In a Fully-Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator (FDSOI) high-k metal gate technology a new device type is evaluated for 5V applications. To support high voltages, nBOXFET is using 20nm-buried oxide (BOX) as gate dielectric. Such a device fulfills the stringent requirements for 5V automotive and IOT applications. Hence, with the high operating voltage, it can be considered for voltage level shifter or DC-DC-converter design and compatible with still popular 5V standard supply. In this paper the improved TDDB and PBTI performance due to TCAD simulation motivated modifications of nBOXFET device is discussed. The excellent device reliability degradation performance from HCI point of view is presented as well as Plasma Induced Damage.

Power Amplifier (PA) is a key component for embedded RF/mmWave on advanced CMOS technologies on the way to replace the III/V technologies. PA reliability has been a long-standing blocker for those applications. In this paper, a novel methodology is introduced based on an automated waveform analysis tool. Simulation aging results are compared with experimental silicon validation stress for a 28GHz high gain RF Power Amplifier (PA) and confirmed. Waveform analysis tool enables a deeper understanding of both continuous waveform (CW) with constant load and ruggedness test, as well as a new perspective about RF/mmWave circuit aging.

In this work buried channel devices were successfully integrated in HKMG. Analog, noise and reliability performance have been reported and compared to a surface device. The devices were processed to have the same V Tsat for the nominal geometry of a corresponding surface device. Advantages and drawbacks of the two integrations are discussed and explained with the support of calibrated TCAD simulations.

Cumulative damage models are essential for reliability analysis, whether it is for the development of time-saving step-stress or ramp-stress life tests or for the qualification of products against mission-profile-based lifetime requirements. Although many cumulative damage models have been proposed in the literature, the discussion on them is rarely based on empirical data. In order to contribute to the experimental investigation of those models, three well-established models are tested for their validity. Thus, the cumulative exposure, the tampered random variable, and the tampered failure rate models are introduced in such a way that is supportive of multilevel step-stress accelerated life testing. Subsequently, experimental reliability data of semiconductor devices are used to verify or disprove the predicted failure behavior of all three models. For this purpose, university MOS-capacitors and the 22FDX® technology from GLOBALFOUNDRIES are tested. The chosen failure mechanism is the voltage and temperature accelerated time-dependent dielectric breakdown.

Although technology scaling to deep submicron enable higher degrees of semiconductor integration, highly integrated circuit have become increasingly sensitive to the slightest parameter drift. One of the main causes of parameter degradation in recent technologies is the Hot Carrier Injection (HCI), a progressive wear out phenomenon whose understanding and modeling has become mandatory in new CMOS nodes. Therefore, we present in this paper a new HCI reliability model for Fully Depleted Silicon On Insulator (FDSOI) MOSFETs which covers the RF/mmWave (Radiofrequency /millimeter wave) applications taking into account back bias operation.

AIM:Mortality from acute myocardial infarction has been falling during the past 30 years. The aim of the study was to evaluate the temporal trends of demographics, mortality rates, and time to treatment in patients admitted for acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Vendée.PATIENTS AND METHODS:From 2008 to 2016, 1994 patients hospitalised in CHD Vendée for STEMI <48hours were included. Two groups were compared, 838 patients admitted between 2008 and 2011 (group 1), and 1156 admitted between 2013 and 2016 (group 2).RESULTS:Between the 2 periods, mean age was comparable (63.8 vs. 64.4 years), the gender ratio decreased (from 3.15 to 2.79 ; P=0.25). The mean duration of hospital stay was 0.8 day shorter (P=0.008). Treatment at discharge was optimum in 97.5% patients versus 92% (P<0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction was comparable (50.6% vs. 50.2%). There was a non-significant trend to a decrease in hospital mortality (from 6.3% to 4.4%; p=0.12), and 6-month mortality (from 6.9% to 5.9%; P=0.51). There was a reduction in the use of emergency call-outs (74.9% to 68.9%; P<0.01), but an increase in direct presentations from 44% to 48.7% (P<0.05). The time before calling was comparable (2.5hours vs. 2.3hours; P=04.7). The "door-to-balloon" time decreased (0.71 vs. 0.55hour; P<0.001). The mean time between pain and angioplasty increased (5.7 vs. 6.8hours; P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS:In vendee, from 2011 to 2016, hospital and 6-month mortality of STEMI trend to decrease non-significantly. The door to balloon time decreased, although emergency call-out rates and delays did not. Considerable efforts are still required with respect to patient information and education. Our registry offers an excellent tool to improve practices, the aim being to ensure its integration in the CRAC-France PCI registry.

Mission profiles and step-stress life tests are depending on cumulative damage models for reliability analysis. Although cumulative damage models exist, they are rarely verified on empirical data of semiconductor devices. In this work, semiconductor devices from GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ 22FDX® technology are tested for dielectric breakdown. The applied stress is an alternating temperature step-stress and the results are compared with simulated failure behavior of the CE and TFR model for conformity. Also, the inferences from both models about the deduction of effective stress are discussed.

The impact of time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) in metal gate (MG) / high-k (HK) devices on CMOS circuit functionality is examined using a novel fast PCI card based characterization setup. Detailed information on the role of the driver resistance on circuit failure is provided. By comparing breakdown in circuits to TDDB characteristics in discrete devices, it is shown that soft breakdown in the cross-coupled inverter circuit is well-correlated with soft breakdown in discrete CMOS devices. However, in all cases studied, it is observed that immediate circuit failure during high voltage stress is prevented by the resistance of the driver element. Implications of these findings on circuit lifetime assessment are discussed.

Background. - Stress-induced cardiomyopathy and ischemic cardiopathy have been described after natural disasters such as earthquakes.Objectives of the study. - Count stress-induced cardiomyopathies and ischemic cardiopathies just after Xynthia tempest which damaged the Vendean coast on February 2010, in order to study epidemiology.Patients and method. - Included patients were living in a tempest damaged village, and admitted in Vendee hospital jut after or in the week following the tempest, and presenting a suspected acute coronary syndrome or stress-induced cardiomyopathy.Results. - Among 3350 inhabitants of the two damaged Vendean towns, we count three acute coronary syndromes, two Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathies, and one coronary spasm. We count five women and one man, average age is 76.Conclusion. - The diagnosis of ischemic cardiopathy and stress-induced cardiomyopathy is over-represented in this tempest damaged population, that have been little described. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The impact of time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) in metal gate (MG) / high-k (HK) devices on CMOS circuit functionality is examined using a novel fast PCI card based characterization setup. Detailed information on the role of the driver resistance on circuit failure is provided. By comparing breakdown in circuits to TDDB characteristics in discrete devices, it is shown that soft breakdown in the cross-coupled inverter circuit is well-correlated with soft breakdown in discrete CMOS devices. However, in all cases studied, it is observed that immediate circuit failure during high voltage stress is prevented by the resistance of the driver element. Implications of these findings on circuit lifetime assessment are discussed.

The root cause for the increase in the TDDB voltage acceleration with decreasing stress voltage in metal gate/high-k n-channel FETs is investigated. Using DC and AC stress methodologies, the effect could be linked to charge trapping in the high-k gate dielectric. Furthermore, a correction for charge trapping is proposed, which results in a single power law voltage dependence for all stress conditions.

The impact of either N"2 or N"2/O"2 Post Deposition Annealing (PDA) and Post Work Function Annealing (PWFA) combinations as well as single N"2 or N"2/O"2 PWFA with different process parameters on HfZrO"4 has been investigated in detail for high performance 32nm SOI CMOS devices. Electrical parameters such as leakage current, capacitance equivalent thickness (CET), threshold voltage and performance as well as reliability data have been taken into account in order to evaluate these treatments. N"2/O"2 annealing results in severe oxide regrowth due to the presence of oxygen in the annealing ambient. A detailed investigation on the impact of N"2 PWFA has been performed. Finally significant gate leakage current benefit, performance and reliability improvements are demonstrated especially for the N"2 PWFA treatments in combination with HfZrO"4.

Five cases of myocardial infarction suspected to be due to coronary embolism are presented. All five patients had atrial fibrillation (AF), four of them with nonvalvular AF. The literature regarding coronary embolism is reviewed; the clinical manifestations and the place of AF are discussed.

Cinq observations d’infarctus myocardique par probable embolie coronaire sont décrites. Elles surviennent toutes chez des patients en arythmie complète par fibrillation auriculaire (ACFA), dont quatre non valvulaires. À la lumière de ces observations, une revue de la littérature concernant les infarctus par embolies coronaires est présentée. Enfin la place de l’ACFA (non valvulaire) est discutée.