Radiation Effects in CMOS Isolation Oxides: Differences and Similarities With Thermal Oxides

Radiation effects in thick isolation oxides of modern CMOS technologies are investigated using dedicated test structures designed using two commercial foundries. Shallow Trench Isolation and Pre-Metal Dielectric are studied using electrical measurements performed after X-ray irradiations and isochronal annealing cycles. This paper shows that trapping properties of such isolation oxides can strongly differ from those of traditional thermal oxides usually used to process the gate oxide of Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors. Buildup and annealing of both radiation-induced oxide-trap charge and radiation-induced interface traps are discussed as a function of the oxide type, foundry and bias condition during irradiation. Radiation-induced interface traps in such isolation oxides are shown to anneal below 100°C contrary to what is usually observed in thermal oxides. Implications for design hardening and radiation tests of CMOS Integrated Circuits are discussed

Impulsivity and Intrusive Thoughts: Related Manifestations of Self-Control Difficulties?

Impulsive behaviors and intrusive thoughts are prominent in psychopathology. Two studies were conducted to explore their relationships. In Study 1, 250 participants completed the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale and the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire (TCAQ). In Study 2 involving a sample of 97 female students, the relations between impulsivity and different types of thought control difficulties were examined. Both negative urgency and lack of perseverance were significantly related to the tendency to experience intrusive thoughts as measured by the TCAQ, the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, the obsessing subscale of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, and an intrusion subscale of the White Bear Suppression Inventory. Regression analyses revealed that negative urgency and lack of perseverance independently contributed to worries and thought control difficulties and that negative urgency was the strongest predictor of all types of intrusions. On the basis of these findings, the authors discuss cognitive processes and content that may be related the different facets of impulsivit

The relationships between episodic memory, working memory, and executive functions: The contribution of the prefrontal cortex

Discusses the neurophysiological functions of the prefrontal cortex related to memory processes. Functional brain imaging studies have revealed that distinct regions of the prefrontal cortex are engaged in episodic memory operations, with some regions apparently part of multiple networks subserving different memory abilities. The prefrontal cortex is also involved in shifting processes. Working memory processes within the dorsolateral and ventrolateral frontal cortex are organized according to the type of processing required rather than the nature of the information being processed. The binding of contextual information, both incidentally and intentionally, is the most crucial process involved in episodic memory. Inhibition control involves not only bilateral prefrontal areas, but also posterior regions and subcortical structures, but the specific role of the cerebral areas is not clear at present