Compact Models for Integrated Circuit Design

This modern treatise on compact models for circuit computer-aided design (CAD) presents industry standard models for bipolar-junction transistors (BJTs), metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect-transistors (FETs), FinFETs, and tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs), along with statistical MOS models. Featuring exercise problems at the end of each chapter and extensive references at the end of the book, the text supplies fundamental and practical knowledge necessary for efficient integrated circuit (IC) design using nanoscale devices. It ensures even those unfamiliar with semiconductor physics gain a solid grasp of compact modeling concepts

Foreword Special Section on Flexible Electronics From the Selected Extended Papers Presented at 2018 IFETC

This Special Section is devoted to the research and development activities of all areas of flexible electronics science and technology. We have a selected number of high impact technical papers presented at the first IEEE International Flexible Electronics Technology Conference (IFETC) in 2018 for publication in J-EDS. The first IFETC was held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from the 7th to 9th August, 2018. The conference was financially sponsored by the IEEE Council on RFID, and technically sponsored by the National Research Council Canada, IEEE Electron Device Society, and the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society. The conference was dedicated to the advances in flexible electronics in all areas of science and technology, and provided an opportunity for scientists, researchers, engineers, developers, and users in the field to share, discuss, and witness new concepts and ideas. A wide spectrum of academic research results was presented, with potential applications in current industrial technology and new application driven domains

Investigating neuromagnetic brain responses against chromatic flickering stimuli by wavelet entropies

BACKGROUND: Photosensitive epilepsy is a type of reflexive epilepsy triggered by various visual stimuli including colourful ones. Despite the ubiquitous presence of colorful displays, brain responses against different colour combinations are not properly studied. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we studied the photosensitivity of the human brain against three types of chromatic flickering stimuli by recording neuromagnetic brain responses (magnetoencephalogram, MEG) from nine adult controls, an unmedicated patient, a medicated patient, and two controls age-matched with patients. Dynamical complexities of MEG signals were investigated by a family of wavelet entropies. Wavelet entropy is a newly proposed measure to characterize large scale brain responses, which quantifies the degree of order/disorder associated with a multi-frequency signal response. In particular, we found that as compared to the unmedicated patient, controls showed significantly larger wavelet entropy values. We also found that Renyi entropy is the most powerful feature for the participant classification. Finally, we also demonstrated the effect of combinational chromatic sensitivity on the underlying order/disorder in MEG signals. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that when perturbed by potentially epileptic-triggering stimulus, healthy human brain manages to maintain a non-deterministic, possibly nonlinear state, with high degree of disorder, but an epileptic brain represents a highly ordered state which making it prone to hyper-excitation. Further, certain colour combination was found to be more threatening than other combinations

Early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a subanalysis of the ESICM-initiated UNITE-COVID observational study

Background Early mobilisation (EM) is an intervention that may improve the outcome of critically ill patients. There is limited data on EM in COVID-19 patients and its use during the first pandemic wave. Methods This is a pre-planned subanalysis of the ESICM UNITE-COVID, an international multicenter observational study involving critically ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU between February 15th and May 15th, 2020. We analysed variables associated with the initiation of EM (within 72 h of ICU admission) and explored the impact of EM on mortality, ICU and hospital length of stay, as well as discharge location. Statistical analyses were done using (generalised) linear mixed-effect models and ANOVAs. Results Mobilisation data from 4190 patients from 280 ICUs in 45 countries were analysed. 1114 (26.6%) of these patients received mobilisation within 72 h after ICU admission; 3076 (73.4%) did not. In our analysis of factors associated with EM, mechanical ventilation at admission (OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.25, 0.35; p = 0.001), higher age (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98, 1.00; p ≤ 0.001), pre-existing asthma (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.73, 0.98; p = 0.028), and pre-existing kidney disease (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.71, 0.99; p = 0.036) were negatively associated with the initiation of EM. EM was associated with a higher chance of being discharged home (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.08, 1.58; p = 0.007) but was not associated with length of stay in ICU (adj. difference 0.91 days; 95% CI − 0.47, 1.37, p = 0.34) and hospital (adj. difference 1.4 days; 95% CI − 0.62, 2.35, p = 0.24) or mortality (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.7, 1.09, p = 0.24) when adjusted for covariates. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that a quarter of COVID-19 patients received EM. There was no association found between EM in COVID-19 patients' ICU and hospital length of stay or mortality. However, EM in COVID-19 patients was associated with increased odds of being discharged home rather than to a care facility. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04836065 (retrospectively registered April 8th 2021)

Compact Models for Integrated Circuit Design

This modern treatise on compact models for circuit computer-aided design (CAD) presents industry standard models for bipolar-junction transistors (BJTs), metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect-transistors (FETs), FinFETs, and tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs), along with statistical MOS models. Featuring exercise problems at the end of each chapter and extensive references at the end of the book, the text supplies fundamental and practical knowledge necessary for efficient integrated circuit (IC) design using nanoscale devices. It ensures even those unfamiliar with semiconductor physics gain a solid grasp of compact modeling concepts

Modelling the effectiveness of computer-aided development projects in the semiconductor industry

This paper presents a complete quantitative model to estimate the potential benefits of simulation-based projects over the conventional approach. In the semiconductor industry, technology computer-aided design has shown a great potential for rapid and cost-effective development of advanced integrated circuit manufacturing technologies. However, a complete quantitative model to estimate the efficiency and effectiveness of simulation-based projects has not yet been developed. This paper describes a simplified mathematical model to estimate the reduction in development cycle time and cost by computer applications in technology development to reduce the number of expensive and time-consuming experiments in the wafer fabrication facility. This model, clearly, demonstrates a reduction in technology development cycle time over 67% and multi-million dollar cost savings by computer-aided technology development in contrast to the conventional trial-and-error-experimentation. Thus, the proposed model offers project managers a valuable tool to quantitatively assess the time and cost advantage of computer-aided advanced technology development projects.IC manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, manufacturing technology, technology development costs, computer-aided technology, technology CAD, TCAD, modelling, cost-benefit analysis, development cycle time, modelling, cycle time reduction, integrated circuits, mathematical modelling, wafer fabrication, project management,

Tissue specific structural variations of mitochondria of fish ectoparasite Argulus bengalensis Ramakrishna, 1951 (Crustacea: Branchiura): Functional implications

We studied the fine structure of some classical and six variant mitochondria from different tissues viz. proboscis gland, spinal gland, ovary, testis, and muscle of a fish ectoparasite, Argulus bengalensis. In the proboscis gland and spinal gland, mitochondria are protected within vesicle to preserve their structure and activity from exposure to glandular synthesis for its parasitic mode of feeding. In the oocytes, mitochondria are larger and cylindrical in appearance. Oocyte mitochondria are highly dynamic and exhibit frequent fission and fusion. Those are clustered in the cytoplasm of previtellogenic oocytes which prepare for different synthetic activities for successful reproductive investment. In contrast, mitochondrial abundance is less in the male gametic lineage. The spermatocytes and the nurse cells in the testis have an unusual type of mitochondria, nebenkern which is formed by the fusions of number of mitochondria. A completely different type of mitochondrion is discovered in the flagellum of the spermatozoa. It is provided with fifteen numbers of singlet microtubules at its outer periphery which is a salient feature of the flagellum of this Branchiuran genus. This unique mitochondrion uses the microtubule tract for its movement to distribute energy efficiently along the axoneme. Such mitochondrion and microtubular association provide evidence in favor of phylogenetic relationship between Argulus and pentastomid Raillietiella. In striated muscle of thoracic appendages, mitochondria maintain tight junctions with the endoplasmic reticulum and remain in close apposition of the myofibrils which helps in Ca2+ uptake for stimulating continuous muscular activity required for ventilation of respiratory structures of the parasites

Analysis of Subthreshold Behavior of FinFET Using Taurus

This paper investigates the subthreshold behavior of Fin Field Effect Transistor (FinFET). The FinFET is considered to be an alternate MOSFET structure for the deep sub-micron regime, having excellent device characteristics. As the channel length decreases, the study of subthreshold behavior of the device becomes critically important for successful design and implementation of digital circuits. An accurate analysis of subthreshold behavior of FinFET was done by simulating the device in a 3D process and device simulator, Taurus. The subthreshold behavior of FinFET, was measured using a parameter called S-factor which was obtained from the ln(IDS) - VGS characteristics. The value of Sfactor of devices of various fin dimensions with channel length Lg in the range of 20 nm - 50 nm and with the fin width Tfin in the range of 10 nm - 40 nm was calculated. It was observed that for devices with longer channel lengths, the value of S-factor was close to the ideal value of 60 mV/dec. The S-factor increases exponentially for channel lengths, Lg \u3c 1.5 Tfin. Further, for a constant Lg, the S factor was observed to increase with Tfin. An empirical relationship between S, Lg and Tfin was developed based on the simulation results, which could be used as a rule of thumb for determining the S-factor of devices