Abstract: Thin-film laser-effected internal crystalline structure modified materials suitable for the creation of various small-dimension mechanical devices, either singly or in monolithic arrays, such as MEMS devices. Processing is carried out at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: Laser processing of various materials to create mechanical devices whose internal mechanical properties are provided in final useable form by adjustments made in internal crystalline structure.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for quantization or dequantization of data related to video wherein reduced bit depth intermediate calculations are enabled.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a single-phase c-axis PGO film overlying a Pt metal electrode. Although the method is summarized in the context of a Pt bottom electrode, it has a broader application to other noble metals. The method comprises: forming a bottom electrode mixture of Pt and Pt3O4; forming a single-phase c-axis PGO thin film overlying the bottom electrode; and, forming a top electrode overlying the PGO thin film. Forming a bottom electrode mixture of a Pt and Pt3O4 includes: forming a Pt first layer; and, forming a second layer, interposed between the first layer and the PGO thin film, of fully oxidized Pt3O4. In other aspects, forming a bottom electrode mixture of Pt and Pt3O4 includes forming a polycrystalline mixture of Pt and Pt3O4. A c-axis PGO film capacitor is also provided. Again, a Pt bottom electrode is described, along with other noble metal bottom electrodes.

Abstract: A method of forming a tungsten nitride thin film in an integrated circuit includes preparing a silicon substrate on a silicon wafer and placing the silicon wafer in a heatable chuck in a CVD vacuum chamber; placing a known quantity of a tungsten source in a variable-temperature bubbler to provide a gaseous tungsten source; setting the variable-temperature bubbler to a predetermined temperature; passing a carrier gas through the variable-temperature bubbler and carrying the gaseous tungsten source with the carrier gas into the CVD vacuum chamber; introducing a nitrogen-containing reactant gas into the CVD vacuum chamber; reacting the gaseous tungsten source and the nitrogen-containing reactant gas above the surface of the silicon wafer in a deposition process to deposit a WxNy thin film on the surface of the silicon wafer; and completing the integrated circuit containing the WxNy thin film.

Abstract: A method is provided to produce thin film transistors (TFTs) on polycrystalline films having a single predominant crystal orientation. A layer of amorphous silicon is deposited over a substrate to a thickness suitable for producing a desired crystal orientation. Lateral-seeded excimer laser annealing (LS-ELA) is used to crystallize the amorphous silicon to form a film with a preferred crystal orientation. A gate is formed overlying the polycrystalline film. The polycrystalline film is doped to produce source and drain regions.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for a Home Network telephone answering device (TAD) to notify external systems of voice mail messages. The method comprises: receiving the message from a communication media; recording a voice mail message for registered Home Network endpoints; and, sending a notification of the recorded message from the TAD to a system external to the Home Network. The notification may include information such as the calling telephone number, the calling party's name, the time of the call, the addressed endpoint, and the length of the call. Some aspects of the method further comprise: converting the format of the recorded message to one that is compatible with the external system to which the notification is sent. Other aspects of the method further comprise: in response to the notification, receiving a request for the playback of the recorded message; and, supplying the recorded message.

Abstract: A polarized light beam splitter system provides a polarized light beam splitter including an embedded wire grid polarizer. Spacers ensure a uniform distance between an exposed surface of an internal wire grid polarizer and a corresponding internal surface of a polarized light beam splitter prism so as to ensure a uniform air gap between the two surfaces and within the prism. The spacers typically comprise rigid spheres having a precise predetermined outer diameter. The spacers are generally distributed within an adhesive, such as epoxy, which is used to adhere the exposed surface of the wire grid polarizer to the internal surface of the prism, around the outer edge of the two surfaces. The exposed surface of the wire grid polarizer and the internal surface of the prism are forced together during adhesion so that the two surfaces are uniformly separated by the an air gap having a width having the same dimension as the diameter of a single spacer.

Abstract: Using programmable resistance material for a matching resistor, a resistor trimming circuit is designed to reversibly trim a matching resistor to match a reference resistor. The programmable resistance materials such as metal-amorphous silicon metal materials, phase change materials or perovskite materials are typically used in resistive memory devices and have the ability to change the resistance reversibly and repeatable with applied electrical pulses. The present invention reversible resistor trimming circuit comprises a resistance bridge network of a matching resistor and a reference resistor to provide inputs to a comparator circuit which generates a comparing signal indicative of the resistance difference. This comparing signal can be used to control a feedback circuit to provide appropriate electrical pulses to the matching resistor to modify the resistance of the matching resistor to match that of the reference resistor.

Abstract: A system and methodology for removing JPEG-compression artifacts from color images, wherein a first-stage examination of the image takes place to determine, in accordance with several approaches, whether artifact removal is appropriate for the image. Following such examination and characterization, when an image is determined to be a candidate for artifact removal, pixel blocks in the image are examined so that they can be characterized as uniform, busy or transitional, and from these characterizations, appropriate filters, or no filter at all, are employed to prepare such pixels for insertion into a final artifact-removed output color image.

Abstract: A method for including a barcode as part of a print job. A user is presented an option to encode and print at least one property of the document as a barcode. Data representative of a document to be printed is rendered. Rendering and encoding may take place in serial or in parallel, with either one of the steps occurring prior to the other. The document to be printed is printed. If the user selects to print the barcodes, the barcodes are then printed.

Abstract: A non-segmentation, individual pixel-by-pixel-based image rendering system and method provides processing of heterogeneous or homogeneous images, wherein each image comprises a multiplicity of pixels. Each pixel of the image has image information attached thereto. Subsequently, each pixel is processed and rendered according to the attached image information. The pixel-based image rendering system improves the quality of the printed heterogeneous or homogeneous images because each pixel of the image is rendered individually according to the attached image information.

Abstract: A search engine user interface and method are presented for providing search syntax help. The method comprises: presenting a search engine user interface with a selectable edit box for formulating a search request; formulating a search engine search request by selecting the UI edit box; and, in response to the search request, automatically supplying search syntax help in the form of a popup window. Automatically supplying search syntax help includes displaying search syntax characters supported by the search engine, where the search syntax characters are selected from the group including connectors and operators. Further, the help can be the displaying of search syntax character definitions, frequently-used search syntax characters, a list of every supported search syntax character, or examples in which the search syntax characters are used.

Abstract: An international telephone number is displayed by automatically inserting at least one space after the country code portion of the telephone number. In particular, when a telephone number having an International Direct Dialing (IDD) prefix, such as “00”, “011” and “+”, is received, the telephone number is then displayed by inserting at least one space between a country code portion contained in the telephone number and subsequent numbers of the telephone number. The country code portion of the telephone number is determined by accessing a look-up table for identifying the country code portion of the telephone number. Alternatively, the country code portion could be determined by comparing numbers appearing subsequent to the IDD prefix with predetermined country codes.

Abstract: A mask design for use in sequential lateral solidification processing is provided comprising a first array of beamlet and a second array of beamlets, which is parallel to the first, for accomplishing a first 2-shot process, and a third array of beamlets and forth array of beamlets, both at at an angle, for example 90 degrees, relative to the first and second array of beamlets for accomplishing a second 2-shot process without the need to rotate the mask. A method of using the mask to accomplish a 2N crystallization process.

Abstract: A system and method have been provided for achieving simultaneous media playout in a network including a server and a plurality of clients. The method comprises: from a server, supplying a media stream to clients at a first bitrate (R1); determining the network delivery requirement; and, in response to the network delivery requirements, modifying the supply of the media stream. Determining the network delivery requirements includes determining either the buffering capacities of the clients, or the media streaming disruptions. To determine the buffering capacities of the dents, a first minimum client buffering capacity (C1) is determined by polling the clients for their respective buffering capacities, and selecting the first minimum buffering capacity (C1) to be equal to the client with the smallest buffering capacity.

Abstract: A method of etching a noble metal top electrode on a ferroelectric layer while preserving the ferroelectric properties of the ferroelectric layer and removing etching residue includes preparing a substrate; depositing a barrier layer on the substrate; depositing a bottom electrode layer on the barrier layer; depositing a ferroelectric layer on the bottom electrode layer; depositing a noble metal top electrode layer on the ferroelectric layer; depositing an adhesion layer on the top electrode layer; depositing a hard mask layer on the adhesion layer; patterning the hard mask; etching the noble metal top electrode layer in an initial etching step at a predetermined RF bias power, which produces etching residue; and over etching the noble metal top electrode layer and ferroelectric layer at an RF bias power lower than that of the predetermined RF bias power to remove etching residue from the initial etching step.

Abstract: A memory array dual-trench isolation structure and a method for forming the same have been provided.

Abstract: A flexible liquid crystal display (LCD) substrate support structure and a method of supporting a flexible LCD substrate during fabrication have been provided. The method forms channels or trenches in-between a rigid support substrate and the flexible LCD substrate. A vacuum is created in the channels or trenches to pull adhesive in. The adhesive formed in this manner contains no air or water bubbles whose expansion in subsequent LCD fabrication processes can destroy the integrity of thin film transistor films formed on the flexible LCD substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a SiGe layer having a relatively high Ge content includes preparing a silicon substrate; depositing a layer of SiGe to a thickness of between about 100 nm to 500 nm, wherein the Ge content of the SiGe layer is equal to or greater than 10%, implanting H2+ ions through the SiGe layer into the substrate at a dose of between about 2×1014 cm?2 to 2×1016 cm?2, at an energy of between about 20 keV to 100+ keV; low temperature thermal annealing at a temperature of between about 200° C. to 400° C. for between about ten minutes and ten hours; high temperature thermal annealing the substrate and SiGe layer, to relax the SiGe layer, in an inert atmosphere at a temperature of between about 650° C. to 1000° C. for between about 30 seconds and 30 minutes; and depositing a layer of silicon-based material on the relaxed SiGe layer to a thickness of between about 5 nm to 30 nm.