Radiation-induced edge effects in deep submicron CMOS transistors

The study of the TID response of transistors and isolation test structures in a 130 nm commercial CMOS technology has demonstrated its increased radiation tolerance with respect to older technology nodes. While the thin gate oxide of the transistors is extremely tolerant to dose, charge trapping at the edge of the transistor still leads to leakage currents and, for the narrow channel transistors, to significant threshold voltage shift-an effect that we call Radiation Induced Narrow Channel Effect (RINCE)

Molecular detection of parasites (Trematoda, Digenea: Bucephalidae and Monorchiidae) in the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

Members of the globally distributed bivalve family Ostreidae (oysters) have a significant role in marine ecosystems and include species of high economic importance. In this work, we report the occurrence of digenean parasites of the families Bucephalidae (Prosorhynchoides sp.) and Monorchiidae (Postmonorchis sp.) in Mediterranean native populations of Ostrea edulis (but not in the introduced Magallana gigas). Molecular detection was based on DNA sequencing of the ribosomal intergenic spacer 2 (ITS2) marker. The importance of detecting the presence of overlooked digenean parasites in Mediterranean oysters is discussed. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Radiation damage and annealing in 1310 nm InGaAsP/InP lasers for the CMS tracker

Radiation damage in 1310 nm InGaAsP/InP multi-quantum-well lasers caused by 0.8 MeV neutrons is compared with the damage from other radiation sources, in terms of the increase in laser threshold current. The annealing behavior is then presented both in terms of both temperature and forward-bias current dependence. The annealing can be described by a model where radiation induced defects have a uniform distribution of activation energies for annealing. This model can then be used to predict the long-term damage expected for lasers operating inside the CMS tracker. (19 refs)

Time stability of asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator based analog lightwave links

Lightwave links for analog signal transfer are being developed and evaluated for application in high-density interconnects. The reflective links are based on compact electro-optic intensity modulators connected by ribbons of single-mode fibres to remotely located transceivers (lasers and photoreceivers) and read-out electronics. For long-term characterization, four Asymmetric Fabry-Perot Modulator (AFPM) prototypes were continuously operated and monitored over a period of eight monthes. The collected data allow evaluation of the system time stability and simulation of the possible recalibration procedures. The recalibration requirements to achieve the desirable accuracy and reliability are inferred statistically

Pre-Production and Quality Assurance of the Mu2e Calorimeter Silicon Photomultipliers

The Mu2e electromagnetic calorimeter has to provide precise information on energy, time and position for $\sim$100 MeV electrons. It is composed of 1348 un-doped CsI crystals, each coupled to two large area Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). A modular and custom SiPM layout consisting of a 3$\times$2 array of 6$\times$6 mm$^2$ UV-extended monolithic SiPMs has been developed to fulfill the Mu2e calorimeter requirements and a pre-production of 150 prototypes has been procured by three international firms (Hamamatsu, SensL and Advansid). A detailed quality assurance process has been carried out on this first batch of photosensors: the breakdown voltage, the gain, the quenching time, the dark current and the Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) have been determined for each monolithic cell of each SiPMs array. One sample for each vendor has been exposed to a neutron fluency up to $\sim$8.5~$\times$~10$^{11}$ 1 MeV (Si) eq. n/cm$^{2}$ and a linear increase of the dark current up to tens of mA has been observed. Others 5 samples for each vendor have undergone an accelerated aging in order to verify a Mean Time To Failure (MTTF) higher than $\sim$10$^{6}$ hours.Comment: NDIP 2017 - New Developments In Photodetection, 3-7 July 2017, Tours (France

The electromagnetic calorimeter of the AMS-02 experiment

The electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) of the AMS-02 experiment is a 3-dimensional sampling calorimeter, made of lead and scintillating fibers. The detector allows for a high granularity, with 18 samplings in the longitudinal direction, and 72 sampling in the lateral direction. The ECAL primary goal is to measure the energy of cosmic rays up to few TeV, however, thanks to the fine grained structure, it can also provide the separation of positrons from protons, in the GeV to TeV region. A direct measurement of high energy photons with accurate energy and direction determination can also be provided.Comment: Proceedings of SF2A conference 201

A new sustainable and innovative work for paper artworks cleaning process: Gellan hydrogel combined with hydrolytic enzymes

Paper has been used as writing and drawing support for thousands of years. The conservation of paper artworks plays a fundamental role in the field of our cultural heritage. Moreover, restoration of paper artworks is difficult due to their inherent fragility, the presence of many components and their degradation state. Among the factors that may contribute to paper deterioration are the use of glue for the application of different materials (as a lining, mounting or as a repair intervention) on the paper artifact. During a natural ageing process, glue become yellow, acid and less compact, accelerating the degradation processes of the artwork itself. The removal of glues from paper artworks represents, therefore, an important procedure for their preservation. Here we present a sustainable alternative to the common removal systems (e.g. solvents or localized enzymatic packs on the support to be cleaned). For this goal we used a rigid Gellan hydrogel (totally removable in one step) containing hydrolytic enzyme, such as proteinase K. The enzyme works as a selective cleaning agent hydrolyzing animal glues into smaller fragments, soluble into the gel. Our system represents an effective alternative to the traditional techniques because it is easy to be prepared, eco-friendly and efficient