bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lowered F2 observed in uvular rhotics involves a tongue root gesture: Evidence from Upper Sorbian
Authors: Howson Phil J. , Kochetov Alexei
Published: May 2020

Upper Sorbian, an endangered West Slavic language spoken in Germany, is unusual among Slavic languages in having a uvular rhotic /ʀ/. This paper focuses on the gestural configuration and coarticulatory resistance of the uvular rhotic and explores the relation between the articulation and acoustics of this sound. Ultrasound tongue imaging data were collected from six native speakers of Upper Sorbian, who produced /ʀ/ in word-initial, intervocalic, and word-final positions next to the vowels /e a o/. Smoothing Spline ANOVAs were used to compare tongue contours within and across phonetic contexts. Differences in the tongue root and tongue body position were also calculated across environments and compared using a measure of coarticulatory resistance. The results revealed that the sound was produced with considerable tongue root retraction and a uvular-pharyngeal tongue body constriction. The tongue root had a high resistance to coarticulatory effects, while the tongue body did not. The results suggest that the tongue root retraction into the pharyngeal cavity results in observed high F1 and low F2 effects associated with unpalatalized rhotic consonants and may explain perceptual similarity between uvular and alveolar rhotics. Articulatory constraints on the tongue root also account for phonotactic distribution of the rhotics across languages.
An acoustic and articulatory study of laryngeal and place contrasts of Kalasha (Indo-Aryan, Dardic)
Authors: Hussain Qandeel , Mielke Jeff
Published: May 2020

The Northwestern group of Indo-Aryan (Dardic) languages is generally known to have undergone consonantal shift, which resulted in the loss of voiced aspirated (VDA) stops and affricates of Sanskrit. Kalasha, an endangered Dardic language spoken in Chitral (Northern Pakistan), still preserves the Old Indo-Aryan four-way laryngeal system. The current study examines acoustic and articulatory correlates of Kalasha's four-way laryngeal contrast across places and manners of articulation, using lingual ultrasound-imaging and several acoustic measures. The analysis included the standard acoustic [voice onset time (VOT), after prevoicing interval (API), fundamental frequency onset, first four spectral moments] and articulatory (smoothing spline analysis of variance) measures, which capture laryngeal, place, and manner differences in consonants. The results showed that VOT reliably differentiated the four-way laryngeal contrast of Kalasha. VDA stops and affricates are characterized by shorter voicing lead VOT, higher API, and lower fundamental frequency onset than their voiced unaspirated (VDUA) counterparts. However, the first four spectral moments did not distinguish the two VDUA and VDA stop series. The tongue root retraction distinguishes the voiceless stops and affricates from the voiced ones.
The alignment of F0 tonal targets under changes in speech rate in Drehu
Authors: Torres Catalina , Fletcher Janet
Published: May 2020

This study investigates fundamental frequency alignment to segmental landmarks in Drehu, an Oceanic language. The authors present a production experiment that aimed to evaluate the marking of prosodic prominence, and in particular, the tonal marking of prominence, within the autosegmental-metrical phonology, since stress and prominence system of the language has not been phonetically investigated. A rate manipulation paradigm was chosen to test the segmental anchoring hypothesis, namely, to see whether prominence lending tonal movements exhibit a constant slope due to rate manipulation and whether tonal targets can be associated to segmental anchoring points in the speech stream. The authors find that a rising tonal movement, between a word initial low (L), and a word final high (H) tone, is the most frequent tonal pattern. The word initial L tone seeks to align with the left edge whereas the H tone, at the right edge, seeks to anchor to the last full syllable. In fast speech, tonal targets are produced closer together but the slope remains constant in both speech rates. High tones seek to anchor to the word-final syllable, yet not to any specific segment which suggests a weak version of the segmental anchoring hypothesis applies.
Acoustically distinct and perceptually ambiguous: ʔayʔaǰuθəm (Salish) fricatives
Authors: Mellesmoen Gloria , Babel Molly
Published: May 2020

ʔayʔaǰuθəm (Comox-Sliammon) is a Central Salish language spoken in British Columbia with a large fricative inventory. Previous impressionistic descriptions of ʔayʔaǰuθəm have noted perceptual ambiguity of select anterior fricatives. This paper provides an auditory-acoustic description of the four anterior fricatives /θ s ʃ ɬ/ in the Mainland dialect of ʔayʔaǰuθəm. Peak ERBN trajectories, noise duration, and formant transitions are analysed in the fricative productions of five speakers. These analyses provide quantitative and qualitative descriptions of these fricative contrasts, indicating more robust acoustic differentiation for fricatives in onset versus coda position. In a perception task, English listeners categorized fricatives in CV and VC sequences from the natural productions. The results of the perception experiment are consistent with reported perceptual ambiguity between /s/ and /θ/, with listeners frequently misidentifying /θ/ as /s/. The production and perception data suggest that listener L1 categories play a role in the categorization and discrimination of ʔayʔaǰuθəm fricatives. These findings provide an empirical description of fricatives in an understudied language and have implications for L2 teaching and learning in language revitalization contexts.
Demarcating and highlighting in Papuan Malay phrase prosody
Authors: Kaland Constantijn , Baumann Stefan
Published: May 2020

Phrase-level prosody serves two essential functions in many languages of the world: chunking information into units (demarcating) and marking important information (highlighting). Recent work suggests that prosody has a mainly demarcating function in the Trade Malay language family. That is, the use of pitch accents in these languages is limited or absent, as the main prosodic events occur on the final two syllables in a phrase. The current study investigates the extent to which Papuan Malay phrase prosody is used for demarcating and highlighting, taking into account the potential influence of word stress. This is done by means of acoustic analyses on a corpus of spontaneous speech. Both the form (F0 movement) and the possible functions (demarcating and highlighting) of the final two syllables in Papuan Malay phrases are investigated. Although most results favor the demarcating function of Papuan Malay phrase prosody, a highlighting function cannot be ruled out. The results suggest that Papuan Malay might hold an exceptional position in the typology of prosodic prominence.
How “mixed” is mixed language phonology? An acoustic analysis of the Michif vowel system
Authors: Rosen Nicole , Stewart Jesse , Sammons Olivia N.
Published: May 2020

Michif, a severely endangered language still spoken today by an estimated 100–200 Métis people in Western Canada, is generally classified as a mixed language, meaning it cannot be traced back to a single language family [Bakker (1997). A Language of Our Own (Oxford University Press, Oxford); Thomason (2001). Language Contact: An Introduction (Edinburgh University Press and Georgetown University Press, Edinburgh and Washington, DC); Meakins (2013). Contact Languages: A Comprehensive Guide (Mouton De Gruyter, Berlin), pp. 159–228.]. It has been claimed to maintain the phonological grammar of both of its source languages, French and Plains Cree [Rhodes (1977). Actes du Huitieme congrès des Algonqunistes (Carleton University, Ottawa), pp. 6–25; Bakker (1997). A Language of Our Own (Oxford University Press, Oxford); Bakker and Papen (1997). Contact Languages: A Wider Perspective (John Benjamins, Amsterdam), pp. 295–363]. The goal of this paper is twofold: to offer an instrumental analysis of Michif vowels and to investigate this claim of a stratified grammar, based on this careful phonetic analysis. Using source language as a variable in the analysis, the authors argue the Michif vowel system does not appear to rely on historical information, and that historically similar French and Cree vowels pattern together within the Michif system with regards to formant frequencies and duration. The authors show that there are nine Michif oral vowels in this system, which has merged phonetically similar French- and Cree-source vowels.
The acoustic correlates of stress and tone in Chácobo (Pano): A production study
Authors: Tallman Adam J. R. , Elías-Ulloa José
Published: May 2020

This paper investigates the acoustic correlates of word initial prominence and tone in Chácobo, a southern Pano language of the northern Bolivian Amazon. This paper reports the results of a production study with five speakers producing trisyllabic words with a word final high tone. It tests a claim found in the literature that there is an additional word-initial prominence in such forms and determines its acoustic correlates compared with high tone. This study used trisyllabic forms in morphophonological contexts where these forms would appear with a final high tone. In such forms, high tone and word-initial prominence do not overlap (e.g., “panaß̞í” “asaí”). The paper takes into account five acoustic correlates across the three syllables of these words: F1, F2, F0, duration, intensity. The paper finds that the initial syllable in these words shows a statistically significant increase in intensity. There is significant speaker variation with respect to whether duration is a correlation of initial stress and the results do not provide clear evidence that initial stress is marked with duration. The final high-tone marked syllables are distinguished based on an increase in F0 and secondarily with vowel duration. Whether pitch is also a correlate of stress requires future research. The paper interprets these results as suggesting that Chácobo is a language in which tone and stress co-exist. The study thus provides instrumental evidence for a phenomenon suggested to occur in some Pano languages. The limitations of this study, including the fact the results have more than one interpretation in light of current discussions concerning stress and tone, are also discussed.
Phonation type contrasts and tone in Chichimec
Authors: Kelterer Anneliese , Schuppler Barbara
Published: May 2020

Chichimec (Otomanguean) has two tones, high and low, and a phonological three-way phonation contrast: modal /V/, breathy /V¨/, and creaky /Ṽ/. Tone and phonation type contrasts are used independently. This paper investigates the acoustic realization of modal, breathy, and creaky vowels; the timing of phonation in non-modal vowels; and the production of tone in combination with different phonation types. The results of cepstral peak prominence and three spectral tilt measures showed that phonation type contrasts are not distinguished by the same acoustic measures for women and men. In line with expectations for laryngeally complex languages, phonetic modal and non-modal phonation are sequenced in phonological breathy and creaky vowels. With respect to the timing pattern, however, the results show that non-modal phonation is not, as previously reported, mainly located in the middle of the vowel. Non-modal phonation is, instead, predominantly realized in the second half of phonological breathy and creaky vowels. Tone is distinguished in all three phonation types, and non-modal vowels do not exhibit distinct F0 ranges except for creaky vowels produced by women in which F0 declines in the creaky portion. The results of the acoustic analysis provide additional insights to phonological accounts of laryngeal complexity in Chichimec.
Theoretical estimation of attenuation coefficient of resonant ultrasound contrast agents
Authors: Xia Lang
Published: May 2020

Acoustic characterization of ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs, coated microbubbles) relies on the attenuation theory that assumes the UCAs oscillate linearly at sufficiently low excitation pressures. Effective shell parameters of the UCAs can be estimated by fitting a theoretical attenuation curve to experimentally measured attenuation data. Depending on the excitation frequency and properties of the shell, however, an UCA may oscillate nonlinearly even at sufficiently low excitation pressures, violating the assumption in the linear attenuation theory. Notably, the concern over the estimation of the attenuation coefficient of a microbubble at resonance using linearized approximation has long been addressed. This article investigated the attenuation phenomenon through analyzing the energy dissipation of a single UCA and propagating waves in an UCA suspension, both of which employed a nonlinear Rayleigh-Plesset equation. Analytical formulas capable of estimating the attenuation coefficient due to the weakly nonlinear oscillations of the UCA were obtained with a relatively rigorous mathematical analysis. The computed results that were verified by numerical simulations showed the attenuation coefficient of the UCA at resonance was pressure-dependent and could be significantly smaller than that predicted by the linear attenuation theory. Polydispersity of the UCA population enlarged the difference in the estimation of attenuation between the linear and present second-order nonlinear theories.
Effect of Biological Maturation on Performance of the Athletic Ability Assessment in Australian Rules Football Players
Authors: Rogers Daniel K. , McKeown Ian , Parfitt Gaynor , Burgess Darren , Eston Roger G.
Published: May 2020

Purpose: To determine the effect of biological maturation on athletic movement competency as measured using the Athletic Ability Assessment-6. Methods: Fifty-two junior Australian Rules football players were split into 3 groups based on proximity to peak height velocity, while 46 senior players were split into 2 groups based on playing status. The subjects completed the Athletic Ability Assessment-6 (inclusive of the overhead squat, double lunge, single-leg Romanian dead lift, push-up, and chin-up). All subjects were filmed and retrospectively assessed by a single rater. A 1-way analysis of variance and effect-size statistics (Cohen d) with corresponding 90% confidence intervals were used to describe between-groups differences in the component movement scores. The statistical significance was set a priori at P < .05. Results: There were significant between-groups differences for all component movements (P < .05). Post hoc testing revealed that older, more mature subjects possessed greater competency in all movements except the overhead squat. The effect sizes revealed predominantly moderate to very large differences in competency between the senior and junior groups (range of d [90% confidence interval]: 0.70 [0.06 to 1.30] to 3.01 [2.18 to 3.72]), with unclear to moderate differences found when comparing the 3 junior groups (0.08 [−0.50 to 0.65] to 0.97 [0.22–1.61]). Conclusions: The findings suggest that biological maturation may be associated with changes in athletic movement competency in youth Australian Rules football players. Therefore, it is recommended that strength and conditioning coaches monitor maturity status when working with 12- to 15-y-old players. This can allow for a comparison of an individual’s athletic movement competency to maturity-based standards and help guide developmentally appropriate training programs.
Altered Neuromuscular Activity of the Lower-Extremities During Landing Tasks in Patients With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review of Electromyographic Studies
Authors: He Xin , Leong Hio Teng , Lau On Yue , Ong Michael Tim-Yun , Yung Patrick Shu-Hang
Published: May 2020

Context: Altered lower-limb biomechanics have been observed during landing task in patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), which increases the risk of secondary anterior cruciate ligament injury. However, the alteration in neuromuscular activity of the lower-extremity during landing task is not clear. Objective: To compare the muscle activity pattern assessed by electromyography between the involved limb of patients with ACLR and the contralateral limb or control limb of matched healthy subjects during landing task. Evidence Acquisition: Database of PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, and Web of Science from the inception of the databases until July 2019, using a combination of keywords and their variations: (anterior cruciate ligament OR ACL) AND (electromyography OR EMG) AND (landing OR land). Studies that assessed lower-extremity muscle activity patterns during landing task in patients with ACLR and compared them either with the contralateral side or healthy controls were included. Evidence Synthesis: Of the 21 studies, 16 studies reported altered muscle activity pattern during landing tasks when compared with either the healthy controls or the contralateral side. For the specific muscle activity patterns, the majority of the studies showed no significant difference in reactive muscle activity, and comparisons across studies revealed a possible trend toward the early onset of quadriceps and hamstring activity and increased cocontraction of the involved limb. There are inconsistent findings regarding the alteration in muscle timing and preparatory muscle activity. Conclusions: Patients with ACLR displayed an altered muscle activity pattern during landing tasks, even though they were considered to be capable for sport return. Nevertheless, a firm conclusion could not be drawn due to great heterogeneity in the subject selection and study methods.
Three-dimensional magnetism and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in
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Authors: Helton Joel S. , Butch Nicholas P. , Pajerowski Daniel M. , Barilo Sergei N. , Lynn Jeffrey W.
Published: May 2020

Spin wave measurements in Co
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reveal fundamentally 3D magnetic interactions and a large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.
Direct detection of molecular intermediates from first-passage times
Authors: Thorneywork Alice L. , Gladrow Jannes , Qing Yujia , Rico-Pasto Marc , Ritort Felix , Bayley Hagan , Kolomeisky Anatoly B. , Keyser Ulrich F.
Published: May 2020

Model-free method reveals details of underlying energy landscapes from dynamics in experimental systems across a range of scales.
Attenuated diphtheria toxin mediates siRNA delivery
Authors: Arnold Amy E. , Smith Laura J. , Beilhartz Greg L. , Bahlmann Laura C. , Jameson Emma , Melnyk Roman A. , Shoichet Molly S.
Published: May 2020

Hitching a ride out of the endosome results in gene knockdown and functional response after siRNA delivery to brain cancer cells.
Timing of the martian dynamo: New constraints for a core field 4.5 and 3.7 Ga ago
Authors: Mittelholz A. , Johnson C. L. , Feinberg J. M. , Langlais B. , Phillips R. J.
Published: May 2020

MAVEN magnetic field data indicate that a martian dynamo field was active 4.5 and 3.7 Ga ago.
A single dose of ChAdOx1 MERS provides protective immunity in rhesus macaques
Authors: van Doremalen Neeltje , Haddock Elaine , Feldmann Friederike , Meade-White Kimberly , Bushmaker Trenton , Fischer Robert J. , Okumura Atsushi , Hanley Patrick W. , Saturday Greg , Edwards Nick J. , Clark Madeleine H. A. , Lambe Teresa , Gilbert Sarah C. , Munster Vincent J.
Published: May 2020

Prime-only vaccination with ChAdOx1 MERS protects against HCoV-EMC/2012 in NHP and a variety of MERS-CoV strains in mice.
A respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) F protein nanoparticle vaccine focuses antibody responses to a conserved neutralization domain
Authors: Swanson Kurt A. , Rainho-Tomko Jennifer N. , Williams Zachary P. , Lanza Lilibeth , Peredelchuk Michael , Kishko Michael , Pavot Vincent , Alamares-Sapuay Judith , Adhikarla Haritha , Gupta Sankalp , Chivukula Sudha , Gallichan Scott , Zhang Linong , Jackson Nicholas , Yoon Heesik , Edwards Darin , Wei Chih-Jen , Nabel Gary J.
Published: May 2020

A glycan-modified RSV nanoparticle vaccine displaying multimeric pre-F protein focuses antibody responses on neutralizing epitopes.
A clinician's guide to making a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis in dogs
Authors: Barnard Natalie
Published: May 2020

Background: The pruritic dog is a common, non‐specific clinical presentation seen in general practice that can have many different causes. A diagnosis of atopic dermatitis can only be made by excluding all other causes of pruritus. The diagnostic pathway is a process clients often find frustrating because it is lengthy and requires a lot of commitment on their part with regards to time and money. Atopic dermatitis is a disease which can be controlled but not cured, so it is vital to have the correct diagnosis before starting the patient on a lifelong treatment regime.

Aim of the article: This article, the first in a three‐part series on atopic dermatitis, discusses the diagnostic steps that need to be taken to reach a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. Parts 2 and 3, to be published in future issues of In Practice, will cover management of atopic dermatitis and how to use in‐house dermatological tests.
Evaluation of SfM for surface characterization of a snow-covered glacier through comparison with aerial lidar
Authors: Bash Eleanor A. , Moorman Brian J. , Menounos Brian , Gunther Allison
Published: May 2020

The combined use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and structure-from-motion (SfM) is rapidly growing as a cost-effective alternative to airborne laser scanning (lidar) for reconstructing glacier surfaces. Here we present a thorough analysis of the precision and accuracy of a photogrammetric point cloud (PPC) constructed through SfM from UAV-acquired imagery over the spring snow surface at Haig Glacier, Alberta, Canada, the first of its kind in a glaciological setting. An aerial lidar survey conducted concurrently with UAV surveys was used to examine spatial patterns in the PPC accuracy. We found a median error in the PPC of −0.046 ± 0.067 m, with a 95% quantile of 0.218 m. Mean precision of the PPC was 0.199 m, with large spatially clustered outliers. We found an association between high-error, low-precision, and high-surface roughness in the PPC, likely due to illumination characteristics of the snow surface. Glacier surface reconstructions are important for geodetic mass balance measurements, giving key insights into changing climate where in situ measurements are difficult to obtain. The PPC errors are small enough that they would have minimal effects on total mass balance, should the technique be applied across the glacier.
A quantum key distribution protocol for rapid denial of service detection
Authors: Price Alasdair B. , Rarity John G. , Erven Chris
Published: May 2020

We introduce a quantum key distribution protocol designed to expose fake users that connect to Alice or Bob for the purpose of monopolising the link and denying service. It inherently resists attempts to exhaust Alice and Bob’s initial shared secret and is 100% efficient, regardless of the number of qubits exchanged above the finite key limit. Additionally, secure key can be generated from two-photon pulses without having to make any extra modifications. This is made possible by relaxing the security of BB84 to that of the quantum-safe block cipher used for day-to-day encryption, meaning the overall security remains unaffected for useful real-world cryptosystems such as AES-GCM being keyed with quantum devices.
Related Party Transactions, Value Relevance and Informativeness of Earnings: Evidence from Four Economies in East Asia
Authors: Rahmat Mohd Mohid , Ahmed Kamran , Lobo Gerald J.
Published: May 2020

We investigate the effect of related party transactions (RPTs) on value relevance and informativeness of accounting earnings for firms based in East Asia. Using a hand-collected sample of 398 listed companies comprising 1194 firm-year observations from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, we find that firms engaging more extensively in RPTs have significantly lower value relevance and lower informativeness of earnings both in the current year and subsequent year than firms engaging less in RPTs. Furthermore, the results indicate that the types of RPTs affect value relevance and informativeness of earnings differently in that the effect of simple and loans RPTs are more negative than complex transactions. The extent of the negative effect of RPTs is lower in Hong Kong and Singapore where investor protection is higher compared to the other two economies. These findings are robust to controlling for firm-specific attributes, corporate governance, ownership structure, earnings quality, and a variety of sensitivity tests. These results are consistent with the conflict of interest view that RPTs compromise the quality of accounting earnings and this leads to the reduction in earnings and market value relationship for firms that engage in RPTs.
Chaotic Motion of a Parametrically Excited Dielectric Elastomer
Authors: Heidari Hamidreza , Alibakhshi Amin , Azarboni Habib Ramezannejad
Published: May 2020

In this paper, an effort is made to study the chaotic motions of a dielectric elastomer (DE). The DE is activated by a time-dependent voltage (AC voltage), which is superimposed on a DC voltage. The Gent strain energy function is employed to model the nonlinear behavior of the elastomeric matter. The nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) in terms of the stretch of the elastomer governing the motion of the system is deduced using the Euler–Lagrange method and the Rayleigh dissipation function. This ODE is solved via the use of a time integration-based solver. The bifurcation diagrams of Poincaré sections are generated to identify the chaotic domains. The largest Lyapunov exponents (LLEs) are illustrated for validation of the results obtained by the bifurcation diagrams. Various types of motion for the system are precisely discussed through the depiction of stretch-time responses, phase-plane diagrams, Poincaré sections and power spectral density (PSD) diagrams. The results reveal that the damping coefficient plays an influential role in suppressing the chaos phenomenon. Besides, the initial stretch of the elastomer could affect the chaotic interval of system parameters.
Modeling Imprecision in Perception, Valuation, and Choice
Authors: Woodford Michael
Published: May 2020

Traditional decision theory assumes that people respond to the exact features of the options available to them, but observed behavior seems much less precise. This review considers ways of introducing imprecision into models of economic decision making and stresses the usefulness of analogies with the way that imprecise perceptual judgments are modeled in psychophysics—the branch of experimental psychology concerned with the quantitative relationship between objective features of an observer's environment and elicited reports about their subjective appearance. It reviews key ideas from psychophysics, provides examples of the kinds of data that motivate them, and proposes lessons for economic modeling. Applications include stochastic choice, choice under risk, decoy effects in marketing, global game models of strategic interaction, and delayed adjustment of prices in response to monetary disturbances.
(Invited) Development of CMOS-MEMS Cointegrated Pressure Sensor Using Minimal Fab Process
Authors: Liu Yongxun , Akita Ippei , Matsukawa Takashi , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Koga Kazuhiro , Nemoto Kazumasa , Khumpuang Sommawan , Nagao Masayoshi , Morita Yukinori , Hara Shiro
Published: May 2020

PVD-TiN metal gate PMOSFETs and CMOS ring oscillators have successfully been fabricated on circular diaphragms using the developed Minimal Fab CMOS-MEMS cointegrated gate-last process, and their electrical characteristics have systematically been investigated by changing applied pressures to the diaphragms. It was found that the drain current variation (dId) in the <110> channel PMOSFETs is larger than that in the <100> channel ones. The origin of dId is the mechanical stress-induced mobility change. It was also confirmed that the oscillation frequency of the fabricated CMOS ring oscillator on a circular diaphragm changes from 372 to 405 kHz at different pressures of -30 and +30 kPa. This result implies that the fabricated CMOS-MEMS cointegrated sensor chip is operated as a pressure sensor. The developed CMOS-MEMS cointegrated pressure sensor is suitable for the application to the battery drive IoT sensor systems because the all CMOS integration of the sensor has a low-power consumption.
(Invited) Development of New High-Dielectric Constant Thin Films By Combinatorial Synthesis
Authors: Nagata Takahiro
Published: May 2020

The development of high-dielectric constant film materials is essential for future active and passive nanoelectronics devices. By using combinatorial synthesis, high throughput material development, we developed high-dielectric constant film materials for film capacitor and gate dielectrics. In this paper, the combinatorial synthesis method and achievements concerning the dielectric materials for high temperature operational thin film capacitor and high-k dielectrics are briefly introduced.
Study of Si(100)-SiO2 Interface Trap Time Constant Distributions in Large Area Conventional MOSFETs-Comparison with Submicron Devices
Authors: Bauza Daniel , Guenifi Naima
Published: May 2020

Pb0 centers are the main defects at the Si(100)/SiO2 interface in conventional MOS transistors. Besides, the charge pumping (CP) technique in which a MOSFET is repeatedly switched between inversion and accumulation has been widely used for studying single capture/emission events in deep submicron transistors. In CP, the minority carriers stored into interface traps in inversion recombine in accumulation with majority carriers from the substrate (n-channel case). This provides a CP current which can be studied. When it was accepted that in submicron MOSFETs the CP current was given by Icp = f.q.N, where f is the gate signal frequency, q the electron charge, N the number of traps entering Icp, recently, Tsuchiya and co-workers, pointed out steps heights equal to 2.q: Pb0 centers with their donor-like and acceptor-like states in the lower and upper halves of the silicon bandgap, respectively were therefore measured for the first time in submicron devices. In the present paper, the traps remaining electrically active at the Si(100)-SiO2 interface in large area conventional MOSFETs after the full technological process including forming gas annealing are studied. This is achieved using techniques developed in recent years that use the variation of the gate signal frequency for different gate voltage swings. The trap time constant distributions that exist at this interface are studied as function of gate voltage and gate signal frequency. The results are discussed with regard to the CP models previously proposed and to CP curves simulation.
The Effect of Carbon Coatings on the Electrochemical Performance of Composite Electrodes
Authors: Gonzalez Gabriel , Gonzalez Ramiro , Zuniga Luis , Chipara Mircea , Alcoutlabi Mataz
Published: May 2020

The present work focuses on the large-scale production of Fe2O3/C, TiO2/C and Fe2O3/TiO2/C composite fibers by centrifugal spinning (CF). Fe2O3/PVP, TiO2/PVP, and Fe2O3/TiO2/PVP precursor solutions were prepared and centrifugally spun at 7200 RPM to obtain precursor micro fibrous mats. The precursor fibers were then stabilized in air at 200 °C for 3 hours followed by calcination in Argon atmosphere at 500 °C for 4 hours to obtain composite carbon fibers. In addition, TiO2-slurry based electrode was prepared from mixing 70% of TiO2 active material with 20 % carbon black and PAN binder. The TiO2 electrode delivered a good electrochemical performance and cyclability. The Fe2O3/C, TiO2/C and Fe2O3 /TiO2/C composite-fiber anodes demonstrated a stable cycling performance with a discharge capacity of 200, 144, and 235 mAh g-1 respectively after 100 cycles at 100 mAh g-1 with the exception of the first cycle which was tested at 50 mAh g-1. The high surface area of the centrifugally spun composite fibers resulted in high irreversible capacity at the first cycle compared the slurry-based electrode. Although these composite electrodes exhibited stable capacity and a decent cyclability, further work is required to improve the Coulombic efficiency of composite-fiber electrodes and enhance their overall electrochemical performance and rate capability.
(Invited) Impact of Surface Roughness of the Electrodes on the Resistive Switching in ReRam Devices
Authors: Al-Mamun Mohammad , Chakraborty Amrita , Li Yanlong , Orlowski Marius K
Published: May 2020

The paper explores the impact of the surface roughness of the metal electrodes on the electric performance of resistive memory (ReRAM) devices, such as Cu/TaOx/Pt, Cu/TaOx/Ru, and Cu/TaOx/Co. The electrical characterization confirms that the surface roughness has a substantial impact on the forming voltages of the device but no impact on the set or reset voltages. The surface roughness can be controlled by the metal deposition conditions, post-deposition surface treatment, such as ion bombardment or reactive ion etching, and by annealing at elevated temperatures. We find that annealing of free metal surfaces of Pt, Ru, and Co at 600oC and 900oC leads to significantly higher surface roughness whereas the Cu surface roughness while being nominally constant shows at 600oC large 100 nm sized hillock formation. The difference in surface roughness explains the differences between the forming voltages (Vform) of the ReRAM devices as well the broadness of the Vform distributions.
Study on Influence of O2 Concentration in Wafer Cleaning Ambient for Smoothness of Silicon (110) Surface Appearing at Sidewall of Three-Dimensional Transistors
Authors: Suwa Tomoyuki , Teramoto Akinobu , Shirai Yasuyuki , Matsuo Takenobu , Mizutani Nobutaka , Sugawa Shigetoshi
Published: May 2020

We investigated the influence of O2 concentration in ultra pure water (UPW) on the Si(110) surface roughness during the immersion of Si into UPW. The suppressing of O2 concentration in UPW is very effective to suppress the increase of microroughness of Si(110) surface. The O2 concentration in UPW can be controlled by the ambient O2 concentration. Si(110) surface cannot be roughened when the O2 concentration is suppressed to less than 100 ppm in ambient (4 ppb in UPW) and the immersion time is less than 1 hour. It can be expected that the Si(110) surface flatness is maintained, and this surface is mainly used for the channel of FinFET. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the O2 concentration in a prototype 200-mm single-wafer cleaning chamber can be decreased to less than 100 ppm within 1 minute by an N2 purge of 200 l/min.
Interferometric Optical Isolator with Si Guiding Layer Operated in Unidirectional Magnetic Field
Authors: Yokoi Hideki , Yumoto Atsushi , Hasegawa Hiroyujki , Matsuzaki Shingo
Published: May 2020

An interferometric optical isolator with a Si guiding layer employing a nonreciprocal phase shift was proposed. The optical isolator can be operated in a unidirectional external magnetic field owing to the optical interferometer with distinct layer structures. A nonreciprocal phase shifter and a multimode interference coupler were designed at a wavelength of 1.55 μm. Branching characteristics of the multimode interference coupler were measured.
(Invited) Doping Considerations for Finfet, Gate-All-Around, and Nanosheet Based Devices
Authors: Duffy Ray , Meaney Fintan , Galluccio Emmanuele
Published: May 2020

The IEEE International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) for More Moore devices summarises the Logic Device state of play very effectively; the FinFET is the key device architecture that could enable logic device scaling until 2025. Increasing fin height while reducing number of fins at unit footprint area is an effective solution to improve performance. It is forecasted that the parasitics will remain as a dominant term in the performance of critical paths. For reduced supply voltage, a transition to gate-all-around (GAA) structures such as lateral nanowires or nanosheets will be necessary to improve electrostatics. Lateral GAA structure would eventually evolve in to the vertical GAA structure to gain back the performance loss due to increasing parasitics at tighter pitches. In this paper we will consider doping techniques based on ion implant, solid-source in-diffusion, liquid-source in-diffusion, and gas-source in-diffusion for these device technologies.
Strain Modification of PECVD Nitride By Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation Processes
Authors: Lachal Laurent , Plantier Christophe , Torregrosa Franck , Aubert Cedric , Pedini Jean-Michel , Borvon Gael , Coig Marianne , Milesi Frederic , Niebojewski Heimanu , Mazen Frédéric
Published: May 2020

The impact of Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII) processes with various species (hydrogen, helium and nitrogen) on the stress of a tensile PECVD nitride film was evaluated. Ellipsometry measurements indicated no consumption of the nitride but a change in the optical index, signaling a material modification. The initial stress of the nitride was modified by PIII from tensile to mechanically neutral and even compressive. Hydrogen and nitrogen appeared to be more efficient to modify the stress than helium.
(Invited) Nano-Precision Deep Reactive Ion Etching of Monocrystalline 4H-SiCOI for Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators with Ultra-Low Dissipation
Authors: Ayazi Farrokh , Hamelin Benoit , Yang Jeremy
Published: May 2020

Integrated mechanical resonators with high quality factors (Q) made in high acoustic velocity materials are essential for a wide range of applications, including chemical sensors, timing resonators, and high-performance inertial sensors for navigation in GPS-occluded environments. While silicon is the most popular substrate for implementation of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators, SiC exhibits an exceptionally small intrinsic phononic dissipation due to high Akhiezer limits. This paper reports the latest results on nano-precision deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) of monocrystalline 4H SiC-on-Insulator (SiCOI) substrates to explore dissipation limits of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) SiC resonators. We report for the first time on capacitive Lamé mode resonators with ƒ·Q products beyond 1×1014 Hz. The contribution of surface roughness to dissipation and practical considerations to etch mirror-polished trenches in SiCOI substrates are discussed, paving the way towards micromechanical SiC resonators with Qs beyond 100 M.
Threading Dislocation Dynamics in ZnSSe Strained-Layer Superlattices
Authors: Raphael Johanna , Kujofsa Tedi , Ayers John E
Published: May 2020

Strained-layer superlattices (SLSs) have been used extensively to modify the threading dislocation behavior in metamorphic semiconductor device structures, and are sometimes referred to as “dislocation filters.” However, up to the present time the application of SLSs in metamorphic structures has been impeded by the lack of detailed physical models for their behavior. In this work we apply a “weaving” and “jogging” model for dislocation interactions in ZnSSe SLSs to study their expected behavior and the dependence on the SLS design (placement, compositions, thicknesses, and growth conditions).
The Development of a New Ion Versus Log(Ig) Plot to Characterize Depletion-Mode High Electron Mobility Transistors with the Insertion of a Very Thin Evaporated Al Layer to AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors as an Example
Authors: Lau Wai Shing , Tan Joy
Published: May 2020

For depletion-mode high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), the on current (Ion) and the gate leakage current (Ig) alone will not be a good criterion to judge the quality of depletion-mode HEMTs. In this paper, we would like to propose the application of an Ion vs. log Ig plot to characterize depletion-mode HEMTs. Previously, it was proposed the gate leakage current of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs can be reduced by the insertion of a very thin evaporated Al in the Au/Ni metal gate. We will use this as an example to demonstrate the usefulness of the Ion vs. log Ig plot by showing that slowly evaporated Al gate does bring significant improvement.
(Invited) Advanced Transistors for High Frequency Applications
Authors: Parvais Bertrand , Peralagu Uthayasankaran , Vais Abhitosh , Alian AliReza , Witters Liesbet , Mols Yves , Walke Amey , Ingels Mark , Yu Hao , Putcha Vamsi , Khaled Ahmad , Rodriguez Raul , Sibaja-Hernandez Arturo , Yadav Sachin , ElKashlan Rana , Baryshnikova Marina , Mannaert Geert , Alcotte Reynald , Kunert Bernardette , Simoen Eddy , Zhao Ellen , De Jaeger Brice , Fleetwood Daniel , Langer Robert , Zhao Ming , Wambacq Piet , Waldron Niamh , Collaert Nadine
Published: May 2020

Downscaling CMOS technology has allowed the integration of high-speed transceivers on silicon chips, but high-power amplifiers rely on III-V technologies to deliver the power and efficiency levels required by modern radios. In this work, we explore two routes to enable the fabrication of compound semiconductor devices on a large-scale manufacturable Si platform. In the first route, we report on Al(Ga,In)N HEMTs, MISHEMTs and MOSFETs integrated on 200 mm Si wafers using Au-free processing in standard Si CMOS tools. In the second route, we demonstrate GaAs/InGaP HBTs grown on a 300 mm Si substrate using Nano-Ridge Engineering (NRE) combined with aspect ratio trapping (ART). We provide insight on the potential of these new technologies for the design of advanced front-end modules, including performance trade-offs, modelling and reliability challenges.
Impact of Gate Dielectric Material on Basic Parameters of MO(I)SHEMT Devices
Authors: Agopian Paula Ghedini Der , Carmo Genilson Julião do , Martino Joao Antonio , Simoen Eddy , Collaert Nadine
Published: May 2020

In this work, the behavior of MISHEMT devices with different gate materials is analyzed. Two-gate insulator materials (Al2O3 and SiN) were analyzed through the transfer characteristic, threshold voltage, hysteresis and transconductance. Although devices with SiN insulator present smaller hysteresis, better DIBL and it is nearest to a normally off devices, the leakage current showed to be much higher than for the Al2O3 counterpart. Besides the double conduction that occurs in SiN devices results in an anomalous behavior of transconductance and consequently an unexpected behavior of threshold voltage with temperature.
Study of Underlapped Finfets Behavior for a Radiation Sensing Purpose
Authors: Fonseca Willliam da Silva , Agopian Paula Ghedini Der
Published: May 2020

In this paper the electrical characteristics of the Underlapped FinFET transistor is studied for different underlap lengths and underlap oxide material. Disturbs caused by underlap region, such as series resistance effect and the spreading electric field have been evaluated. Besides the underlap length, the impact of oxide permittivity on the on-state current level, fringing fields increasing and on current density was also evaluated. When analyzing the Underlapped FinFET as a radiation sensor, the better sensitivity was obtained for long underlap regions and for transistor biased with high drain voltage. The potential increasing in the underlap region results in on-state current enhancement, which characteristic allows this device present good response for sensing purposes.
(Invited) Dielectric Science on Today's Devices
Authors: Misra Durgamadhab
Published: May 2020

The trends of various high-k gate dielectrics deposited on silicon or germanium is reviewed for logic and memory devices. Initially, Zr and low percentage of Al incorporation into HfO2-based high-k dielectrics gate stack on silicon through different process conditions were outlined. Subsequently, high-k gate stack deposition process on Ge was evaluated to form a stable Ge/high-k interface. We have also looked at the high-k gate dielectric stacks in a MIM capacitor for possible applications in memory and AI hardware.
Influence of Current Redistribution in Switching Models for Perpendicular STT-MRAM
Authors: Fiorentini Simone , Lacerda de Orio Roberto , Selberherr Siegfried , Ender Johannes , Goes Wolfgang , Sverdlov Viktor
Published: May 2020

Simulation of switching in spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory is usually performed by assuming that the torque is created by a position- and time-independent current density. However, in real circuits the voltage is fixed, not the current density. The assumption of a fixed current density, especially in modern devices with a tunneling magnetoresistance up to 200%, becomes thus questionable. In this work we compare the switching time distribution obtained under the assumptions of fixed voltage and fixed current density for a wide range of tunneling magnetoresistance and surface area values. We demonstrate that the approximate fixed current density approach can reproduce the correct switching times, provided that the current value is appropriately adjusted. We show that the correction on the current depends on the switching speed, dictated by different system parameters.
Evaluation of Skin Cell Damage Under UV Exposure with FET Sensors
Authors: Wu Sung-Yu , Su Chao-Ming , Dong Guo-Chong , Chen Jung-Chih , Chen Po-Hsuan , Wang Shin-Li , Wu Chang-Run , Chiang Chen-Wei , Wang Yu-Lin
Published: May 2020

In this work, we develop a portable measurement system to detect the critical UV dose for cells, and we can make precautions to prevent people from skin cancer. In this research, we have developed a rapid and highly selective array using field-effect-transistor-based biosensor to monitor the real time electrical signal change of cell membranes. According to the difference of the electrical response, it is possible to predict when cells are undergoing apoptosis dynamically. All in all, our sensor can detect the signal change of cells when they are stimulated by outside environment.
Investigation of Highly Sensitive Cadmium Ion Selective FET Sensors with AC Impedance Analysis
Authors: Wang Shin-Li , Hsieh Ching-Yen , Wang Yu-Lin
Published: May 2020

In this study, we developed a cadmium ion selective sensor which can detect cadmium ion in water, in the convenience of home/office. The ion selective membrane (ISM) FET sensor combines novel extended gate FET structure and cadmium ion selective membrane. With the unique structure and the methodology the sensitivity of Cd-ISFET is 71 mV/ decade [Cd2+] which is beyond ideal Nernst sensitivity and the detection limit is comparable with ICP-MS. The AC impedance measurement result is also analyzed in this research. Through the AC impedance results we can find out and investigate the mechanism of Cd-ISFET.
(Invited) Development of the High Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerator with a Mechanical Mediator for Its Practical Utilization
Authors: Choi Dongwhi
Published: May 2020

As technology regarding the wearable electronic device has rapidly developed, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which utilizes contact electrification with electrical induction as operation principle to generate electricity, is considered as a promising wearable energy harvester to power the portable and wearable devices. One of the abundant energy sources to be harvested by using the TENG is a human body movement, which entirely depends on joint movements with exclusive characteristics of limited displacement with a high degree of directional freedom. In this study, we focus on development of the high performance TENG with the help of adoption of the rationally designed power transmission unit, which is called as a mechanical mediator enabling highly effective power transmission from human body to the TENG.