The Spirulina maxima exact from a non-thermal ultrasonic process (UE) contains 17.5 mg/g of total chlorophyll, compared to 6.24 mg/g of chlorophyll derived from the conventional 70% ethanol extraction at 80 °C for 12 h (EE). The UE also showed relatively low cytotoxicity against murine microglial cells (BV-2) and inhibited the production of the inflammatory mediators, NO and PGE2. The UE also effectively suppresses both mRNA expression and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, in a concentration-dependent manner. Notably, TNF-α gene and protein production were most strongly down-regulated, while IL-6 was the least affected by all ranges of treatment concentrations. This work first demonstrated a quantitative correlation between mRNA expression and the production of cytokines, showing that suppression of TNF-α gene expression was most significantly correlated with its secretion. These results clearly proved that the anti-inflammatory effects of Spirulina extract from a nonthermal ultrasonic process, which yielded high concentrations of intact forms of chlorophylls, were increased two-fold compared to those of conventional extracts processed at high temperature.

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Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) is one of the patterning technologies proposed which can make patterns of 32 nm and below. In order to make minute patterns, it needs different methods from the present one. So we must investigate the EUV source, mask and exposure tool. Mask of good quality can make minute patterns. Especially, EUVL mask defect is one of the biggest problems in EUV technology. Mask defect is any unintended mask anomaly that prints or changes a printed image size by 10 % or more. So, the influence of defects on the mask and on the wafer is becoming more and more important. EUV mask must be free of small defects, requiring development of new inspection tools and low defect fabrication processes. We studied the influences of the defects on the mask for 22 nm line and space pattern. First, we changed the light quality caused by the various wavelength shift, incident angle, and the defect material with different refractive index. Second, we changed the defect size from 20 nm to 16 nm because 18 nm defect is assumed to a critical defect size for 22 nm node. Third, we also changed the defect positions; on top of the absorber, on the valley of the absorber, and at the sides of the absorber. Finally, we simulated the influence for the different shaped defect. A square pillar defect shows very different behavior compared to the more realistic round shaped defect. Defect of higher refractive index gives little influence, while defect of lower refractive index gives larger influence. A more realistic elliptical shaped defect gives less influence compared to square shaped defect. All the defect and EUV parameters will influence to the printability of the defect, but more study is needed to judge whether a certain defect can influence the printed pattern.

No abstract