On-Chip Power Supply Noise: Scaling, Suppression and Detection

Design metrics such as area, timing and power are generally considered as the primary criteria in the design of modern day circuits, however, the minimization of power supply noise, among other noise sources, is appreciably more important since not only can it cause a degradation in these parameters but can cause entire chips to fail. Ensuring the integrity of the power supply voltage in the power distribution network of a chip is therefore crucial to both building reliable circuits as well as preventing circuit performance degradation. Power supply noise concerns, predicted over two decades ago, continue to draw significant attention, and with present CMOS technology projected to keep on scaling, it is shown in this work that these issues are not expected to diminish. This research also considers the management and on-chip detection of power supply noise. There are various methods of managing power supply noise, with the use of decoupling capacitors being the most common technique for suppressing the noise. An in-depth analysis of decap structures including scaling effects is presented in this work with corroborating silicon results. The applicability of various decaps for given design constraints is provided. It is shown that MOS-metal hybrid structures can provide a significant increase in capacitance per unit area compared to traditional structures and will continue to be an important structure as technology continues to scale. Noise suppression by means of current shifting within the clock period of an ALU block is further shown to be an additional method of reducing the minimum voltage observed on its associated supply. A simple, and area and power efficient technique for on-chip supply noise detection is also proposed

Spintronic Operations Driven by Terahertz Electromagnetic Pulses

Spintronic devices, supplementing and surpassing charge-based electronics by including the electron spin, have recently begun to reach the market. Information carriers such as electrons (in field-effect transistors) and photons (in optical fibers) have already reached the terahertz range (THz, 10^12 Hz). To make the electron spin compatible and competitive, spintronic operations need to be pushed to THz frequencies. So far, is is unclear whether fundamental spintronic effects such as spin accumulation or spin-orbit torque can be transferred to THz frequencies. In this respect, it is also important to note that the THz range coincides with many fundamental excitations, for instance phonons, magnons, and the relaxation of electronic currents. Strong THz electromagnetic pulses can be used to study such fundamental excitations, making use of both the electric and magnetic fields of the electromagnetic pulse. In this thesis, strong THz electromagnetic pulses are applied to spintronic thinfilm stacks to drive charge and spin currents, apply torque and manipulate magnetic order. A short optical probe pulse or a resistance probe interrogate the transient magnetic response. First, a measurement strategy is developed to simultaneously detect all components of the vector magnetization of thin film magnets in optical transmission probe experiments at normal incidence, requiring only a variation in the initial probe polarization. To this end, the magnetic circular and linear birefringence (MCB, MLB) effects are measured simultaneously and a calibration strategy for the often neglected MLB effect is presented. Second, using this detection scheme, we study the THz frequency operation of spintronic effects in ferromagnetic(FM)/non-magnetic (NM) heavy metal stacks. We find signatures of THz spin accumulation at the FM/NM interface. The spins injected into a ferromagnet relax within ∼ 100 fs, in line with electron-spin equilibration times measured by ultrafast optically induced demagnetization. Indications of the field-like spin-orbit torque (FL-SOT) are found. Third, an effective method to modulate the relative THz electric and magnetic field amplitudes in thin film samples is presented, enabling one to disentangle effects driven by the electric or the magnetic component of the THz electromagnetic pulse. A nearperfect conductor (THz mirror) quenches the THz electric field in a region close to the mirror, while doubling the THz magnetic field. Measurements with a ferromagnetic thin film confirmed a THz magnetic field increase of 1.97 ± 0.06 and a suppression of the THz electric field in the sample. Finally, we utilize the electric-field suppression effect close to metals to optically gate the THz electric field driven resistance modulation of an antiferromagnet (AFM) grown on a semiconducting substrate. An optically induced transient substrate conductance depletes the THz electric field in the AFM layer, while not perturbing the AFM magnetic order directly. A simple model of parallel conductances is presented, confirming the experimental observations. In conclusion, this thesis is an important contribution to push fundamental spintronic effects such as spin accumulation and spin-orbit torque to the THz range. The developed methodologies are helpful to advance nonlinear THz spectroscopy of magnetic materials.Da die ersten auf spintronischen Prinzipien erbauten Speicher den Markt erreichen und gleichzeitig Informationsträger wie Elektronen (in Feldeffekttransistoren) und Photonen (in Glasfaserkabeln) in den Terahertz-Frequenzbereich (THz, 10^12 Hz) vordringen, stellt sich die Frage, ob die Spintronik, welche die Elektronik um den Elektronenspin erweitert, mit solch hohen Frequenzen kompatibel ist. Gleichzeitig ist der THz-Frequenzbereich, welcher elementare Anregungen wie Phononen und Magnonen enthält, auch fur die Grundlagenforschung interessant. Um diese Anregungen zu untersuchen bieten sich elektromagnetische THz-Pulse mit hohen Feldstärken an, denn sie können direkt an elektrische und magnetische Resonanzen koppeln. Diese Arbeit untersucht mit THz-Lichtpulsen, die in spintronischen Dünnfilmproben Spin- und Ladungsströme induzieren, ob elementare spintronische Effekte, wie die Spin-Akkumulation oder das Spin-Bahn-Drehmoment, auch bei THz-Frequenzen aktiv sind. Die magnetische Antwort wird mit kurzen optischen Pulsen oder mittels elektrischer Messungen zeitaufgelöst abgefragt. Die spintronischen Effekte werden in ferromagnetischen (FM)/nichtmagnetischen (NM) Dunnfilm-Metallmultilagen untersucht, wobei zuerst eine Messmethode erarbeitet ¨ wird, um alle räumlichen Anteile der Probenmagnetisierung gleichzeitig zu bestimmen. Hierzu werden die magnetische zirkuläre Doppelbrechung (MCB) und die, oft vernachlässigte, magnetische lineare Doppelbrechung (MLB), welche der Abfragepuls beim Durchdringen der Probe entlang der Probennormale erfährt, gleichzeitig bestimmt. Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf der Normierung des MLB-Signals. Mithilfe dieser neuartigen Messmethode werden Indizien fur eine THz Spin-Akkumulation und das feldartige Spin- ¨ Bahn-Drehmoment (FL-SOT) an der FM/NM Grenzfläche gefunden, welche auf einen Spinaustausch zwischen dem nichtmagnetischen Schwermetall und dem FM zuruckgeführt ¨ werden. Die in den FM eindringenden Spins relaxieren auf einer Zeitskala von ∼ 100 fs, was mit Ergebnissen aus ultraschnellen optischen Demagnetisierungsstudien ubereinstimmt. ¨ Zusätzlich wird die nichtlineare THz-Spektroskopie dahingehend erweitert, vom elektrischen oder magnetischen THz-Feld getriebene Signale unterscheiden zu können, indem die relativen Stärken der elektromagnetischen Felder im Inneren einer Dunnfilmprobe beeinflusst werden. Hierbei unterdruckt ein elektrisch leitender THz Spiegel das THz elektrische Feld in der Probe, während das THz magnetische Feld um einen Faktor 1.97±0.06 verstärkt wird. Diese Unterdruckung des THz elektrischen Feldes in der Nähe eines Leiters wird genutzt, um die vom THz elektrischen Feld getriebene Widerstandsmodulation in einem, auf einem (optisch angeregten) halbleitenden Substrat gewachsenen, Antiferromagneten (AFM) zu steuern. Dabei wird die Wirkung des THz elektrischen Feldes im AFM unterdruckt ohne den magnetischen Zustand des AFM zu stören. Ein einfaches Modell stutzt die Interpretation der Beobachtungen. Zusammenfassend leistet diese Arbeit einen wichtigen Beitrag, um spintronische Effekte wie die Spin-Akkumulation und das Spin-Bahn-Drehmoment im THz-Frequenzbereich zu etablieren und erweitert zusätzlich die Möglichkeiten der nichtlinearen THz-Spektroskopie an Magneten

Metal oxide nanocrystals for light-driven energy storage

In a world struggling to face the disruptive consequences of global warming, developing new energy conversion and storage solutions is of fundamental importance. This PhD thesis focuses on emerging heterostructures based on Indium Tin Oxide nanocrystals (ITO NCs) and two-dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (2D TMDs) for innovative light-driven optoelectronic nanodevices and energy storage solutions, combining the harvesting, conversion and storage aspects into a unique hybrid nanomaterial. Doped Metal Oxide (MO) NCs are attracting growing interest as nano-supercapacitors due to their ability to store extra charges in their electronic structure with record-high values of capacitance. Remarkably, these materials can be charged with light (i.e., photodoping), a process at the core of this project and so far not understood electronically. Here, the fundamental features involved in the charge accumulation process are investigated and the physics of photodoping explained. Complete control over energetic band bending and depletion layer engineering is demonstrated, exposing the key role of electronically depleted layers in core-shell NCs. Light-induced depletion layer modulation and band bending is the main mechanism responsible for the storage of extra charges in doped MO supercapacitors. Moreover, multi-electron transfer reversible reactions were observed in photodoped NCs when exposed to a frequently used electron acceptor. The coupling between ITO NCs and 2D TMDs allowed the implementation of a novel all-optical localized charge injection scheme for the manipulation of unperturbed 2D materials. Hybrid 0D-2D heterostructures proved all-solid-state photodoping possible, with promising charging dynamics and capacitance values. Theoretical modeling tools were developed, leading to the optimization of the charge storage capacity of 0D NCs. This work is of particular interest for the fabrication of the next-generation of nanostructured light-driven supercapacitors

Large-scale remotely interrogated arrays of fibre-optic interferometric sensors and fibre lasers

Abstract unavailable please refer to PD

Aeronautical engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 321)

This bibliography lists 496 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in Sep. 1995. Subject coverage includes: design, construction and testing of aircraft and aircraft engines; aircraft components, equipment, and systems; ground support systems; and theoretical and applied aspects of aerodynamics and general fluid dynamics