US – Page 473 – TechConnect Briefs

A Common Basis for Mixed-Technology Micro-System Modeling

Hanna J.P., Hillman R.G., Air Force Research Laboratory, US

An ad hoc working group, organized under the DARPA Composite CAD program, is developing a common set of VHDL-AMS (VHSIC Hardware Description Language for Analog and Mixed Signal) definitions for modeling mixed-technology systems. This common [...]

Design of Compensation Structures for Anisotropic Etching

Long M.K, Burdick J.W., Antonsson E.K., California Institute of Technology, US

Due to the highly anisotropic behavior of ilicon bulk etching,there have been many publications on etch simulation and convex corner compensation for specific geometries. Our previous work introduced a general framework for algorithmically synthesizing mask [...]

A Novel Method to Utilize Existing TCAD Tools to Build Accurate Geometry Required for MEMS Simulation

Wilson N.M., Liang S., Pinsky P.M., Dutton R.W., Stanford University, US

This paper details a technique that exploits domain decom-position and utilizes a combination of 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D process simulation to build physically accurate geometry of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) for simula-tion. The size and aspect [...]

Surface Reconstruction of Etched Contours

Lee C.-Y., Antonsson E.K., California Institute of Technology, US

Previously, a computationally efficient and geometrically accurate etching simulation was developed to compute con-tours of constant depth at different time steps [1]. Experi-mental verification of this early work has been established [2]. However, contours are [...]

Mask-Layout Synthesis Through an Evolutionary Algorithm

Li H., Antonsson E.K., California Institute of Technology, US

An automatic method for synthesizing MEMS mask-lay-outs is presented. This method uses evolutionary algorithm techniques to optimize the mask-layouts for a forward simu-lation of fabrication. Initially, a random population of mask-layouts is generated. The fabrication [...]

Nitrous Oxide-Based Progressive Silicon Oxynitridation in Furnaces of Different Dimensions

Dang S.S., Takoudis C.G., University of Illinois - Chicago, US

As integrated device technologies enter the deep sub-half micron regime, there is a need for a corresponding reduction in the thickness of the dielectrics too. After formation of the dielectric film, maintenance of its characteristics [...]

Evaluating Adhesion Strength of Biological Molecules to Nanofabricated Structures

Soong R.K., Stelick S.J., Bachand G.D., Montemangno C.D., Cornell University, US

Our research efforts are aimed at developing a new class of nanoscale mechanical devices powered by biomolecular motors.Currently, advanced techniques are being employed for creating nanofabricated substrates that provide precise positioning and orientation of the [...]

A Robust Algorithm for Predicting Freezeout and Exhaustion Under Equilibrium Conditions

Pieper R., Michael S., Naval Postgraduate School, US

A numerically robust method for evaluating the temperature-dependent carrier concentrations and related Fermi levels is proposed. The method is applicable to simple cases for which analytical solutions are available as well as more complex cases [...]

Surface Morphology and Chemically Active Sites on Ru Based Ultracapacitors: Montecarlo Simulation with Embedded Atom Potentials

Blum L., Legault M.D., Zypman F.R., University of Puerto Rico, US

Transition metals and their oxides play an important role as catalyzers in chemical reactions occuring in modern batteries. In particular, ruthenium (Ru) has been identified as a promising candidate for use in next-generation batteries for [...]

Computer Molecular Dynamics and Phase Transition in Alkali Azides and Thiocyanates

Ossowski M.M., Hardy J.R., University of Nebraska, US

An account is presented of our studies of the order-disorder phase transitions in KN3, RbN3, CsN3, KSCN, RbSCN and CsSCN. These are based on parameter-free inter-ionic potentials based on the Gordon-Kim modified electron gas formalism [...]