On-Chip Micro Temperature Controllers Based on Freestanding Thermoelectric Nano Films for Low-Power Electronics

Multidimensional integration and multifunctional com-ponent assembly have been greatly explored in recent years to extend Moore’s Law of modern microelectronics.However,this inevitably exac-erbates the inhomogeneity of temperature distribution in microsystems,making precise temperature control for electronic components extremely challenging.Herein,we report an on-chip micro temperature controller including a pair of thermoelectric legs with a total area of 50×50μm^(2),which are fabricated from dense and flat freestanding Bi2Te3-based ther-moelectric nano films deposited on a newly developed nano graphene oxide membrane substrate.Its tunable equivalent thermal resistance is controlled by electrical currents to achieve energy-efficient temperature control for low-power electronics.A large cooling temperature difference of 44.5 K at 380 K is achieved with a power consumption of only 445μW,resulting in an ultrahigh temperature control capability over 100 K mW^(-1).Moreover,an ultra-fast cooling rate exceeding 2000 K s^(-1) and excellent reliability of up to 1 million cycles are observed.Our proposed on-chip temperature controller is expected to enable further miniaturization and multifunctional integration on a single chip for microelectronics.

A kind of low-power 10 Gbit/s CMOS 1∶4 demultiplexer

A 10 Gbit/s 1：4 demultiplexer（DEMUX） fabricated in 0. 18 μm CMOS （complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor transistor） technology for optical-fiber-link is presented. The system is constructed in tree-type structure and it includes a high-speed 1 ： 2 DEMUX, two low-speed 1 ： 2 DEMUXs, a divider, and input and output buffers for data and dock. To improve the circuit performance and reduce the power consumption, a latch structure with a common-gate topology and a single clock phase is employed in the high-speed 1 ： 2 DEMUX and the 5 GHz 1 ： 2 on-chip frequency divider, while dynamic CMOS logic is adopted in the low-speed l ： 2 DEMUXs. Measured results at 10 Gbit/s by 23^31 -1 pseudo random bit sequences （PRBS） via on-wafer testing indicate that it can work well with a power dissipation of less than 100 mW at 1.8 V supply voltage. The die area of the DEMUX is 0. 65 mm × 0. 75 mm.

Low-power laser irradiation promotes the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells via cyclic adenosine monophosphate

Retaining or improving periodontal ligament （PDL） function is crucial for restoring periodontal defects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological effects of low-power laser irradiation （LPLI） on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human PDL （hPDL） cells. Cultured hPDL cel Is were irradiated （660 nm） daily with doses of O, 1, 2 or 4 J .cm-2. Cell proliferation was evaluated by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay, and the effect of LPLI on osteogenic differentiation was assessed by Alizarin Red S staining and alkaline phosphatase （ALP） activity. Additionally, osteogenic marker gene expression was confirmed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）. Our data showed that LPLI at a dose of 2 J.cm-2 significantly promoted hPDL cell proliferation at days 3 and 5. In addition, LPLI at energy doses of 2 and 4 J.cm-2 showed potential osteogenic capacity, as it stimulated ALP activity, calcium deposition, and osteogenic gene expression. We also showed that cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） is a critical regulator of the LPLI-mediated effects on hPDL cells. This study shows that LPLI can promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hPDL cells. These results suggest the potential use of LPLI in clinical applications for periodontal tissue regeneration.

Modelling Study to Compare the Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Low-Power Hydrogen,Nitrogen and Argon Arc-Heated Thrusters

A modelling study is performed to compare the plasma flow and heat transfer characteristics of low-power arc-heated thrusters （arcjets） for three different propellants： hydrogen, nitrogen and argon. The all-speed SIMPLE algorithm is employed to solve the governing equations, which take into account the effects of compressibility, Lorentz force and Joule heating, as well as the temperature- and pressure-dependence of the gas properties. The temperature, velocity and Mach number distributions calculated within the thruster nozzle obtained with different propellant gases are compared for the same thruster structure, dimensions, inlet-gas stagnant pressure and arc currents. The temperature distributions in the solid region of the anode-nozzle wall are also given. It is found that the flow and energy conversion processes in the thruster nozzle show many similar features for all three propellants. For example, the propellant is heated mainly in the near-cathode and constrictor region, with the highest plasma temperature appearing near the cathode tip; the flow transition from the subsonic to supersonic regime occurs within the constrictor region; the highest axial velocity appears inside the nozzle; and most of the input propellant flows towards the thruster exit through the cooler gas region near the anode-nozzle wall. However, since the properties of hydrogen, nitrogen and argon, especially their molecular weights, specific enthMpies and thermal conductivities, are different, there are appreciable differences in arcjet performance. For example, compared to the other two propellants, the hydrogen arcjet thruster shows a higher plasma temperature in the arc region, and higher axial velocity but lower temperature at the thruster exit. Correspondingly, the hydrogen arcjet thruster has the highest specific impulse and arc voltage for the same inlet stagnant pressure and arc current. The predictions of the modelling are compared favourably with available experimental results.

Transplantation of low-power laser-irradiated olfactory ensheathing cells to promote repair of spinal cord injury in rats

BACKGROUND： Previous studies have demonstrated that low-power laser （LPL） irradiation can promote the regeneration of peripheral nerves and central nerves, as well as influence cellular proliferation. Therefore, it is thought to be a potential treatment for spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVE： Utilizing histological observations and behavioral evaluations, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of transplanted olfactory ensheathing cells （OECs）, irradiated by LPL, on functional repair of rats following transversal spinal cord injury. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A randomized, controlled, animal experiment was performed at the animal experimental center in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between January 2007 and February 2008. MATERIALS： A total of 52 Sprague Dawley rats were included in this experiment. Twelve rats were used to harvest OECs, some of which were irradiated by LPL on days 3, 5, and 7 in culture. The remaining 40 rats were used to establish T12 complete spinal cord transection injury. DMEM/F12 medium was purchased from Sigma, USA, Fluorogold was provided by Chemicon, USA, and the LY/JG650-D500-16 low-power laser was produced by Xi＇an Lingyue Electromechanical Science And Technology Co., Ltd., China. METHODS： The successful rat models were randomly divided into three groups： OEC transplantation, LPL-irradiated OEC transplantation, and control. These animals were microinjected with OEC suspension, LPL-irradiated OEC suspension, and DMEM/F12 medium （10μL） respectively 4 weeks after spinal cord was completely transected at the T12 level. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Spinal cord injury was observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining Expression of nerve growth factor receptor p75 and glial fibrillary acidic protein were determined using immunohistochemical staining. Regeneration of spinal nerve fibers in rats was assayed by Fluorogold retrograde labeling method. Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan （BBB） scores were used to evaluate motor functions of rat lower limbs. RESULTS： Structural disturbances were observed following spinal cord injury in each group, and a large amount of scar tissue covered the broken ends, accompanied by porosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. Following OEC transplantation, the distal end connected to the proximal end. nerve growth factor receptor p75 and glial fibrillary acidic protein immunohistochemistry revealed positive OECs in the cephalad and caudal area of rats that received LPL-irradiated OEC transplantation. In the OECs group, only glial fibrillary acidic protein staining was observed. No staining was found in the control group. Neural fibers labeled with Fluorogold extended across the lesion area and into the cephalad and caudal area in the OECs and LPL-irradiated OECs groups, but were not present in the control group. BBB scores revealed statistically significant differences among the three groups （P 〈 0.05）： OECs irradiated by LPL group 〉 OECs group 〉 control group. CONCLUSION： Transplantation of OECs and LPL-irradiated OECs promoted functional repair in the injured spinal cord of rats, although LPL-irradiated OECs resulted in greater beneficial effects.

A low-power high-throughput link splitting router for NoCs

In this paper, we propose a technique for lowering the latency of the communication in a NoC （network on chip）. The technique, which can support two qualities of service （QoS）, i.e., the guaranteed throughput （GT） and best effort （BE）, is based on splitting a wider link into narrower links to increase throughput and decrease latency in the NoC. In addition, to ease the synchronization and reduce the crosstalk, we use the l-of-4 encoding for the smaller buses. The use of the encoding in the proposed NoC architecture considerably lowers the latency for both BE and GT packets. In addition, the bandwidth is increased while the power consumption of the links is reduced.

Low-power laser irradiation inhibits arecoline-induced fibrosis:an in vitro study

Oral submucous fibrosis （OSF） is a potentially malignant disorder that is characterized by a progressive fibrosis in the oral submucosa. Arecoline, an alkaloid compound of the areca nut, is reported to be a major aetiological factor in the development of OSF. Low-power laser irradiation （LPLI） has been reported to be beneficial in fibrosis prevention in different damaged organs. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of LPLI on arecoline-induced fibrosis. Arecoline- stimulated human gingival fibroblasts （HGFs） were treated with or without LPLI. The expression levels of the fibrotic marker genes alpha-smooth muscle actin （a-SMA） and connective tissue growth factor （CTGF/CCN2） were analysed by quantitative real- time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and western blots. In addition, the transcriptional activity of CCN2 was further determined by a reporter assay. The results indicated that arecoline increased the messenger RNA and protein expression of CCN2 and a-SMA in HGF. Interestingly, both LPLI and forskolin, an adenylyl cyclase activator, reduced the expression of arecoline-mediated fibrotic marker genes and inhibited the transcriptional activity of CCN2. Moreover, pretreatment with SQ22536, an adenylyl cyclase inhibitor, blocked LPLI＇s inhibition of the expression of arecoline-mediated fibrotic marker genes. Our data suggest that LPLI may inhibit the expression of arecoline-mediated fibrotic marker genes via the cAMP signalling pathway.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON MACRO AND MICRO-STRUCTURE OF METALLIC PARTS BUILT BY LOW-POWER LASER CLADDING

A low-power CO_2 laser is used to deposit Fe powder and mixture of Fe andcarbon powder on substrates respectively, and the macro and micro-structure of the formed samplesare investigated. It is demonstrated that most grains of these samples are equi-axed. This isderived from the high nucleation velocity in the shallow melt pool besides rapid solidification ofthe liquid-state alloy or metal. Bainitic structure, combination of pearlite and ferrite structureand ferrite structure are seen respectively in the samples involving various amounts of carbon owingto no martensitic transformation in these small samples.

Low-power emerging memristive designs towards secure hardware systems for applications in internet of things

Emerging memristive devices offer enormous advantages for applications such as non-volatile memories and inmemory computing(IMC),but there is a rising interest in using memristive technologies for security applications in the era of internet of things(IoT).In this review article,for achieving secure hardware systems in IoT,lowpower design techniques based on emerging memristive technology for hardware security primitives/systems are presented.By reviewing the state-of-the-art in three highlighted memristive application areas,i.e.memristive non-volatile memory,memristive reconfigurable logic computing and memristive artificial intelligent computing,their application-level impacts on the novel implementations of secret key generation,crypto functions and machine learning attacks are explored,respectively.For the low-power security applications in IoT,it is essential to understand how to best realize cryptographic circuitry using memristive circuitries,and to assess the implications of memristive crypto implementations on security and to develop novel computing paradigms that will enhance their security.This review article aims to help researchers to explore security solutions,to analyze new possible threats and to develop corresponding protections for the secure hardware systems based on low-cost memristive circuit designs.

Mechanisms for non-ideal flow in low-power arc-heated supersonic nozzles

The flow in a low-powered arc gas heater com- bined with a supersonic nozzle of throat diameter less than 1 mm is quite complicated and difficult to describe in quan- titative detail. Experiments on arc-heated supersonic jet thrusters of monatomic gases argon and helium have been carried out and their performance measured. The flow charac- teristics are analyzed with the help of numerical simulation. Results show that the viscous effect is the most important factor causing the large difference between ideal and real performance. A large outer section of the exit flow is slow- moving. This is especially pronounced in helium, where 70 % of the exit area of the nozzle might be in subsonic flow. Fric- tion forces can be much larger than the net thrust, reaching several times higher in helium, resulting in very low efficien- cies. Other factors causing the differences between ideal and real flow include： complex flow in the throat region, electric arc extending to the nozzle expansion section, heat transfer to the inlet gas and from the hot plasma, and environmen- tal pressure in the vacuum chamber. It is recognized that the ordinary concepts of supersonic nozzle flow must be greatly modified when dealing with such complicated situations. The general concepts presented in this paper could be helpful in guiding the design and operation of this equipment.

New design solutions for low-power energy production in water pipe systems

This study is the result of ongoing research for a European Union 7th Framework Program Project regarding energy converters for very low heads, and aims to analyze optimization of new cost-effective hydraulic turbine designs for possible implementation in water supply systems （WSSs） or in other pressurized water pipe infrastructures, such as irrigation, wastewater, or drainage systems. A new methodology is presented based on a theoretical, technical and economic analysis. Viability studies focused on small power values for different pipe systems were investigated. Detailed analyses of alternative typical volumetric energy converters were conducted on the basis of mathematical and physical fundamentals as well as computational fluid dynamics （CFD） associated with the interaction between the flow conditions and the system operation. Important constraints （e.g., size, stability, efficiency, and continuous steady flow conditions） can be identified and a search for alternative rotary yolumetric converters is being conducted. As promising cost-effective solutions for the coming years, adapted rotor-dynamic turbomachines and non-conventional axial propeller devices were analyzed based on the basic principles of pumps operating as turbines, as well as through an extensive comparison between simulations and experimental tests.

Design of Low-Power Data Logger of Deep Sea for Long-Term Field Observation

This paper describes the implementation of a data logger for the real-time in-situ monitoring of hydrothermal systems. A compact mechanical structure ensures the security and reliability of data logger when used under deep sea. The data logger is a battery powered instrument, which can connect chemical sensors （pH electrode, H2S electrode, H2 electrode） and temperature sensors. In order to achieve major energy savings, dynamic power management is implemented in hardware design and software design. The working current of the data logger in idle mode and active mode is 15 μA and 1.44 mA respectively, which greatly extends the working time of battery. The data logger has been successftdly tested in the first Sino-American Cooperative Deep Submergence Project from August 13 to September 3, 2005.

An artificial synapse by superlattice-like phase-change material for low-power brain-inspired computing

Phase-change material(PCM)is generating widespread interest as a new candidate for artificial synapses in bioinspired computer systems.However,the amorphization process of PCM devices tends to be abrupt,unlike continuous synaptic depression.The relatively large power consumption and poor analog behavior of PCM devices greatly limit their applications.Here,we fabricate a GeTe/Sb2Te3 superlattice-like PCM device which allows a progressive RESET process.Our devices feature low-power consumption operation and potential high-density integration,which can effectively simulate biological synaptic characteristics.The programming energy can be further reduced by properly selecting the resistance range and operating method.The fabricated devices are implemented in both artificial neural networks(ANN)and convolutional neural network(CNN)simulations,demonstrating high accuracy in brain-like pattern recognition.

Implications of using two low-power continuous-wave lasers for polishing

Laser polishing is widely employed to reduce the surface roughness of products with complex geometries.Traditional laser polishing techniques use a single high-power Gaussian beam to melt and smooth a thin layer of surface material.However,the reliance on high power lasers can present practical challenges such as minimizing surface evaporation or reducing overall cost.In this work,we combined two identical low-power laser beams with a spatial offset in between them to construct an elliptical beam.By changing the spatial offset,combined beams with different lengths along the major axis can be created.We observe over 20%improvement in line roughness reduction using this approach compared to a single Gaussian laser beam with the same total power.Additionally,both experiment and simulation results suggest such improvement is because this dual-laser set-up can create a longer molten pool compared to a single laser.

Characterization of a Novel Low-Power SRAM Bit-Cell Structure at Deep Sub-Micron CMOS Technology for Multimedia Applications

To meet the increasing demands for higher performance and low-power consumption in present and future Systems-on-Chips (SoCs) require a large amount of on-die/embedded memory. In Deep-Sub-Micron (DSM) technology, it is coming as challenges, e.g., leakage power, performance, data retentation, and stability issues. In this work, we have proposed a novel low-stress SRAM cell, called as IP3 SRAM bit-cell, as an integrated cell. It has a separate write sub-cell and read sub-cell, where the write sub-cell has dual role of data write and data hold. The data read sub-cell is proposed as a pMOS gated ground scheme to further reduce the read power by lowering the gate and subthreshold leakage currents. The drowsy voltage is applied to the cell when the memory is in the standby mode. Further, it utilizes the full-supply body biasing scheme while the memory is in the standby mode, to further reduce the subthreshold leakage current to reduce the overall standby power. To the best of our knowledge, this low-stress memory cell has been proposed for the first time. The proposed IP3 SRAM Cell has a significant write and read power reduction as compared to the conventional 6 T and PP SRAM cells and overall improved read stability and write ability performances. The proposed design is being simulated at VDD = 0.8 V and 0.7 V and an analysis is presented here for 0.8 V to adhere previously reported works. The other design parameters are taken from the CMOS technology available on 45 nm with tOX = 2.4 nm, Vthn = 0.224 V, and Vthp = 0.24 V at T = 27?C.

Two Axes Solar Tracker Based on Solar Maps, Controlled by a Low-Power Microcontroller

There are actually several solutions for two axis solar tracking systems using electromechanical devices, in which a controller detects the Sun apparent position, and controls the position of the structure supporting the panels toward the sun by enabling the engines movement. This work studies the solution of two axis solar tracking system based on solar maps, which can predict the exact apparent position of the Sun, by the latitude＇s location, thereby avoiding the need to use sensors or guidance systems. To accomplish this, it is used a low-power microcontroller, suitably programmed, to control two electric motors to ensure that the panels supporting structure is always oriented towards the sun.

Low-Power Operational Amplifier for Real-Time Signal Processing System of Micro Air Vehicle

A low-power complementary metal oxide semiconductor（CMOS） operational amplifier （op-amp） for real-time signal processing of micro air vehicle （MAV） is designed in this paper.Traditional folded cascode architecture with positive channel metal oxide semiconductor（PMOS） differential input transistors and sub-threshold technology are applied under the low supply voltage.Simulation results show that this amplifier has significantly low power,while maintaining almost the same gain,bandwidth and other key performances.The power required is only 0.12 mW,which is applicable to low-power and low-voltage real-time signal acquisition and processing system.

Resistive switching characteristic and uniformity of low-power HfO_x-based resistive random access memory with the BN insertion layer

In this letter,the Ta/HfO/BN/TiN resistive switching devices are fabricated and they exhibit low power consumption and high uniformity each.The reset current is reduced for the HfO/BN bilayer device compared with that for the Ta/HfO/TiN structure.Furthermore,the reset current decreases with increasing BN thickness.The HfOlayer is a dominating switching layer,while the low-permittivity and high-resistivity BN layer acts as a barrier of electrons injection into TiN electrode.The current conduction mechanism of low resistance state in the HfO/BN bilayer device is space-chargelimited current(SCLC),while it is Ohmic conduction in the HfOdevice.

Clustering-based adaptive low-power subframe configuration with load-aware offsetting in dense heterogeneous networks

Heterogeneous Networks(HetNets)and cell densification represent promising solutions for the surging data traffic demand in wireless networks.In dense HetNets,user traffic is steered toward the Low-Power Node(LPN)when possible to enhance the user throughput and system capacity by increasing the area spectral efficiency.However,because of the transmit power differences in different tiers of HetNets and irregular service demand,a load imbalance typically exists among different serving nodes.To offload more traffic to LPNs and coordinate the Inter-Cell Interference(ICI),Third-Generation Partnership Project(3GPP)has facilitated the development of the Cell Range Expansion(CRE),enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination(eICIC)and Further enhanced ICIC(FeICIC).In this paper,we develop a cell clustering-based load-aware offsetting and an adaptive Low-Power Subframe(LPS)approach.Our solution allows the separation of User Association(UA)functions at the User Equipment(UE)and network server such that users can make a simple cell-selection decision similar to that in the maximum Received Signal Strength(max-RSS)based UA scheme,where the network server computes the load-aware offsetting and required LPS periods based on the load conditions of the system.The proposed solution is evaluated using system-level simulations wherein the results correspond to performance changes in different service regions.Results show that our method effectively solves the offloading and interference coordination problems in dense HetNets.

Power-optimal encoding for low-power address bus

This paper presented a novel bus encoding method to reduce the switching activity on address buses and hence reduce power dissipation. Dynamic-sorting encoding(DSE) method reduces the power dissipation of address bus based on the dynamic reordering of the modified offset address bus lines. This method reorders the ten least significant bits of offset address according to the range of offset address, and the optimal sorting pattern is transmitted through the high bits of address bus without the need for redundant bus lines. The experimental results by using an instruction set simulator and SPEC2000 benchmarks show that DSE method can reduce signal transitions on the address bus by 88.2%, and the actual overhead of the encoder circuit is estimated after encoder is designed and synthesized in 0.18-μm CMOS technology. The results show that DSE method outperforms the low-power encoding schemes presented in the past.