Two-terminal write-once-read-many-times memory device based on charging-controlled current modulation in Al/Al-Rich Al 2O 3/p-Si diode

A write-once-read-many-times (WORM) memory device was realized based on the charging-controlled modulation in the current conduction of Al/Al-rich Al 2O 3/p-type Si diode. A large increase in the reverse current of the diode could be achieved with a negative charging voltage, e.g., charging at -25 V for 1 ms results in a current increase by about four orders. Memory states of the WORM device could be altered by changing the current conduction with charge trapping in the Al-rich Al 2O 3 layer. The memory exhibited good reading endurance and retention characteristics. © 2011 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Wrist-Ankle Acupuncture for the Treatment of Pain Symptoms: A systematic Review and Meta-analysis

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Capacitance switching in SiO 2 thin film embedded with Ge nanocrystals caused by ultraviolet illumination

A structure of indium tin oxide/ SiO 2 embedded with Ge nanocrystal (nc-Ge) /p-Si substrate was fabricated. The capacitance of the structure can be switched to a high-capacitance or low-capacitance state by an ultraviolet (UV) illumination. The increase (or decrease) in the capacitance is accompanied with the decrease (or increase) in the oxide resistance. The capacitance switching is explained in terms of the UV illumination-induced charging and discharging in the nc-Ge. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Resistive switching in aluminum/anodized aluminum film structure without forming process

Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure was fabricated by partially anodizing aluminum film followed by deposition of another aluminum film. Unipolar resistive switching between a high-resistance state and a low-resistance state with a high resistance ratio (> ∼ 10 4) was observed from the structure. The switching occurred without the requirement of a forming process, which was attributed to the pre-existing conductive filaments in the Al-rich Al x O y layer formed by the anodization. Each resistance state exhibited Ohmic behavior which could be explained by the metallic conduction and electron hopping from one isolated state to the next in the Al-rich Al x O y layer. The MIM structure showed good memory characteristics. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Charging-induced changes in reverse current-voltage characteristics of Al/Al-Rich Al 2O 3/p-Si Diodes

An Al-rich Al 2O 3 thin film was deposited on a p-type silicon substrate by radio frequency sputtering to form Al/ Al-rich Al 2O 3/p-Si diodes. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the diodes were determined by carrier injection from either the Si substrate or the Al gate and by carrier transport along the tunneling paths formed by Al nanocrystals distributed in the oxide layer. The reverse I-V characteristics were greatly affected by the charge trapping in the oxide layer, i.e., the electron trapping significantly reduced the reverse current while the hole trapping enhanced the current significantly. However, the charge trapping did not produce a large change in the forward I-V characteristic. © 2009 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Quenching and reactivation of electroluminescence by charge trapping and detrapping in Si-implanted silicon nitride thin film

In this brief, quenching of electroluminescence (EL) from Si-implanted silicon nitride (SNR) thin film under a forward bias has been observed. The quenching phenomenon is shown to be due to charge trapping in the defect states involved in the radiative recombination. The composite EL bands have different quenching rates, causing a change in the EL spectrum shape by the EL quenching. Release of the trapped charges by a low-temperature annealing at 120 °C or an application of a reverse gate bias can partially recover the quenched EL both in the intensity and spectrum shape. The quenching phenomenon poses a serious challenge to the application of Si-implanted SNR thin films in light-emitting devices. © 2009 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Evolution of electroluminescence from multiple Si-implanted silicon nitride films with thermal annealing

Influence of thermal annealing on electroluminescence (EL) from multiple-Si-implanted silicon nitride films has been investigated. A reduced injection current and an enhanced EL intensity have been obtained simultaneously by increasing the annealing temperature, which results in a higher EL quantum efficiency. In addition, four emission bands are identified, and their peak energies, intensities, and full widths at half maxima are found to change with annealing temperature. A model is proposed to illustrate the carrier transport, the mechanisms of the four emission bands, and the evolution of the EL bands with annealing as well. The two major bands and the minor ultraviolet band are explained in terms of the recombination of the injected electrons in either the silicon dangling-bond (≡ Si 0) states or the nitride conduction band with the injected holes in either the band tail states above the nitride valence band or the valence band itself, while the minor near infrared band is attributed to the Si nanocrystals formed in the thin film. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Photon-induced conduction modulation in SiO 2 thin films embedded with Ge nanocrystals

The authors report the photon-induced conduction modulation in Si O2 thin films embedded with germanium nanocrystals (nc-Ge). The conduction of the oxide could be switched to a higher- or lower-conductance state by a ultraviolet (UV) illumination. The conduction modulation is caused by charging and discharging in the nc-Ge due to the UV illumination. If the charging process is dominant, the oxide conductance is reduced; however, if the discharging process is dominant, the oxide conductance is increased. As the conduction can be modulated by UV illumination, it could have potential applications in silicon-based optical memory devices. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Influence of charge trapping on electroluminescence from Si-nanocrystal light emitting structure

We report a study on the influence of charge trapping on electroluminescence (EL) from Si nanocrystal (nc-Si) distributed throughout a 30 nm Si O2 thin film synthesized by Si+ implantation into an oxide film thermally grown on a p -type Si substrate. The electron and hole trapping in the nc-Si located near the indium tin oxide gate and the Si substrate, respectively, cause a reduction in the EL intensity. The reduced EL intensity can be recovered after the trapped charges are released. A partial recovery can be easily achieved by the application of a positive gate voltage or thermal annealing at hot temperatures (e.g., 120 °C) for a short duration. The present study highlights the impact of charging in the nc-Si on the light emission efficiency and its stability of nc-Si light-emitting devices. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Effects of local hypothermia-rewarming on physiology, metabolism and inflammation of acutely injured human spinal cord.

In five patients with acute, severe thoracic traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCIs), American spinal injuries association Impairment Scale (AIS) grades A-C, we induced cord hypothermia (33 °C) then rewarming (37 °C). A pressure probe and a microdialysis catheter were placed intradurally at the injury site to monitor intraspinal pressure (ISP), spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP), tissue metabolism and inflammation. Cord hypothermia-rewarming, applied to awake patients, did not cause discomfort or neurological deterioration. Cooling did not affect cord physiology (ISP, SCPP), but markedly altered cord metabolism (increased glucose, lactate, lactate/pyruvate ratio (LPR), glutamate; decreased glycerol) and markedly reduced cord inflammation (reduced IL1β, IL8, MCP, MIP1α, MIP1β). Compared with pre-cooling baseline, rewarming was associated with significantly worse cord physiology (increased ICP, decreased SCPP), cord metabolism (increased lactate, LPR; decreased glucose, glycerol) and cord inflammation (increased IL1β, IL8, IL4, IL10, MCP, MIP1α). The study was terminated because three patients developed delayed wound infections. At 18-months, two patients improved and three stayed the same. We conclude that, after TSCI, hypothermia is potentially beneficial by reducing cord inflammation, though after rewarming these benefits are lost due to increases in cord swelling, ischemia and inflammation. We thus urge caution when using hypothermia-rewarming therapeutically in TSCI