Defocusing image to pattern contact holes using attenuated phase shift masks

The patterning of contact holes by selecting out-of-focus image plane (defocus) using attenuated phase shift masks (APSM) has been studied. Defocus is found to enhance the image modulation at low partial coherence for contact holes with negative local average of mask function. Semi-dense holes up to 130 nm in 8% APSM have been printed by 0.5 μm defocus at a partial coherence of 0.31 using KrF scanner with highest numerical aperture of 0.68. However, these holes were closed with in-focus imaging. Defocus is also found to be beneficial for patterning the pitches that have extensive side lobes with in-focus imaging.     

细菌驱动微转子马达

日本国家高级工业科学与技术研究所的一个研究组正在利用快速移动的细菌来驱动微转子马达，这是第一个在无机材料中加进了细菌的微机械器件。这种生物分子马达能比传统的马达更有效的将化学能转化为机械能，还能在大型结构中发挥自修复和自组织的潜能，有望用在微型机器人和微小电子系统中。     

High-temperature expansions to fifteenth order

High-temperature series expansions of the susceptibility and second moment to 15th order are calculated for zero external field on the linear chain (LC), plane square (PSQ), simple cubic (SC), and body-centered cubic (BCC) lattices. Checks for specific models against pertinent work in the literature are detailed.