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A low-temperature ultra-violet (UV) light enhanced supercritical CO2 (SCCO2) fluid treatment is employed to improve the performance of In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) thin film transistor (TFT) device. In this study, amorphous IGZO film deposited by sputtering is investigated in SCCO2 ambient under different illumination conditions. After SCCO2 treatment with UV exposure, the mobility and subthreshold swing of the TFT can be significantly improved. A model is proposed to explain the mechanism, and the improvement is due to the reduction of dangling bonds at the grain boundary. With the help of UV, dangling bonds can be effectively passivated by OH chemical groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bilayer resistive switching memory device with an inserted porous silicon oxide layer is investigated in this letter. Compared with single Zr:SiOx layer structure, Zr:SiOx/porous SiOx structure outperforms from various aspects, including low operating voltages, tighter distributions of set voltage, higher stability of both low resistance state and high resistance state, and satisfactory endurance characteristics. Electric field simulation by comsolTM Multiphysics is applied, which corroborates that intensive electric field around the pore in porous SiOx layer guides the conduction of electrons. The constraint of conduction path leads to better stabilization and prominent performance of bilayer resistive switching devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic wet oxidation (CWO) process with Cu2+, Mn2+, and Ce2+ as catalysts, respectively, was applied to investigate the degradation of ferrocyanide (Fe(CN)64-) solution. For the conversions of Fe(CN)64 during the noncatalytic wet oxidation (WO) process up to 99.9 % was attained after a reaction time of 70 min. The COD removal efficiency was observed as only 38% in a noncatalytic oxidation; however, it could be enhanced to 75%, 61%, and 50% in the presence of Cu2+, Mn2+, and Ce2+, respectively. Both noncatalytic and catalytic wet oxidation processes of Fe(CN)64- solution were considered to be a two-step reaction at pH 9.0 and temperatures of 433-473 K. The oxidation rate was initially fast, followed by a slow step, which did obey first-order kinetics with respect to chemical oxygen demand (COD). Both the Cu2+ and Ce2+ catalyzed oxidation showed a significant effect on the reduction of activation energy during the first reaction of the WO runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the electrical conduction mechanism of Zn:SiOx resistance random access memory (RRAM) treated with supercritical CO2 fluid (SCCO2) process was investigated by low temperature measurement. The current of low resistance state for current-voltage curves in SCCO2-treated and untreated Zn:SiOx RRAM were measured and compared under a low temperature range from 100 K to 298 K. The electrical conduction mechanisms of hopping conduction and metal-like behaviors in SCCO2-treated and untreated Zn:SiOx RRAM were discussed, respectively. Finally, the electrical conduction mechanism was analyzed and verified by the chemical composition and bonding intensity of XPS analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter investigated the electrical characteristics of resistance random access memory (RRAM) with HfO2/BN bilayer structures. By adopting the high/low permittivity structure, we obtained the excellent device characteristics such as uniform distribution of switching voltage and more stable resistance switching properties of RRAM. The current conduction mechanism of low resistance state in the HfO2/BN device was transferred to space-charge-limited current conduction from Ohmic conduction owing to space electric effect concentrated by the high/low permittivity bilayer structures. The electric field in the bilayer can be verified by comsol simulation software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a double-active-layer (Zr:SiOx/C:SiOx) resistive switching memory device with a high on/off resistance ratio and small working current (0.02 mA), is presented. Through the analysis of Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra, we find that graphene oxide exists in the C:SiOx layer. It can be observed that Zr:SiOx/C:SiOx structure has superior switching performance and higher stability compared with the single-active-layer (Zr:SiOx) structure, which is attributed to the existence of graphene oxide flakes formed during the sputter process. I-V characteristics under a series of increasing temperature were analyzed to testify the carrier hopping distance variation, which is further verified by our graphene oxide redox reaction model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A distributed charge storage with Ni nanocrystals embedded in the SiO2 and HfO2 layer has been fabricated in this study. The mean size and aerial density of the Ni nanocrystals are estimated to be about 5 nm and 3.9×1012/cm2, respectively. The nonvolatile memory device with Ni nanocrystals exhibits 1 V threshold voltage shift under 4 V write operation. The device has a long retention time with a small charge lose rate. Besides, the endurance of the memory device is not degraded up to 106 write/erase cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonvolatile memory device with multilayer nanocrystals has advantages such as the memory effects can be increased by the increasing density of the nanocrystals and the whole retention characteristic can be improved. There are much more electrons that can be stored in the double layer than single layer nanocrystal memory device. The double layer CoSi2 nanocrystals have better retention characteristic than the single layer. The good retention characteristic of the double layer device is due to the Coulomb-blockage effects on the top layer nanocrystals from the bottom layer nanocrystals. So, the memory effects of the nonvolatile memory device can be improved by using the double layer nanocrystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, the Co nanocrystals using SiO2 and HfO2 as the tunneling and the control dielectric with memory effect has been fabricated. A significant memory effect was observed through the electrical measurements. Under the low voltage operation of 5 V, the memory window was estimated to ∼1 V. The retention characteristics were tested to be robust. Also, the endurance of the memory device was not degraded up to 106 write/erase cycles. The processing of the structure is compatible with the current manufacturing technology of semiconductor industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the removal of perchlorate in solution using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as sorbents. The perchlorate adsorption capacity, kinetics, and thermodynamics of the SWCNTs were assessed. The influences of pH, solution ionic strength, time, and temperature on the adsorption were examined. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved in approximately 8 h. The adsorption data were fitted with three models: modified Freundlich, pseudo-first-order, and pseudo-second-order. The modified Freundlich model produced the best fit to describe the kinetic adsorption processes. The adsorption capacity increased as the concentration of perchlorate increased and as the ionic strength of the solution decreased. Maximum perchlorate adsorption capacities of were attained within a temperature range of 5-45°C. The thermodynamic parameters were also calculated: equilibrium rate constant, standard free energy change, standard enthalpy change, and standard entropy change. In summary, the adsorption isotherm studies demonstrate that low solution pH values, low solution ionic strength, and low temperature conditions facilitate the adsorption of perchlorate on the SWCNTs, indicating that SWCNTs are a potential adsorbent for water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Letter, the characteristics of set process of hafnium oxide based resistance random access memory are investigated by different set processes with increasing compliance current. Through current fitting, carrier conduction mechanism of low resistance state changes from hopping to surface scattering and finally to ohmic conduction with the increase of setting compliance current. Experimental data of current-voltage measurement under successive increasing temperature confirms the conduction mechanism transition. A model of filament growth is eventually proposed in a way by merging discrete metal precipitates and electrical field simulation by comsol Multiphysics further clarifies the properties of filament growth process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the hopping conduction distance variation of Zn:SiO2 resistance random access memory (RRAM) devices with different operating compliance currents was discussed and verified. To investigate and determine the hopping conduction distance dependent activation energy characteristics, the Arrhenius plot of low resistance state of Zn:SiO2 RRAM devices was applied, from which we proposed carrier conduction model. With the increase of current compliance, more metal ions would accumulate to form precipitates with larger diameter, which in turn resulted in the shortening of hopping distance. Because of shorter hopping distance, activation energy for carrier hopping would decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used the antipyrine clearance test (APC) to examine the effect of growth hormone (GH) therapy on hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme activity. Eleven GH deficient adults were randomized to receive GH or placebo for 6 months, all subjects subsequently received GH. Before treatment, APC was below the normal range in six subjects. We found an increase in APC in the subjects randomized to receive GH compared to those on placebo (median change +0.14 ml/min/kg [range + 0.04 to + 0.20]vs -0.04 ml/min/kg [range -0.07 to + 0.04], p = 0.011). The stimulatory effect of GH on drug metabolism was confirmed by the data for 3 months GH treatment in all 11 subjects, with APC increasing from 0.33 ml/min/kg (range 0.22 to 0.69) to 0.50 ml/min/kg (range 0.27 to 0.83), p = 0.018). These data indicate that GH modulates hepatic CYP activity. This has important clinical implications, as the hepatic metabolism of drugs and hormones may be altered in patients undergoing GH therapy.

Goiter is a frequent clinical finding in patients with acromegaly, an effect mediated by chronically elevated insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels. It is unclear, however, whether the presence of TSH is a prerequisite for the growth-promoting actions of IGF-I on the human thyroid. We, therefore, studied a group of subjects with hypopituitarism, who were deficient in both TSH and GH, examining the effects of GH replacement therapy on thyroid size and function. GH replacement was initiated in 14 subjects with hypopituitarism. After 6 months of recombinant human GH therapy at 0.25 IU/ kg week, IGF-I levels increased from 11.5 +/- 6.0 to 32.4 +/- 15.4 nmol/L (P = 0.002). Thyroid volume, as determined by ultrasound, did not change significantly over this period. Similarly, there was no change in thyroglobulin levels after treatment with GH, but there was a decrease in the free T4/free T3 ratio (P = 0.043). Pretreatment thyroid size in subjects with hypopituitarism was also compared to that in a group of age- and sex-matched controls. The size of thyroid glands in the hypopituitarism group was smaller than that in controls (P = 0.015). We found that GH therapy did not increase thyroid size in patients with hypopituitarism. From these data we conclude that in vivo, IGF-I does not independently stimulate thyroid growth, but promotes thyroid cell proliferation by potentiating the mitogenic action of TSH.