Design for Consecutive Testability of System-on-a-Chip with Built-In Self Testable Cores

This paper introduces a new concept of testability called consecutive testability and proposes a design-for-testability method for making a given SoC consecutively testable based on integer linear programming problem. For a consecutively testable SoC, testing can be performed as follows. Test patterns of a core are propagated to the core inputs from test pattern sources (implemented either off-chip or on-chip) consecutively at the speed of system clock. Similarly the test responses are propagated to test response sinks (implemented either off-chip or on-chip) from the core outputs consecutively at the speed of system clock. The propagation of test patterns and responses is achieved by using interconnects and consecutive transparency properties of surrounding cores. All interconnects can be tested in a similar fashion. Therefore, it is possible to test not only logic faults but also timing faults that require consecutive application of test patterns at the speed of system clock since the consecutively testable SoC can achieve consecutive application of any test sequence at the speed of system clock.     

Likelihood Ratio Processes for Markovian Particle Systems with Killing and Jumps

We consider Markov processes built from pasting together pieces of strong Markov processes which are killed at a position dependent rate and connected via a transition kernel. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for local absolute continuity of probability laws for such processes on a suitable path space and derive an explicit formula for the corresponding likelihood ratio process. The main tool is the consideration of the process between successive jumps – what we call ‘elementary experiments’ – and criteria for absolute continuity of laws of the process there. We apply our results to systems of branching diffusions with interactions and immigrations. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Absorbing boundary conditions for reaction-diffusion equations

We treat here of the question of absorbing boundary conditionsfor nonlinear diffusion equations. We use the conditions designedfor the linear equation, we prove them to be well posed forthe nonlinear problem, and through numerical experiments thatthey are well suited for reaction–diffusion equations.     

What Oxidation State of Iron Determines the Amethyst Colour?

A colourless quartz crystal doped with ⁵⁷Fe³⁺ was obtained by hydrothermal synthesis in an NH₄F solution. The crystal was transformed into violet amethyst by gamma-irradiation. The change in colour was accompanied by changes in the Mössbauer spectrum that can be interpreted as the conversion of trivalent iron into the tetravalent state: Fe³⁺→Fe⁴⁺.

     

Diffusion Structural Analysis Study of Titania Films Deposited by Sol-Gel Technique on Silica Glass

The diffusion structural analysis (DSA) was used to characterize microstructure changes of hydrous titania gel films under in situ conditions of heating. TG and DTA were used in order to elucidate the processes controlling the formation of anatase film during heating of hydrous titania gel film. The annealing of porosity and near surface structure defects of the dehydrated titania films was indicated by DSA in the temperature range 255–700°C as the decrease of radon release rate. It was demonstrated that the annealing was enhanced on heating in oxygen in comparison with heating in argon. The DSA experimental results were compared with model curves describing the radon diffusion mobility and the annealing of radon diffusion paths.     

Self‐assembly of amphiphilic tris(2,2′‐bipyridine)ruthenium‐cored star‐shaped polymers

Amphiphilic tris(2,2′‐bipyridine)ruthenium‐cored star‐shaped polymers consisting of one polystyrene block and two poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) blocks were prepared by the “arm‐first” method in which RAFT polymerization and nonconvalent ligand–metal complexation were employed. The prepared amphiphilic star‐shaped metallopolymers are able to form micelles in water. The size and distribution of the micelles were studied by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy techniques. Preliminary studies indicate that the polymer concentration and the hydrophilic poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) block length can affect the morphologies of the formed metal‐interfaced core–shell micelles in water. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4204–4210, 2007     

Preparation and properties of the biodegradable graded blend of poly(L‐lactic acid) and poly(ethylene oxide)

We prepared biodegradable poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) graded blends by the dissolution–diffusion process, and discussed the biodegradability and tensile strength of the graded blends by comparing isotropic blend and PLLA only. All the graded blends were degraded more largely than the PLLA only and isotropic blend (PEO: 37.5 wt %), which had the same content as the total content of those graded blends. The graded blend having most excellent wide compositional gradient was degraded most largely with the enzyme. Thus, graded structure of the blends promoted their biodegradabilities large. It was considered that the dissolution of PEO with water increased the surface area attacked by the enzyme, while PEO caught PLLA oligomers to promote the biodegradation of PLLA. Then, the biodegradabilities of the graded blends were suppressed by the increasing crystallinity of PLLA. Furthermore, the strengths of all the graded blends were larger than those of the isotropic blend. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2972–2981, 2007     

Initial oxidation kinetics of copper (1 1 0) film investigated by in situ UHV-TEM

Previous studies of the initial stage of oxidation on clean single crystal of Cu(1 0 0) have been extended to the case of the Cu(1 1 0) surface. The dynamic observation of the nucleation and growth of Cu oxide by means of in situ ultra high vacuum transmission electron microscopy (UHV-TEM) shows a highly enhanced oxidation rate on Cu(1 1 0) surface as compared to Cu(1 0 0). The kinetic data on the nucleation and growth of the three-dimensional oxide islands agree well with our heteroepitaxial model of surface diffusion of oxygen.