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The chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process plays an increasingly important role in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing. To understand the mechanism broadly, we review different scales of models describing the removal phenomenon and predicting the material removal rate (MRR). At the wafer scale, there is the empirical Preston equation and its extensions incorporating different mechanical and chemical factors. Toward feature and particle scales, we introduce several models postulating the material removal mechanism and their experimental verification. Finally, we mention several mechanical models on the molecular scale and propose that at the moment they lack generality and do not give us further useable, quantifiable insight into the CMP phenomenon. We conclude with how we may, and should, achieve finding this mechanical model on a molecular scale.

Recently, a four-axis coordinate measuring machine (four-axis CMM), which consists of three linear axes and a single rotary axis, has been more widely used than a traditional three-axis CMM. The volumetric error influences the accuracy of the four-axis CMM. There are 27 parametric errors that contribute to the volumetric error. This study utilized a touch probe to measure the hole plate. This methodology can evaluate errors more accurately and reflect the operational conditions of the machines. The main procedures are as follows: (1) The hole plate was sequentially set up in three different planes. The touch probe was used to measure the hole plate using five different styluses. (2) The 27 parametric errors were analyzed using the coordinate deviations. The volumetric error was constructed using homogeneous transformation matrices. The volumetric error ranged from 0.35 to 1.55 μm without the single rotary axis and from 0.35 to 2.83 μm with the single rotary axis. (3) Three metrology instruments, namely a laser interferometer, an autocollimator, and a polygon-autocollimator, were used to validate the proposed methodology and verify the measured parametric errors. The absolute maximum differences compared to the laser interferometer for three parametric positioning errors and the autocollimator for six parametric rotational errors for the three linear axes were 0.56 μm and 0.54″, respectively. Additionally, the absolute maximum difference of one parametric positioning error for the single rotary axis, compared with the polygon-autocollimator, was 0.75″. The E n-values were 0.27, 0.54, and 0.27, respectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed methodology for the industry’s four-axis CMMs.

This study was conducted at SPINLab. The full-scale experiments were performed using two experimental spaces of identical specifications to investigate the effects of electrochromic film (OG + ECON or OG + ECOFF) on indoor environment and air conditioning electricity consumption in buildings with different orientations (East and West). The electricity-saving effects are more pronounced on the building’s west-facing side than on its east-facing side. For the east-facing side, the average electricity savings for OG + ECON and OG + ECOFF were 4.5%, and 5.1%, respectively. For the west-facing side, the average electricity savings increased to 9.2% and 9.4% for OG + ECON and OG + ECOFF. The research results on thermal comfort indicate (PMV) that applying electrochromic film (OG + ECON or OG + ECOFF) significantly improved indoor thermal comfort compared to using clear glass (OG) alone. The visual comfort analysis results indicate that the opaque (OG + ECOFF) and transparent (OG + ECON) states of electrochromic film could reduce daylight glare probability (DGP) values. However, due to the light-scattering properties of the liquid crystal droplets, the OG + ECOFF and OG + ECON states of the electrochromic film increased DGP values in 26.5% and 41.5% of the cases, respectively, when sunlight directly entered the interior.

In this paper, we prove the isoperimetric inequality for the anisotropic Gaussian measure and characterize the cases of equality. We also find an example that shows Ehrhard symmetrization fails to decrease for the anisotropic Gaussian perimeter and gives a new inequality that includes an error term. This new inequality, in particular, gives us a hint to prove a uniqueness result for the anisotropic Ehrhard symmetrization.

In this work, we propose a two-autocollimator method in which all pitch angle deviations of a polygon and angle errors of a rotary encoder can be calibrated simultaneously. A polygon with any number of faces can be calibrated. Any face of the polygon is a measurement cycle of one. Compared to a traditional method, cross-calibration calibrates a rotary encoder and a polygon. This method can simultaneously calibrate all pitch angle deviations of the polygon and angle errors of the rotary encoder. The measurement cycle depends on how many faces the polygon has. There are 24 measurement cycles for a 24-faced polygon. In the experiment, we use two autocollimators to calibrate a 24-faced polygon and the SelfA rotary encoder to conduct the proposed two-autocollimator method. According to the uncertainty evaluation, the expanded uncertainty is 0.46”. For a 95% confidence level, the coverage factor is 2.00. To verify all pitch angle deviations, the shift-angle method, based on cross-calibration, uses one autocollimator to measure the same polygon. The difference in pitch angle deviations is smaller than ±0.28”. The maximum En-value is 0.58. The SelfA rotary encoder comprises 12 read heads and calibrates using self-calibration. The difference in angle errors is smaller than ±0.27”. The maximum En-value is 0.59. The two En-values mean that the proposed two-autocollimator method is practical.

Objective To determine whether exposure to monopolar electrosurgery during subsequent surgeries following Bonebridge implantation has negative impact on the implant. Study Design Retrospective study. Setting Tertiary medical center. Methods Fifty‐six patients who received Bonebridge implantation between December 2014 and June 2024 were reviewed. Twelve patients with exposure to monopolar electrosurgery during subsequent operation were included. Bonebridge‐aided sound field thresholds, as well as subjective outcomes based on patient experience were analyzed to determine if there are any adverse effects on the implant after monopolar electrosurgery exposure. Results The mean age at receiving Bonebridge implantation and subsequent operation were 15.1 ± 6.8 (range, 7.7‐29.9) years and 16.5 ± 6.5 (range, 10.2‐30.1) years, respectively. Each of the included patients experienced one episode of monopolar electrosurgery exposure after Bonebridge implantation. All monopolar electrosurgery exposures were in the head‐and‐neck region, but none of them involved the ipsilateral temporoparietal area. The mean pre‐monopolar electrosurgery and post‐monopolar electrosurgery Bonebridge aided sound field thresholds pure tone average were 31.8 ± 3.3 decibel hearing level and 29.5 ± 3.9 decibel hearing level, respectively (Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, P = .203). No adverse events associated with implant malfunction occurred after monopolar electrosurgery exposure. Conclusion No adverse events or hearing impairment were observed in this series of Bonebridge‐implanted patients who underwent operations involving monopolar electrosurgery. Notably, the exposures were of relatively brief duration and limited to areas outside the ipsilateral temporoparietal region. Further multicenter, prospective studies with larger cohorts and comprehensive adverse event analysis are warranted to better corroborate these findings.

In this thesis, we establish the isoperimetric inequality for the anisotropic Gaussian measure and characterize the cases of equality. Additionally, we present an example demonstrating that Ehrhard symmetrization fails to decrease for the anisotropic Gaussian perimeter and introduce a new inequality that includes an error term. This new inequality, in particular, provides a clue to a uniqueness result for the Ehrhard measure within the class of anisotropic Gaussian measures. Our final result, a collaboration with Sean McCurdy, expands the class of measures to which the previous uniqueness result applies.

In this paper, we prove the isoperimetric inequality for the anisotropic Gaussian measure and characterize the cases of equality. We also find an example that shows Ehrhard symmetrization fails to decrease for the anisotropic Gaussian perimeter and gives a new inequality that includes an error term. This new inequality, in particular, gives us a hint to prove a uniqueness result for the anisotropic Ehrhard symmetrization.

In this paper, we prove that isotropic Gaussian functions are characterized by a rearrangement inequality for weighted perimeter in dimensions \\(n \\ge 2\\) within the class of non-negative weights in \\(L^1(\\mathbb{R}^n) \\cap W^{1,1}_{loc}(\\mathbb{R}^n)\\). More specifically, we prove that within this class generalized Ehrhard symmetrization is perimeter non-increasing for all Borel sets \\(E\\) in all directions \\(\\vec{v}\\) if and only if the distribution function is an isotropic Gaussian.

Aging is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of mortality worldwide among aging populations. Cisd2 is a prolongevity gene that mediates lifespan in mammals. Previously, our investigations revealed that a persistently high level of Cisd2 expression in mice is able to prevent age-associated cardiac dysfunction. This study was designed to apply a genetic approach that induces cardiac-specific Cisd2 overexpression (Cisd2 icOE) at a late-life stage, namely a time point immediately preceding the onset of old age, and evaluate the translational potential of this approach. Several discoveries are pinpointed. Firstly, Cisd2 is downregulated in the aging heart. This decrease in Cisd2 leads to cardiac dysfunction and impairs electromechanical performance. Intriguingly, Cisd2 icOE prevents an exacerbation of age-associated electromechanical dysfunction. Secondly, Cisd2 icOE ameliorates cardiac fibrosis and improves the integrity of the intercalated discs, thereby reversing various structural abnormalities. Finally, Cisd2 icOE reverses the transcriptomic profile of the aging heart, changing it from an older-age pattern to a younger pattern. Intriguingly, Cisd2 icOE modulates a number of aging-related pathways, namely the sirtuin signaling, autophagy, and senescence pathways, to bring about rejuvenation of the heart as it enters old age. Our findings highlight Cisd2 as a novel molecular target for developing therapies targeting cardiac aging.