We present S/1 and R/1 test results on unconditioned and 355 nm (3{omega}), 500 ps laser conditioned DKDP. We find up to {approx}2.5X improvement in fluence in the S/1 performance after 3{omega}, 500 ps conditioning to 5 J/cm{sup 2}. For the first time, we observe a shift to higher fluences in the R/1 results for DKDP at 3{omega}, 7 ns due to 500 ps laser conditioning. The S/1 results are compared to {rho}({phi}) results previously measured on the same DKDP crystal [1]. A consistent behavior in fluence was found between the S/1 and {rho}({phi}) results for unconditioned and 500 ps conditioned DKDP. We were successful at using Poisson statistics to derive a connection between the S/1 and {rho}({phi}) results that could be tested with our data sets by trying to predict the shape of the {rho}({phi}) curve. The value for the power dependence on fluence of {rho}({phi}) derived from the S/1 data was {approx}11 {+-} 50%. The results presented and discussed here imply a strong correlation between the damage probability (S/1) test and {rho}({phi}). We find a consistent description of the two test types in terms of a power law {rho}({phi}) and that this basic shape held for all cases, …

Plastic deformation has been observed in damascene Cu interconnect test structures during an in-situ electromigration experiment and before the onset of visible microstructural damage (ie. voiding) using a synchrotron technique of white beam X-ray microdiffraction. We show here that the extent of this electromigration-induced plasticity is dependent on the texture of the Cu grains in the line. In lines with strong <111> textures, the extent of plastic deformation is found to be relatively large compared to our plasticity results in the previous study [1] using another set of Cu lines with weaker textures. This is consistent with our earlier observation that the occurrence of plastic deformation in a given grain can be strongly correlated with the availability of a <112> direction of the crystal in the proximity of the direction of the electron flow in the line (within an angle of 10{sup o}). In <111> out-of-plane oriented grains in a damascene interconnect scheme, the crystal plane facing the sidewall tends to be a {l_brace}110{r_brace} plane,[2-4] so as to minimize interfacial energy. Therefore, it is deterministic rather than probabilistic that the <111> grains will have a <112> direction nearly parallel to the direction of electron flow. Thus, strong <111> textures lead …

Funding for implementing risk handling strategies typically is allocated according to either the risk-averse approach (the worst risk first) or the cost-effective approach (the greatest risk reduction per implementation dollar first). This paper introduces a prime value approach in which risk handling strategies are prioritized according to how nearly they meet the goals of the organization that disburses funds for risk handling. The prime value approach factors in the importance of the project in which the risk has been identified, elements of both risk-averse and cost-effective approaches, and the time period in which the risk could happen. This paper also presents a prioritizer spreadsheet, which employs weighted criteria to calculate a relative rank for the handling strategy of each risk evaluated.

We observe that by conditioning DKDP using 500 ps laser pulses, the bulk damage threshold becomes essentially equivalent to the surface damage threshold. We report here the findings of our study of laser initiated output surface damage on 500 ps laser conditioned DKDP for test pulses at 351 nm, 3 ns. The relation between surface damage density and damaging fluence (r(f)) is presented for the first time and the morphologies of the surface sites are discussed. The results of this study suggest a surface conditioning effect resulting from exposure to 500 ps laser pulses.

Electromigration is a phenomenon that has attracted much attention in the semiconductor industry because of its deleterious effects on electronic devices (such as interconnects) as they become smaller and current density passing through them increases. However, the effect of the electric current on the microstructure of interconnect lines during the very early stage of electromigration is not well documented. In the present report, we used synchrotron radiation based polychromatic X-ray microdiffraction for the in-situ study of the electromigration induced plasticity effects on individual grains of an Al (Cu) interconnect test structure. Dislocation slips which are activated by the electric current stressing are analyzed by the shape change of the diffraction peaks. The study shows polygonization of the grains due to the rearrangement of geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) in the direction of the current. Consequences of these findings are discussed.

The PEP-II storage ring at SLAC houses electrons (in the High-Energy Ring, or HER) and positrons (in the Low-Energy Ring, or LER) for collision. The goal of this project was to improve the linear optics of the LER in order to decrease coupling, thereby decreasing emittance and increasing luminosity. To do this, we first took turn by turn BPM (Beam Position Monitor) data of a single positron bunch at two betatron resonance excitations, extracted orbits from this data using Model-Independent Analysis, and from these orbits formed a virtual model of the accelerator. We then took this virtual model and found an accelerator configuration which we predicted would, by creating vertical symmetric sextupole bumps and adjusting the strengths of several key quadrupole magnets, improve the coupling and decrease the emittance in the LER. We dialed this configuration into the LER and observed the coupling, emittance, and luminosity. Coupling immediately improved, as predicted, and the y emittance dropped by a dramatic 40%. After the HER was adjusted to match the LER at the Interaction Point (IP), we saw a 10% increase in luminosity, from 10.2 x 10{sup 33}cm{sup -2}sec{sup -1} to 11.2 x 10{sup 33}cm{sup -2}sec{sup -1}, and achieved a record peak …

X-ray diffraction is a technique used to analyze the structure of crystals. It records the interference pattern created when x-rays travel through a crystal. Three dimensional structure can be inferred from these two dimensional diffraction patterns. Before the patterns can be analyzed, diffraction data must be precisely calibrated. Calibration is used to determine the experimental parameters of the particular experiment. This is done by fitting the experimental parameters to the diffraction pattern of a well understood crystal. Fit2D is a software package commonly used to do this calibration but it leaves much to be desired. In particular, it does not give very much control over the calibration of the data, requires a significant amount of manual input, does not allow for the calibration of highly tilted geometries, does not properly explain the assumptions that it is making, and cannot be modified. We build code to do this calibration while at the same time overcoming the limitations of Fit2D. This paper describes the development of the calibration software and the assumptions that are made in doing the calibration.

The formation of the first stars marked a crucial transition in the formation of structure in the universe. Through their feedback effects, which include ionization by their radiation and the supernovae or black holes formed at the end of their lives, they were able to influence the evolution of their surroundings. In this paper we present a new visualization and use analytical calculations in order to study the influence of these first stars. The visualization was created using both Enzo, a simulation program that uses adaptive mesh refinement, and Amira, a 3D volume rendering program. This visualization allows for a better understanding of the impact these stars had on their surroundings and conveys the importance of these stars to a broader audience. The analytical calculations used investigate the possibility that black holes left by the first stars could be seeds for the 10{sup 9} M{sub {circle_dot}} black holes seen as quasars at redshift z{approx}6. We find that if a remnant black hole was to begin Eddington accretion at z{approx}20, then it would be able to form a 10{sup 9} M{sub {circle_dot}} black hole by z{approx}6, but that there is likely to be a delay in the onset of accretion onto …

Guiana Extended-Spectrum-1 (GES-1) and Aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (2')-Ic (APH(2')-Ic) are two bacteria-produced enzymes that essentially perform the same task: they provide resistance to an array of antibiotics. Both enzymes are part of a growing resistance problem in the medical world. In order to overcome the ever-growing arsenal of antibiotic-resistance enzymes, it is necessary to understand the molecular basis of their action. Accurate structures of these proteins have become an invaluable tool to do this. Using protein crystallography techniques and X-ray diffraction, the protein structure of GES-1 bound to imipenem (an inhibitor) has been solved. Also, APH(2')-Ic has been successfully crystallized, but its structure was unable to be solved using molecular replacement using APH(2')-Ib as a search model. The structure of GES-1, with bound imipenem was solved to a resolution of 1.89A, and though the inhibitor is bound with only moderate occupancy, the structure shows crucial interactions inside the active site that render the enzyme unable to complete the hydrolysis of the {beta}-lactam ring. The APH(2')-Ic dataset could not be matched to the model, APH(2')-Ib, with which it shares 25% sequence identity. The structural information gained from GES-1, and future studies using isomorphous replacement to solve the APH(2')-Ic structure can aid directly …

We examine the effect of lattice temperature on the probability of surface damage initiation for 355nm, 7ns laser pulses for surface temperatures below the melting point to temperatures well above the melting point of fused silica. At sufficiently high surface temperatures, damage thresholds are dramatically reduced. Our results indicate a temperature activated absorption and support the idea of a lattice temperature threshold of surface damage. From these measurements, we estimate the temperature dependent absorption coefficient for intrinsic silica.