Relatively low-temperature processing and its impact on device performance and reliability

Non-silicon, large-area/flexible electronics for the internet of things (IoT) has acquired substantial attention in recent years. Key electron devices to enable this technology include metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), where ultra-thin and/or low-dimensional (i.e., 2D to a few layers) semiconductor materials may be required, like those found in thin-film transistors (TFTs) and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) FETs [1,2]. Whether TFT or TMDFET, a relatively low-temperature process commensurate with large-area/flex applications to enable large (i.e., greater than 300 mm) and/or flexible substrate fabrication is required. Furthermore, TMD materials may be implemented as the channel semiconductor to function as an ultra-thin body to mitigate short channel effects and extend further scaling as the future progresses in CMOS scaling. In addition, the gate dielectric insulator is another vital component of any MOSFET that requires investigation as part of the MOS stack in these types of transistors. Lastly, semiconductor materials mentioned herein do not have a universally accepted way to introduce dopants to form sources and drains. Thus, metal-semiconductor contacts are employed where the interface region of the contact plays a critical role in determining the conductivity/resistivity of the contact. Moreover, how the metal-semiconductor interface are formed also impacts the quality of the contact. Therefore, exploration of low-temperature processing, interfaces, and their impact on device performance and reliability will be critical to eventual implementation in future technologies. To ascertain the impact of low-temperature fabrication and critical interfaces, several process approaches and electrical characterization methods were employed [1-6]. In one case, for a TMD FET contact study, an oxygen plasma exposure in the contact region on MoS2 (a TMD material) is done prior to titanium deposition. The results demonstrate that contaminants and photoresist residue that still reside after development can noticeably impact electrical performance (Fig. 1). The O2 plasma removes the residue present at the surface of MoS2 without the use of a high temperature anneal, and subsequently improves the device performance significantly (Fig. 1) [1]. In another case, for a MOS-based TFT study, an investigation of low-temperature (\u3e 115°C) deposited zinc-based semiconductors was executed (Fig. 2). For ZnO and IGZO, saturation mobilities of 14.4 and 8.4 cm2/V-s, along with threshold voltages of 2.2 V and 2.0 V were obtained, respectively, demonstrating robust devices that also have an on/off ratio \u3e 108, with IOFF lower than 10-12 A. Furthermore, a hot carrier stress methodology demonstrated threshold voltage (VTH) shifts of 0.4 V and 1.8 V for ZnO and IGZO, respectively, after stress (Fig. 2) [2]. Continued research is required to ascertain the electrically active defects responsible for the VTH shift. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Microsatellite variability of the wood stork Mycteria americana (Aves, Ciconidae) in Cuba: implications for its conservation

Mycteria americana (Aves, Ciconiidae) is the only species of stork found in the Caribbean. It is a permanent yet rare resident in Cuba, with only two reproductively active colonies. In this work, we used five microsatellite loci to characterize 37 individuals from these colonies, located in two of the most important wetlands of Cuba, the Zapata Swamp and the Sabana–Camagüey Archipelago. We found low genetic variability, with similar values to those reported for North and South American populations of the species, and little but significant genetic differentiation between colonies. Our results highlight the need to improve the management and conservation planning of the species in Cuba because the combination of low genetic variation, small colonies, anthropogenic influence and climatic factors could threaten its persistence

Quantification of inaccurate diagnosis of COPD in primary care medicine: An analysis of the COACH clinical audit

Background: Inaccurate diagnosis in COPD is a current problem with relevant consequences in terms of inefficient health care, which has not been thoroughly studied in primary care medicine. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the degree of inaccurate diagnosis in Primary Care in Spain and study the determinants associated with it. Methods: The Community Assessment of COPD Health Care (COACH) study is a national, observational, randomized, non-interventional, national clinical audit aimed at evaluating clinical practice for patients with COPD in primary care medicine in Spain. For the present analysis, a correct diagnosis was evaluated based on previous exposure and airway obstruction with and without the presence of symptoms. The association of patient-level and center-level variables with inaccurate diagnosis was studied using multivariate multilevel binomial logistic regression models. Results: During the study 4,307 cases from 63 centers were audited. The rate of inaccurate diagnosis was 82.4% (inter-regional range from 76.8% to 90.2%). Patient-related interventions associated with inaccurate diagnosis were related to active smoking, lung function evaluation, and specific therapeutic interventions. Center-level variables related to the availability of certain complementary tests and different aspects of the resources available were also associated with an inaccurate diagnosis. Conclusions: The prevalence data for the inaccurate diagnosis of COPD in primary care medicine in Spain establishes a point of reference in the clinical management of COPD. The descriptors of the variables associated with this inaccurate diagnosis can be used to identify cases and centers in which inaccurate diagnosis is occurring considerably, thus allowing for improvement

Cosmological Evolution of Dirac-Born-Infeld Field

We investigate the cosmological evolution of the system of a Dirac-Born-Infeld field plus a perfect fluid. We analyze the existence and stability of scaling solutions for the AdS throat and the quadratic potential. We find that the scaling solutions exist when the equation of state of the perfect fluid is negative and in the ultra-relativistic limit.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, LaTeX2e, references added, accepted for publication in JCA

New Constraints (and Motivations) for Abelian Gauge Bosons in the MeV-TeV Mass Range

We survey the phenomenological constraints on abelian gauge bosons having masses in the MeV to multi-GeV mass range (using precision electroweak measurements, neutrino-electron and neutrino-nucleon scattering, electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments, upsilon decay, beam dump experiments, atomic parity violation, low-energy neutron scattering and primordial nucleosynthesis). We compute their implications for the three parameters that in general describe the low-energy properties of such bosons: their mass and their two possible types of dimensionless couplings (direct couplings to ordinary fermions and kinetic mixing with Standard Model hypercharge). We argue that gauge bosons with very small couplings to ordinary fermions in this mass range are natural in string compactifications and are likely to be generic in theories for which the gravity scale is systematically smaller than the Planck mass - such as in extra-dimensional models - because of the necessity to suppress proton decay. Furthermore, because its couplings are weak, in the low-energy theory relevant to experiments at and below TeV scales the charge gauged by the new boson can appear to be broken, both by classical effects and by anomalies. In particular, if the new gauge charge appears to be anomalous, anomaly cancellation does not also require the introduction of new light fermions in the low-energy theory. Furthermore, the charge can appear to be conserved in the low-energy theory, despite the corresponding gauge boson having a mass. Our results reduce to those of other authors in the special cases where there is no kinetic mixing or there is no direct coupling to ordinary fermions, such as for recently proposed dark-matter scenarios.Comment: 49 pages + appendix, 21 figures. This is the final version which appears in JHE

Quantization of the interior Schwarzschild black hole

We study a Hamiltonian quantum formalism of a spherically symmetric space-time which can be identified with the interior of a Schwarzschild black hole. The phase space of this model is spanned by two dynamical variables and their conjugate momenta. It is shown that the classical Lagrangian of the model gives rise the interior metric of a Schwarzschild black hole. We also show that the the mass of such a system is a Dirac observable and then by quantization of the model by Wheeler-DeWitt approach and constructing suitable wave packets we get the mass spectrum of the black hole.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, revised versio

Genome-Wide Crossover Distribution in Arabidopsis thaliana Meiosis Reveals Sex-Specific Patterns along Chromosomes

In most species, crossovers (COs) are essential for the accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes at the first meiotic division. Their number and location are tightly regulated. Here, we report a detailed, genome-wide characterization of the rate and localization of COs in Arabidopsis thaliana, in male and female meiosis. We observed dramatic differences between male and female meiosis which included: (i) genetic map length; 575 cM versus 332 cM respectively; (ii) CO distribution patterns: male CO rates were very high at both ends of each chromosome, whereas female CO rates were very low; (iii) correlations between CO rates and various chromosome features: female CO rates correlated strongly and negatively with GC content and gene density but positively with transposable elements (TEs) density, whereas male CO rates correlated positively with the CpG ratio. However, except for CpG, the correlations could be explained by the unequal repartition of these sequences along the Arabidopsis chromosome. For both male and female meiosis, the number of COs per chromosome correlates with chromosome size expressed either in base pairs or as synaptonemal complex length. Finally, we show that interference modulates the CO distribution both in male and female meiosis

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks