Low-temperature processed InGaZnO MES-FET for flexible device applications

Amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOSs) of an In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO)1) is expected to be used as a channel material for thin-film transistors (TFTs) because the IGZO TFTs exhibit field-effect motility (μFE) of over 10 cm2/Vs and good uniformity even fabricate at room temperature. The oxide TFTs with metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure have been employed widely; however, maximum processing temperature of 300-400 °C is required to guarantee the performance and reliability of the TFTs. In contrast, metal-semiconductor field effect transistor (MES-FET) has several advantages especially for flexible devices since a Schottky gate can be formed at low temperature with AOSs. There are a few reports of AOSs based MES-FET2, 3); however, it has remained an issue to form stable and good Schottky contact on the AOSs. We reported the top-gated MES-FET with the IGZO channel, which was deposited by mist chemical vapour deposition at 350 °C, and sputtered silver oxide (AgOx) Schottky gate4). The μFE of 3.2 cm2/Vs and subthreshold swing (SS) of 356 mV/decade were achieved. However, a maximum processing temperature of the MES-FET was 350 °C, which was not suitable for flexible device applications. In this presentation, the IGZO MES-FET with AgOx Schottky gate was fabricated at a maximum processing temperature of 150 °C. We investigated the influences of deposition conditions and post-deposition annealing on electrical properties of the low-temperature processed IGZO MES-FET. Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view of the IGZO MES-FET. First, a 100 nm-thick IGZO film was deposited on glass substrate by DC magnetron sputtering without intentional substrate heating from InGaZnO (In:Ga:Zn=1:1:1 mol.%) target. Deposition pressure was kept at 1.0 Pa, while the O2 gas ratio [R(O2)=O2/(Ar+O2)] was varied at 0.66, 0.80, and 1.00%. The IGZO film was patterned into an active channel by conventional photolithography and wet etching. The IGZO channel was then annealed at 100 or 150 ºC for 1h in ambient air. A 120 nm-thick AgOx was deposited by DC reactive sputtering, and Au was deposited on the AgOx by thermal evaporation. The AgOx/Au stacked Schottky gate was patterned by lift-off. Finally, Mo source and drain electrodes was formed by lift-off. Channel width/length of the MES-FET was 100/10 μm. Figure 2 shows the (a) forward and reverse currents of the IGZO/AgOx Schottky diode and (b) on and off current of the IGZO MES-FET, as a function of the Hall carrier concentration (NHall) in the IGZO channel. The diode properties were well correlated with the NHall; however, on-current of the MES-FET depended on not only NHall but also the R[O2] of the IGZO deposition. Carrier transport mechanism of the IGZO MES-FET and control methods of electrical properties will be discussed at the conference. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Phase equilibria and interfacial tension of fluids confined in narrow pores

Correlation between phase behaviors of a Lennard-Jones fluid in and outside a pore is examined over wide thermodynamic conditions by grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. A pressure tensor component of the confined fluid, a variable controllable in simulation but usually uncontrollable in experiment, is related with the pressure of a bulk homogeneous system in equilibrium with the confined system. Effects of the pore dimensionality, size, and attractive potential on the correlations between thermodynamic properties of the confined and bulk systems are clarified. A fluid-wall interfacial tension defined as an excess grand potential is evaluated as a function of the pore size. It is found that the tension decreases linearly with the inverse of the pore diameter or width

Early uptake and continuous accumulation of thallium-201 chloride in a benign mixed tumor of soft tissue: Case Report

A case of benign mixed tumor of the soft tissue in a 64-year-old Japanese male is presented. He noticed a painless, elastic hard mass sized 3 cm in the right knee, which gradually grew larger and harder in the last 5 years. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a mass lesion embedded in the subcutaneous tissue with low and high signal intensity at T1- and T2-weighted images, respectively. Tl-201 scintigraphy showed an early uptake of Tl-201 within the lesion at 10 minutes after injection, which was slightly decreased but still continued at 2 hours later. The patient underwent a resection of tumor, and the pathological diagnosis was a benign mixed tumor of soft tissue without high vascularity, characterized by histological features similar to pleomorphic adenomas in the salivary glands. Immunohistochemical study proved expression of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase of tumor cells. Overexpression of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase of the tumor might be responsible for the early uptake of Tl-201, and poor vascular structure in this tumor might lead to continuous accumulation. The Tl-201 scintigraphic features of mixed tumor of soft tissue are assessed to resemble those of malignant soft tissue tumors

Arthroscopic excision of unstable os acromiale associated with impingement syndrome : a case report

Os acromiale is a rare anatomical variant that is caused by failure of fusion of the acromial apophysis and is usually asymptomatic. We report a case of impingement syndrome of the left shoulder secondary to unstable os acromiale, which was initially overlooked and confirmed only during arthroscopic examination. Arthroscopic excision of the unstable fragment was successful without residual dysfunction of the deltoid muscle

Prognostic Value of FDG-PET in Patients with Oropharyngeal Carcinoma Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of 2-deoxy-2-[F-18] fluoro-D-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on survival in patients with carcinoma of the oropharynx (OPC). Methods: Eighteen patients with primary OPC who underwent PET pre- and post-CRT were evaluated prospectively for survival. The prognostic performance of post-CRT PET and CT for recurrence was compared. Results: Patients with positive post-CRT PET exhibited significantly lower 2-year cause-specific survival and disease-free survival (50 % vs. 91%, PG0.05 and 0 % vs. 83%, PG0.0001); however, patients with positive post-CRT CT did not exhibit any significant difference (67 % vs. 83%, P= 0.416 and 50 % vs. 75%, P=0.070). Other factors, such as clinical and pre-CRT PET variables, also did not indicate any significant difference. The accuracy of prediction of residual and local recurrence for post-CRT PET and CT (local%/regional%) was 83%/94 % and 83%/78%, respectively. Conclusion: OPC patients with positive post-CRT PET exhibit poor survival. The prognostic accuracy of post-CRT PET is superior to that of CT. The results of post-CRT FDG-PET should be included in the management of the OPC patients

Study protocol for a multi-center, randomized controlled trial to develop Japanese denture adhesive guidelines for patients with complete dentures : the Denture Adhesive Guideline trial : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Denture adhesives, characterized as medical products in 1935 by the American Dental Association, have been considered useful adjuncts for improving denture retention and stability. However, many dentists in Japan are hesitant to acknowledge denture adhesives in daily practice because of the stereotype that dentures should be inherently stable, without the aid of adhesives. The aim of this study is to verify the efficacy of denture adhesives to establish guidelines for Japanese users. The null hypothesis is that the application of denture adhesives, including the cream and powder types, or a control (isotonic sodium chloride solution) would not produce different outcomes nor would they differentially improve the set outcomes between baseline and day 4 post-application. Methods: This ten-center, randomized controlled trial with parallel groups is ongoing. Three hundred edentulous patients with complete dentures will be allocated to three groups (cream-type adhesive, powder-type adhesive, and control groups). The participants will wear their dentures with the denture adhesive for 4 days, including during eight meals (three breakfasts, two lunches, and three dinners). The baseline measurements and final measurements for the denture adhesives will be performed on the first day and after breakfast on the fourth day. The primary outcome is a general satisfaction rating for the denture. The secondary outcomes are denture satisfaction ratings for various denture functions, occlusal bite force, resistance to dislodgement, masticatory performance, perceived chewing ability, and oral health-related quality of life. Between-subjects comparisons among the three groups and within-subjects comparisons of the pre- and post-intervention measurements will be performed. Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis will be performed. The main analyses will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. A sample size of 100 subjects per group, including an assumed dropout rate of 10 %, will be required to achieve 80 % power with a 5 % alpha level. Discussion: This randomized clinical trial will provide information about denture adhesives to complete denture wearers, prosthodontic educators, and dentists in Japan. We believe this new evidence on denture adhesive use from Japan will aid dentists in their daily practice even in other countries

Clinical and Functional Characterization of URAT1 Variants

Idiopathic renal hypouricaemia is an inherited form of hypouricaemia, associated with abnormal renal handling of uric acid. There is excessive urinary wasting of uric acid resulting in hypouricaemia. Patients may be asymptomatic, but the persistent urinary abnormalities may manifest as renal stone disease, and hypouricaemia may manifest as exercise induced acute kidney injury. Here we have identified Macedonian and British patients with hypouricaemia, who presented with a variety of renal symptoms and signs including renal stone disease, hematuria, pyelonephritis and nephrocalcinosis. We have identified heterozygous missense mutations in SLC22A12 encoding the urate transporter protein URAT1 and correlate these genetic findings with functional characterization. Urate handling was determined using uptake experiments in HEK293 cells. This data highlights the importance of the URAT1 renal urate transporter in determining serum urate concentrations and the clinical phenotypes, including nephrolithiasis, that should prompt the clinician to suspect an inherited form of renal hypouricaemia