Abstract: An integrated circuit, such as a memory macro, includes multiple power rails supporting first and second voltage differentials, with the second voltage differential being smaller than the first voltage differential. Signal lines in the integrated circuit are driven with the small voltage swing, which is generated by small swing circuits. The integrated circuit further includes regeneration circuits, which are receiving small voltage swing inputs and are outputting first, or full voltage swings. The application of the small voltage swing to the signal lines saves power in the integrated circuit. A wide bandwidth, full-wordline I/O, memory integrated circuit has simultaneously operable connection paths between essentially all the memory cells that are attached to the same wordline and the corresponding I/O terminals, and it has a single ended data-line structure.

Abstract: A method and system for locating a dependent by a guardian entity at a locality using RFID technology is disclosed. A RFID tag is situated with the dependent and a plurality of RFID reader devices capable of communicating with the RFID tag are distributed about the locality. A processor is directing communications between the RFID tag and the plurality of RFID reader devices, and is tracking the RFID tag. An authenticating system, which uniquely associates the RFID tag with the guardian entity, validates commands pertaining to the tracking of the RFID tag. The processor upon receiving a validated command generates a response, which includes location information regarding the dependent.

Abstract: A structure and method of fabrication for MOSFET devices with a polycrystalline SiGe junction is disclosed. Ge is selectively grown on Si while Si is selectively grown on Ge. Alternating depositions of Ge and Si layers yield the SiGe junction. The deposited layers are doped, and subsequently the dopants outdiffused into the device body. A thin porous oxide layer between the polycrystalline Ge and Si layers enhances the isotropy of the SiGe junctions.

Abstract: A DRAM is disclosed which includes a single ended bitline structure, a single ended global bitline structure, primary sense amplifiers with data storage and data write-back capability and with capability to decouple from the global bitlines, a full-wordline I/O structure where essentially all memory cell that belong to the same wordline are being operated on, and a pipelined architecture. The DRAM further includes a small voltage swing design. The primary sense amplifiers can include more than one amplification stages. Such a DRAM is suitable for applications in conjunction with processors as an embedded DRAM.

Abstract: A structure and method of fabrication for a Si based material p-i-n photodetector is disclosed. The light is absorbed in an undoped layer containing SiGe or Ge in such a manner that the absorption length is not limited by a critical thickness of the SiGe or Ge layer. The result is achieved by growing the SiGe or Ge layer from the walls of a trench in monocrystalline Si using lateral epitaxial. A second, doped material is disposed over the undoped layer for biasing and photocarrier collection in the p-i-n diode.

Abstract: A strained crystalline layer having a tensilely strained SiGe portion and a compressively strained SiGe portion is disclosed. The strained crystalline layer is epitaxially bonded, or grown, on top of a SiGe relaxed buffer layer, in a way that the tensilely strained SiGe has a Ge concentration below that of the SiGe relaxed buffer, and the compressively strained SiGe has a Ge concentration above that of the SiGe relaxed buffer. The strained crystalline layer and the relaxed buffer can reside on top a semi-insulator substrate or on top of an insulating divider layer. In some embodiments the tensile SiGe layer is pure Si, and the compressive SiGe layer is pure Ge. The tensilely strained SiGe layer is suited for hosting electron conduction type devices and the compressively strained SiGe is suited for hosting hole conduction type devices. The strained crystalline layer is capable to seed an epitaxial insulator, or a compound semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method for producing thin, below 6 nm of equivalent oxide thickness, germanium oxynitride layer on Ge-based materials for use as gate dielectric is disclosed. The method involves a two step process. First, nitrogen is incorporated in a surface layer of the Ge-based material. Second, the nitrogen incorporation is followed by an oxidation step. The method yields excellent thickness control of high quality gate dielectrics for Ge-based field effect devices, such as MOS transistors. Structures of devices having the thin germanium oxynitride gate dielectric and processors made with such devices are disclosed, as well.

Abstract: In all representative embodiments presented, the Ge concentration in the source and drain 10 and the SiGe epitaxial channel layer 20 is in the 15% to 50% range, preferably between about 20% to 40%. The SiGe thicknesses in the source/drain 10 are staying below the critical thickness for the given Ge concentration. The critical thickness is defined such that above it the SiGe will relax and defects and dislocations will form. The thickness of the SiGe epitaxial layer 20 typically is between about 5nm and 15nm. The thickness of the epitaxial Si layer 30 is typically between about 5nm and 15nm. FIG. 1A shows an embodiment where the body is bulk Si. These type of devices are the most common devices in present day microelectronics. FIGS. 1B and 1C show representative embodiment of the heterojunction source/drain FET device when the Si body 40 is disposed on top of an insulating material 55. This type of technology is commonly referred to as silicon on insulator (SOI) technology.

Abstract: A deposition member adapted for discharging a deposition material during a deposition process can acquire a coating during the deposition. Such an initial emissivity value is selected for the deposition member, before any of the coating became deposited, that the emissivity of the deposition member remains substantially unchanged during the deposition process. In a representative embodiment the deposition member is coated with an appropriate thin layer for achieving the selected emissivity value.

Abstract: An apparatus and method in a high performance processor for issuing instructions, comprising; a classification logic for sorting instructions in a number of priority categories, a plurality of instruction queues storing the instruction of differing priorities, and a issue logic selecting from which queue to dispatch instructions for execution. This apparatus and method can be implemented in both in-order, and out-of-order execution processor architectures. The invention also involves instruction cloning, and use of various predictive techniques.

Abstract: An integrated circuit, such as a memory macro, includes multiple power rails supporting first and second voltage differentials, with the second voltage differential being smaller than the first voltage differential. Signal lines in the integrated circuit are driven with the small voltage swing, which is generated by small swing circuits. The integrated circuit further includes regeneration circuits, which are receiving small voltage swing inputs and are outputting first, or full voltage swings. The application of the small voltage swing to the signal lines saves power in the integrated circuit. A wide bandwidth, full-wordline I/O, memory integrated circuit has simultaneously operable connection paths between essentially all the memory cells that are attached to the same wordline and the corresponding I/O terminals, and it has a single ended data-line structure.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for an optical backplane in an electronic processor that comprises of a plurality of processing units. The backplane is comprising of a network of optical waveguides which can guide polarized light. Furthermore, the backplane has magneto optic routers for steering light at the vertexes of the network, and the backplane also has optical devices for operationally connecting the processing units to the network. The backplane network affords an optical interconnection amongst all of the processing units.

Abstract: A structure and a method are disclosed of an enhanced T-gate for modulation doped field effect transistors (MODFETs). The enhanced T-gate has insulator spacer layers sandwiching the neck portion of the T-gate. The spacer layers are thinner than the T-bar portion overhang. The insulating layer provides mechanical support and protects the vulnerable neck portion of the T-gate from chemical attack during subsequent device processing, making the T-gate structure highly scalable and improving yield. The use of thin conformal low dielectric constant insulating layers ensures a low parasitic gate capacitance, and reduces the risk of shorting gate and source metallurgy when source-to-gate spacings are reduced to smaller dimensions.

Abstract: A strained crystalline layer having a tensilely strained SiGe portion and a compressively strained SiGe portion is disclosed. The strained crystalline layer is epitaxially bonded, or grown, on top of a SiGe relaxed buffer layer, in a way that the tensilely strained SiGe has a Ge concentration below that of the SiGe relaxed buffer, and the compressively strained SiGe has a Ge concentration above that of the SiGe relaxed buffer. The strained crystalline layer and the relaxed buffer can reside on top a semi-insulator substrate or on top of an insulating divider layer. In some embodiments the tensile SiGe layer is pure Si, and the compressive SiGe layer is pure Ge. The tensilely strained SiGe layer is suited for hosting electron conduction type devices and the compressively strained SiGe is suited for hosting hole conduction type devices. The strained crystalline layer is capable to seed an epitaxial insulator, or a compound semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Structure and methods of fabrication are disclosed for an enhanced FET devices in which dopant impurities are prevented from diffusing through the gate insulator. The structure comprises a Si:C, or SiGe:C, layer which is sandwiched between the gate insulator and a layer which is doped with impurities in order to provide a preselected workfunction. It is further disclosed how this, and further improvements for FET devices, such as raised source/drain and multifaceted gate on insulator, MODFET on insulator are integrated with strained Si based layer on insulator technology.

Abstract: A low programming power, high speed EEPROM device is disclosed which is adapted for large scale integration. The device comprises a body, a source, a drain, and it has means for injecting a programming current into the body. The hot carriers from the body enter the floating gate with much higher efficiency than channel current carriers are capable of doing. The drain current of this device is controlled by the body bias. The device is built on an insulator, with a bottom common plate, and a top side body. These features make the device ideal for SOI and thin film technologies.

Abstract: An optical switch for routing light between two waveguides is disclosed. The switch, or router, comprises a movable waveguide, the movable waveguide having two positions, wherein in a first position the movable waveguide is interposed between the two waveguides and transmits light between the two waveguides by evanescent wave coupling, and in the other position the movable waveguide is retracted from the two waveguides and is not transmitting light between the two waveguides. Means for moving the movable waveguide between the two positions is also disclosed. The optical switches are used in M×N optical routing arrays being capable of directing light from any one of the M input ports to any one of the N output ports with additional ADD/DROP functions.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for an optical backplane in an electronic processor that comprises of a plurality of processing units. The backplane is comprising of a network of optical waveguides which can guide polarized light. Furthermore, the backplane has magneto optic routers for steering light at the vertexes of the network, and the backplane also has optical devices for operationally connecting the processing units to the network. The backplane network affords an optical interconnection amongst all of the processing units.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for fabricating multifaceted, tensilely strained Si MOSFET (FinFET) devices. The method comprises the growing by selective epitaxy of a monocrystalline Si strip onto a monocrystalline SiGe layer sidewall surface, where the SiGe layer is bonded to a support platform, typically an insulator on a Si substrate, and where the Si strip also bonds to the support platform. The SiGe sidewall surface has a lattice constant which is larger than the relaxed lattice constant of Si, whereby the Si strip is in a tensilely strained state. Upon removing the SiGe monocrystalline layer the monocrystalline strained Si strip is turned into a multifaceted Si strip on the support platform, suitable for fabricating multifaceted gate FinFETs. Fabrication of processors with such FinFet devices is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a strained Si layer on insulator, a structure of the strained Si layer on insulator, and electronic systems comprising such layers are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of forming epitaxially a relaxed SiGe layer on top of a Si layer on insulator; transforming the crystalline Si layer and the lower portion of the crystalline relaxed SiGe layer into an amorphous material state by ion implantation; and re-crystallizing the amorphous material from the crystalline top portion of the SiGe layer. The larger lattice constant of the SiGe seed layer forces a tensile strain in the Si layer.