A probabilistic method for determining an operability interval for fasteners in a nuclear power plant assembly is provided. The probabilistic method includes determining or assuming a geometric distribution of a given initial condition of fasteners in the nuclear power plant assembly at an initial time T0; determining a future fastener failure probability model of the geometric distribution over time; generating a plurality of random future fastener failure patterns by applying the fastener failure model to the geometric distribution at a given time T1>T0; postulating fastener spacing rules designed to evaluate the acceptability of fastener failure patterns for the fasteners in the nuclear power plant assembly; applying the fastener spacing rules to a plurality of randomly generated fastener failure patterns for the given time T1 to determine the probability of the randomly generated fastener failure patterns passing the fastener spacing rules at the given time T1; iterating, by a processor of a computer, the applying step for a given range of time values T2, T3, . . . , Tx>T0 and determining a maximum future time Tmax at which a predetermined acceptable probability of the fastener failure patterns passing the fastener spacing rules is met, thereby justifying the acceptability of the fasteners for continued operation of the nuclear power plant assembly; and determining the operability interval as being Tmax-T0.

Embodiments of the claimed subject matter are directed to methods and systems that allow tracking and accounting of wear and other aging effects in integrated circuits and products which include integrated circuits over time, and the dynamic adjustment of operating conditions to increase or decrease wear in response to the accumulated wear relative to the expected wear during the lifetime of the circuit and/or product.

A fatigue life management system for determining a remaining fatigue life of a component of an aircraft. The fatigue life management system may generate probability density functions of minimum load, maximum load, and timeframe damage for predetermined time intervals based on selected flight data of the aircraft and regression models for probabilistic prediction of minimum load, maximum load, and timeframe damage of the component. The fatigue life management system may further compute an accumulated fatigue damage estimation based on the probability density functions and a probabilistic fatigue strength model. The fatigue life management system may then generate a distribution of the accumulated fatigue damage estimation of the component. If desired, the processing circuit may compare the distribution of the accumulated fatigue damage estimation with a reliability requirement to determine the remaining fatigue life of the component.

Aspects of the disclosed technology relate to techniques of full-chip assessment of time-dependent dielectric breakdown. A layout design is analyzed to identify matching patterns that match a pre-calculated pattern in a pattern database. Each of pre-calculated patterns in the pattern database has a time-to-failure characteristic value pre-computed based on a model of electric current path generation and evolution. Time-to-failure characteristic values are then determined for the matching patterns based on the pre-computed time-to-failure characteristic values and electric attributes of geometric elements in each of the matching patterns. Based on the time-to-failure characteristic values, matching patterns most susceptible to time-dependent dielectric breakdown are identified and fixed.

Technologies for producing training data for identifying degradation of physical components include a system. The system includes circuitry configured to apply an accelerated degradation process to a physical component of an industrial plant. Additionally, the circuitry of the system is configured to obtain measurement data indicative of visual characteristics of the physical component at each of multiple phases of degradation, wherein the measurement data is usable to train a neural network to identify a phase of degradation of another physical component.

In an example embodiment, a method of calculating end-of-life (EOL) predictions for a physical asset is provided. A state-space model for the physical asset is obtained, the state-space model being a physics-based model describing a state of the physical asset at a particular time given measurements or observations for the physical asset. Then a current state of the physical asset is inferred. Then a long-term prediction is derived for the physical asset based on the inferred current state of the physical asset and the state-space model for the physical asset. Then an EOL probability distribution function is generated for the physical asset based on the long-term prediction, the EOL probability distribution function describing a range of estimates of EOL for the physical asset and their corresponding confidence intervals.

A method of determining electromigration (EM) compliance of a circuit is performed. The method includes providing a layout of the circuit, the layout comprising one or more metal lines, and changing a property of one or more of the one or more metal lines within one or more nets of a plurality of nets in the layout. Each of the nets includes a subset of the one or more metal lines. The method also includes determining one or more current values drawn only within the one or more nets and comparing the determined one or more current values drawn with corresponding threshold values. Based on the comparison, an indication is provided whether or not the layout is compliant. A pattern of the one or more metal lines in the compliant layout is transferred to a mask to be used in the manufacturing of the circuit on a substrate.

Methods for analyzing electromigration (EM) in an integrated circuit (IC) are provided. The layout of the IC is obtained. A metal segment is selected from the layout according to a current simulation result of the IC. EM rule is kept on the metal segment when a single via is formed over and in contact with the metal segment in the layout. The EM rule is relaxed on the metal segment when two first vias are formed over and in contact with the metal segment in the layout. The two first vias have the same current direction.

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of parallel pillar structures is described. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a series of layers. The series of layers include a plurality of pillar metals in each of the series of layers. Pillars within each of the series of layers are oriented to be parallel. Pillars in adjacent layers are aligned to be perpendicular. Each of the plurality of pillar metals is a rectangular segment of metal. The plurality of pillar metals form a reconvergent mesh grid. The series of layers includes a plurality of vias connecting the plurality of parallel pillar metals between the series of layers. Vias of the plurality of vias are located at intersections in the reconvergent mesh grid.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for monitoring the condition of a device or a target processing object.

A monitoring system according to one aspect of the present invention monitors a device powered by an AC motor and estimates a condition of at least one of the device or a target processing object of the device, and includes a time-series data acquisition unit configured to acquire voltage data relating to a drive voltage of an AC motor; a feature value computation unit configured to analyze a feature value of an abnormal voltage waveform in a time-series waveform of the voltage data; and a state estimation unit configured to estimate the condition based on the feature value of the abnormal voltage waveform.