Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “3D INTEGRATION”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5

Design methodology: edgeless 3D ASICs with complex in-pixel processing for pixel detectors

The design methodology for the development of 3D integrated edgeless pixel detectors with in-pixel processing using Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools is presented. A large area 3 tier 3D detector with one sensor layer and two ASIC layers containing one analog and one digital tier, is built for x-ray photon time of arrival measurement and imaging. A full custom analog pixel is 65μm x 65μm. It is connected to a sensor pixel of the same size on one side, and on the other side it has approximately 40 connections to the digital pixel. A 32 x 32 edgeless array without any peripheral functional blocks constitutes a sub-chip. The sub-chip is an indivisible unit, which is further arranged in a 6 x 6 array to create the entire 1.248cm x 1.248cm ASIC. Each chip has 720 bump-bond I/O connections, on the back of the digital tier to the ceramic PCB. All the analog tier power and biasing is conveyed through the digital tier from the PCB. The assembly has no peripheral functional blocks, and hence the active area extends to the edge of the detector. This was achieved by using a few flavors of almost identical analog pixels (minimal variation in layout) to allow for peripheral biasing blocks to be placed within pixels. The 1024 pixels within a digital sub-chip array have a variety of full custom, semi-custom and automated timing driven functional blocks placed together. The methodology uses a modified mixed-mode on-top digital implementation flow to not only harness the tool efficiency for timing and floor-planning but also to maintain designer control over compact parasitically aware layout. The methodology uses the Cadence design platform, however it is not limited to this tool.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A New Look at Aubrites: Investigating 3D Modal Mineralogy with X-Ray Computed Tomography

The aubrites (approximately 30 known meteorites) are a unique group of differentiated meteorites that formed on asteroids with oxygen fugacities (ƒO2) from approximately 2 to approximately 6 log units below the iron-wustite buffer. At these highly reduced conditions, elements deviate from the geochemical behavior exhibited at terrestrial ƒO2, forming FeO-poor silicates and exotic sulfides. While previous studies have described the petrology and 2D modal abundances of aubrites, this work investigates the 3D modal mineralogies of silicate, metal, and sulfide phases in aubrite samples, which are then compared to the available 2D data. In addition to 3D modal mineralogies, we have examined the geochemistry of fourteen aubrites, including mineral major-element compositions, bulk-rock compositions, and oxygen isotopic compositions to understand their formation and evolution at extreme ƒO2 conditions. We utilize X-ray computed tomography (XCT) to non-destructively analyze the distribution and abundances of mineral phases in aubrites and locate composite clasts of sulfide grains for future analytical study. In order to better constrain elemental behavior under reduced conditions, we specifically target minerals phases that comprise moderately volatile elements (i.e. oldhamite [CaS], caswellsilverite [NaCrS2] and djerfisherite [K6Na(Fe,Cu,Ni)25S26Cl]) as it has been shown that their geochemical behavior changes as a function of ƒO2. Currently, we have produced 3D scans of the Norton County aubrite. The results of the XCT data have allowed for the determination of the abundances of silicate groundmass (i.e., enstatite, forsterite, albite, and diopside), light (based on electron density) sulfides (i.e. alabandite [MnS] and daubréelite [FeCr2S4]), heavy (based on electron density) sulfides (i.e., troilite [FeS]), and Fe,Ni metal by segmenting a density histogram in Volume Graphics Studio software. XCT scans of additional aubrites are underway. By combining the 3D representation of the exotic phases found in aubrites with existing 2D characterizations, we are able to better determine modal abundances. By integrating 3D and 2D modal abundances and geochemistry, we can ultimately better constrain aubrite petrogenesis and elemental partitioning under reduced conditions. Furthermore, application of this new 3D approach offers the opportunity to identify and select clasts for future study prior to cutting the sample, which will minimize sample loss of this precious material.

Wilbur, Zoe↗

Enhanced axial confinement in a monolithically integrated self-rolled-up SiN x vertical microring photonic coupler

We report an efficient method to introduce enhanced axial confinement in the self-rolled-up SiN x vertical microtube coupler by depositing a thin layer of high refractive index material strip within the coupling section and effectively forming a vertical microring. Three times wider mode spacing is observed in such a vertical microring coupler monolithically integrated with a silicon nitride ridge waveguide as compared to the one without such axial confinement. More importantly, single mode operation within the telecomm C-band and S-band is achieved. The self-rolled-up microtube has been demonstrated to be a versatile device platform, which has found application in a number of areas including nanophotonics,1–7 microelectronics,8 chemical and biological sensing,9–11 and intelligent synthetic neural circuits.12 Because the microtube is a three dimensional (3D) structure readily fabricated using two dimensional processing technology, it may serve naturally as a component in 3D-integrated devices. We had previously demonstrated a vertical microtube coupler (VμTC) monolithically integrated with planar ridge waveguides in silicon photonic platform to achieve 3D photonic coupling and observed greatly enhanced coupling between the microtube and the underlying ridge waveguide.1,13 A similar result was reported independently by another research group shortly thereafter.2 One limitation of the VμTC used in previous experiments is that it supports many modes within the telecommunication C-band because of poor axial confinement. For example, we found multiple resonant coupling peaks, which is not desirable for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) switches. In order to increase the mode spacing of this 3D photonic coupler and to achieve single mode operation within the C-band, we propose efficient axial confinement in the microtube to suppress the higher order modes. Axial confinement in self-rolled-up microtubes had been studied both theoretically and experimentally by a couple of research groups.14–17 In all these previous cases, the axial confinement was introduced by a specially designed geometrical shape of a section of the microtube. After being rolled up, the microtube wall will have different thicknesses at different axial locations. The different wall thicknesses result in a slightly varying effective refractive index of the supported whispering gallery modes (WGMs) along the axial direction of the microtube. When a parabolic shape is used, the effective index of the WGM at the center of the parabola will be the highest and decrease adiabatically along both sides. However, the refractive index change due to different wall thicknesses is very small; hence, the axial confinement is rather weak. Here in this paper, we present our experimental endeavor to incorporate a different axial confinement scheme in the monolithically integrated vertical microtube (VμT) to form a vertical microring (VμR) resonator and demonstrate 3 times wider mode spacing than the microtube based vertical photonic coupler and the potential to achieve a higher Q-factor.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Heat loads to divertor nearby components from secondary radiation evolved during plasma instabilities

A fundamental issue in tokamak operation related to power exhaust during plasma instabilities is the understanding of heat and particle transport from the core plasma into the scrape-off layer and to plasma-facing materials. During abnormal and disruptive operation in tokamaks, radiation transport processes play a critical role in divertor/edge-generated plasma dynamics and are very important in determining overall lifetimes of the divertor and nearby components. This is equivalent to or greater than the effect of the direct impact of escaped core plasma on the divertor plate. We have developed and implemented comprehensive enhanced physical and numerical models in the upgraded HEIGHTS package for simulating detailed photon and particle transport in the evolved edge plasma during various instabilities. The paper describes details of a newly developed 3D Monte Carlo radiation transport model, including optimization methods of generated plasma opacities in the full range of expected photon spectra. Response of the ITER divertor's nearby surfaces due to radiation from the divertor-developed plasma was simulated by using actual full 3D reactor design and magnetic configurations. We analyzed in detail the radiation emission spectra and compared the emission of both carbon and tungsten as divertor plate materials. The integrated 3D simulation predicted unexpectedly high damage risk to the open stainless steel legs of the dome structure in the current ITER design from the intense radiation during a disruption on the tungsten divertor plate.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

3D reconstruction and neural rendering for adversarial machine learning

While evasion attacks on computer vision systems have been widely studied, creating attacks that remain effective under significant changes in viewpoint continues to be challenging. Traditional approaches often rely on affine transformations of images, but these approaches degrade at larger perspective shifts and often produce unrealistic or ineffective perturbations. Recent methods use differentiable renderers to improve viewpoint robustness, but they typically depend on manually constructed 3D models. We introduce a semi-automated pipeline that generates physically printable and perspective-invariant adversarial patches using only a small set of 2D images. Our method integrates 3D reconstruction, neural rendering, adversarial patch optimization, and an object detection victim model into a unified workflow. We use 2D Gaussian Splatting for high fidelity mesh reconstruction and FlexPara for surface parameterization that produces texture maps suitable for patch editing. Together, these components form a fully differentiable pipeline in PyTorch3D that links texture modification to model outputs, enabling efficient optimization of patches that remain effective across many viewpoints. The complete process, from image capture to patch printing and physical evaluation, can be completed within a few hours. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the resulting patches through attacks on the YOLOv8 object detection model and discuss remaining challenges and opportunities for improving robustness and scalability.

Singhvi, Vivaan [ORNL] (ORCID:0009000586288221)↗

NASA's In-Space Manufacturing Project: Materials and Manufacturing Process Development Update

The mission of NASA's In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) project is to identify, design, and implement on-demand, sustainable manufacturing solutions for fabrication, maintenance and repair during exploration missions. ISM has undertaken a phased strategy of incrementally increasing manufacturing capabilities to achieve this goal. The ISM project began with the development of the first 3D printer for the International Space Station. To date, the printer has completed two phases of flight operations. Results from phase I specimens indicated some differences in material properties between ground-processed and ISS-processed specimens, but results of follow-on analyses of these parts and a ground-based study with an equivalent printer strongly indicate that this variability is likely attributable to differences in manufacturing process settings between the ground and flight prints rather than microgravity effects on the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. Analysis of phase II specimens from the 3D Printing in Zero G tech demo, which shed further light on the sources of material variability, will be presented. The ISM project has also developed a materials characterization plan for the Additive Manufacturing Facility, the follow-on commercial multimaterial 3D printing facility developed for ISS by Made in Space. This work will yield a suite of characteristic property values that can inform use of AMF by space system designers. Other project activities include development of an integrated 3D printer and recycler, known as the Refabricator, by Tethers Unlimited, which will be operational on ISS in 2018. The project also recently issued a broad area announcement for a multimaterial fabrication laboratory, which may include in-space manufacturing capabilities for metals, electronics, and polymeric materials, to be deployed on ISS in the 2022 timeframe.

Prater, Tracie↗

Performance Study of the First 2D Prototype of Vertically Integrated Pattern Recognition Associative Memory (VIPRAM)

Extremely fast pattern recognition capabilities are necessary to find and fit billions of tracks at the hardware trigger level produced every second anticipated at high luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) running conditions. Associative Memory (AM) based approaches for fast pattern recognition have been proposed as a potential solution to the tracking trigger. However, at the HL-LHC, there is much less time available and speed performance must be improved over previous systems while maintaining a comparable number of patterns. The Vertically Integrated Pattern Recognition Associative Memory (VIPRAM) Project aims to achieve the target pattern density and performance goal using 3DIC technology. The first step taken in the VIPRAM work was the development of a 2D prototype (protoVIPRAM00) in which the associative memory building blocks were designed to be compatible with the 3D integration. In this paper, we present the results from extensive performance studies of the protoVIPRAM00 chip in both realistic HL-LHC and extreme conditions. Results indicate that the chip operates at the design frequency of 100 MHz with perfect correctness in realistic conditions and conclude that the building blocks are ready for 3D stacking. We also present performance boundary characterization of the chip under extreme conditions.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Three-dimensional dendritic needle network model for alloy solidification

Here, we present a three-dimensional (3D) formulation of the multiscale Dendritic Needle Network (DNN) model for dendritic microstructure growth. This approach is aimed at simulating quantitatively the solidification dynamics of complex hierarchical networks in spatially extended dendritic arrays, hence bridging the scale gap between phase-field simulations at the scale of a few dendrites and coarse-grained simulations on the larger scale of entire polycrystalline structures. In the DNN model, the dendritic network is represented by a network of branches that interact through the solutal diffusion field. The tip velocity V(t) and tip radius ρ(t) of each needle is determined by combining a standard solvability condition that fixes the product ρ 2 V and a solute flux conservation condition that fixes the product ρV 2 in 2D and ρV in 3D as a function of a solutal flux intensity factor ℱ(t). The latter measures the intensity of the solute flux in the dendrite tip region and can be calculated by contour (2D) or surface (3D) integration around the tip of each needle. We first present an extended formulation of the 2D DNN model where needles have a finite thickness and parabolic tips. This formulation remains valid for a larger range of tip Péclet number than the original thin needle formulation and is readily extended to 3D needles with paraboloidal tips. The 3D DNN model based on this thick-needle formulation is developed for both isothermal and directional solidification. Model predictions are validated by comparisons with known analytical solutions that describe the early transient and steady-state growth regimes. We exploit the power of the DNN model to characterize the competitive growth of well-developed secondary branches in 3D on the scale of the diffusion length. The results show that the length of active secondary branches increases as a power law of distance behind the tip with an exponent in good quantitative agreement with experimental measurements. Finally, we apply the model to simulate the three-dimensional directional solidification of an Al-7wt% Si alloy, which we directly compare to observed microstructures from microgravity experiments onboard the International Space Station. The predictions of selected microstructural features, such as dendrite arm spacings, show a good agreement with experiments. The computationally-efficient DNN model opens new avenues for investigating the dynamics of large dendritic arrays at length and time scales relevant to solidification experiments and processes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Understanding asymmetries using integrated simulations of capsule implosions in low gas-fill hohlraums at the National Ignition Facility

Current capsule implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) using high-density-carbon ablators and laser energies close to 2 MJ have shown neutron yields in excess of 50 kJ. Improving on this performance requires understanding of the different degradation mechanisms. For many NIF implosions, nuclear diagnostic signatures have inferred residual hot-spot velocities that correlate with fuel areal density variations consistent with a low-order mode-1 asymmetry. A current working hypothesis attributes these asymmetries to a combination of beam to beam variations in the laser delivery and possibly coupling to target features, such as the diagnostic holes needed for x-ray imaging. Recently, a new source has been identified, thickness variation in the ablator shell. To gain better understanding and eventually mitigate the causes of <ρR> asymmetries, 3D integrated simulations using the actual delivered laser powers are needed. To capture the effect of the diagnostic holes (DHs) using direct numerical simulation would require significantly large computational resources. Instead, our 3D simulations make use of a subgrid model developed using highly-resolved 2D simulations that include several details of the DH engineering complexity. Simulations of NIF shots using hohlraums without DHs, to isolate the effect of beam-to-beam variations, reproduce fairly well the observed nuclear diagnostic signatures. Similarly, reasonable agreement between data and simulations is also obtained in the presence of diagnostic holes. To account for the remaining discrepancies a sensitivity study of ablator thickness variation showed that 1% thickness asymmetries are comparable in effect to 1% peak drive mode-1 asymmetries. Furthermore, this study identified sensitivity to variations in the imbedded doped layer (needed to shield the DT ice from the high energy x-rays generated in the hohlraum) thickness even when the inner and outer surface of the ablator are perfectly spherical.

radiation hydrodynamics↗

3D camera assisted fully automated calibration of scanning laser Doppler vibrometers

Scanning laser Doppler vibrometers (LDV) are used to measure full-field vibration shapes of products and structures. In most commercially available scanning laser Doppler vibrometer systems the user manually draws a grid of measurement locations on a 2D camera image of the product. The determination of the correct physical measurement locations can be a time consuming and diffcult task. In this paper we present a new methodology for product testing and quality control that integrates 3D imaging techniques with vibration measurements. This procedure allows to test prototypes in a shorter period because physical measurements locations will be located automatically. The proposed methodology uses a 3D time-of-flight camera to measure the location and orientation of the test-object. The 3D image of the time-of-flight camera is then matched with the 3D-CAD model of the object in which measurement locations are pre-defined. A time of flight camera operates strictly in the near infrared spectrum. To improve the signal to noise ratio in the time-of-flight measurement, a time-of-flight camera uses a band filter. As a result of this filter, the laser spot of most laser vibrometers is invisible in the time-of-flight image. Therefore a 2D RGB-camera is used to find the laser-spot of the vibrometer. The laser spot is matched to the 3D image obtained by the time-of-flight camera. Next an automatic calibration procedure is used to aim the laser at the (pre)defined locations. Another benefit from this methodology is that it incorporates automatic mapping between a CAD model and the vibration measurements. This mapping can be used to visualize measurements directly on a 3D CAD model. Secondly the orientation of the CAD model is known with respect to the laser beam. This information can be used to find the direction of the measured vibration relatively to the surface of the object. With this direction, the vibration measurements can be compared more precisely with numerical experiments.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

3D CAD Modeling and Mechanical Integration at the Mu2e Experiment at Fermilab

This abstract encapsulates a transformative summer internship at Fermilab, focusing on the Mu2e Experiment within the Mechanical Integration and 3D CAD Modeling group. The internship was characterized by a two-phase approach, with the initial month dedicated to the design of an aluminum platform tailored for DS Trench Maintenance. This phase encompassed a comprehensive exploration of structural integrity, material selection, and precision engineering principles, demonstrating an adeptness in CAD modeling and a keen eye for detail. The subsequent month saw a seamless transition into a dynamic phase of the project, wherein the intern played a pivotal role in effecting numerous adjustments across diverse sections of the 3D experiment structure. This phase demanded a nuanced understanding of the intricacies of the Mu2e Experiment and a high level of proficiency in CAD modeling.

3D CAD Modeling↗

Synergistic Integration of Chemo-Resistive and SERS Sensing for Label-Free Multiplex Gas Detection

Practical sensing applications such as real-time safety alerts and clinical diagnoses require sensor devices to differentiate between various target molecules with high sensitivity and selectivity, yet conventional devices such as oxide-based chemo-resistive sensors and metal-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensors usually do not satisfy such requirements. In this report a label-free, chemo-resistive/SERS multimodal sensor based on a systematically assembled 3D cross-point multifunctional nanoarchitecture (3D-CMA), which has unusually strong enhancements in both “chemo-resistive” and “SERS” sensing characteristics is introduced. 3D-CMA combines several sensing mechanisms and sensing elements via 3D integration of semiconducting SnO 2 nanowire frameworks and dual-functioning Au metallic nanoparticles. It is shown that the multimodal sensor can successfully estimate mixed-gas compositions selectively and quantitatively at the sub-100 ppm level, even for mixtures of gaseous aromatic compounds (nitrobenzene and toluene) with very similar molecular structures. This is enabled by combined chemo-resistive and SERS multimodal sensing providing complementary information.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

3D Geologic Framework Modelling of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Site and Pajarito Plateau: Integrating a realistic 3D fault network and modelling subsurface relationships in a sparsely sampled and complex geologic region

The subsurface geology beneath the Pajarito Plateau is critical to understanding the seismic hazard of the Pajarito Fault System, yet our understanding of this geology is relatively poor. While previous 3D geologic framework models of the area have been created for the purposes of understanding hydrogeologic flow, they are inadequate for the purposes of understanding the Pajarito Fault System. The specific challenges of using oil and gas software for this purpose include: (1) the geologic complexities resulting from volcanism and tectonism; (2) a need for a high level of stratigraphic detail over a large area; (3) a near complete lack of seismic data; and (4) sparse wellbore data. Presented here is a workflow that handles these challenges of adapting commercially available software used by the oil and gas industries to this seismic hazard problem.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Inorganic Gel-Derived Metallic Frameworks Enabling High-Performance Silicon Anodes

Metallic matrix materials have emerged as an ideal platform to hybridize with next-generation electrode materials such as silicon for practical applications in Li-ion batteries. However, these metallic species commonly exist in the form of isolated particles, failing to provide enough free space for silicon volume changes as well as continuous charge transport pathways. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) metallic frameworks with interconnected pore channels and conductive skeletons, have been synthesized from inorganic gel precursors as buffering/conducting matrices to boost lithium storage performance of silicon anodes. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, commercial Si particles are in situ immobilized within the Sn–Ni alloy framework via a facile gel-reduction route, and the rearrangement of Si particles during cycling increases the dispersity of Si in the Sn–Ni framework as well as their synergic effects toward lithium storage. Furthermore, the Si@Sn–Ni all-metallic framework manifests high structural integrity, 3D Li + /e – mixed conduction pathway, and synergic effects of interfacial bonding and concurrent reaction dynamics between active Si and Sn, enabling long-term cycle life (1205 mA h g –1 after 100 cycles at 0.5 A g –1 ) and superior rate capability (653 mA h g –1 at 10 A g –1 ).

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Low-thermal-budget synthesis of monolayer molybdenum disulfide for silicon back-end-of-line integration on a 200 mm platform

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising candidates for future electronics due to their excellent electrical and photonic properties. Although promising results on the wafer-scale synthesis (≤150 mm diameter) of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) have already been reported, the high-quality synthesis of 2D materials on wafers of 200 mm or larger, which are typically used in commercial silicon foundries, remains difficult. The back-end-of-line (BEOL) integration of directly grown 2D materials on silicon complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) circuits is also unavailable due to the high thermal budget required, which far exceeds the limits of silicon BEOL integration (<400 °C). This high temperature forces the use of challenging transfer processes, which tend to introduce defects and contamination to both the 2D materials and the BEOL circuits. Here we report a low-thermal-budget synthesis method (growth temperature < 300 °C, growth time ≤ 60 min) for monolayer MoS 2 films, which enables the 2D material to be synthesized at a temperature below the precursor decomposition temperature and grown directly on silicon CMOS circuits without requiring any transfer process. We designed a metal–organic chemical vapour deposition reactor to separate the low-temperature growth region from the high-temperature chalcogenide-precursor-decomposition region. We obtain monolayer MoS 2 with electrical uniformity on 200 mm wafers, as well as a high material quality with an electron mobility of ~35.9 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . Finally, we demonstrate a silicon-CMOS-compatible BEOL fabrication process flow for MoS 2 transistors; the performance of these silicon devices shows negligible degradation (current variation < 0.5%, threshold voltage shift < 20 mV). We believe that this is an important step towards monolithic 3D integration for future electronics.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

2D material-based layer transfer: Challenges and opportunities

For future of electronics such as bioelectronics, 3D integrated electronics, and bendable electronics, needs for flexibility and stackability of electronic products have substantially grown up. However, conventional wafer-based single-crystalline semiconductors cannot catch up with such trends because they are bound to the thick rigid wafers such that they are neither flexible nor stackable. Although polymer-based organic electronic materials are more compatible as they are mechanically complaint and less costly than inorganic counterparts, their electronic/photonic performance is substantially inferior to that of single-crystalline inorganic materials. For the past few decades, many different strategies to mitigate such performance-mechanical compliance dilemma by developing methods to obtain cheap, flexible, stackable, single-crystalline inorganic systems. In today’s talk, I will discuss about various strategies to realize such a dream electronic system and how these strategies unlock new ways of manufacturing advanced electronic systems. One of the most promising approaches is to fabricate freestanding ultrathin membranes from existing functional material wafers by peeling the active layers from the top. I will overview all freestanding membrane methods and especially dive deeply into 2D materials-based layer transfer (2DLT) technique that has been recently emerging as one of the very promising options. In the 2DLT process, one can produce single-crystalline freestanding membranes from 3D materials by performing remote epitaxy or van der Waals epitaxy on 2D materials followed by peeling active single-crystalline films from the 2D materials. I will discuss about the challenges and opportunities of this technology. In addition, I will present unprecedented artificial heterostructures that can be enabled by stacking those freestanding 3D material membranes.

Kim, Jeehwan↗