separation takes place, promoting the formation of HfO2 and Al2.4 O3.6 crystalline phases. In contrast, the films annealed by LASER remain predominantly amor phous with crystalline facets of Al 2.4 O 3.6 . Also, non-homogeneous distribution of the chemical elements within the dielectrics gave rise to the formation of several regions which can be viewed as sub-layers, each of them with arbitrary electron density and thickness. As a result, Kratky curves pointed out to the coexistence of different features described by different gyration radius yielding GISAXS scattering profiles with polydispersive character istics. Finally, the samples annealed by RTP were interpreted as agglomerates of spheroids with different sizes (1.1-2.2 nm) and with different crystalline phases whereas the samples annealed by LASER were interpreted as larger spheroids of crystalline Al 2.4 O 3.6 (1.7-2.7nm) embedded in a matrix predominantly amorphous.

Dozens of genes contribute to the vast variation in human pigmentation. Many of these encode proteins that localize to the melanosome, the lysosome-related organelle that synthesizes pigment, but have unclear functions 1,2. Here, we describe the MelanoIP method for rapidly isolating melanosomes and profiling their labile metabolite contents. We use it to study MFSD12, a transmembrane protein of unknown molecular function that when suppressed causes darker pigmentation in mice and humans 3,4. We find that MFSD12 is required to maintain normal levels of cystine, the oxidized dimer of cysteine, in melanosomes, and to produce cysteinyldopas, the precursors of pheomelanin synthesis made in melanosomes via cysteine oxidation 5,6. Tracing and biochemical analyses show that MFSD12 is necessary for the import of cysteine into melanosomes, and, in non-pigmented cells, lysosomes. Indeed, loss of MFSD12 reduced the accumulation of cystine in lysosomes of fibroblasts from patients with cystinosis, a lysosomal storage disease caused by inactivation of the lysosomal cystine exporter CTNS (Cystinosin)7–9. Thus, MFSD12 is an essential component of the long-sought cysteine importer for melanosomes and lysosomes.

Magnons, the quanta of spin waves, could be used to encode information in beyond-Moore computing applications, and magnonic device components, including logic gates, transistors, and units for non-Boolean computing, have already been developed. Magnonic directional couplers, which can function as circuit building blocks, have also been explored, but have been impractical because of their millimetre dimensions and multi-mode spectra. Here, we report a magnonic directional coupler based on yttrium iron garnet single-mode waveguides of 350 nm width. We use the amplitude of a spin-wave to encode information and to guide it to one of the two outputs of the coupler depending on the signal magnitude, frequency, and the applied magnetic field. Using micromagnetic simulations, we also propose an integrated magnonic half-adder that consists of two directional couplers and processes all information within the magnon domain with aJ energy consumption., 26 pages, 10 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1902.02855

The passivation of n-type InP (100) using sulfur in combination with a gadolinium aluminate (GAO) dielectric layer has been studied. Photoluminescence, minority-carrier lifetime, and capacitance–voltage measurements indicate that a (NH4)2S vapor passivation step prior to atomic layer deposition of the oxide effectively lowers the interface state density. Surface and interface chemistry were studied by synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy (SRPES). The effect of ex situ surface passivation after native oxide removal in HCl solution was examined. It was observed that surface reoxidation occurred during (NH4)2S vapor exposure, leading to the formation of Inx(HPO4)y. S was present on the surface as a sulfide in both surface and subsurface sites. After atomic layer deposition of GAO, sulfates were detected in addition to Inx(HPO4)y, which was confirmed by near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. The S in the stack was quantified using reference-free grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence an...

The recent demonstration of ferroelectricity in ultrathin HfO2 has kickstarted a new wave of research into this material. HfO2 in the orthorhombic phase can be considered the first and only truly n...

Cellular responses to micro- and hypergravity are rapid and complex and appear within the first few seconds of exposure. Transcriptomic analyses are a valuable tool to analyze these genome-wide cellular alterations. For a better understanding of the cellular dynamics upon altered gravity exposure, it is important to compare different time points. However, since most of the experiments are designed as endpoint measurements, the combination of cross-experiment meta-studies is inevitable. Microarray and RNA-Seq analyses are two of the main methods to study transcriptomics. In the field of altered gravity research, both methods are frequently used. However, the generation of these data sets is difficult and time-consuming and therefore the number of available data sets in this research field is limited. In this study, we investigated the comparability of microarray and RNA-Seq data and applied the results to a comparison of the transcriptomics dynamics between the hypergravity conditions during two real flight platforms and a centrifuge experiment to identify temporal adaptation processes. We performed a comparative study on an Affymetrix HTA2.0 microarray and a paired-end RNA-Seq data set originating from the same Jurkat T cell RNA samples from a short-term hypergravity experiment. The overall agreeability was high, with better sensitivity of the RNA-Seq analysis. The microarray data set showed weaknesses on the level of single upregulated genes, likely due to its normalization approach. On an aggregated level of biotypes, chromosomal distribution, and gene sets, both technologies performed equally well. The microarray showed better performance on the detection of altered gravity-related splicing events. We found that all initially altered transcripts fully adapted after 15 min to hypergravity and concluded that the altered gene expression response to hypergravity is transient and fully reversible. Based on the combined multiple-platform meta-analysis, we could demonstrate rapid transcriptional adaptation to hypergravity, the differential expression of the ATPase subunits ATP6V1A and ATP6V1D, and the cluster of differentiation (CD) molecules CD1E, CD2AP, CD46, CD47, CD53, CD69, CD96, CD164, and CD226 in hypergravity. We could experimentally demonstrate that it is possible to develop methodological evidence for the meta-analysis of individual data.

AlNi, Al 3 Sc, AlCu, and Al 2 Cu thin films have been investigated as potential alternatives for Cu in interconnect metallization schemes. Stoichiometric NiAl thin films of 56 nm thickness show a resistivity of 13.9 μΩ cm after post-deposition annealing at 600°C. Different capping layers were tested to overcome the formation of an oxide top layer. Al 3 Sc presents a resistivity of 12.5 μΩ cm after post-deposition annealing at 500°C (for 24 nm thick films). AlCu and Al 2 Cu outperform Ru films at 20 nm thickness and above (9.5 μΩ cm for 28 nm films). Challenges and integration feasibility are discussed.

We report on the design, fabrication, and characterization of compact tunable yttrium iron garnet (YIG) based RF resonators based on $\mu$m-sized spin-wave cavities. Inductive antennas with both ladder and meander configurations were used as transducers between spin waves and RF signals. The excitation of ferromagnetic resonance and standing spin waves in the YIG cavities led to sharp resonances with quality factors up to 350. The observed spectra were in excellent agreement with a model based on the spin-wave dispersion relations in YIG, showing a high magnetic field tunability of about 29 MHz/mT., Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 801055 "Spin Wave Computing for Ultimately-Scaled Hybrid Low-Power Electronics" - CHIRON

Cyclic fluvial, coal-bearing sandstones from the Upper Carboniferous are important tight-gas reservoirs in the Lower Saxony Basin, NW Germany. Two wells from two fields located 10 km apart, both comprising of Westphalian C/D fluvial sandstones were studied. Well A was affected by approximately 1.2 km and well B of approximately 2.8 km of basin inversion after maximum burial depths larger than 5 km. Both fields display significant differences in recovered resources. An integrated core study combining sedimentological, petrographic and petrophysical data illustrates the impact of different diagenetic pathways. While permeability values appear in the same range of 0.01–1 mD for both fields, lithologies from well A of field A have average matrix porosities of 6% in a generally unfractured reservoir, whereas lithologies from well B of field B have matrix porosities of 10% in an overall fractured reservoir. Intense siderite/ankerite cementation in matrix and fractures is present in sandstones from both fields and can be related to fluid migration during basin inversion. In contrast, the strong alpine tectonic inversion affecting field B results in a lower thermal exposure since the late Cretaceous, resulting in smaller quartz cement volumes than in field A and larger matrix porosities in field B. Thus, matrix porosity is overall better due to smaller total cement volumes in field B. The study indicates a strong impact of fractures on tight sandstone reservoir quality and quartz cementation on hydrocarbon production performance from the sandstone matrix. Observations may be applicable to similar, strongly inverted tight gas sandstone fields and may directly affect exploration strategies.

The main reservoir quality controls in Triassic Buntsandstein deposits in the Upper Rhine Graben and surrounding outcrops in Germany and France are discussed to be authigenic mineral precipitates and the vicinity to structural elements (faults and fractures). To better understand reservoir quality controls in this lithology, a detailed diagenetic study based on petrographic methods (optical and SEM) in combination with petrophysical measurements (porosity and permeability) on core material (1133–1591 m TVD) was initiated. This case study highlights that large detrital grain sizes and low compactional porosity loss in association with blocky authigenic cements such as quartz and dolomite are beneficial to reservoir quality, whereas variable illite textures have a dual, but opposite effect on reservoir qualities. Grain coating illite (tangential and radial) may preserve intergranular porosity by inhibition of syntaxial quartz precipitation, while at the same time, if present at grain contacts, tangential illite enhances chemical compaction and reduces the available intergranular volume. The presence of early diagenetic carbonate cemented nodules is also beneficial for reservoir quality in stabilizing the grain framework against compactive porosity loss. Overall, detrital grain size and the intergranular volume, as a result of compaction and cementation, are derived as the main reservoir quality controls. The formation of hydrothermally mineralized veins prior to hydrocarbon charging does not show a distinct impact on porosity and permeability in the sandstone matrix. Fractures and interstices between vein minerals such as barite, galena, tetrahedrite, and siderite are equally covered in hydrocarbon residue, as are all present detrital and authigenic minerals in the sandstones indicating that vein precipitates, if not pervasive, do not alter the overall reservoir quality. This study may indicate additional potential to identify high reservoir quality intervals in the studied succession.

Solution calorimetry, using 1 mol dm−3 HCl as a solvent, has been used to study for the first time the thermochemistry of Bi2.67Er0.33CoO5.83. For the first time, the standard formation enthalpy of the phase has been determined as following: ΔfHo(Bi2.67Er0.33CoO5.83, s, 298.15 K) = −1406.9 ± 8.6 kJ mol−1. The thermodynamic stability at room temperature has been assessed. The results show that investigated phase is thermodynamically stable with respect to decomposition to the constituent binary oxides. It is important to establish thermodynamic stability for solving problem of Bi2O3 stabilization. It is shown that the lattice energies for Bi2.67Er0.33CoO5.83 calculated on the basis of Born-Haber cycle and Kapustinskii rule are in a good agreement. For the first time, we measured the magnetic characteristics of Bi2.67Er0.33CoO5.83 and established that the Bi2.67Er0.33CoO5.83 phase has paramagnetic properties.

Carbohydrate processing enzymes are sophisticated tools of living systems that have evolved to execute specific reactions on sugars. Here we present for the first time the site-selective chemical modification of exposed tyrosine residues in SacB, a levansucrase from Bacillus megaterium (Bm-LS) for enzyme engineering purposes via an ene-type reaction. Bm-LS is unable to sustain the synthesis of high molecular weight (HMW) levan (a fructose polymer) due to protein-oligosaccharide dissociation events occurring at an early stage during polymer elongation. We switched the catalyst from levan-like oligosaccharide synthesis to the efficient production of a HMW fructan polymer through the covalent addition of a flexible chemical side-chain that fluctuates over the central binding cavity of the enzyme preventing premature oligosaccharide disengagement.

For the first time the standard formation enthalpy of Bi 12.5 Nd 1.4 In 0.1 ReO 24.5 has been determined by solution calorimetry by combining the solution enthalpies of Bi 12.5 Nd 1.4 In 0.1 ReO 24.5 , 1.4NdCl 3 + 0.1InCl 3 0.1InCl 3 mixture in 2 M HCl and literature data. The lattice energy for Bi 12.5 Nd 1.4 In 0.1 ReO 24.5 has been calculated using Born-Haber cycle. The dependence of lattice energy for Bi 12.5 R 1.5 ReO 24.5 (R – rare earth element) from radius of rare earth metal was constructed. It was established that dependence was linear and had form: U lat = −129450 + 45070 r R . Linear character of experimentally obtained dependence was explained using modified variant of Kapustinskii formula obtained by us as following: U = A + Br R .

This study reports on the low interface trap density obtained from MOS capacitors and transistors with 2.5nm EOT using MoS2 flakes in back-gated configuration. Design ideology to measure thin flake structures is explained. CV measurements on MOSCAPs show Si-high-k like behavior with a midgap Dit of 2e12cm2eV1. By using CV measurements, the thickness of the MoS2 layer was also extracted. Display Omitted CV measurements and Dit extraction reported for the first time on sub-12nm thick MoS2 flakes.Two different MOS capacitor structures were studied.From the first one, we report an interface trap density of 2e12cm2eV1.The second one provided the thickness of MoS2 films.From FET measurements, we extract Dit of 6e12cm2eV1 from subthreshold slope.

We demonstrate a novel temperature referenced polymer Bragg grating (BG) sensor structure in planar cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC) substrate for tensile and compressive strain sensing. The sensor is based on two serial BGs UV-written into a specially designed planar COC substrate using a 248-nm-KrF laser. Successively, the temperature sensitivity and the behavior toward the tensile and compressive strain of both BGs are evaluated. Furthermore, we calculate the strain distribution in the COC specimen using a numerical simulation and discuss it with regard to the experimental results.

The process characteristics, the surface chemistry, and the resulting film properties of Ru deposited by atomic layer deposition from (ethylbenzyl)(1-ethyl-1,4-cyclohexadienyl)Ru(0) (EBECHRu) and O2 are discussed. The surface chemistry was characterized by both combustion reactions as well as EBECHRu surface reactions by ligand release. The process behavior on TiN starting surfaces at 325 °C was strongly influenced by Ti(O,N)x segregation on the growing Ru surface with consequences for both the growth per cycle as well as the film properties. For optimized process conditions, the films showed high purity with low C and O concentrations of the order of 1020 at./cm3. Higher deposition temperature led to strong (001) fiber texture of the films on SiO2 starting surfaces. Annealing in forming gas improved the crystallinity and led to resistivity values as low as 11 μΩcm for Ru films with a thickness of 10 nm.

The measurement of UV-induced DNA damage as a dosimeter of exposure and predictor of skin cancer risk has been proposed by multiple groups. Although UV-induced mutations and adducts are present in normal-appearing UV-exposed epidermis, sampling normal nonlesional skin requires noninvasive methods to extract epidermal DNA for analysis. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of such an approach, termed surfactant-based tissue acquisition for molecular profiling. Sampling in patients was performed using a felt-tip pen soaked in a mixture of surfactants (Brij-30/N-decyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate). In mice, we show that the epidermis can be selectively removed without scarring, with complete healing within 2 weeks. We exposed hairless mice to low-dose UV radiation over a period of 3 months and serially sampled them through up to 2 months following the cessation of UV exposure, observing a progressive increase in a UV signature mutational burden. To test whether surfactant-based tissue acquisition for molecular profiling could be applied to human patients, samples were collected from sun-exposed and sun-protected areas, which were then subjected to high-depth targeted exome sequencing. Extensive UV-driven mosaicism and substantially increased mutational loads in sun-exposed versus sun-protected areas were observed, suggesting that genomic measures, as an integrated readout of DNA damage, repair, and clonal expansion, may be informative markers of UV exposure.

Atomic layer deposition of ruthenium is studied as a barrierless metallization solution for future sub-10 nm interconnect technology nodes. We demonstrate the void-free filling in sub-10 nm wide single damascene lines using an ALD process in combination with 2.5 Å of ALD TiN interface and postdeposition annealing. At such small dimensions, the ruthenium effective resistance depends less on the scaling than that of Cu/barrier systems. Ruthenium effective resistance potentially crosses the Cu curve at 14 and 10 nm according to the semiempirical interconnect resistance model for advanced technology nodes. These extremely scaled ruthenium lines show excellent electromigration behavior. Time-dependent dielectric breakdown measurements reveal negligible ruthenium ion drift into low-κ dielectrics up to 200 °C, demonstrating that ruthenium can be used as a barrierless metallization in interconnects. These results indicate that ruthenium is highly promising as a replacement to Cu as the metallization solution for future technology nodes.

BACKGROUND Iron fortification of rice is a promising strategy for improving iron nutrition. However, it is technically challenging because rice is consumed as intact grains, and ferric pyrophosphate (FePP), which is usually used for rice fortification, has low bioavailability. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether the addition of a citric acid/trisodium citrate (CA/TSC) mixture before extrusion increases iron absorption in humans from FePP-fortified extruded rice grains. DESIGN We conducted an iron absorption study in iron-sufficient young women (n = 20), in which each participant consumed 4 different meals (4 mg Fe/meal): 1) extruded FePP-fortified rice (No CA/TSC); 2) extruded FePP-fortified rice with CA/TSC added before extrusion (CA/TSC extruded); 3) extruded FePP-fortified rice with CA/TSC solution added after cooking and before consumption (CA/TSC solution); and 4) nonextruded rice fortified with a FeSO4 solution added after cooking and before consumption (reference). Iron absorption was calculated from erythrocyte incorporation of stable iron isotopes 14 d after administration. In in vitro experiments, we assessed the soluble and dialyzable iron from rice meals in which CA/TSC was added at different preparation stages and from meals with different iron:CA:TSC ratios. RESULTS Fractional iron absorption was significantly higher from CA/TSC-extruded meals (3.2%) than from No CA/TSC (1.7%) and CA/TSC solution (1.7%; all P < 0.05) and was not different from the FeSO4 reference meal (3.4%). In vitro solubility and dialyzability were higher in CA/TSC-extruded rice than in rice with No CA/TSC and CA/TSC solution, and solubility increased with higher amounts of added CA and TSC in extruded rice. CONCLUSIONS Iron bioavailability nearly doubled when CA/TSC was extruded with FePP into fortified rice, resulting in iron bioavailability comparable to that of FeSO4 We attribute this effect to an in situ generation of soluble FePP citrate moieties during extrusion and/or cooking because of the close physical proximity of FePP and CA/TSC in the extruded rice matrix. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02176759.

Ruthenium has emerged as a promising candidate to substitute Cu as the interconnect metallization in future technology nodes. Here, we demonstrate area scaling of Ru wires down to cross-sectional areas of 33 nm2 through subtractive patterning by using a metal-spacer patterning technique. The wires were characterized by physical as well as electrical measurements and demonstrate low resistivity, between 20 and $35~\mu \Omega $ cm for cross-sectional areas between 175 and 33 nm2.

It is now well accepted that normal-appearing, but chronically UV-exposed skin, can harbor tremendous mutational loads while maintaining homeostatic function. Even so, clones of keratinocytes harboring tumorigenic mutations can be readily observed using targeted and whole-exome sequencing. Therefore, it may be possible to objectively measure chronic, cumulative UV exposure as a means of predicting skin cancer risk and measuring molecular responses to chemoprevention by identifying UV-driven mutations or damage in epidermal keratinocytes. However, such a methodology requires the ability to noninvasively sample normal, nonlesional skin. We have previously optimized a novel surfactant mixture that, when coupled to ultrasound or mechanical abrasion, can noninvasively sample epidermis without scarring. This process can be tuned to selectively remove epidermis only. Within hours of application, a fibrinous exudate appears over the wound and this area heals completely within 2 weeks without scarring. Using a Hairless UV-driven model of squamous cell carcinoma, we have been able to sample and perform both exome and RNA sequencing with recovery rates of about 2.5-3.5 μg /cm2 of DNA and RNA. Using this model, we demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in mutational load in normal UV-exposed skin that reflects what is seen in humans. Mice were sampled and the DNA exome was sequenced (150X) following exposure to UV. Among the 28 most mutated genes across the exome, mice sampled after 1 month of UV exposure harbored variants in an average of 12 genes. After 3 months of UV exposure, followed by 2 months of no exposure, variants were observed in an average of 22 genes (80%) of the 28, suggesting continuing evolution of clones harboring mutations in exposed epidermis. Interestingly, at this relatively low coverage, none of the genes is strongly associated with skin cancer; instead, many are not expressed, reflecting the expansion of mutational burdens without strong selection on these alterations. We then extended our efforts into humans by sampling immunosuppressed solid organ transplant recipients with markedly elevated risk for skin cancer. Sun-exposed areas had an average of 4.5 times the number of variants than sun-protected areas across targeted exome sequencing of 348 cancer-related genes at a depth of ~5000X. Over 24 genes (including TP53, ATM, NOTCH, and KMT2 family members) were identified with nonsense C-T transitions, suggesting the presence of detectable (and potentially selected) mutational patterns in cancer-related genes that correlate with clinically relevant exposure. Our results collectively suggest that noninvasive sampling and genomic interrogation of normal-appearing epidermis is feasible and potentially useful as a risk prediction and chemoprevention assessment tool. This approach is easily extended to other surface epithelia, and we are currently enhancing the sensitivity of this assay based on identification of hotspots and nontranscribed genes as identified in our model. This abstract is also being presented as Poster A32. Citation Format: Kenneth Y. Tsai, Elnara Muradova, Sandy S. Ojeda, Charles H. Adelmann, Kimberly Nguyen, Samir Mitragotri, Nishit Patel. Noninvasive epidermal sampling as a means of genomic UV dosimetry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Environmental Carcinogenesis: Potential Pathway to Cancer Prevention; 2019 Jun 22-24; Charlotte, NC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2020;13(7 Suppl): Abstract nr PR08.

Reliability challenges of candidate metal systems to replace traditional Cu wiring in future interconnects are discussed. From a reliability perspective, a key opportunity is electromigration improvement: due to their high melting point and slower self-diffusion kinetics, higher current carrying capabilities are possible. Also, the higher cohesive energy and better resistance to oxidation of some metals potentially allows for barrierless integration, although adhesion properties must be carefully optimized. Besides avoiding small grain pinning and enabling high aspect ratio trench fill, the main processing challenges are identified to be a) avoiding seam voids, b) adhesion, c) CMP and d) disruptive metal etch. Main reliability challenges are related to higher mechanical stresses and higher joule heating which could lead to delamination during further processing and packaging and to enhanced electromigration in nearby metal lines.

Fish are ideally suited forin vivo-imaging due to their transparency at early stages combined with a large genetic toolbox. Key challenges to further advance imaging are fluorophore selection, immobilization of the specimen and approaches to eliminate pigmentation.We addressed all three and identified the fluorophores and anaesthesia of choice by high throughput time-lapse imaging. Our results indicate that eGFP and mCherry are the best conservative choices forin vivo-fluorescence experiments, when availability of well-established antibodies and nanobodies matters. Still, mVenusNB and mGFPmut2 delivered highest absolute fluorescence intensitiesin vivo. Immobilization is of key importance during extendedin vivoimaging. Here, traditional approaches are outperformed by mRNA injection of α-Bungarotoxin which allows a complete and reversible, transient immobilization. In combination with fully transparent juvenile and adult fish established by the targeted inactivation of both,oca2andpnp4avia CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in medaka we could dramatically improve the state-of-the art imaging conditions in post-embryonic fish, now enabling light-sheet microscopy of the growing retina, brain, gills and inner organs in the absence of side effects caused by anaesthetic drugs or pigmentation.

High-aspect-ratio (HAR) Ru power rails, buried in front-end-of-line (FEOL) oxide, can potentially replace conventional middle-end-of-line (MOL) Cu power rails. The HAR feature can boost performance by reducing resistance and voltage drop along the power line. The buried nature, helps to minimize standard cell height by freeing up routing resources at MOL, enabling overall area scaling. This paper demonstrates, Ru lines of aspect ratio up to 7, at a CD of 18 nm. Line resistance at these dimensions, measures at 60 Ω/µm, with the minimum electrical resistivity of 8.8 µΩcm, as extracted from the temperature-controlled-resistance (TCR) measurements. HAR Ru lines are also found to withstand very high FEOL thermal budgets, such as 1000 °C activation anneal for 1.5 s. The combination of all these factors, make HAR Ru buried power rail, a promising scaling booster for next generation technology nodes.

Ruthenium has been recently considered as a promising candidate to replace copper as the BEOL interconnect material for sub-5nm technology nodes. In this work, single level Ru interconnects were fabricated in imec's 300-mm pilot line using EUV lithography and the subtractive etch of Ru films. Lines with critical dimension smaller than 10.5 nm were formed and electrically tested to assess the line resistance of patterned Ru. Using the TCR method, structures with resistivity of 15 μΩ.cm and cross-sectional area of 200 nm2 were obtained and benchmarked against analogous Ru and Cu damascene processes. Ru lines with aspect ratio up to 3.8 were fabricated and measured having line resistance below 500 Ω/μ $m$ at 12 nm CD. Ru is expected to outperform damascene Cu at this scale, supporting the potential insertion of Ru metal patterning for advanced technology nodes.

The microwave dielectric properties of (Ba0.1Pb0.9)(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (BPZT) and ZnO thin films with thicknesses below were investigated. No significant dielectric relaxation was observed for both BPZT and ZnO up to 30 GHz. The intrinsic dielectric constant of BPZT was as high as 980 at 30 GHz. The absence of strong dielectric dispersion and loss peaks in the studied frequency range can be linked to the small grain diameters in these ultrathin films. ispartof: IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS FERROELECTRICS AND FREQUENCY CONTROL vol:65 issue:5 pages:881-888 ispartof: location:United States status: published

A flexible tyrosine-attached chemical lid prevents premature disengagement of growing oligosaccharides and triggers the synthesis of a high molecular weight polymer., Carbohydrate processing enzymes are sophisticated tools of living systems that have evolved to execute specific reactions on sugars. Here we present for the first time the site-selective chemical modification of exposed tyrosine residues in SacB, a levansucrase from Bacillus megaterium (Bm-LS) for enzyme engineering purposes via an ene-type reaction. Bm-LS is unable to sustain the synthesis of high molecular weight (HMW) levan (a fructose polymer) due to protein–oligosaccharide dissociation events occurring at an early stage during polymer elongation. We switched the catalyst from levan-like oligosaccharide synthesis to the efficient production of a HMW fructan polymer through the covalent addition of a flexible chemical side-chain that fluctuates over the central binding cavity of the enzyme preventing premature oligosaccharide disengagement.

We show the first electromigration (EM) failures of full ruthenium interconnects with a cross sectional area of 60nm2. The void is observed at the anode, which demonstrates that in p-type metals, such as Ru, the electromigration force acts in the direction of the electric field. The conventional representation of electromigration as electrons transferring their momentum onto the metal ions, thus has to be adapted for such metals. Moreover, we find that diffusion at the Ru-SiO 2 interface is the dominant diffusion mechanism for EM failure in these specific Ru lines.

On the basis of experimental data the lattice energies for the new compounds Bi 12.5 Ln 1.5 ReO 24.5 have been calculated using a Born–Haber cycle. It has been discovered that there is a linear dependence between lattice energies and inverse radii of lanthanide ions. It has been established that calculated and experimental lattice energies for Bi 12.5 Yb 1.5 ReO 24.5 are in a good agreement. For the first time the compound Bi 12.5 Yb 1.5 ReO 24.5 has been synthesized, its lattice parameters have been determined and its thermochemical characteristics have been measured. The determined unit cell parameters of Bi 12.5 Yb 1.5 ReO 24.5 suggest that the structure is of cubic type, space group Fm3m, a = 0.55590(6) nm.

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. The impact of different Ru precursors and/or deposition methods on the electrical characteristics of Ru/SrTiOx/Ru capacitors has been investigated. The observed increase of the leakage current density (Jg) and the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) for ALD (atomic layer deposition) deposited Ru layers compared to PVD (physical vapor deposition) deposited ones was found to be caused by a SrRuTiOx layer formation at the SrTiOx/Ru interface aided by the presence of the oxygen co-reactant used during the ALD, regardless of the precursor used. publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Understanding the EOT–Jg degradation in Ru/SrTiOx/Ru metal–insulator–metal capacitors formed with Ru atomic layer deposition journaltitle: Microelectronic Engineering articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mee.2015.04.076 content_type: article copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. ispartof: Microelectronic Engineering vol:147 pages:108-112 ispartof: location:ITALY, Udine status: published

Solution enthalpies of barium cerate doped by gadolinium and indium and a mixture of BaCl2 + 0.7CeCl3 + 2GdCl3 + 0.1InCl3 have been measured in 1 mol dm−3 HCl with 0.1 mol dm−3 KI. For the first time the standard molar formation enthalpy of BaCe0.7Gd0.2In0.1O2.85 has been determined by solution calorimetry as follows: ΔfH° (298.15 K) = −1615.84 ± 9.01 kJ mol−1. The stabilization energy for above-mentioned compound has been calculated as well. It has been shown that barium cerate doped gadolinium and indium has higher stabilization energy than BaCe0.7Nd0.2In0.1O2.85 and BaCeO3. The reaction enthalpy with CO2 interaction has been calculated for BaCe0.7Gd0.2In0.1O2.85.

Liquid metal assisted cracking (LMAC) mainly occurs due to an unfavorable interaction of three factors: a susceptible material condition, presence of a liquid metal and sufficient tensile stress. Hot-dip galvanizing of high-strength bolts induces high thermal loads in bolts made of tempered steel in the presence of a zinc melt and thus, provides the boundary conditions for the above mentioned critical factors to interact. The focus of this study is on investigating thermally-induced stresses in large diameter bolts and their impact on the formation of liquid metal assisted cracking (LMAC). In order to calculate the thermal loads in hot-dip galvanizing, simulations were carried out regarding the thermo-mechanical behavior of bolts during the hot-dip galvanizing process. The simulations illustrate that cracks are most likely to occur in the first thread turn. This prediction is confirmed by experimental observations. Fur das Auftreten von flussigmetallinduzierter Rissbildung (LMAC) ist insbesondere die ungunstige Uberlagerung von Faktoren wie Werkstoffzustand, Zinkschmelze und Beanspruchung ursachlich. Wahrend der Feuerverzinkung hochfester Schrauben werden in Schrauben aus vergutetem Stahl hohe thermische Belastungen induziert, wodurch sich die genannten kritischen Faktoren uberlagen. Der Fokus dieser Studie liegt auf thermisch induzierten Spannungen. Um die induzierten Spannungen wahrend des Feuerverzinkens zu berechnen, wurden Simulationen zum Verhalten der Schrauben beim Verzinken durchgefuhrt. Die Simulationen veranschaulichen, dass die groste Wahrscheinlichkeit fur Rissbildung im ersten Gewindegang besteht. Diese Prognose wurde durch experimentelle Beobachtungen bestatigt.

Gd:HfO2 is shown to exhibit remarkable ferroelectric properties even when annealed with a thermal budget down to 450 °C for 10 min, which allows new integrations schemes in semiconductor fabrication. Anneals at lower thermal budget also seem to increase the phase fractions of higher symmetry phases. Two dopants reported to induce ferroelectricity in a wide concentration window are studied since also a wider range for the annealing conditions is expected. Both Sr:HfO2 and Gd:HfO2 films exhibit comparable wake-up and fatigue behavior.

We report on high aspect ratio cutting of aluminum, titanium, and steel using a water jet guided laser system equipped with a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser. The influence of the laser power, pulse repetition rate, and number of passes on the cutting depth is investigated. High cutting depth can be achieved with high laser powers, low pulse repetition rates, and a high number of passes. The maximum cutting depth is determined to 8 mm in aluminum, 4.7 mm in titanium, and 1.5 mm in steel, respectively. The effective cutting velocity of 8 mm aluminum with 40 W laser power, in a multi pass process is determined to 0.1 mm/s. The kerf width is independent of both the chosen process parameters and the cutting depth, being in the range between 100 and 120 μm. This results in high aspect ratios of up to 12.5 in steel, 39.2 in titanium, and 66.7 in aluminum.

The preparation of SrCeO 3 doped by lutetium oxide (SrCe 0.9 Lu 0.1 O 2.95 ) has been carried out by the solid-state reaction of SrCO 3 , CeO 2 and Lu 2 O 3 . The X-ray measurements have shown that SrCe 0.9 Lu 0.1 O 2.95 has an orthorhombic structure (space group Рnma ). For the first time the standard molar enthalpy of SrCe 0.9 Lu 0.1 O 2.95 formation has been determined by solution calorimetry in combination with standard molar dissolution enthalpies of SrCe 0.9 Lu 0.1 O 2.95 and SrCl 2 + 0.9CeCl 3 + 0.1LuCl 3 mixture in 1 M HCl with 0.1 M KI at 298.15 K and other thermochemical data. It has been found out that the mixed oxide mentioned above is thermodynamically more stable than the component oxides at room temperature. It has been also shown that SrCe 0.9 Lu 0.1 O 2.95 is thermodynamically more favored than 0.9SrCeO 3 + 0.1SrO + 0.05Lu 2 O 3 mixture. We have established that Lu adding increases SrCeO 3 thermodynamic stability.

We present a new micro Hall effect measurement method using non-equidistant electrodes. We show theoretically and verify experimentally that it is advantageous to use non-equidistant electrodes for samples with low Hall sheet resistance. We demonstrate the new method by experiments where Hall sheet carrier densities and Hall mobilities of Ruthenium thin films (3-30 nm) are determined. The measurements show that it is possible to measure Hall mobilities as low as 1 cm2V1s1 with a relative standard deviation of 2-3%. We show a linear relation between measured Hall sheet carrier density and film thickness. Thus, the method can be used to monitor thickness variations of ultra-thin metal films.

Silicate reaction kinetics provide a complementary means to other established paleothermal indicators such as organic maturation for evaluating thermal reconstructions. In this study we combine the use of an organic maturation model with kinetic models for quartz and illite cementation to evaluate burial history scenarios for five subsalt wells in lithologically and structurally complex Rotliegendes reservoirs. Models for organic maturation are most sensitive to maximum temperature and provide no direct evidence for the time of peak temperature or the overall duration of high temperatures. By contrast, the kinetics of quartz cementation are much more strongly influenced by the duration of exposure to high temperatures compared with organic indicators. Kinetic models for fibrous illite formation similarly are sensitive to time and temperature and provide predictions for the time of illite formation that can be compared with radiometric dates. Used collectively, these organic and inorganic paleothermal indicators provide improved constraints on thermal evolution compared with conventional approaches. In this study we use these indicators to evaluate two alternative burial history scenarios. Scenario 1 incorporates a hypothesized Jurassic heat flow peak together with significant Late Jurassic deposition and subsequent erosion. Scenario 2 omits the Jurassic heat flow peak and omits the deposition and erosion of the Upper Jurassic. Although both of these scenarios are consistent with organic maturation data, scenario 2 leads to a far better match with quartz cement volumes and fibrous illite K-Ar dates.

Ru has been considered a candidate to replace Cu-based interconnects in VLSI circuits. Here, a methodology is proposed to predict the resistivity of (Ru) interconnects. First, the dependence of the Ru thin film resistivity on the film thickness is modeled by the semiclassical Mayadas-Shatzkes (MS) approach. The fitting parameters thus obtained are then used as input in a modified MS model for nanowires to calculate wire resistivities. Predicted experimental resistivities agreed within about 10%. The results further indicate that grain boundary scattering was the dominant scattering mechanism in scaled Ru interconnects., 4 pages. 2 figures

Background: Rice can be fortified with the use of hot or cold extrusion or coating, but the nutritional qualities of the resulting rice grains have never been directly compared. Objective: Using fortified rice produced by coating or hot or cold extrusion, we compared 1) iron and zinc absorption with the use of stable isotopes, 2) iron and zinc retention during cooking, and 3) starch microstructure. Methods: We conducted 2 studies in young women: in study 1 [n = 19; mean ± SD age: 26.2 ± 3.4 y; body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2): 21.3 ± 1.6], we compared the fractional iron absorption (FAFe) from rice meals containing isotopically labeled ferric prophosphate (57FePP), zinc oxide (ZnO), citric acid, and micronutrients fortified through hot extrusion (HER1) with rice meals fortified through cold extrusion containing 57FePP, ZnO, citric acid, and micronutrients (CER); in study 2 (n = 22; age: 24 ± 4 y; BMI: 21.2 ± 1.3), we compared FAFe and fractional zinc absorption (FAZn) from rice meals fortified through hot extrusion (HER2) compared with rice meals fortified through coating containing 57FePP, ZnO, a citric acid and trisodium cirate mixture (CA/TSC), and micronutrients (COR) relative to rice meals extrinsically fortified with ferrous sulfate (reference). Rice types HER1 and CER contained citric acid, whereas types HER2 and COR contained CA/TSC. We assessed retention during standardized cooking experiments and characterized the rice starch microstructure. Results: FAFe (95% CI) was greater from CER [2.2% (1.4%, 3.4%)] than from HER1 [1.2% (0.7%, 2.0%)] (P = 0.036). There was no difference in FAFe between HER2 [5.1% (3.7%, 7.1%)] and COR [4.0% (2.9%, 5.4%)] (P = 0.14), but FAFe from COR was lower than that from the reference meal [6.6% (4.9%, 9.0%)] (P = 0.003), and the geometric mean FAZn (95% CI) did not differ between HER2 [9.5% (7.9%, 11.6%)] and COR [9.6% (8.7%, 10.7%)] (P = 0.92). Cooking in a rice-to-water ratio of 1:2 resulted in iron and zinc retentions >80%, and cooking in excess water did not affect iron retention from hot-extruded rice but caused iron losses of 25% from CER and COR. Distinct variations in starch microstructure were found in CER and HER1. Conclusions: Iron absorption was 64% higher from CER than from hot-extruded rice, with no difference between COR compared with hot-extruded rice. Lower extrusion temperatures may generate a more readily digestible starch structure, allowing for greater iron release in vivo but lower mineral retention during cooking. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02176759., The Journal of Nutrition, 147 (12), ISSN:0022-3166, ISSN:1541-6100

Platinum-group metals have emerged as promising alternatives to replace Cu in scaled interconnects. Here, we present a short-loop test vehicle to fabricate metal nanowires with sub-100 nm2 cross-section area without the need for multiple patterning or CMP. Ru nanowires with 58 nm2 cross-section area, as determined by the TCR method, were realized and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and electrical measurements. The nanowires demonstrate low resistivity (27 µΩcm) and very high current carrying capacity with fusing currents as high as 720 MA/cm2.

Cobalt and ruthenium are being proposed to replace copper in BEOL interconnects. Using intrinsic TDDB studies, we show that Co needs a barrier to prevent it from drifting into SiO 2 , where for Ru no drift into any of the three studied dielectrics is observed. Although our intrinsic EM studies on single damascene lines filled with Co suffered from bondpad delamination and a non-optimized CMP, we could still conclude that the EM-performance is better compared to Cu filled lines, where a much better performance of Ru filled lines is demonstrated (>25x). Via failures on Ru schemes show a >5x higher lifetime compared to Cu schemes.

Alternatives to animal proteins with similar texture, appearance and taste are demanded by an increasing group of consumers. Plant-based meat analogues produced by high moisture extrusion cooking can provide relevant solutions. Here, microalgae combined to soy concentrates were shown to create fibrillary textured extrudates. The incorporation of spray-dried microalgae biomass in up to 50% affected the formation of fibers, which could be balanced by reducing moisture levels. The elevated fat content of microalgae biomass led to lubrication effects, while probably undisrupted microalgae cells acted as passive fillers and limited the access of intracellular proteins. Both effects may have reduced texturing but increased tenderness in comparison to pure soy based extrudates. By using heterotrophically cultivated Auxenochlorella protothecoides with a light-yellow coloration, a consumer-adverse visual appearance could be omitted. Microalgae integration improved the extrudate's nutritional profile by incorporating vitamins B and E, where over 95% was retained in the final product. Industrial relevance The meat analogue industry strives to be more than an alternative for vegetarian and vegan customers. Large initial public offerings of relevant players underline the current economic and industrial interest. Besides animal wellbeing, meat analogues are praised mainly for their reduced ecological and environmental impact. Yet, most of the products on the market are based on environmentally questionable resources, such as soy. Hence, this study with focus on microalgae as a protein alternative to the ubiquitously applied soy protein concentrate is relevant to the evolving industry and research. In this manuscript, a fibrillary textured plant-based product using microalgae is shown without an adverse color., Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 59, ISSN:1466-8564

The synthesis of nickel silicide thin films via a vapor–solid reaction has been studied by exposing thin (10 nm) Ni films to silane (SiH4). The crystalline phases, the Ni/Si stoichiometric ratios, as well as the surface and interface properties of the resulting silicide films were investigated as a function of the growth parameters such as the SiH4 partial pressure, the reaction temperature, and the exposure time. At low temperature (300 °C), SiH4 exposure led to the self-limiting deposition of Si on Ni by catalytic decomposition of SiH4 but not to silicate formation. Between 350 and 400 °C, phase pure orthorhombic NiSi films were obtained that were formed directly without any apparent intermediate Ni-rich silicide phases. A transformation to NiSi2 occurred at 450 °C and above, and at 500 °C phase pure NiSi2 was obtained. Here, the transient formation of NiSi was observed that transformed into NiSi2 for prolonged SiH4 exposure. The results indicate that the Si solubility governs the phase formation sequen...

Protein kinases are mutated or otherwise rendered constitutively active in numerous cancers where they are attractive therapeutic targets with well over a dozen kinase inhibitors now being used in therapy. While fluorescent sensors have capacity to measure changes in kinase activity, surprisingly they have not been utilized for biomarker studies. A first-generation peptide sensor for ERK based on the Sox fluorophore is described. This sensor called ERK-sensor-D1 possesses high activity toward ERK and more than 10-fold discrimination over other MAPKs. The sensor can rapidly quantify ERK activity in cell lysates and monitor ERK pathway engagement by BRAF and MEK inhibitors in cultured melanoma cell lines. The dynamic range of the sensor assay allows ERK activities that have potential for profound clinical consequences to be rapidly distinguished.

Background Routine drug monitoring is not required for the two novel direct factor Xa inhibitors apixaban and rivaroxaban. Rapidly available test results might be beneficial in case of bleeding or prior to urgent surgery. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the two rotational thrombelastometry (ROTEM®) -modifications Low–tissue factor activated ROTEM® (LowTF–ROTEM®) and Prothrombinase induced clotting time – activated ROTEM® (PiCT®–ROTEM®) for determination of apixaban and rivaroxaban in vitro and ex vivo. Methods Blood samples from 20 volunteers were spiked with apixaban / rivaroxaban to yield samples with ascending drug concentrations ranging from 50 – 400 ng/mL. LowTF – and PiCT® modified ROTEM® tests and determination of the corresponding antifactor Xa activity were performed in duplicate in 280 samples. LowTF–ROTEM® tests were performed in samples from 20 patients on apixaban or rivaroxaban therapy and 20 controls. Results There was a strong correlation between apixaban / rivaroxaban plasma concentrations and the LowTF–ROTEM® parameters Clotting time (CT; spearman correlation coefficient (SCC) 0.81 and 0.81, respectively) and Time to maximum velocity (t,MaxVel; SCC: 0.81 and 0.80, resp.) and a low to moderate correlation for the PiCT®–ROTEM® parameters CT (SCC: 0.38 and 0.59, resp.) and t,MaxVel. (0.51 and 0.69, resp.) in the in vitro experiments. LowTF–ROTEM CT was significantly prolonged in patients on apxiaban or rivaroxaban therapy compared to controls. Conclusions LowTF–ROTEM® could be a valuable diagnostic tool for rapid determination of the effect of apixaban and rivaroxaban at the point of care.

Fish are ideally suited for in vivo-imaging due to their transparency at early stages combined with a large genetic toolbox. Key challenges to further advance imaging are fluorophore selection, immobilization of the specimen and approaches to eliminate pigmentation. We addressed all three and identified the fluorophores and anaesthesia of choice by high throughput time-lapse imaging. Our results indicate that eGFP and mCherry are the best conservative choices for in vivo-fluorescence experiments, when availability of well-established antibodies and nanobodies matters. Still, mVenusNB and mGFPmut2 delivered highest absolute fluorescence intensities in vivo. Immobilization is of key importance during extended in vivo imaging. Here, traditional approaches are outperformed by mRNA injection of α-Bungarotoxin which allows a complete and reversible, transient immobilization. In combination with fully transparent juvenile and adult fish established by the targeted inactivation of both, oca2 and pnp4a via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in medaka we could dramatically improve the state-of-the art imaging conditions in post-embryonic fish, now enabling light-sheet microscopy of the growing retina, brain, gills and inner organs in the absence of side effects caused by anaesthetic drugs or pigmentation.

The reaction chemistry during the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Sc2O3 and Gd2O3 from Sc(MeCp)3, Gd(iPrCp)3, and H2O was investigated by in situ time-resolved quadrupole mass spectrometry. Despite the similarity of the ligands of the Sc and Gd precursors, the growth characteristics and ligand dissociation patterns of the Sc2O3 and Gd2O3 ALD processes showed considerably different behavior. For both processes, the precursors reacted with the hydroxylated surface by proton transfer and release of the protonated ligand. The remaining ligands were then removed by hydrolysis during the H2O pulse. However, for the Sc(MeCp)3/H2O process, ∼56% of MeCpH was released during the Sc(MeCp)3 exposure, whereas in the case of the Gd(iPrCp)3/H2O process, as much as 90% of iPrCpH was released during the Gd(iPrCp)3 pulse. The observation that almost all iPrCp ligands were removed during the initial Gd(iPrCp)3 absorption step can be ascribed to CVD-like reactions between the Gd(iPrCp)3 precursor and excess hydroxide or phy...