217 research outputs found
On the Mechanism of the Step Coverage of Blanket Tungsten Chemical Vapor Deposition
In this study, computer modeling of the contact fill process with chemical vapor deposition, (CVD) of tungsten is usedto show the importance of several details on the quality of the fill process. The effect of surface curvature on the stepcoverage of CVD-W has been investigated. It is shown that for contacts with an aspect ratio smaller than one, the effect ofsurface curvature is substantial and actually improves step coverage. Therefore, surface curvature for features with aspectratios smaller than one, should be accounted for in computer simulations of the fill process. For contacts with aspect ratioslarger than one the effect of surface curvature is negligible. It is shown that the size of the void (which will be formed incases of step coverage less than 100%) is a better way to describe the quality of the deposition and the repercussions of thevoid on subsequent process steps such as tungsten etch back. In addition, the size of the void depends for a given set ofdeposition conditions solely on the depth of the contact rather than the contact diameter (for aspect ratios larger than 1.0)
In Situ Growth Rate Measurement of Selective LPCVD of Tungsten
The reflectance measurement during the selective deposition of W on Si covered with an insulator grating is proven tobe a convenient method to monitor the W deposition. The reflectance change during deposition allows the in situ measurementof the deposition rate. The influence of surface roughening due to either the W growth or an etching pretreatmentof the wafer is modeled, as well as the effect of selectivity loss and lateral overgrowth
A test chip for automatic reliability measurements of interconnect vias
A test circuit for electromigration reliability measurements was designed and tested. The device under test (DUT) is a via-hole chain. The test circuit permits simultaneous measurements of a number of DUTs, and a fatal error of one DUT does not influence the measurement results of the other DUTs. Measurements require only a few measurement instruments. Comparing the measurement results of a single DUT io the measurement results of the test circuit shows that the test circuit may be used for reliability measurements
Aspergillus niger Protein EstA Defines a New Class of Fungal Esterases within the α/β Hydrolase Fold Superfamily of Proteins
AbstractFrom the fungus Aspergillus niger, we identified a new gene encoding protein EstA, a member of the α/β-hydrolase fold superfamily but of unknown substrate specificity. EstA was overexpressed and its crystal structure was solved by molecular replacement using a lipase-acetylcholinesterase chimera template. The 2.1 Å resolution structure of EstA reveals a canonical Ser/Glu/His catalytic triad located in a small pocket at the bottom of a large solvent-accessible, bowl-shaped cavity. Potential substrates selected by manual docking procedures were assayed for EstA activity. Consistent with the pocket geometry, preference for hydrolysis of short acyl/propyl chain substrates was found. Identification of close homologs from the genome of other fungi, of which some are broad host-range pathogens, defines EstA as the first member of a novel class of fungal esterases within the superfamily. Hence the structure of EstA constitutes a lead template in the design of new antifungal agents directed toward its pathogenic homologs
Investigation of photoneutron reactions close to and above the neutron emission threshold in the rare earth region
We have investigated the photoneutron cross section of the isotopes
Nd, Sm, and Gd close to the neutron emission
threshold in photoactivation experiments at the Darmstadt superconducting
electron linear accelerator S-DALINAC. Naturally composed targets were
activated with a high-intensity bremsstrahlung beam at various energies and the
reaction yields have been determined by measuring the activity of the produced
radioactive isotopes with HPGe detectors. The results are compared to two
different statistical model calculations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review
Determination of 141Pr(alpha,n)144Pm cross sections at energies of relevance for the astrophysical p-process using the gamma-gamma coincidence method
The reaction 141Pr(alpha,n)144Pm was investigated between E_alpha=11 MeV and
15 MeV with the activation method using the gamma-gamma coincidence method with
a segmented clover-type high-purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. Measurements
with four other HPGe detectors were additionally made. The comparison proves
that the gamma-gamma coincidence method is an excellent tool to investigate
cross sections down to the microbarn range. The (alpha,n) reaction at low
energy is especially suited to test alpha+nucleus optical-model potentials for
application in the astrophysical p-process. The experimentally determined cross
sections were compared to Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations using
different optical potentials and generally an unsatisfactory reproduction of
the data was found. A local potential was constructed to improve the
description of the data. The consequences of applying the same potential to
calculate astrophysical (gamma,alpha) rates for 145Pm and 148Gd were explored.
In summary, the data and further results underline the problems in global
predictions of alpha+nucleus optical potentials at astrophysically relevant
energies.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev.
Therapy-refractory Panton Valentine Leukocidin-positive community-acquired methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus sepsis with progressive metastatic soft tissue infection: a case report
We report a case of fulminant multiple organ failure including the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), haemodynamic, and renal failure due to community-acquired methicillin-sensitive Panton Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) positive spa-type 284 (ST121) Staphylococcus aureus septic shock. The patient's first clinical symptom was necrotizing pneumonia. Despite organism-sensitive triple antibiotic therapy with linezolid, imipenem and clindamycin from the first day of treatment, progressive abscess formation in multiple skeletal muscles was observed. As a result, repeated surgical interventions became necessary. Due to progressive soft tissue infection, the anti-microbial therapy was changed to a combination of clindamycin and daptomycin. Continued surgical and antimicrobial therapy finally led to a stabilisation of the patients' condition. The clinical course of our patient underlines the existence of a "PVL-syndrome" which is independent of in vitro Staphylococcus aureus susceptibility. The PVL-syndrome should not only be considered in patients with soft tissue or bone infection, but also in patients with pneumonia. Such a condition, which may easily be mistaken for uncomplicated pneumonia, should be treated early, aggressively and over a long period of time in order to avoid relapsing infection
Analysis of regulation of pentose utilisation in Aspergillus niger reveals evolutionary adaptations in Eurotiales
Aspergilli are commonly found in soil and on decaying plant material. D-xylose and L-arabinose are highly abundant components of plant biomass. They are released from polysaccharides by fungi using a set of extracellular enzymes and subsequently converted intracellularly through the pentose catabolic pathway (PCP)
Enhanced Membrane Pore Formation through High-Affinity Targeted Antimicrobial Peptides
Many cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) target the unique lipid composition of the prokaryotic cell membrane. However, the micromolar activities common for these peptides are considered weak in comparison to nisin, which follows a targeted, pore-forming mode of action. Here we show that AMPs can be modified with a high-affinity targeting module, which enables membrane permeabilization at low concentration. Magainin 2 and a truncated peptide analog were conjugated to vancomycin using click chemistry, and could be directed towards specific membrane embedded receptors both in model membrane systems and whole cells. Compared with untargeted vesicles, a gain in permeabilization efficacy of two orders of magnitude was reached with large unilamellar vesicles that included lipid II, the target of vancomycin. The truncated vancomycin-peptide conjugate showed an increased activity against vancomycin resistant Enterococci, whereas the full-length conjugate was more active against a targeted eukaryotic cell model: lipid II containing erythrocytes. This study highlights that AMPs can be made more selective and more potent against biological membranes that contain structures that can be targeted
- …