In recent years, microwave wireless power transfer (WPT) has attracted considerable attention due to the increasing demand for various sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Microwave WPT requires technology that can detect and avoid human bodies in the transmission path. Using a phantom is essential for developing such technology in terms of standardization and human body protection from electromagnetic radiation. In this study, a simple and lightweight phantom was developed focusing on its radar cross-section (RCS) to evaluate human body avoidance technology for use in microwave WPT systems. The developed phantom's RCS is comparable to that of the human body.

The theoretical studies conducted mainly by the author are reviewed on (1) derivation of arbitrary order moment equations and solutions of some equations, (2) scattering by many particles and the effective medium constant of random medium, (3) scattering by a conducting body in random media and (4) spatially partially-coherent wave scattering, with application to satellite communications, artificial material development, and sensing and radar technology. The leading research results are described with many references; and also unsolved subjects in the above four studies are touched.

This paper proposes an accurate modeling method of the copper interconnect cross-section in which the width and thickness dependence on layout patterns and density caused by processes (CMP, etching, sputtering, lithography, and so on) are fully incorporated and universally expressed. In addition, we have developed specific test patterns for the model parameters extraction, and an efficient extraction flow. We have extracted the model parameters for 0.15 µm CMOS using this method and confirmed that 10% τpd error normally observed with conventional LPE (Layout Parameters Extraction) was completely dissolved. Moreover, it is verified that the model can be applied to more advanced technologies (90 nm, 65 nm and 55 nm CMOS). Since the interconnect delay variations due to the processes constitute a significant part of what have conventionally been treated as random variations, use of the proposed model could enable one to greatly narrow the guardbands required to guarantee a desired yield, thereby facilitating design closure.

A probe-fed U-shaped cross-sectional antenna with tuning stubs on a U-shaped ground plane is proposed for wideband applications. The bottom of the antenna is etched to form tuning stubs for impedance matching. The simulated results of return loss, co- and cross-polarized patterns are presented and compared with the measured ones. Characteristics of a constructed antenna prototype at the operating frequency show that the antenna has an impedance bandwidth (2:1 VSWR) of 37.44% and average gain level of 8.5 dBi. Good radiation characteristics of the proposed antenna have been obtained that is the cross-polarization level and front-to-back ratio in both E- and H-planes across the large bandwidth are better than 22 dB and 12 dB, respectively.

To make clear numerically the scattering characteristics for a body embedded in a random medium, we need to analyze the bistatic cross-section (BCS). The scattering problem can be analyzed as a boundary value problem by using current generator method. The fourth moment of Green's functions in the random medium, which is necessary for the analysis, is obtained approximately by two-scale method. We analyze numerically the BCS of conducting circular cylinders in continuous random media, which are assumed to fluctuate about the dielectric constant of free space. The numerical results agree well with the law of energy conservation. The effects of random media on the BCS are also clarified numerically.

In this paper, we present an analysis of the microstrip lines whose strip conductors are of various cross-sections, such as rectangular cross-section, triangle cross-section, and half-cycle cross-section. The method employed is the boundary integral equation method (BIEM). Numerical results for these microstrip lines demonstrate various shape effects of the strip conductor on the characteristics of lines. The processing technique on the convergence of the Green's function is also described.

We compare interfaces of Nb/AlOx-Al/Nb and Nb/ZrOx-Zr/Nb junctions using secondary ion mass spectroscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. We have clarified that an interface of the Nb/AlOx-Al/Nb junction is drastically different from that of the Nb/ZrOxZr/Nb junction. An adsorbed water vapor layer plays an important role in suppressing grain boundary diffusion between Nb and Al at the interface of the Nb/AlOxAl/Nb junction. In depositing Nb and Al at low power and cooling the substrate, it is important to control the formation of the adsorbed water vapor layer for fabricating Nb/AlOx-Al/Nb junctions exhibiting excellent current-voltage characteristics.

A procedure for preparing a cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph of a specific area is outlined. A specific area in a specimen has been very difficult to observe with TEM, because a particular small area cannot be preselected in the conventional specimen preparation technique using mechanical polishing, dimpling and ion milling. The technique in this paper uses a focused ion beam (FIB) to fabricate a cross-sectional specimen at a desired area. The applications of this specimen preparation technique are illustrated for investigations of particles in the process of fabricating devices and degraded aluminum/aluminum vias. The specimen preparation technique using FIB is useful for observing a specific area. This technique is also useful for shortening the time of specimen preparation and observing wide areas of LSI devices.

New focused ion beam (FIB) methods for microscopic cross-sectioning and observation, microscopic crosssectioning and elemental analysis, and aluminum film microstructure observation are presented. The new methods are compared to the conventional methods and the conventional FIB methods, from the four viewpoints such as easiness of analysis, analysis time, spatial resolution, and pinpointing precision. The new FIB methods, as a result, are shown to be the best ones totally judging from the viewpoints shown above.