Infrared (IR) microspectroscopy combined with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) together with an original relative humidity (RH) control system has been developed for studying water adsorption on a collagen film. The adsorbed water weights measured by QCM are almost similar for wetting and drying processes at 28 ℃, indicating that the collagen film is close to the water adsorption/desorption equilibria. A broad OH + NH stretching band area (3000-3700 cm) in the IR spectra of the collagen film increased linearly with the adsorbed weight until about 1.2 μg/8.0 μg dry collagen film at relative humidity (RH) = 40%, while at higher RH (60%, 80%), the band area deviates from the linear trend to the lower side, due to viscoelasticity and others. The OH + NH band can be simulated by four Gaussian components at 3440, 3330, 3210, and 3070 cm with the relatively constant band areas of 3330 and 3070 cm components due to amide A and B (NH) for increasing and decreasing RH. Bound water (3210 cm component: short H bond) constitutes around 70% of total water (3440 + 3210 cm band areas) at RH = 4.9% but decreases to 23% at RH = 80.3%, where free water (3440 cm component: long H bond) becomes dominant over 70%. The peak shifts of C=O stretching (Amide I) and N-H bending (Amide II) can be understood by increasing hydrogen bonding of water molecules (bound water) bound to peptides at lower RH. The higher wavenumber shifts of CH stretching can be due to the loose binding of water molecules (free water) to aliphatic chains on the collagen surface, especially at higher RH. The present combined QCM-IR method is useful for studying amounts and natures of water adsorbing on biomolecules.

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The impact of carbon (C) co-implantation on boron (B) activation in crystalline silicon was investigated. The detailed distribution of B and C atoms and B activation ratios dependent on the C ion-implantation energies were examined based on three-dimensional spatial mappings of B and C obtained by atom probe tomography and from depth profiles of their concentrations from secondary ion mass spectrometry and depth profiles of carrier concentrations with spreading resistance measurements. At all C implantation energies (8, 15, and 30 keV), B out-diffusion during activation annealing was reduced, so that more B atoms were observed in the C co-implanted samples. The carrier concentration was decreased throughout the entire implanted region for C implantation energies of 15 and 30 keV, although it was only increased at greater depths for C co-implantation at 8 keV. Two different effects of C co-implantation, (I) reduction of B out-diffusion and (II) influence of B activation, were confirmed.

Channel stress induced by NiPt-silicide films in metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) was demonstrated using UV-Raman spectroscopy, and its generation mechanism was revealed. It was possible to accurately measure the channel stress with the Raman test structure. The channel stress depends on the source/drain doping type and the second silicide annealing method. In order to discuss the channel stress generation mechanism, NiPt-silicide microstructure analyses were performed using X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The channel stress generation mechanism can be elucidated by the following two factors: the change in the NiSi lattice spacing, which depends on the annealing temperature, and the NiSi crystal orientation. The analyses of these factors are important for controlling channel stress in stress engineering for high-performance transistors.