In the past decade, aggressive scaling of transistor feature size has been a primary force driving higher Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) integration density. Due to the scaling, nanometer SRAM designs are getting more and more stability issues. The traditional way of analyzing stability is the Static Noise Margins (SNM). However, SNM has limited capability to capture critical nonlinearity, so it becomes incapable of characterizing the key dynamics of SRAM operations with induced soft-error. This thesis defines new stability margin metrics using a system-theoretic approach. Nonlinear system theories will be applied rigorously in this work to construct new stability concepts. Based on the phase portrait analysis, soft-error can be explained using bifurcation theory. The state flipping requires a minimum noise current (Icritical) and time (Tcritical). This work derives Icritical analytically for simple L1 model and provides design insight using a level one circuit model, and also provides numerical algorithms on both Icritical and Tcritial for higher a level device model. This stability analysis provides more physical characterization of SRAM noise tolerance property; thus has potential to provide needed yield estimation.

This dissertation studies two problems related to geometric representation of neuroanatomical data: (i) spatial representation and organization of individual neurons, and (ii) reconstruction of three-dimensional neuroanatomical regions from sparse two-dimensional drawings. This work has been motivated by nearby development of new technology, Knife-Edge Scanning Microscopy (KESM), that images a whole mouse brain at cellular level in less than a month. A method is introduced to represent neuronal data observed in the mammalian brain at the cellular level using geometric primitives and spatial indexing. A data representation scheme is defined that captures the geometry of individual neurons using traditional geometric primitives, points and cross-sectional areas along a trajectory. This representation captures inferred synapses as directed links between primitives and spatially indexes observed neurons based on the locations of their cell bodies. This method provides a set of rules for acquisition, representation, and indexing of KESMgenerated data. Neuroanatomical data observed at the gross level provides the underlying regional framework for neuronal circuits. Accumulated expert knowledge on neuroanatomical organization is usually given as a series of sparse two-dimensional contours. A data structure and an algorithm are described to reconstruct separating surfaces among multiple regions from these sparse cross-sectional contours. A topology graph is defined for each region that describes the topological skeleton of the region’s boundary surface and that shows between which contours the surface patches should be generated. A graph-directed triangulation algorithm is provided to reconstruct surface patches between contours. This graph-directed triangulation algorithm combined together with a piecewise parametric curve fitting technique ensures that abutting or shared surface patches are precisely coincident. This method overcomes limitations in i) traditional surfaces-from-contours algorithms that assume binary, not multiple, regionalization of space, and in ii) few existing separating surfaces algorithms that assume conversion of input into a regular volumetric grid, which is not possible with sparse inter-planar resolution.

Interconnect modeling plays an important role in design and verification of VLSI circuits and packages. For low frequency circuits, great advances for parasitic resistance and capacitance extraction have been achieved and wide varieties of techniques are available. However, for high frequency circuits and packages, parasitic inductance and impedance extraction still poses a tremendous challenge. Existing algorithms, such as FastImp and FastHenry developed by MIT, are slow and inherently unable to handle multiple dielectrics and magnetic materials. In this research, we solve three problems in interconnect modeling for high frequency circuits and packages. 1) Multiple dielectrics are common in integrated circuits and packages. We propose the first Boundary Element Method (BEM) algorithm for impedance extraction of interconnects with multiple dielectrics. The algorithm uses a novel equivalentcharge formulation to model the extraction problem with significantly fewer unknowns. Then fast matrix-vector multiplication and effective preconditioning techniques are applied to speed up the solution of linear systems. Experimental results show that the algorithm is significantly faster than existing methods with sufficient accuracy. 2) Magnetic materials are widely used in MEMS, RFID and MRAM. We present the first BEM algorithm to extract interconnect inductance with magnetic materials. The algorithm models magnetic characteristics by the Landau Lifshitz Gilbert equation and fictitious magnetic charges. The algorithm is accelerated by approximating magnetic charge effects and by modeling currents with solenoidal basis. The relative error of the algorithm with respect to the commercial tool is below 3%, while the speed is up to one magnitude faster. 3) Since traditional interconnect model includes mutual inductances between pairs of segments, the resulting circuit matrix is very dense. This has been the main bottleneck in the use of the interconnect model. Recently, K = L-1 is used. The RKC model is sparse and stable. We study the practical issues of the RKC model. We validate the RKC model and propose an efficient way to achieve high accuracy extraction by circuit simulations of practical examples.

From the Chou Dynasty, China expands the south part. At the point of the process of expansion, the frontier and boundary of China changing frequently. This study discusses China¡¦s policy toward frontier and boundary based on the control power of empire center. The history had identified that any nations never had stable boundary. This study explains the making and changing of frontier and boundary, and the impact of geography on the design of national security strategy. This treatise focuses on geography, national organizations and international threats, and result defense, offense and deterrent national style. In this research, I divided the changing process o China¡¦s frontier and boundary into expansion system, dominant system, guard system and buffer system. <p> Our object is to trace the territorial expansion of China from imperial to present the modern nations. This treatise regards the southern expansion of China from the geography standpoint only, not from history, as I understand the word, being both a philosophy of history and a theory of frontiers. China had been a empire, city-state or political system that different from western civilization, and Welpolitik. <p> This treatise, in short, is a contribution to the geography of China state. The policy of China southern expansion shows not only horizontal expansion via military force, but also vertical expansion through economic and administration capability, especially agricultural development. In this research, I illustrate history comparative approach on the south China¡¦s the frontiers and boundary and use an expanded version of military geographic analysis for the organizing framework. First, the gain of earth means that the rulers should invest administration and military resources. Besides, to maintain expansion also means enough domestic economic resources. Second, the increase power means the increase the relative power and nation will raise the status of international system. Rather, it was a conflict internal to the Sinocentric world system. Third, the increase of power means that more geographic ambition. With the expansion of geography, China can not maintain newly occupied territorial order. The result is China most withdraw troops from the southern boundary and carry out tribute system. The tribute system is manage its relationship with countries that did not belong to the China Empire but surrounded it as the nearest neighbours. China uses military forces upon controlled frontiers and use cooperation policy upon the nearest neighbours that as China confronted with limited military forces.

In the present study, effect of satisfying stress boundary conditions, in addition to displacement boundary conditions, in the axisymmetric vibration analysis of circular and annular plates is investigated. A new axisymmetric finite element, which is based on a combination of the conventional displacement-type variational principle and the Reissner¡¦s principle, is proposed. With this formulation, stresses, like displacements, are primary variables, and both displacement and stress boundary conditions can be easily and exactly imposed. Axisymmetric vibration frequencies of some typical circular and annular plates are then obtained with the present approach and are compared with those by the displacement-type axisymmetric finite element. It is found that the conventional finite element, though not satisfying stress boundary conditions, can still obtain sufficiently accurate vibration frequencies of circular and annular plates.

The mixing layer (ML) heights inferred from radiosondes, wind profilers, airborne lidar, airborne microwave temperature profiler (MTP), and in-situ aircraft data were compared during the Texas 2000 Air Quality Study in the Houston area. The comparisons and resulting good agreement between the separate instruments allowed for the spatial and temporal evolution of the ML height distribution to be determined across the Houston area on September 1, 2000. A benchmark method was created for determining ML heights from radiosonde data. The ML heights determined using this method were compared to ML heights determined using wind profiler data. The airborne lidar and MTP heights were also compared to the wind profiler heights. This was the first time the MTP was used for estimating ML heights. Because of this, the MTP heights were also compared to the ML heights determined by in-situ aircraft data. There was good agreement between the ML estimates when the instruments were co-located. The comparisons between the benchmark method and the wind profilers were independent of the quality of the profiler heights. The statistics for lidar and the wind profilers were better for the inland profiler comparisons. Even so, the results for coastal profilers were similar to the other comparisons. The results between the MTP and the wind profilers were comparable with the results found between the other instruments, and better, in that the statistics were similar for the both the inland and coastal profilers. The results between the MTP and in-situ aircraft data provided additional support for the use of MTP for determining ML heights. The combination of the inland and coastal wind profilers with the airborne instruments provided adequate information for the spatial and temporal evolution of the ML height to be determined across the Houston area on September 1, 2000. By analyzing the ML height distribution, major features were evident. These features included the shallow ML heights associated with the marine air from Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and the sharp gradient of increasing ML heights north of Houston associated with the variation in the inversion depth found on this day.

We compute the Casimir energy of a massless scalar field obeying the Robin boundary condition on one plate and the Dirichlet boundary condition on another plate for two parallel plates with a separation of alpha. The Casimir energy densities for general dimensions (D = d + 1) are obtained as functions of alpha and beta by studying the cylinder kernel. We construct an infinite-series solution as a sum over classical paths. The multiple-reflection analysis continues to apply. We show that finite Casimir energy can be obtained by subtracting from the total vacuum energy of a single plate the vacuum energy in the region (0,∞)x R^d-1. In comparison with the work of Romeo and Saharian(2002), the relation between Casimir energy and the coeffcient beta agrees well.

This study is motivated by a desire to understand the role of boundary spanners in creating satisfactory alliance. Specifically, the relationships between organizational culture, boundary spanner, and alliance performance were examined. In general, results from an empirical investigation with 116 alliance experiences supported the notion that alliance partners with higher similarity of organizational culture perceived higher alliance performance. By the same token, higher capabilities of boundary spanners lead to higher alliance performance. Furthermore, the relationships between the organizational culture and alliance performance were mediated through their boundary spanners¡¦ capability.

River is an origion of lives. It seems there is a renowned river flowing through in all the metropolitan cities.Many rivers have been polluted due to economic development, which has brought destructive impact on the environment and the quality of life. People begin to realize that the aim is switiching from economic development to preservation of the environment. The government, public organizations, and the public are all interested in balancing economic development and environmental preservation. Kaohsiung city is municipal , comparing with Kaohsiung county; both are ruled by two different levels of administrations under differing budget. Due to jurisdictions overlapping, Kaohsiung city and county failed to manage the Love River together, which is in need of restructuring the Policy Network, New Managerial Regime, and Collaboration. The Policy Network is to be revised to increase efficiency on the policy community, issue network, professionalized network, intergovernmental network, territorial network, and product network. For effective management of the Love River, there are four areas including the driving force, the public opinion, the interests of the state, and the economical/environmental response. We wish to find out a solution on Love River management which benefits the economy, the society, the ecosystem, and the environment, by reconstructing the current system to build up a cooperative relation between the city and county of Kaohsiung, in order to improve the water quality of the Love River. By consecutive interviews and thorough research of using the quality analysis software, ATLAS.ti, we analyzed the data and set a coding system that ranks the importance of various factors involved in the Love River management, which improves management base on the new method of management more than just geography. We suggest that the state and local authorities stay neutral from own political goals, and seek for consensus in decision-making. This brings in a competitive atmosphere of cooperation, quality, and relationship development between the responsible authorities and the public. The successful system of cross-area management is to be well-organized, strategic, active ,leadership and management guidance effective,these five factors enable the long-term management mechanism of the Love River .

none