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We conducted a nationwide survey of tomotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in Japan. Fifty-six facilities were surveyed and data on 31 patients treated curatively between 2008 and 2017 were collected from 14 facilities. Twenty patients received hemithorax irradiation after extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) (first group). Five patients received irradiation without EPP (second group), while six received salvage radiotherapy for local recurrence (salvage group). Among the seven patients not undergoing EPP, five (four in the second group and one in the salvage group) were treated with lung sparing pleural irradiation (LSPI) and two with irradiation to visible tumors. Two-year overall survival (OS) rates in the first and second groups were 33% and 60%, respectively (median, 13 vs 30 months, P = 0.82). In the first and second groups, 2-year local control (LC) rates were 53 and 67%, respectively (P = 0.54) and 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 16% and 60%, respectively (P = 0.07). Distant metastases occurred in 15 patients in the first group and three in the second group. In the salvage group, the median OS was 18 months. Recurrence was observed in the irradiated volume in four patients. The contralateral lung dose was higher in LSPI than in hemithorax irradiation plans (mean, 11.0 ± 2.2 vs 6.1 ± 3.1 Gy, P = 0.002). Grade 3 or 5 lung toxicity was observed in two patients receiving EPP and hemithorax irradiation, but not in those undergoing LSPI. In conclusion, outcomes of EPP and hemithorax irradiation were not satisfactory, whereas LSPI appeared promising and encouraging.

Anderson localization (AL), a major topic in condensed matter physics, has been extensively studied. Since the discovery of graphene, its unique AL in Dirac materials, particularly weak localization (WL), has been studied intensively. Strong localization (SL) has also been investigated in graphene with intentionally introduced defects. The precise control of spacing/strength of defects using conventional methods is challenging; thus, He-ion-irradiation is a promising technology. However, magnetotransport, a sensitive tool to probe AL, has not yet been studied for He-ion-irradiated graphene. Herein, we systematically investigate the magnetotransport of He-ion-irradiated graphene. We observe negative magnetoresistance (MR) due to SL-dominated hopping transport. By systematically tuning the device parameters, negative MR at room temperature is first revealed for graphene field-effect transistor devices. Our study reveals carrier localization via searching in the multidimensional parameter space of Dirac materials, contributing to the development of fundamental AL physics and magnetoelectronic device applications.

We herein report the distribution of gray matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in two patients with lymphomatosis cerebri (LC). In our patients, the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence of brain MRI demonstrated a bilateral and diffuse high signal intensity, not only in the white matter but also in the thalamus, globus pallidus, putamen, and hippocampus. Among the deep gray matter, the caudate head and putamen (striatum) were relatively spared when compared with the globus pallidus, thalamus, and hippocampus. Interestingly, we found seven previous reports of similar MRI findings, with relative sparing of the striatum, in patients with LC. This finding may be characteristic of LC and help facilitate its diagnosis. Further investigations of a larger number of LC patients are necessary to confirm these findings.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection., 「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.

Reduction of electrical resistance of middle-of-line (MOL) is now a primary requirement for advanced CMOS. In this paper, we demonstrate that the cluster-preforming-deposited (CPD) WSin (n ≤ 12) film is a promising contact material for S/D in CMOS; insertion of the WSin film reduces the electron SBH to 0.32 eV at W/n-Si and to 0.43 eV at Co/n-Si junctions. This SBH reduction is due to the fact that the WSin film has a low work function of 4.0 eV and effectively passivates the Si surface without forming an appreciable density of interface states, thereby releasing the Fermi level pinning at the Si surface. These junctions have an excellent stability against annealing up to 700˚C for W/WSin/n-Si and to 500˚C for Co/WSin/n-Si. Furthermore, this film significantly prevents the Cu diffusion with a TDDB barrier height of 1.33 eV under a 5 MV/ cm stress.

To elucidate the host genetic loci affecting severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is an emerging issue in the face of the current devastating pandemic. Here, we report a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of COVID-19 in a Japanese population led by the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, as one of the initial discovery GWAS studies performed on a non-European population. Enrolling a total of 2,393 cases and 3,289 controls, we not only replicated previously reported COVID-19 risk variants (e.g., LZTFL1, FOXP4, ABO, and IFNAR2), but also found a variant on 5p35 (rs60200309-A at DOCK2) that was significantly associated with severe COVID-19 in younger (-8 (odds ratio = 2.01, 95% confidence interval = 1.58-2.55). This risk allele was prevalent in East Asians, including Japanese (minor allele frequency [MAF] = 0.097), but rarely found in Europeans. Cross-population Mendelian randomization analysis made a causal inference of a number of complex human traits on COVID-19. In particular, obesity had a significant impact on severe COVID-19. The presence of the population-specific risk allele underscores the need of non-European studies of COVID-19 host genetics.

We report on the successful observation of a single electron phenomenon on a large area suspended graphene nanomesh (GNM) device patterned by the helium ion beam milling (HIBM) technique. The HIBM can be used to further regular the shape of the suspended graphene nanoribbon after the conventional RIE process, and also drill the periodic nanopores on suspended graphene to build potential barriers. It provides a more practical way to use graphene for quantum technology.

This article reviews charge carrier transport phenomena in single-layer graphene, in which crystalline defects are generated by helium-ion-beam irradiation using a helium-ion microscope. Crystalline defects work as electron scatterers, and the conductivity drastically decays as ion dose increases. Moreover, real-time conductivity monitoring during ion beam scans over the graphene surface is demonstrated. In cryogenic measurements under magnetic fields, defective graphene exhibits negative magnetoresistance, suggesting that strong localization occurred in this two-dimensional electron system, which survived even at room temperature. The localized state contributes to inducing a transport gap around the Dirac point, where the density of states is at its minimum, and it enables field-effect control of the carrier transport by tuning the carrier density. The fabrication and operation of field-effect transistors with defective graphene channels are demonstrated.

We report on successful fabrication of large-area suspended graphene nanomesh (GNM) by using the helium ion beam milling (HIBM) technique. By positioning the meshed area on the suspended graphene, a heterostructure composed of graphene nanoribbon and GNM is demonstrated. Increased driving current with a wider transport gap is observed for the heterostructure devices in contrast to a fully meshed devices.

Wako, T., Yoshida, A., Kato, J. et al. Human metaphase chromosome consists of randomly arranged chromatin fibres with up to 30-nm diameter. Sci Rep 10, 8948 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65842-z., During cell division, mitotic chromosomes assemble and are equally distributed into two new daughter cells. The chromosome organisation of the two chromatids is essential for even distribution of genetic materials. Although the 11-nm fibre or nucleosome structure is well-understood as a fundamental fibrous structure of chromosomes, the reports on organisation of 30-nm basic chromatin fibres have been controversial, with debates on the contribution of 30-nm or thicker fibres to the higher order inner structure of chromosomes. Here, we used focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) to show that both 11-nm and 30-nm fibres are present in the human metaphase chromosome, although the higher-order periodical structure could not be detected under the conditions employed. We directly dissected the chromosome every 10-nm and observed 224 cross-section SEM images. We demonstrated that the chromosome consisted of chromatin fibres of an average diameter of 16.9-nm. The majority of the chromatin fibres had diameters between 5 and 25-nm, while those with 30-nm were in the minority. The reduced packaging ratio of the chromatin fibres was detected at axial regions of each chromatid. Our results provide a strong basis for further discussions on the chromosome higher-order structure.

This paper demonstrates that the electrical properties of suspended graphene nanomesh (GNM) can be tuned by systematically changing the porosity with helium ion beam milling (HIBM). The porosity of the GNM is well-controlled by defining the pitch of the periodic nanopores. The defective region surrounding the individual nanopores after HIBM, which limits the minimum pitch achievable between nanopores for a certain dose, is investigated and reported. The exponential relationship between the thermal activation energy (EA) and the porosity is found in the GNM devices. Good EA tuneability observed from the GNMs provides a new approach to the transport gap engineering beyond the conventional nanoribbon method.

Graphene nanomesh (GNM) is formed by patterning graphene with nanometer-scale pores separated by narrow necks. GNMs are of interest due to their potential semiconducting characteristics when quantum confinement in the necks leads to an energy gap opening. GNMs also have potential for use in phonon control and water filtration. Furthermore, physical phenomena, such as spin qubit, are predicted at pitches below 10 nm fabricated with precise structural control. Current GNM patterning techniques suffer from either large dimensions or a lack of structural control. This work establishes reliable GNM patterning with a sub-10 nm pitch and an4 nm pore diameter by the direct helium ion beam milling of suspended monolayer graphene. Due to the simplicity of the method, no postpatterning processing is required. Electrical transport measurements reveal an effective energy gap opening of up to ∼450 meV. The reported technique combines the highest resolution with structural control and opens a path toward GNM-based, room-temperature semiconducting applications.

The gas field ion source (GFIS) is able to generate tightly focused ion beams, which can be used to image or modify a specimen. Among the beam species, helium offers extremely high resolution, however, low sputter yield and sub-surface bubble formation are limiting factors in some applications. Therefore, heavier ions such as neon or nitrogen are used as well. In addition to being a suitable choice for lithographic mask editing, secondary electron (SE) generation by nitrogen beams has been recently shown to be affected by certain types of samples, providing additional contrast compared to helium ions. Here, we report our progress on the study of SE imaging differences between the nitrogen ion microscopy (N2IM) and helium ion microscopy (HIM). SE images of two nano-patterned samples comprising insulator, metal and carbon regions have been imaged by nitrogen and helium ions in two fundamentally different GFIS microscopes. The results corroborate previous reports of significant contrast differences in certain samples caused by the different ion species.

Graphene-based thermal rectification was investigated by measuring the thermal transport properties of asymmetric suspended graphene nanomesh devices. A sub-10 nm periodic nanopore phononic crystal structure was successfully patterned on the half area of the suspended graphene ribbon by helium ion beam milling technology. The ‘differential thermal leakage’ method was developed for thermal transport measurement without disturbance from the leakage of electron current through the suspended graphene bridge. A thermal rectification ratio of up to 60% was observed in a typical device with a nanopore pitch of 20 nm. By increasing the nanopore pitch in a particular range, the thermal rectification ratio showed an increment. However, this ratio was degraded by increasing the environmental temperature. This experiment suggests a promising way to develop a high-performance thermal rectifier by using a phononic crystal to introduce asymmetry on homogeneous material.

Focused ion beams with varied exposure dose were used to mill rectangular trenches into PMMA on SiO2. The dose response was investigated by atomic force microscopy measurements. TRIM calculations were used to simulate the ion distributions and damages expected inside the target. The depth of the trenches measured by AFM showed an unexpected decrease for intermediate dosages of high energetic helium ions in contrast to low energetic helium and nitrogen ions. This has been attributed to the formation of metastable blisters in the PMMA layer.

Central nervous system graft-versus-host disease can present quite a diagnostic challenge. We herein present a case of histologically-confirmed chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) involving the central nervous system that occurred at 19 months after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed areas of confluent hyperintensity in the deep/subcortical white matter with multiple punctate and curvilinear gadolinium enhancements, suggesting the disruption of the blood-brain barrier. A brain biopsy revealed perivascular CD3-positive T cell infiltration around the small vessels. We propose that the detection of punctate-enhanced lesions by magnetic resonance imaging may be a useful finding that facilitates the early diagnosis of chronic GVHD involving the central nervous system.

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The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for elderly patients with prostate cancer (age ≥75 years) compared with younger patients (

The capacitance–voltage characteristics of MOS capacitors and ab initio theoretical calculations revealed that an amorphous film composed of WSin clusters (n = 6−12) had a low effective work function of 4.0 eV on SiO2 with excellent thermal stability up to 600oC. In Si Schottky diodes with WSin insertion, the electron Schottky barrier height (SBH) was 0.58 eV for n = 6 and reduced to 0.45 eV when n = 12. The n-dependency of SBH was attributed to the surface passivation of WSin becoming more effective as n increased, with annealing leading to a lower value of 0.32 eV.

The amorphous $\mathrm{WSi}_{n}$ film composed of W-atom-encapsulated $\mathrm{Si}_{n}$ cage clusters has barrier properties against Cu. Thermal stability of the double layers of $\mathrm{Cu}/\mathrm{WSi}_{n}$ was investigated for various values of $n=5-13$ . It was revealed that the diffusion of Si atoms to Cu is most suppressed when $n$ is 12. The estimated TDDB lifetime for Cu/WSi12 MOS capacitors exceeds 10 years at 100°C under 5 MV/cm stress. This is because the constituent W-atom-encapsulated Si12 cluster has the most stable cage structure, giving excellent stability and capturing ability of Cu ions to the film with $n=12$ .

Helium ion microscopy (HIM) scans samples with a fine ion beam exploiting the very short de Broglie wavelength of helium ions. Because the radiation induces only a small sample region to emit secondary electrons (SEs), very high resolution is expected. In order to explore the applications of SE-HIM in biology, COS7 kidney fibroblast cells and C2C12 myoblast cells cultured on a silicon (Si) nitride (SiN)/Si bilayer were dried and directly observed in high vacuum, without coating or staining. High contrast, high depth-of-field images were obtained revealing the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, cytoskeleton and putative mitochondria above a bright background from the support. Gold-tagged antibodies were employed to aid organelle identification. Signals from the gold tags were most clearly distinguishable by secondary electron (SE)-HIM when cells were grown on thin SiN film, and the minimum gap measured between gold particles showed the resolution to be 2 nm. Wheat germ agglutinin-gold labeling revealed clusters of gold particles ~50-200 nm in diameter on COS7 cells, which might represent assemblies of glycosylated proteins, suggesting the formation of membrane raft structures that include membrane proteins. SE-HIM also delivered high contrast images of unstained, uncoated, thin sections of Epon‑embedded mouse kidney tissues mounted on a SiN/Si bilayer, revealing the details of sub-tissues and cell organelles. A charge-coupled mechanism explaining the observed SE-HIM contrast is proposed. Ionoluminescence-HIM was also performed targeting zinc oxide particles on cells. In conclusion, the high depth-of-field, high-resolution imaging achieved using HIM may have applications in various fields, including soft materials.

Carbon nanoscrolls (CNS) with their open ended morphology have recently attracted interest due to the potential application in gas capture, biosensors and interconnects. However, CNS currently suffer from the same issue that have hindered widespread integration of CNTs in sensors and devices: formation is done ex situ, and the tubes have to be placed with precision and reliability-a difficult task with low yield. Here, we demonstrate controlled in situ formation of electrically contacted CNS from suspended graphene nanoribbons with slight tensile stress. Formation probability depends on the length to width aspect ratio. Van der Waals interaction between the overlapping layers fixes the nanoscroll once formed. The stability of these CNSs is investigated by helium nano ion beam assisted in situ cutting. The loose stubs remain rolled and mostly suspended unless subject to a moderate helium dose corresponding to a damage rate of 4%-20%. One CNS stub remaining perfectly straight even after touching the SiO2 substrate allows estimation of the bending moment due to van der Waals force between the CNS and the substrate. The bending moment of 5400 eV is comparable to previous theoretical studies. The cut CNSs show long-term stability when not touching the substrate.

Aim To define the optimal margin on MRI scans in the re-radiation planning of recurrent glioblastoma using methionine positron emission tomography (MET-PET). Background It would be very useful if the optimal margin on MRI to cover the uptake area on MET-PET is known. Materials and Methods CT, MRI, and MET-PET were performed separately over the course of 2 weeks. Among the MRI scans, we used the contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (Gd-MRI) and T2-weighted images (T2-MRI). The Gd-MRI-based clinical target volume (CTV) (CTV-Gd) and the T2-MRI-based CTV (CTV-T2) were defined as the contrast-enhanced area on Gd-MRI and the high intensity area on T2-MRI, respectively. We defined CTV x mm (x = 5, 10, 15, 20) as x mm outside the CTV. MET-PET-based CTV (CTV-MPET) was defined as the area of accumulation of MET-PET. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of CTV-Gd and CTV-T2 following comparison with CTV-MPET, which served as the gold standard in this study. Results The sensitivity of CTV-T2 5 mm (98%) was significantly higher than CTV-T2 (87%), and there was no significant difference in the sensitivity between CTV-T2 5 mm and CTV T2 10, 15, or 20 mm. The sensitivity of CTV-Gd 20 mm (97%) was lower than that of CTV-T2 5 mm (98%). Conclusions A margin of at least 5 mm around the high intensity area on T2-MRI is necessary in the target volume delineation of recurrent glioblastoma for the coverage of MET-PET findings in re-radiation therapy planning.

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of hydrogen–air turbulent swirling premixed flame in a cuboid combustor is conducted to investigate thermoacoustic instability and dynamic modes of turbulent swirling premixed flame in combustors. A detailed kinetic mechanism and temperature dependency of physical properties are considered in DNS. Two swirl number cases of 0.6 and 1.2 are investigated. Large-scale helical vortical structures are generated near the inlet of combustion chamber, and a lot of fine-scale vortices emerge downstream. Flame structure is engulfed by the vortical structures and depends largely on the swirl number. Spectral analysis of pressure oscillation on walls shows that quarter-wave mode of longitudinal acoustics has the largest energy, and that characteristic oscillations are found at higher frequencies. To investigate oscillation modes of pressure and heat release rate fields, dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) is applied to DNS results. It is shown that there are differences between dominant frequencies in spectral analysis of time-series pressure data at one point of walls and DMD of time-series pressure field data. DMD of pressure field reveals that the quarter-wave mode in longitudinal acoustics has the largest energy for the case of S = 0.6 . Furthermore, it is clarified that the transverse acoustic plane waves and pressure oscillations induced by large-scale vortical motions play important roles for the pressure oscillations in combustors. DMD of heat release rate field reveals that the DMD modes of pressure with high amplitude do not necessarily have coupling with fluctuations of heat release rate. Interactions between dynamic modes of pressure and heat release rate are also discussed.

Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS) is a rare and aggressive neoplasm that is thought to arise from dendritic cells. This disease usually involves the lymph nodes and, rarely, extra-nodal sites. We report a 62-year-old man presenting skin nodules in the head, body, and extremities, as well as bone marrow involvement. Morphologic analysis of a biopsied specimen from the skin lesion was consistent with IDCS. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that the tumor cells were positive for IDCS-associated antigens such as CD4, CD45, CD68 (KP-1), and S-100 protein. Complete remission was achieved by treatment with 6 cycles of ABVD (adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) chemotherapy. Although the optimal treatment of IDSC remains unknown, the experience in the current case supports the notion that ABVD chemotherapy may be effective for IDCS, and further extends this idea to rare patients presenting multiple skin lesions.

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the treatment result of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in a large number of Japanese patients with prostate cancer. Background A total of 1091 patients with localized prostate cancer were recruited between March 2006 and July 2014. The patients were stratified into low- (n = 205 [18.8%]), intermediate- (n = 450 [41.2%]), high- (n = 345 [31.6%]), and very high-risk (n = 91 [8.3%]) groups according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network classification. All patients were irradiated via IMRT at a dose of 74–78 Gy with or without androgen-deprivation therapy. The mean follow-up period was 50 months (range, 2–120 months). Results The biochemical failure-free rate (BFFR), the clinical failure-free rate, and the overall survival rate at the 5-year follow-up for all patients was 91.3%, 96.2%, and 99.1%, respectively. In univariate analysis, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (≤20 vs. >20 ng/ml) were significantly correlated with BFFR. A trend toward higher BFFR was noted in patients with a Gleason score (GS) of ≤7 than in patients with GS ≥8. In multivariate analysis, only PSA (≤20 vs. >20 ng/ml) was significantly correlated with BFFR. The cumulative incidence rate of gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity (≥grade 2) at the 5-year follow-up was 11.4% and 4.3%, respectively. Conclusions The findings of this study indicate that IMRT is well tolerated and is associated with both good long-term tumor control and excellent outcomes in patients with localized prostate cancer.

We evaluate the suitability of simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT), filtered back projection, and simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique methods for buried interface roughness measurements. We also investigate the effect of total electron dose distributed over the entire tilt series on measured roughness values. We investigate the applicability of the dose fractionation theorem by evaluating the effect of an increasing number of images, i.e., decreasing tilt increment size at fixed total electron irradiation dose on the quantitative measurement of buried interface roughness. The results indicate that SIRT is the most suitable method for reconstruction and a 3° to 5° angle is optimal for the roughness measurement.

Aim To assess the changes in prostate size in patients with prostate cancer undergoing intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Background The effect of size change produced by IMRT is not well known. Materials and methods We enrolled 72 patients who received IMRT alone without androgen-deprivation therapy and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination before and after IMRT. The diameter of the entire prostate in the anterior–posterior (P-AP) and left–right (P-LR) directions was measured. The transitional zone diameter in the anterior–posterior (T-AP) and left–right (T-LR) directions was also measured. Results The average relative P-AP values at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after IMRT compared to the pre-IMRT value were 0.94, 0.90, 0.89, 0.89, and 0.90, respectively; the average relative P-LR values were 0.93, 0.92, 0.91, 0.91, and 0.90, respectively. The average P-AP and P-LR decreased by approximately 10% during the 12 months post-IMRT, and remained unchanged thereafter. The average relative T-AP values at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after IMRT compared to the pre-IMRT value were 0.93, 0.88, 0.91, 0.87, and 0.89, respectively; the average relative T-LR values were 0.96, 0.90, 0.91, 0.87, and 0.88, respectively. The average T-AP and T-LR also decreased by approximately 10% during the 12 months post-IMRT, and remained unchanged thereafter. At 12 months after IMRT, the average relative T-AP was significantly lower in patients with recurrence than in those without recurrence. Conclusions The average prostate diameter decreased by approximately 10% during the 12 months after IMRT; thereafter remained unchanged.

Helium ion microscopy (HIM) was applied to image an organic film filled into narrow trenches. The film was characterized to examine structural changes after the HIM helium ion irradiation comparing with a SEM electron beam irradiation. In the HIM case, the change was seen in a deep region of the film, while it occurred at the surface in the SEM case. This depends on penetration properties of helium ions and electrons to the material, and surface imaging of the film looks more realistic by the HIM than the SEM.

cited By 0; International audience; Localization of atomic defect-induced electronic transport through a single graphene layer is calculated using a full-valence electronic structure description as a function of the defect density and taking into account the atomic-scale deformations of the layer. The elementary electronic destructive interferences leading to Anderson localization are analyzed. The low-voltage current intensity decreases with increasing length and defect density, with a calculated localization length ζ = 3.5 nm for a defect density of 5%. The difference from the experimental defect density of 0.5% required for an oxide surface-supported graphene to obtain the same ζ is discussed, pointing out how interactions of the graphene supporting surface and surface chemical modifications also control electronic transport localization.

The predicted quasiparticle energy gap of more than 1 eV in sub-6 nm graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) is elusive, as it is strongly suppressed by the substrate dielectric screening. The number of techniques that can produce suspended high-quality and electrically contacted GNRs is small. The helium ion beam milling technique is capable of achieving sub-5 nm patterning; however, the functional device fabrication and the electrical characteristics are not yet reported. Here, the electrical transport measurement of suspended ≈6 nm wide mono- and bilayer GNR functional devices is reported, which are obtained through sub-nanometer resolution helium ion beam milling with controlled total helium ion budget. The transport gap opening of 0.16-0.8 eV is observed at room temperature. The measured transport gap of the different edge orientated GNRs is in good agreement with first-principles simulation results. The enhanced electron-electron interaction and reduced dielectric screening in the suspended quasi-1D GNRs and anti-ferromagnetic coupling between opposite edges in the zigzag GNRs substantiate the observed large transport gap.

With recent shrinkage of Si CMOS, the contact resistance at source/drain (S/D) and the external series resistance are becoming determining factors of device performance. Low Schottky barrier height (SBH) at the metal/semiconductor interface is required to reduce the specific contact resistivity. It is well known, however, that for most metallic species, silicide/Si junctions always show a high electron SBH to n-Si owing to the Fermi-level pinning in the range between the mid gap and the valence band edge. This fact imposes a fundamental difficulty for obtaining low contact resistance and high performance in CMOS. Many researchers have already addressed this issue; yet, an unconventional contact material is strongly required. In this work, we demonstrate a novel contact material with low SBH for both n- and p-FET together with excellent diffusion barrier properties: the WSi n (n = 12) composed of W-atom-encapsulated Si n cage clusters.[1] The WSi n film was prepared by the newly developed Cluster-Preforming Deposition (CPD) method.[2] In a hot-wall thermal deposition system, hydrogenated W-atom-encapsulated WSi n H x clusters with well-controlled n values (n ≤ ~12) are preformed by reaction of WF6 and SiH4 in the gas phase. The WSi n H x clusters are then deposited onto a substrate, where they are thermally dehydrogenated and coalesce to the WSi n film with less hydrogen content. The residual fluorine concentration in the film was less than ~0.1 at. % because of the sufficient reduction reaction of WF6 with SiH4 in the gas phase. The formed films have an amorphous structure similar to the hydrogenated amorphous Si, but they are extremely stable against annealing up to 1100 °C.[3] The power formation is entirely suppressed under the CPD condition of very high flow ratio of SiH4/ WF6. We also confirmed that the CPD WSi n exhibits an excellent step coverage over a high-aspect-ratio hole array with 40-nm diameter and 2-μm depth. We evaluated the insertion effect of WSi n film of 5-10 nm thickness into Schottky diodes with high resistivity Si substrates: W/WSi n /n-Si (~2 Ω·cm) and W/WSi n /Ge/p-Si (~5 Ω·cm). The electron SBH in the inserted diodes decreases with n, and in particular, is most reduced to 0.32 eV when n is 12. This indicates that the WSi n film has a Fermi level close to the Si conduction band edge and sufficiently passivates the interfacial states at the Si surface because WSi n is composed of almost Si. This SBH reduction effect is kept even after annealing up to at 700 °C. On the other hand, for the W/WSi n /Ge/p-Si junction, the hole SBH once increases by the insertion but is reduced with annealing temperature, approaching the charge neutrality level close to the valence band edge of Ge, e.g. 0.51 eV with n = 12 after annealing at 600 °C. This property enables the WSi12 film to reduce both the electron and hole SBHs simultaneously in CMOS. Furthermore, the WSi n is a narrow gap semiconductor with a low offset to the band edge of Si or Ge. This band alignment leads to the negligible insertion resistance. To reduce the parasitic series resistance at S/D, it is effective to adopt a thinner barrier film for a low resistance electrode such as Cu. Thus, the barrier properties of the WSi n film against Cu diffusion were investigated using the two test structures: MOS capacitors with a 20-nm thermal oxide and p+-n diodes (junction depth of 100 nm) with and without the WSi n insertion (n = 12, thickness = 5 nm). The WSi n film exhibited excellent diffusion barrier properties for Cu contact; from the TDDB lifetime of the Cu MOS capacitors, the diffusion barrier height was estimated to be 1.33 eV under 5 MV/cm stress and the Cu on Si diodes were stable against annealing up to 600 °C. In conclusion, the insertion of the CPD WSi n (n = 12) film is demonstrated to reduce the electron and hole SBH to 0.32 eV at W/n-Si and to 0.51 eV at W/Ge/p-Si junctions, while significantly preventing the Cu diffusion with a TDDB barrier height of 1.33 eV under 5 MV/ cm stress. Consequently, this film is a promising contact material for S/D in CMOS. [1] IEDM, 22.5, (2017). [2] J. Chem. Phys., 144, 084703 (2016). [3] J. Appl. Phys., 121, 225308, (2017).

We elucidate the comprehensive mechanism of gas-phase reactions of WF6 with SiH4 for deposition of high-density W silicide (WSi n , 0 ~10, less reactive fluorine-deficient molecules are formed by the reduction reaction, inhibiting the powder formation. Only when the gas-phase reaction with SiH4 is sufficiently promoted under the condition of an extremely high R S/W > 103, the W-atom-encapsulated Si n cage clusters are formed without fluorine content, leading to the powder-free deposition of the dense WSi n film of n ≥ 6 with a homogeneously smooth surface.

Aims We investigated the effect of resiniferatoxin (RTX)-treatment on cystometric parameters in the spinal cord injury (SCI) rats in both conscious and urethane-anesthetized conditions and evaluated the influence of urethane-anesthesia on the effect of RTX on lower urinary tract (LUT) function in SCI rats. Methods Female Sprague-Dawley rats were used. SCI was created by transection of the T8-T9 spinal cord. Four weeks after the transection, the animals were placed in a restraint cage for the first cystometric measurements in a conscious state. Secondary cystometric measurements were performed in a conscious condition following the 1 day after RTX-(0.3 mg/kg) or vehicle-subcutaneous injection. Then the animals were injected with urethane (1.5 g/kg, subcutaneously), and cystometric measurements were repeated four times every 1 hr-interval. Results After the RTX-treatment in a conscious condition, urinary retention was observed in three out of five animals. In addition, the number of non-voiding contractions (NVCs) significantly decreased although their amplitude did not change significantly. After the urethane-injection, all of the animals treated with RTX developed urinary retention. The amplitude of NVCs significantly decreased, whereas the number of NVCs did not change significantly in the RTX-treated group. No cystometric parameters significantly changed after either vehicle- or urethane-injection in the vehicle-treated group. Conclusions The present results indicate that the suppressive effects of RTX on NVCs as well as voiding contractions in SCI rats can be enhanced by urethane-anesthesia. Such suppressive effect of urethane-anesthesia itself should be taken into consideration when we evaluate a drug-effect on LUT function in rats with SCI. Neurourol. Urodynam. 34:274–279, 2015. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

We demonstrate the current on-off operation in a novel dual-gated transistor with a He ion irradiated graphene channel in which defect-induced transport gap is formed. The transistor operation was performed by controlling the band configuration of gate-controlled p-i-n junction by independent biasing of top gates. The maximum current on-off ratio of nearly four orders of magnitude was obtained at a temperature of 250 K in the proposed device structure. It was also demonstrated that the transistor polarity can be changed between unipolar and ambipolar just by adjusting the gate bias of one of the dual gates, as expected from the device operation model. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The conduction properties of graphene were tuned by tailoring the lattice by using an accelerated helium ion beam to embed low-density defects in the lattice. The density of the embedded defects was estimated to be 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than that of carbon atoms, and they functionalized a graphene sheet in a more stable manner than chemical surface modifications can do. Current modulation through back gate biasing was demonstrated at room temperature with a current on-off ratio of 2 orders of magnitude, and the activation energy of the thermally activated transport regime was evaluated. The exponential dependence of the current on the length of the functionalized region in graphene suggested that conduction tuning is possible through strong localization of carriers at sites induced by a sparsely distributed random potential modulation.

We formed nano-dots using a helium ion microscope (HIM) equipped with a gas injection system. Because of position controllability, the nano-dot markers could be placed efficiently on a specimen using the HIM. The sizes of the dots were controlled by changing the beam radiation time. We tried for the first time to form dots on a rod-shaped specimen to use them as markers for aligning a transmission electron microscope tomographic tilt series before reconstructing 3D images.