Evaluation Of Elastic Modulus And Stress Gradient Of PECVD Silicon Nitride Thin Films

This study investigated the techniques for determining the elastic modulus and estimating the stress gradient of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride thin films. The experimentally determined elastic modulus was then used in a finite element beam model to compute the stress distribution inside the thin films using a commercial finite element analysis package. The computed beam displacement caused by a given stress gradient was compared with the displacement experimentally evaluated using optical interference microscopy. This comparison allows the stress gradient of the PECVD silicon nitride membrane introduced by the fabrication process to be evaluated

Real-time tracking of delayed-onset cellular apoptosis induced by intracellular magnetic hyperthermia

Aim: To assess cell death pathways in response to magnetic hyperthermia. Materials & methods: Human melanoma cells were loaded with citric acid-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles, and subjected to a time-varying magnetic field. Pathways were monitored in vitro in suspensions and in situ in monolayers using fluorophores to report on early-stage apoptosis and late-stage apoptosis and/ or necrosis. Results: Delayed-onset effects were observed, with a rate and extent proportional to the thermal-load-per-cell. At moderate loads, membranal internal-to-external lipid exchange preceded rupture and death by a few hours (the timeline varying cell-to-cell), without any measurable change in the local environment temperature. Conclusion: Our observations support the proposition that intracellular heating may be a viable, controllable and nonaggressive in vivo treatment for human pathological conditions