James A. Lacey

Atomic-beam alignment of inorganic materials for liquid-crystal displays

The technique used to align liquid crystals—rubbing the surface of a substrate on which a liquid crystal is subsequently deposited—has been perfected by the multibillion-dollar liquid-crystal display industry. However, it is widely recognized that a non-contact alignment technique would be highly desirable for future generations of large, high-resolution liquid-crystal displays. A number of alternative alignment techniques have been reported, but none of these have so far been implemented in large-scale manufacturing. Here, we report a non-contact alignment process, which uses low-energy ion beams impinging at a glancing angle on amorphous inorganic films, such as diamond-like carbon. Using this approach, we have produced both laptop and desktop displays in pilot-line manufacturing, and found that displays of higher quality and reliability could be made at axa0lower cost than the rubbing technique. The mechanism of alignment is explained by adopting a random network model of atomic arrangement in the inorganic films. Order is induced by exposure to an ion beam because unfavourably oriented rings of atoms are selectively destroyed. The planes of the remaining rings are predominantly parallel to the direction of the ion beam.

Hotspot-Limited Microprocessors: Direct Temperature and Power Distribution Measurements

An experimental technique is presented, which allows for spatially-resolved imaging of microprocessor power (SIMP). In a first step this method utilizes infrared (IR) thermal imaging, while the processor is effectively cooled using an IR-transparent heat sink. In the second step the underlying power distribution is derived by determining the temperature fields for each individual power source on the chip. The measured chip temperature distribution is represented as a superposition of these temperature fields. The SIMP data reveals significant temporal and spatial variations of the microprocessor power/temperature distribution, which can be attributed to the circuit layout as well as to the varying utilization levels across the processor while running full workloads. In this paper we have applied the SIMP method to the dual core PowerPCtrade970MP microprocessor to measure detailed temperature and power distributions under full operating conditions. In the first part of the paper the impact of power and temperature limitations of high performance CMOS chips is discussed in detail, where we distinguish between hotspot-limited (or temperature-limited) and power-limited chips. The discussion shows the importance of temperature and power distributions for chip floor planning, layout, design and architecture. Second, we present the experimental details of the SIMP method, which is applied to the dual core PowerPC970MP to directly measure the temperature and power fields as a function of workload and frequency. A pronounced movement of the hotspot location is observed. Finally, the hotspot of a competitive microprocessor is compared by measuring temperature efficiencies (temperature increase/performance) for the same workloads and cooling conditions

Weak link behavior of grain boundaries in Nd‐, Bi‐, and Tl‐based cuprate superconductors

We have studied single‐grain‐boundary junctions in the neodymium‐, bismuth‐, and thallium‐based cuprate superconductors and find that they behave as weak links, qualitatively similar to the YBa2Cu3O7−δ superconductor. In general, the grain boundary critical current is determined by flux flow for small misorientation angles and by Josephson junctionlike coupling for large angles. The latter is verified by the observation of voltage oscillations with an external magnetic field in superconducting quantum interference devices built using single‐grain‐boundary junctions of these materials. The commonality of behavior of grain boundaries in all of the high temperature cuprate superconductors suggests that the weak link is most likely associated with the structure of the grain boundary and the evidence points increasingly to dislocations, which describe the topology of the boundary.

Residual critical current in high Tc bicrystal grain boundary junctions

We have recently reported on the persistence of a significant zero voltage current across bicrystal grain boundary junctions of YBa2Cu3O7−δ in an external magnetic field of several Tesla. In this note we present data on the dependence of this residual current on temperature and orientation of the grain boundary. A description of the grain boundary as being comprised of superconducting microbridges separated by normal regions is consistent with the experimental data.

Uncovering energy-efficiency opportunities in data centers

The combination of rapidly increasing energy use of data centers (DCs), which is triggered by dramatic increases in IT (information technology) demands, and increases in energy costs and limited energy supplies has made the energy efficiency of DCs a central concern from both a cost and a sustainability perspective. This paper describes three important technology components that address the energy consumption in DCs. First, we present a mobile measurement technology (MMT) for optimizing the space and energy efficiency of DCs. The technology encompasses the interworking of an advanced metrology technique for rapid data collection at high spatial resolution and measurement-driven modeling techniques, enabling optimal adjustments of a DC environment within a target thermal envelope. Specific example data demonstrating the effectiveness of MMT is shown. Second, the static MMT measurements obtained at high spatial resolution are complemented by and integrated with a real-time sensor network. The requirements and suitable architectures for wired and wireless sensor solutions are discussed. Third, an energy and thermal model analysis for a DC is presented that exploits both the high-spatial-resolution (but static) MMT data and the high-timeresolved (but sparse) sensor data. The combination of these two data types (static and dynamic), in conjunction with innovative modeling techniques, provides the basis for extending the MMT concept toward an interactive energy management solution.

Spatially-resolved imaging of microprocessor power (SIMP): hotspots in microprocessors

In this paper we present the details of a new technique, which allows for spatially-resolved imaging of microprocessor power (SIMP) under full operational conditions. The method involves two steps: In the first step it utilizes infra-red (IR) thermal imaging, while an IR-transparent coolant flows through a specially designed cooling cell directly over the microprocessor. In the second step the underlying power distribution is derived by determining the temperature fields for each individual power source on the chip. The measured chip temperature distribution is then represented as a superposition of these temperature fields. The SIMP data reveals significant temporal and spatial variations of the microprocessor power/temperature distribution, which can be attributed to the circuit layout as well as to the varying utilization levels across the processor while running real workloads. More specifically, strong non-uniformities or hotspots in the microprocessor power distributions are observed, which have significant implications for packaging and cooling designs

Critical current of a high Tc Josephson grain boundary junction in high magnetic field

The critical current (Ic) of YBa2Cu3O7−δ grain boundary Josephson junctions was measured up to magnetic fields of 5 T. Magnetic field history dependent Ic values were observed even after correction for self‐field effects stemming from hysteretic shielding currents in the grain adjacent to the boundary. A novel feature observed is an anomalous increase in Ic in high magnetic fields of several Telsa.

Enhanced thermal emission from individual antenna-like nanoheaters

Here we report polarization-sensitive, thermal radiation measurements of individual, antenna-like, thin film Platinum nanoheaters. These heaters confine the lateral extent of the heated area to dimensions smaller (or comparable) to the thermal emission wavelengths. For very narrow heater structures the polarization of the thermal radiation shows a very high extinction ratio as well as a dipolar-like angular radiation pattern. A simple analysis of the radiation intensities suggests a significant enhancement of the thermal radiation for these very narrow heater structures.

Dry Vertical Alignment Method for Multi-domain Homeotropic Thin-Film-Transistor Liquid Crystal Displays

Multi-domain homeotropic liquid crystal alignment has been recognized as an alignment method to achieve wide viewing angle for thin-film-transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs). In the past decade, several types of multi-domain homeotropic TFT-LCDs have been well studied. In all these LCDs, a homeotropic polyimide layer is used to align liquid crystal molecules. In this paper, a new homeotropic alignment method-dry deposition vertical alignment (or vacuum deposition vertical alignment) is introduced. We studied several different vacuum deposited vertical alignment materials and one of them was demonstrated on a high resolution ridge fringe-field multi-domain homeotropic (RFFMH) TFT-LCD. This new method has advantages over the conventional polyimide alignment method: it simplifies the manufacturing process by avoiding wet chemical processes and improves the viewing angle by reducing light leakage.

Active-matrix display using ion-beam-processed polyimide film for liquid crystal alignment

Ion-beam bombardment was developed as a substitute for mechanical rubbing of polyimide film as a noncontact liquid crystal (LC) alignment technique. The ion-beam technique was applied to a high-resolution thin-film-transistor-addressed liquid crystal display (TFT/LCD) panel. The results showed that LC alignment was achieved and that the display is capable of showing high-quality images.