Sensitivity investigation of 100-MeV proton irradiation to SiGe HBT single event effect

The single event effect(SEE) sensitivity of silicon–germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor(Si Ge HBT) irradiated by 100-Me V proton is investigated. The simulation results indicate that the most sensitive position of the Si Ge HBT device is the emitter center, where the protons pass through the larger collector-substrate(CS) junction. Furthermore, in this work the experimental studies are also carried out by using 100-Me V proton. In order to consider the influence of temperature on SEE, both simulation and experiment are conducted at a temperature of 93 K. At a cryogenic temperature, the carrier mobility increases, which leads to higher transient current peaks, but the duration of the current decreases significantly.Notably, at the same proton flux, there is only one single event transient(SET) that occurs at 93 K. Thus, the radiation hard ability of the device increases at cryogenic temperatures. The simulation results are found to be qualitatively consistent with the experimental results of 100-Me V protons. To further evaluate the tolerance of the device, the influence of proton on Si Ge HBT after gamma-ray(^(60)Coγ) irradiation is investigated. As a result, as the cumulative dose increases, the introduction of traps results in a significant reduction in both the peak value and duration of the transient currents.

Sensitivity study of the SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor single event effect based on pulsed laser and technology computer-aided design simulation

The single event effect of a silicon–germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor(SiGe HBT) was thoroughly investigated. By considering the worst bias condition, the sensitive area of the proposed device was scanned with a pulsed laser.With variation of the collector bias and pulsed laser incident energy, the single event transient of the SiGe HBT was studied.Moreover, the single event transient produced by laser irradiation at a wavelength of 532 nm was more pronounced than at a wavelength of 1064 nm. Finally, the impact of the equivalent linear energy transfer of the 1064 nm pulsed laser on the single event transient was qualitatively examined by performing technology computer-aided design simulations, and a good consistency between the experimental data and the simulated outcomes was attained.

Nucleoside diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15 R139C genotypes impact 6-thioguanine nucleotide cut-off levels to predict thiopurine-induced leukopenia in Crohn’s disease patients

BACKGROUND Thiopurine-induced leukopenia(TIL)is a life-threatening toxicity and occurs with a high frequency in the Asian population.Although nucleoside diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15(NUDT15)variants significantly improve the predictive sensitivity of TIL,more than 50%of cases of this toxicity cannot be predicted by this mutation.The potential use of the 6-thioguanine nucleotide(6TGN)level to predict TIL has been explored,but no decisive conclusion has been reached.Can we increase the predictive sensitivity based on 6TGN by subgrouping patients according to their NUDT15 R139C genotypes?AIM To determine the 6TGN cut-off levels after dividing patients into subgroups according to their NUDT15 R139C genotypes.METHODS Patients’clinical and epidemiological characteristics were collected from medical records from July 2014 to February 2017.NUDT15 R139C,thiopurine S methyltransferase,and 6TGN concentrations were measured.RESULTS A total of 411 Crohn’s disease patients were included.TIL was observed in 72 individuals with a median 6TGN level of 323.4 pmol/8×10^8 red blood cells(RBC),which was not different from that of patients without TIL(P=0.071).Then,we compared the 6TGN levels based on NUDT15 R139C.For CC(n=342)and CT(n=65)genotypes,the median 6TGN level in patients with TIL was significantly higher than that in patients without(474.8 vs 306.0 pmol/8×10^8 RBC,P=9.4×10-^5;291.7 vs 217.6 pmol/8×10^8 RBC,P=0.039,respectively).The four TT carriers developed TIL,with a median 6TGN concentration of 135.8 pmol/8×10^8 RBC.The 6TGN cut-off levels were 411.5 and 319.2 pmol/8×108 RBC for the CC and CT groups,respectively.CONCLUSION The predictive sensitivity of TIL based on 6TGN is dramatically increased after subgrouping according to NUDT15 R139C genotypes.Applying 6TGN cut-off levels to adjust thiopurine therapies based on NUDT15 is strongly recommended.

Synergistic effect of total ionizing dose on single event effect induced by pulsed laser microbeam on SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor

The synergistic effect of total ionizing dose（TID） on single event effect（SEE） in SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor（HBT） is investigated in a series of experiments. The SiGe HBTs after being exposed to 60 Co g irradiation are struck by pulsed laser to simulate SEE. The SEE transient currents and collected charges of the un-irradiated device are compared with those of the devices which are irradiated at high and low dose rate with various biases. The results show that the SEE damage to un-irradiated device is more serious than that to irradiated SiGe HBT at a low applied voltage of laser test. In addition, the g irradiations at forward and all-grounded bias have an obvious influence on SEE in the SiGe HBT, but the synergistic effect after cutting off the g irradiation is not significant. The influence of positive oxide-trap charges induced by TID on the distortion of electric field in SEE is the major factor of the synergistic effect. Moreover, the recombination of interface traps also plays a role in charge collection.

Heavy Ion and Laser Microbeam Induced Current Transients in SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor

Silicon-germanium （SiGe） hereto-junction bipolar transistor current transients induced by pulse laser and heavy iron are measured using a real-time digital oscilloscope. These transients induced by pulse laser and heavy iron exhibit the same waveform and charge collection time except for the amplitude of peak current. Different laser energies and voltage biases under heavy ion irradiation also have impact on current transient, whereas the waveform remains unchanged. The position-correlated current transients suggest that the nature of the current transient is controlled by the behavior of the C/S junction.

A bZIP transcription factor(CiFD) regulates drought-and low-temperature-induced flowering by alternative splicing in citrus

Drought and low temperature are two key environmental factors that induce adult citrus flowering. However, the underlying regulation mechanism is poorly understood. The bZIP transcription factor FD is a key component of the florigen activation complex(FAC) which is composed of FLOWERING LOCUS T(FT), FD, and 14-3-3 proteins. In this study, isolation and characterization of CiFD in citrus found that there was alternative splicing(AS) of CiFD, forming two different proteins(CiFDα and CiFDβ). Further investigation found that their expression patterns were similar in different tissues of citrus, but the subcellular localization and transcriptional activity were different. Overexpression of the CiFD DNA sequence(CiFD-DNA), CiFDα, or CiFDβ in tobacco and citrus showed early flowering, and CiFD-DNA transgenic plants were the earliest, followed by CiFDβ and CiFDα. Interestingly, CiFDα and CiFDβ were induced by low temperature and drought, respectively. Further analysis showed that CiFDαcan form a FAC complex with CiFT, Ci14-3-3, and then bind to the citrus APETALA1(CiAP1) promoter and promote its expression. However,CiFDβ can directly bind to the CiAP1 promoter independently of CiFT and Ci14-3-3. These results showed that CiFDβ can form a more direct and simplified pathway that is independent of the FAC complex to regulate drought-induced flowering through AS. In addition, a b HLH transcription factor(CibHLH96) binds to CiFD promoter and promotes the expression of CiFD under drought condition. Transgenic analysis found that CibHLH96 can promote flowering in transgenic tobacco. These results suggest that CiFD is involved in drought-and low-temperature-induced citrus flowering through different regulatory patterns.

A report on intraspinal abscess due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

To the Editor: The incidence of community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection and reports of CA-MRSA infection have been increasing yearly. But community-acquired intraspinal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has never been reported. We describe a case of intraspinal abscess due to CA-MRSA infection.