bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Table of Contents and Foreword
Authors: Pavanello Marcelo Antonio , Kastensmidt Fernanda
Published: December 2020

This third issue is composed by some of the papers that have been selected from those presented at SBMicro2015 (30th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices) and SBCCI2015 (28th Symposium on Integrated Circuits and Systems Design), which have been held in Salvador, Brazil, in 2015. Among the contributions presented at both Symposia, only a few best rated were selected by the JICS Editorial Board and have been invited to submit an extended version to the Journal. These extended papers have passed through the usual reviewing process before acceptance. In addition to these selected best papers, spontaneous submissions passed through the usual reviewing process and have been accepted as regular papers. We would like to thank the authors for their effort in preparing these high quality papers, as well as the reviewers for their valuable contribution on paper evaluation and selection, which guarantees the scientific level of this issue. We sincerely hope that JICS readers will enjoy these contributions.Marcelo Antonio Pavanello - JICS Editor-in-chief Fernanda Kastensmidt - JICS Co-Editor
Fabrication and Characterization of 60 Channel Microelectrode Arrays for Recording and Stimulation from Cardiac Cells in Culture
Authors: Gomes Vanessa Pereira , De Barros Angelica Denardi , Destro-Filho João-Batista , Martinoia Sergio , Pasquarelli Alberto , Swart Jacobus W.
Published: December 2020

Stimulation and recording of nerve cells is a procedure used for several applications, such as clinical therapies, study of basic neuroscience, and neural prostheses. Microtechnology and advances in material science have allowed to produce more sophisticated devices and with more functions. This paper focuses on the fabrication of planar 60 – channel Microelectrode Arrays (MEAs). The electrical characterization of the noise level from the TiN electrodes showed good sensitivity to noise, compatible with commercial systems. These electrodes received an artificial electrocardiogram signal (ECG) from a function generator and registered the same input signal but with lower amplitude. Finally, both cyclic voltammetry curves of the produced MEA and the commercial MEA exhibited similar shape, but the current density of the first one was significantly higher than in MCS – MEA, with an order difference of magnitude.
Bias Stress Effects in Low Temperature Amorphous Hf-In-ZnO TFTs Using RF-sputtering HfO2 as High-k Gate Dielectric
Authors: Pons-Flores C. A. , Hernández I. , Garduno I. , Mejía I. , Estrada M.
Published: December 2020

In this work we analyze the electrical performance, contact resistance and the effects of positive and negative gatebias stress of Hf-In-ZnO/HfO2 thin film transistors. Devices were fabricated using RF-magnetron sputtering at room temperature and fully patterned, with operation voltage below 6 V. Devices with drain-currents up to 2x10-6 A and threshold voltages of ~2 V were analyzed under negative and positive gate bias stress. Devices under negative gate-bias stress showed a slightly threshold voltage shift due to the transistor channel is depleted of electrons at the channel/dielectric interface. Devices under positive gate-bias stress, showed threshold voltage shifts in the negative direction due to the reversible charge/discharge effect of the electrons in pre-existing high-k HfO2 bulk traps. Positive gate-bias stress does not cause any degeneration, since stressed devices tend to recover after 5 mins.
Boosting the MOSFETs Matching by Using Diamond Layout Style
Authors: Peruzzi Vinicius Vono , Renaux Christian , Flandre Denis , Gimenez Salvador Pinillos
Published: December 2020

This manuscript presents an experimental comparative study between the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) Field Effect Transistors, n-type, (nMOSFETs) matching, which are implemented with the hexagonal gate shape (Diamond) and standard rectangular ones. The main analog parameters and figures of merit of 360 devices are investigated. The results establish that the Diamond SOI MOSFETs with α angles equal to 90o can boost in more than in average -45.8% with a standard deviation of 20.1% the devices matching in comparison to those found with the typical rectangular SOI MOSFETs, concerning the same gate area and bias conditions. Consequently, the Diamond layout style is an alternative technique to reduce the nMOSFETs’ mismatching, considering the analog SOI Complementary MOS (CMOS) integrated circuits (ICs) applications.
An UHF RFID tag characterization methodology including a low-Bcaosqsute rao,n Cdab rleoraw, S-ousa complexity SDR platform for information extraction
Authors: Baquero Juán Sebastián Moya , Cabrera Fabian L. , De Sousa Fernando Rangel
Published: December 2020

RFID concepts have been evolving for more than fifty years, nevertheless it was until the last decade that this technology settled as one of the leading commercial solutions being applied on, for example tracking, access management and document registration applications, among others. This technology has brought many benefits to the users, like automation processes, inventory time reduction and information transmission reliability. However, before commercializing the RFIDs, test and characterization procedures must be executed in order to provide the correct information to the user. Unfortunately, lack of characterization methodology standards, high cost and high-complexity test equipment are recurrently dis-advantages. This work presents an RFID characterization methodology that uses a low-cost and handy RF signal platform for Electronic Product Code (EPC) time extraction.
A New Low Cost Current Measurement Circuit with Temperature Compensation
Authors: Telles Antonio Carlos da Costa , Emeri Jair Lins de , Finco Saulo , Seixas Luis Eduardo
Published: December 2020

The electrical characterization of semiconductors devices, when submitted to ionizing radiation should be done in a large range of currents; however, the instrumentation with this ability is very expensive. This work proposes a low-cost circuit using commercial off-the-shelf components (COTS) that enables the measurement of electrical currents in the order of pA range. The circuit presents an output current that is an amplified version of the current to be measured, using the exponential relationship between currents and voltages in Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) and Metal Oxide Silicon Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) when operating in the weak inversion region. Furthermore, a block was introduced in order to compensate the gain’s temperature dependence. The results showed that the operating range for the current that will be measured was more than seven decades using BJTs and five decades by using MOSFETs with a high linearity. The circuit version using MOSFETs was able to measure currents as low as 100 fA. The current gain has also good linearity for over five decades. This circuit has a stable behavior for the range of 20 °C to 40 °C, because of the temperature compensation block.
Simulations of Silicon Microstructure for Preconcentration of Metallic Ions
Authors: Fracassi da Silva J. A. , Furlan R. , Simões E. W. , Da Silva M. L. P. , Pereira M. T.
Published: December 2020

This work presents the simulation results of the fluid flow behavior inside a preconcentrator microstructure. The preconcentrator was implemented in silicon using reactive ion etching, SF6 based, to define the channels and anodic bonding between silicon and borosilicate glass for sealing. The preconcentrator design takes in account the enhancement of surface to area ratio, by dividing the flow until it reaches 50 um channels. The internal flow was analyzed using the commercial package ANSYS/FLOTRAN. Vortex formation was not observed under the simulation conditions and resolution, for water flow of 100 μl/min. The flow is essentially laminar and velocity changes (variations) can be observed, that can influence the residence time of the species inside the microstructure and, consequently, the diffusion/adsorption mechanisms.
Conductance of Single- and Double-Gated Quantum Stub Transistor
Authors: Guerra Alexandre B. , Santos Edval J. P.
Published: December 2020

Quantum stub transistors are low power, high frequency, and nanometer-size devices, and as such they are candidates for next generation electronic devices. In particular, such structures may be used in spintronics-based quantum computation, because of its ability to induce spin-polarized transport. In this paper, we present the simulation of the conductance of the quantum stub transistor (single and double-gated), modeled with a nearest-neighbor tight-binding Hamiltonian. The results suggest how the electrical behavior of the quantum stub transistor may be improved.
The Effect of Nitrogen Concentration at Oxynitride Gate Insulators Formed by 28N2 + Implantation into Silicon with Additional Conventional or Rapid Thermal Oxidation
Authors: Felício A. G. , Diniz José Alexandre , Godoy Fo. J. , Doi I. , Pudenzi M. A. A. , Swart Jacobus W.
Published: December 2020

Silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) insulators have been obtained by nitrogen ion implantation into Si substrates prior to conventional or rapid thermal oxidation. These films have been used as gate insulators in nMOSFETs and MOS capacitors. nMOSFET electrical characteristics, such as field effect mobility between 390 cm2/Vs and 530 cm2/Vs, and sub-threshold slope between 70 mV/decade and 150 mV/decade, were obtained. MOS capacitors were used to obtain capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The Equivalent Oxide Thickness (EOT) of the films were obtained from C-V curves, resulting in values between 2.9 nm and 12 nm. SiOxNy gate insulators with EOT between 2.9 nm and 4.3 nm have presented gate leakage current densities between 3 mA/cm2 and 50 nA/cm2. The electrical characteristics were compared and correlated with the nitrogen concentration profiles at SiOxNy/Si of the structures, obtained by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS).
Study Of MOS Capacitors With TiO2 And SiO2/TiO2 Gate Dielectric
Authors: Albertin Katia F. , Valle M. A. , Pereyra I.
Published: December 2020

MOS capacitors with TiO2 and TiO2/SiO2 dielectric layer were fabricated and characterized. TiO2 films where physical characterized by Rutherford Backscattering, Fourier TransformInfrared Spectroscopy and Elipsometry measurements. Capacitance-voltage (1MHz) and current voltage measurements were utilized to obtain, the effective dielectric constant, effective oxide thickness (EOT), leakage current density and interface quality. The results show that the obtained TiO2 films present a dielectric constant of approximately 40, a good interface quality with silicon and a leakage current density, of 70 mA/cm2 for VG = 1V, acceptable for high performance logic circuits and low power circuits fabrication, indicating that this material is a viable substitute for current dielectric layers in order to prevent tunneling currents.
A 40 MHz 70 dB Gain Variable Gain Amplifier Design Using the gm/ID Design Method
Authors: Cortes Fernando Paixão , Bampi Sergio
Published: December 2020

This paper addresses the design and post-fabrication measurements of a 40 MHz CMOS Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA) with a 0 to 70 dB gain control range, using the gm/ID design methodology. The VGA architecture is based on a differential pair stage with an automatic continuous-time offset cancellation circuitry, providing an input offset voltage tolerance up to 50 mV. The 3-stage VGA was designed and fabricated through MOSIS service in an IBM 0.18 μm CMOS process. The VGA dissipates 2.6 mA from a 1.8 V supply, with 34,840 μm2 circuit area, excluding bond-pads.
Efficient and Flexible Dynamic Reconfiguration for Multi Context Architectures
Authors: Lallet Julien , Pillement Sébastien , Sentieys Olivier
Published: December 2020

Dynamic reconfiguration is possible on both fine-grain and coarse-grain architectures. One of the used methodology used consists in the use of multi-context architectures. Unfortunately, the multiple contexts bring power and area overhead. This paper introduces the Dynamic Unifier and reConfigurable blocK (DUCK) concept, a new structure to perform efficiently dynamic reconfiguration on both custom designed fine-grain and coarse grain architectures. The DUCK allows to separate the configuration path and the configuration registers which facilitates simultaneous configuration and computing steps. The reconfiguration process is presented in detail, and synthesis results are given for different structures. Our solution is finally validated with the implementation of a WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) receiver on a multi-context embedded FPGA and on the dynamically reconfigurable processor DART. This implementation demonstrates the interest and the efficiency of the use of dynamic reconfiguration and the proposed flexible structure.
Analysis of Electromigration in Dual-Damascene Interconnect Structures
Authors: De Orio Roberto Lacerda , Ceric Hajdin , Selberherr Siegfried
Published: December 2020

The effects of grain boundaries on electromigration failure are presented. The electromigration model incorporates the grain boundary as a separate medium which acts not only as fast diffusivity path for material transport but also absorbs and releases vacancies. Moreover, we analyze the void nucleation condition and its implication on electromigration failure is discussed. Our results show that high stress and a high vacancy concentration develop at the triple points formed on the interface between copper grains and the capping layer, where a void nucleation is likely to take place. This scenario of weak triple points in combination with a stress threshold also supports the mechanism of multiple void nucleation as it has been experimentally observed.
Table of Contents and Foreword
Authors: Martino João Antonio , Lubaszewski Marcelo
Published: December 2020

This issue of Journal of Integrated Circuits and Systems (JICS) includes papers on process, materials, devices, and modeling. These papers have been selected from the presentations given at SBMicro2009 (24th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices), which has been held in Natal, Brazil in 2009. Among the contributions presented at SBMicro2009 conference, only a few best rated by the reviewers were selected by the JICS Editorial Board and have been invited to submit an extended version. These papers have been submitted to usual reviewing process with the help of external experts. In this issue also spontaneous submissions have been considered. We would like to thank the authors for their effort in preparing these high quality papers, as well as the reviewers for their help on paper selection, which guarantees the scientific level of this issue.We sincerely hope that JICS readers will enjoy these contributions.João Antonio Martino - JICS Editor-in-chiefMarcelo Lubaszewski - JICS Co-Editor
Impact of Selective Epitaxial Growth and Uniaxial/Biaxial Strain on DIBL Effect Using Triple Gate FinFETs
Authors: Dos Santos Sara Dereste , Martino João Antonio , Simoen Eddy , Claeys Cor
Published: December 2020

The influence of Selective Epitaxial Growth (SEG) and the Uniaxial and Biaxial Strain are studied in triple gate FinFETs, analyzing the Drain Induced Barrier Lowering Effect (DIBL). The splits using SEG present better performance for strained devices than the unstrained ones but the inverse is observed for devices without SEG. The DIBL values are higher for SEG devices in all cases. For devices without SEG, the effect of mechanical stress is more pronounced and the mobility is higher in the uniaxially strained devices. These devices have lower VT values in the saturation condition causing the highest DIBL.
A 5.4 GHz Fully-Integrated Low-Noise Mixer
Authors: Ho Stanley S. K. , Saavedra Carlos E.
Published: December 2020

An active mixer using a Gilbert-cell topology that incorporates a low-noise RF transconductance stage is presented in this paper. The chip operates at a frequency of 5.4 GHz and was fabricated in 180 nm CMOS technology. A current-bleeding circuit is used to provide different dc bias currents to the LO switching stage and the RF transconductors. The transconductor, designed using the power constrained simultaneous noise and input match technique, together with the bleeding circuit enables the mixer to have a measured single-sideband noise figure of 7.8 dB and a power conversion gain of 13.1 dB. The measured input-referred 1-dB compression point, IP1dB is -17.8 dBm while its OP1dB is -5 dBm. A two-tone test was carried out and the mixer exhibits an IIP3 of -6.2 dBm and an OIP3 of +6.9 dBm. All of the inductors are on-chip and the size of the mixer core is only 380 μm x 350 μm (0.133 mm2).
A GALS Pipeline DES Architecture to Increase Robustness against CPA and CEMA Attacks
Authors: Soares Rafael I. , Calazans Ney L. V. , Lomné Victor , Dehbaoui Amine , Maurine Philippe , Torres Lionel
Published: December 2020

Side channels attacks (SCAs) are very effective and low cost methods to extract secret information from supposedly secure cryptosystems.The traditional synchronous design flow used to create such systems favors the leakage of information, which enables attackers to draw correlations between data processes and circuit power consumption, electromagnetic radiation or other sources of leakage. By using well known analysis techniques, these correlations may allow that an attacker retrieves secret cryptographic keys. Differential Power Analysis (DPA) and Differential Electromagnetic Analysis (DEMA) are among the most cited attack types. More accurate types of attacks have been proposed, including Correlation Power Analysis (CPA) that associates power quantities with a specific power model. In recent years, several countermeasures against SCAs have been proposed. Fully asynchronous and globally asynchronous locally synchronous (GALS) design methods appear as alternatives to design tamper resistant cryptosystems. However, according to previous works they use to achieve this with significant area, throughput, latency and power penalties and are not absolutely secure. This paper proposes a new GALS pipeline architecture for the Data Encryption Standard (DES) that explores the trade-off between circuit area and robustness to SCAs. Robustness is enhanced by replicating the DES hardware structure in asynchronously communicating module instances, coupled with self-varying operating frequencies. Designs prototyped on FPGAs with the proposed technique presented promising robustness against attacks, after submitted to differential and correlation analyses. This is true for both power and electromagnetic channels. Additionally the proposed architecture displays throughput superior to previously reported results.
A Novel Macroblock-Level Filtering Upsampling Architecture for H.264/AVC Scalable Extension
Authors: Da Silva Thaísa L. , Cruz Luis A. S. , Agostini Luciano V.
Published: December 2020

The scalable extension of the H.264/AVC standard, also called H.264/AVC SVC standard or simply SVC standard uses spatial upsampling in the spatial scalability modes. This work presents a novel upsampling architecture designed for operation at macroblock level and dyadic upsampling ratio with QVGA as the base layer resolution and VGA as the enhancement resolution.The adoption of a macroblock-level solution translates into a more efficient use of hardware resources with savings of approximately 25% in the number of ALUTs and DLRs and using about two hundred times less memory bits, when compared to previously published works. The designed architecture was synthesized targeting four FPGAs: Altera Cyclone III and Stratix IV and Xilinx Spartan 3E and Virtex 4. The best throughput was reached by the Xilinx Virtex 4 device, with a processing rate of 506 VGA frames per second. The worst result was reached by the Xilinx Spartan 3E FPGA, with 249 VGA frames per second. All target FPGAs surpasses the necessary throughput to decode VGA videos in real time. This very high throughput is important especially when low power applications are considered, since with low operation frequencies (9.34MHz) it is possible to reach real time (30 frames per second) for all target FPGAs.
Table of Contents and Foreword
Authors: Lubaszewski Marcelo , Pavanello Marcelo Antonio
Published: December 2020

This issue of the Journal of Integrated Circuits and Systems (JICS) features a very broad content, including papers on multiple gate devices, sensors, polymers and silicon photodiodes. Six of these papers have been selected from the presentations given at SBMicro2010 (25th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices), which has been held in São Paulo, Brazil in 2010. Among the contributions presented at Symposium, only a few best rated were selected by the JICS Editorial Board and have been invited to submit an extended version to the Journal. These papers have been reviewed by external experts and have been accepted for the special section on best SBMicro2010 papers. In addition to the best papers presented at the conference, spontaneous submissions passed through the usual reviewing process and have been accepted as regular papers. We would like to thank the authors for their effort in preparing these high quality papers, as well as the reviewers for their help on paper selection, which guarantees the scientific level of this issue. We sincerely hope that JICS readers will enjoy these contributions.Marcelo Lubaszewski - JICS Editor-in-chiefMarcelo Antonio Pavanello - JICS Co-Editor
Analog Operation Temperature Dependence of nMOS Junctionless Transistors Focusing on Harmonic Distortion
Authors: Doria Rodrigo T. , Pavanello Marcelo Antonio , Trevisoli Renan D. , De Souza Michelly , Lee Chi-Woo , Ferain Isabelle , Akhavan Nima D. , Yan Ran , Razavi Pedram , Yu Ran , Kranti Abhinav , Colinge Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2020

This paper performs a comparative study of the analog performance of Junctionless Nanowire Transistors (JNTs) and classical Trigate inversion mode (IM) devices focusing on the harmonic distortion. The study has been carried out in the temperature range of 223 K up to 473 K. The non-linearity or harmonic distortion (HD) has been evaluated in terms of the total and the third order distortions (THD and HD3, respectively) at a fixed input bias and at a targeted output swing. Several parameters important for the HD evaluation have also been observed such as the transconductance to the drain current ratio (gm/IDS), the Early voltage (VEA) and the intrinsic voltage gain (AV). Trigate devices showed maximum AV around room temperature whereas in JNTs the intrinsic voltage gain increases with the temperature. Due to the different AV characteristics, Junctionless transistors present improved HD at higher temperatures whereas inversion mode Trigate devices show better HD properties at room temperature.When both devices are compared, Junctionless transistors present better THD and HD3 with respect to the IM Trigate devices.
Electrochemical Migration on Lead-Free Soldering of PCBs
Authors: Mendes Luiz Tadeu Freire , Cardoso Valtemar Fernandes , Da Silva Ana Neilde Rodrigues
Published: December 2020

It is well known that in printed circuits boards assembled by SMT technology may occur Electrochemical Migration (ECM). This phenomenon appears mainly because the new packaging has the terminals very close. Also the Electrochemical Migration may become a potential reliability problem in electronic soldering when lead free technology is used in soldering electronic devices. Electrochemical Migration is an electrochemical process where metal on an insulating material, in a humid environment and under an applied electric field, leaves its initial location in ionic form and redeposit. In a PCB two adjacent terminals may behave as electrodes so the dendrites grow from cathode to anode. It can show different morphologies with the different migration elements involved depending on the solder paste composition or PCB surface finishing. A structure with a comb shape printed on FR4 substrate was used in the experiments. The distance between the fingers in the structure was 102 or 254 micron, in order to simulate a real distance between dispositive terminals. The factors considered during the experiments were surface finishing (ENIG or HASL), solder paste composition, distance between terminals (102 or 254 micron) and applied voltage (2 or 3 V). All the experiments were done two times. It was observed that the solder paste and the surface finishing don’t influences the ECM process. Tin was the main metal that migrates. All the results obtained in these study agrees with the literature.
Distributed Shared Mamory for NoC-based MPSoCs
Authors: Chaves Tales Marchesan , Moraes Fernando Gehm
Published: December 2020

As the number of cores and functionalities integrated in embedded devices increases, the amount of memory used on these devices also increases, justifying the development of memory architectures that present scalability, low energy consumption and low latency. Two factors impact the scalability of MPSoC systems: cache access latency and energy consumption. The distance of the processors to the cache banks and the cache coherence protocol influences both factors. This work proposes a physically distributed data L2 cache as the cache architecture for a NoC-based MPSoC, because it allows the concept of clustering, and the implementation of data migration algorithms to reducing cache access latency. Results show that the number of cycles required to execute a given application might reduce 23% with the appropriate number of L2 cache banks. Also, a directory-based cache coherence protocol was implemented, exploiting the NoC physical services to improve performance. Results show a reduction of 17% in the number of clock cycles and a reduction up to 86% (average reduction: 39%) in energy consumption for some cache transactions.
A Simple Electron Mobility Model Considering the Silicon-Dielectric Interface Orientation for Circular Surrounding-Gate Transistor
Authors: Perin André L. , Pereira Arianne S. N. , Agopian Paula Ghedini Der , Martino João Antonio , Giacomini Renato
Published: December 2020

In this work, a simple model that accounts for the variation of electron mobility as a function of the silicondielectric interface crystallographic orientation is presented. Simulations were conducted in order to compute the effective mobility of planar devices and its results were compared to experimental data for several interface orientations. The error between experimental data and the proposed model remained bellow 4%. The model has been applied to nMOS circular surrounding gate (thin-pillar transistor - CYNTHIA) and allowed the observation of current density variations as a function of the interface orientation around the silicon pillar.
One Transistor Floating Body RAM Performances on UTBOX Devices Using the BJT Effect
Authors: Almeida Luciano M. , Sasaki Katia R. A. , Aoulaiche M. , Simoen Eddy , Clayes Cor , Martino João Antonio
Published: December 2020

This work aims to analyze through 2D numerical simulations the minimum drain bias for the onset of the parasitic bipolar transistor (BJT) effect (VLatch) of a Ultra-Thin-Buried-Oxide (UTBOX) Fully-Depleted-Silicon-on-Insulator (FDSOI) transistor used as a Single-Transistor-Dynamic-Random-Access-Memory (1TDRAM) cell at high temperatures. The buried oxide thickness (tBOX) and silicon film thickness (tSi) variation were also taken into account and initial studies of the retention time (RT) and the data degradation have been performed. It was verified that the latch voltage, the sense margin current, the latch time and the retention time decrease as the temperature rises.
Pressure Sensor Systems for Wide Pressure Ranges Integrated by a Combined CMOS- and MEMS- Technology
Authors: Schreiber-Prillwitz Wolfgang , Job Reinhart
Published: December 2020

Monolithic integrated pressure sensor systems are realized by the combination of two different technologies: CMOS-technology for the electrical part and MEMS-technology for the pressure sensor part. The paper describes the modification of such pressure sensor systems to extend their original nominal pressure range from 600 mbar to the low pressure range of 40 mbar by keeping a sufficient signal to noise ratio and without changing the original mask set. The general methodology is described, and a comparison between theoretical signal evaluation and measurement is given. The study concentrates on the aspect of the different piezocoefficients for various Boron doping concentrations of the piezoresistors
A Novel Pseudo NMOS Integrated CC -ISFET Device for Water Quality Monitoring
Authors: Whig Pawan , Ahmad Syed Naseem
Published: December 2020

The paper presents a performance analysis of Novel CMOS Integrated Pseudo NMOS CC –ISFET (PNCC-ISFET) having zero static power dissipation. The main focus is on simulation of power and performance analysis along with the comparison with existing devices, which are used for water quality monitoring. This approach can improve calibration of device to a fairly wide range without the use of a high speed digital processor. The conventional devices generally used, consume high power and are not stable for long term monitoring. The conventional devices have a drawback of low value of slew rate, high power consumption, and non linear characteristics. In the proposed design(PNCC-ISFET) due to zero static power, low value of load capacitance on input signals, faster switching, use of fewer transistors and higher circuit density the device exhibits a better slew rate, piece-wise linear characteristic, and is seen consuming low power of the order of 30mW. The functionality of the circuit is tested using Tanner simulator version 15 for a 70nm CMOS process model. The proposed circuit reduces total power consumption per cycle, increases speed of operation, is fairly linear and simple to implement. This device has a simple architecture, and hence is very suitable for water quality monitoring applications.
Nanowire Tunnel Field Effect Transistors at High Temperature
Authors: Martino Márcio D. V. , Neves Felipe S. , Agopian Paula Ghedini Der , Martino João Antonio , Rooyackers Rita , Claeys Cor
Published: December 2020

The aim of this work is to study how the performance of nanowire tunnel field effect transistors (TFETs) is influenced by temperature variation. First of all, simulated energy band diagrams were presented to justify its fundamental working principle and this analysis was compared to experimental data obtained for temperature ranging from 300 to 420 K. This methodology was performed for different nanowire diameters and bias conditions, leading to a deep investigation of parameters such as the ratio of on-state and off-state current (ION/IOFF) and the subthreshold slope (S). Three different transport mechanisms (band-to-band tunneling, Shockley-Read-Hall generation/recombination and trap-assisted tunneling) were highlighted to explain the temperature influence on the drain current. As the final step, subthreshold slope values for each configuration were compared to the room temperature. Therefore, it was observed that larger nanowire diameters and lower temperatures tended to increase ION/IOFF ratio. Meanwhile, it was clear that band-to-band tunneling prevailed for higher gate voltage bias, resulting in a much slighter temperature effect on the drain current.
A CMOS Bandgap Reference Circuit with a Temperature Coefficient Adjustment Block
Authors: Ishibe Eder Issao , Navarro João
Published: December 2020

A bandgap reference voltage source with a temperature coefficient adjustment block was proposed. The bandgap topology employs current summation and the circuit was designed through metaheuristic algorithms in a 0.35-mm CMOS technology. Simulations with typical parameters show that the designed circuit has temperature coefficient of 15 ppm/0C, line regulation of 263 ppm/V, and current consumption of 2.71 uA in 1.0 V power supply. An additional 3-bit temperature adjustment block allowed keeping the temperature coefficient values lower than 26.6 ppm/0C for 90% of the circuits, without interfering with the reference voltage output or line regulation values.
Parasitic Conduction Response to X-ray Radiation in Unstrained and Strained Triple-Gate SOI MuGFETs
Authors: Teixeira Fernando F. , Bordallo Caio C. M. , Guazzelli Marcilei A. , Agopian Paula Ghedini Der , Martino João Antonio , Simoen Eddy , Clayes Cor
Published: December 2020

In this work, the X-ray irradiation impact on the back gate conduction and drain current for Triple-Gate SOI FinFETs is investigated for strained and unstrained devices. Both types (P and N) of transistors were analyzed. Since X-rays promote trapped positive charges in the buried oxide, the second interface threshold voltage shifts to lower gate voltage. The performance of n-channel devices presented a strong degradation when submitted to X-rays, while for p-channel devices the opposite trend was observed. Two different dose rates were analyzed.
An Analysis of Humanitarian Military Intervention in Nigeria: Focus on Saving Victims or Defeating Boko Haram?
Authors: Pratiwi Tiffany Setyo
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the humanitarian intervention in Nigeria because the Boko Haram’s attack. Humanitarian intervention was carried out because there had been gross human rights violations in an area and the government's inability to solve them. Boko Haram attack has caused a humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. Unfortunately, Nigeria has been unable to solve the problem. Boko Haram is a separatist group that wants to replace Nigeria’s legitimate government to Sharia Law. Thus, humanitarian intervention is needed. This paper will explain three sub chapters of the discussion, such as: First, the political and economic conditions in Nigeria. Second, process of Boko Haram attack. Third, humanitarian intervention efforts in Nigeria carried out by international actors, such as: The African Union, some countries in Africa, the United States and some international humanitarian agencies. The research method used in this study is a descriptive qualitative method. Data sources from literature and internet studies. This paper finds that the humanitarian intervention consists of a military approach and a socio-economic approach. In 2020, humanitarian interventions focus on recovery in education, health issues, and assisting the shelter of refugees.
Análise de certos fenômenos “religiosos” à luz da Sagrada Liturgia
Authors: Beckhäuser Alberto
Published: December 2020

A Igreja no Brasil está sendo surpreendida por certos fenômenos religiosos, como os relacionados com o Movimento da Renovação Carismática Católica. Como situar-se diante do fenômeno de comunicação na mídia Padre Maivelo Rossi e outros similares? O Autor procura distinguir os diversos fenômenos. E preciso analisá-los à luz de uma compreensão teológica da Liturgia, ou a partir das características essenciais do culto cristão. No momento em que a Igreja busca promover uma Liturgia ao alcance de todo o Povo de Deus, percebe-se uma volta à religiosidade/piedade popular. Uma coisa é o culto cristão em sua expressão litúrgica, memorial, simbólico-sacramental dos mistérios de Cristo, outra coisa são outras possíveis manifestações religiosas. O que importa é não instrumentalizar a celebração dos mistérios de Cristo, sobretudo os Sacramentos, para outras finalidades senão a do culto divino cristão que tem como meta a santificação dos seres humanos e a glorificação de Deus.
Sa‘dî-i Şîrâzî’nin Gazellerinden Örneklerle Farsça Bağımlı Birleşik Cümle Çeşitleri
Authors: ESEN Pelin Seval
Published: December 2020

İnsanlar arasında iletişim ve anlaşmayı sağlayan en küçük dil birimi, tam ve anlamlı mesaj ileten sözcükler dizisi olarak tanımlanan cümle, anlamlarına, yüklemlerine, kuruluşlarına ve yapılarına göre çeşitli türlere ayrılmaktadır. Cümleler yargı bildirir. Bazı cümlelerde bir yargı bazı cümlelerde ise birden çok yargı bulunur; buna bağlı olarak Farsça cümleler basit ve birleşik olmak üzere sınıflandırılır.
Çalışmanın konusunu oluşturan bağımlı birleşik cümleler, birleşik cümle türlerinden biridir. Bağımlı birleşik cümleler bağlaçlı veya bağlaçsız olarak çeşitli anlam ilgileriyle birbirine bağlanır; anlatılmak istenen asıl yargıyı bildiren bir temel cümle ile ona bağlı olarak kullanılan bir ya da birkaç yan cümleden oluşur. Çalışmada bu cümle türü Fars edebiyatının en büyük şairlerinden, VII/XIII. yüzyılda yaşamış, dünyaca meşhur Bostân ve Gülistân adlı eserlerin sahibi, büyük söz ustası Saʻdî-i Şîrâzî’nin gazellerinden örneklerle, on yedi başlık altında incelenmiştir. Her başlığın altında yer alan örneklerin ve şairin divanında yer alan konuyla ilgili, üçer benzer diğer örneğin sayfa numarası ve beyit numarası dipnotta verilmiştir; ayrıca ilgili örnekteki yan cümleler altı çizili olarak gösterilmiştir.
Morpho-anatomical characteristics and antimicrobial activity of crude extract of Tephrosia villosa (L.) Pers. growing on sandy soil of Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam
Authors: Pham Thi Nga  , Nguyen Thi Anh Linh  , Pham Van Ngot  , Dang Thi Ngoc Thanh
Published: December 2020

Tephrosia villosa (L.) Pers. is an herb species distributed mainly in arid sandy lands of the South Central Coast of Vietnam, including Binh Thuan province. The existing Vietnamese folk remedies have mentioned the medicinal effects of this herb in the treatment of edema and diabetes. Documents available in Vietnam provided only basic information on the morphology of this species. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the morphological and anatomical characteristics of stems, leaves and roots of the plants in the analysis of relation to climatic conditions of the region. Antibacterial activity was initially studied as a basis for subsequent pharmacological studies. The crude ethanolic extracts were tested for inhibitory against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus by agar well diffusion method. The results showed that the plants had formed the morpho-anatomical characteristics to adapt to strong wind, strong light, high temperature, and dry sandy soils of the region. The ability to inhibit the two mentioned bacteria via the diameters of the halo was 10.8 – 12.7 mm, respectively. The recommendation was to continue to study the anatomical characteristics of the primary roots to complete the data and further investigate the antibacterial and antifungal activities of extracts of Tephrosia villosa.
Identification of MMP-like protein from Streptococcus mitis
Authors: Hiroaki Aso  , Hiroshi Maeda  , Takayuki Nambu  , Toshinori Okinaga  , Muneyasu Shida
Published: December 2020

Streptococcus mitis is a normal commensal of the human oral cavity and oropharynx. This microorganism is an opportunistic pathogen in immune compromised hosts and a cause of invasive diseases such as infective endocarditis. We isolated a matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-like protein of S. mitis. The gene for the MMP-like protein was found on the genome sequence database of S. mitis . The gene encodes a protein consisting of 240 amino acid residues with a conserved zinc-binding motif (HEXXHXXGXXH) among the matrix metallopeptidase family. The gene was PCR-amplified from S. mitis ATCC 49456 and cloned for construction of the recombinant protein. The recombinant MMP-like protein with a GST-tag was purified and the enzymatic activity was assessed. The recombinant protein showed approximately half the level of MMP-like activity as compared to human recombinant MMP-8. The MMP-like protein of S. mitis may be involved in the pathogenesis of infection to the dentin with collagen fibers and systemic invasive diseases.
Influence of soil physicochemical parameters on species composition and structure in the Togo Plateau Forest Reserve in Ghana
Authors: Gilchrist K Faith Dogor  , Emmanuel Acquah  , Alexander K. Anning
Published: December 2020

Soil-Species correlation studies help in understanding the ecology of plateau ecosystems. However, this information is scarse thereby posing a challenge in their effective management in Ghana. Hence, the study on the influence of soil physicochemical parameters on species composition and structure in the six fringed communities which constitute the focus of the study: Bowuri (BO), Nkonya (NK), Akpafu (AK), Santrokofi (SA), Hohoe (HH) and Alavanyo (AL) in the Togo Plateau Forest Reserve in Ghana. Soil and vegetation parameters were recorded in a total of 180 plots (each measuring 25m × 25m) demarcated across the communities and analyzed. Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) results showed that pH, OC, TN, OM, TCa, TMg, TK, Na, T.E.B, ex. Acidity, ECEC, Base sat, AVI – P (ppmP), Sand and Silt were the drivers of trees, saplings and seedlings composition and structure (including density, richness, shannon, evenness and basal area (BA)) on the plateau. This vegetation attributes were seen to be highest and more correlated with soil parameters for BO, NK and AK occupying lowland areas and lowest in the SA, HH and AL occupying highland areas of the plateau. The soil is somewhat weak acidic to neutral, with a pH ranging between 4.17 and 7.06. The CV values revealed Base sat showing lowest values (c.v.<15%), with moderate (c.v.=34%-15%) for TK and highest (c.v.˃35%) for TCa, TMg, Na, T.E.B, EX. ACIDITY and ECEC, AVI-P1. This study provides a better understanding of the current status of this plateau in Ghana.
Severe pneumoperitoneum in a newborn without any established cause in a tertiary health institution in a low resource setting: A case report
Authors: Danfulani Mohammed  , Haruna Gele Ibrahim  , Shamsuddeen Aliyu  , Sule Muhammad Baba
Published: December 2020

Pneumoperitoneum is the presence of air within the peritoneal cavity. Pneumoperitoneum is said to occur more in neonates than in infants and most cases are idiopathic. However it may be caused by necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), gastrointestinal tract perforation, iatrogenic causes such as mechanical ventilation and intrathoracic pathology (pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum). Plain abdominal radiograph has a good diagnostic value in evaluating patients with suspected pneumoperitoneum. Pneumoperitoneum can also be diagnosed using computed tomography (CT). A case of neonatal pneumoperitoneum without any established cause is reported due to its rarity. The approach to its management and radiological signs of pneumoperitoneum are also presented.
Radiological diagnosis of microcolon in a 5-day old neonate: a case report
Authors: Danfulani Mohammed  , Musa Abubakar  , Gele Ibrahim Haruna
Published: December 2020

Microcolon is a radiographic feature of a low intestinal obstruction that result from intrauterine underutilization or what is term unused colon. The finding of microcolon on contrast enema study in newborn with distended abdomen usually suggests jejunoileal obstruction, jejunoileal atresia, meconium ileus, or occasionally totals colonic agangliosis. We are therefore presenting this case to highlight the wonders that imaging will perform in prompt diagnosis and management of this condition.
Can cryptocurrencies be a safe haven during the novel COVID-19 pandemic? Evidence from the Tunisian Stock Market
Authors: Jeribi Ahmed , Snene Manzli Yasmin
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we discuss the behavior of stock market returns in Tunisia during the COVID-19 outbreak. Using the OLS regression, we find that Bitcoin act as a hedge and Ethereum as a diversifier for Tunisia’s stock market before the COVID-19 outbreak; however, Bitcoin and Ethereum cannot generate benefits from portfolio diversification and hedging strategies for financial investors during the COVID-19. Moreover, Dash, Monero, and Ripple act as hedges before the COVID-19 outbreak and as diversifiers during this pandemic. Our results reveal that gold acts as a hedge and diversifier before the pandemic, but it's neither hedge nor a haven during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, the results indicated that the expected volatility of the US stock market has an impact on the Tunisian stock market. Finally, our results indicate that the growth rate of the COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths harms Tunisia's stock market.
Education in the Context of European Culture: Rationalism, Pragmatism, and the Outlines of Future Ethics
Authors: Mojeiko Marina A.
Published: December 2020

The article discusses education as a phenomenon of European culture. The author argues that education (having emerged as a product of the Western civilization and representing the deep foundations of the European style of thinking) becomes inalienable component of European culture and largely determines its development trends. Thus, education traditionally was an important component of religious culture, despite that the methodological rationalism of scholasticism came into conflict with the postulation of the fundamental non-objectivity of God. Teaching theology as an academic discipline considered as a form of the comprehension of God. Since education turns out to be one of the basic elements of European culture, that form of education, which dominates in a particular period of history, plays a determinative role in the development of various cultural phenomena. This is demonstrated by the example of ethics and morality. Thus, the interpretation of education as studying leads to the formation of deductive thinking, which, when applied to the sphere of morality, presupposes the submission of specific situations under the learned universal rules of standardized moral code. In contrast, modern moral consciousness understands moral choice as creative modeling of behavior in specific situations, idiographically understood as unique. This is possible only on the basis of the reception of deep general human values, which means the connection between the modern type of morality and education. Therefore, education should include not only studying (which is now understood as training of technologies for obtaining knowledge rather than the accumulation of knowledge itself) but also cultivation of personality, and the latter should be in focus.
VARIATIONS IN METADISCOURSE USE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW THESIS CHAPTERS
Authors: Akoto Osei Yaw , Afful Joseph Benjamin A.
Published: December 2020

Studies have established that thesis chapters are both similar and dissimilar with respect to their rhetorical choices. This paper examined metadiscourse use in the Introduction and Literature Review (LR) chapters of English Language theses from a nonnative context. The Introduction and LR chapters of ten theses, resulting in 50, 000 and 100, 500 words respectively, constituted the data sets for this study. Drawing on Hyland’s metadiscourse model, we manually coded all the metadiscursive elements. The study reveals statistically significant differences across all the interactive and interactional subcategories, affirming the stance that the rhetorical function of a thesis chapter influences its metadiscoursal choices. The study also found a new subcategory of meta-discoursal category labeled continuants. The paper has implications for the teaching and supervision of postgraduate theses, and the theory of metadiscourse.