Abstract: A semiconductor device package is equipped with devices for preventing the formulation of air traps in its encapsulated package body. These devices include dummy block leads formed on the outermost inner lead of each row of inner leads, and extended portions formed on each tie bar. Each dummy block lead extends from the end of an outermost inner lead and is integrally formed therewith. The tie bar extended portions are separated into several parts defined by spaces between the parts, and the several parts are formed integral with each other and with the tie bar. The dummy block leads and the tie bar extended portions may be formed so as to be inclined relative to horizontal and with jagged edges at their side surfaces. The dummy block leads and tie bar extended portions serve to reduce the velocity of the potting resin which forms the encapsulate, as it enters the die cavity for encapsulation, but before the resin actually contacts the chip or the inner leads.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assigning identification values to memories. A master resets identifiers of a first memory and a second memory by sending a reset signal on a line that is coupled in a daisy-chained manner to the first and second memories and also coupled to the master. The master places a first identification value on a data bus coupled to the master and to the first and second memories. The first memory stores the first identification value on the data bus as an identifier for the first memory when the master sends a first storage signal to the first memory via the daisy-chained line. The master places a second identification value on the data bus. The second memory stores the second identification value on the data bus as an identifier for the second memory when the master sends a second storage signal to the second memory via the daisy-chained line.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip comprises a plurality of bonding pads formed in a row along an edge of the chip and spaced at a designated gap pitch between confronting sides of adjacent pads. Each of the pads has a length perpendicular to the edge of the chip, a length distance, a width parallel to the edge of the chip, and a width distance. The length distance is different than the width distance.

Abstract: The present invention is a technique of, and system for, imaging vascular anatomy over distance considerably greater than the maximum practical field of view of a magnetic resonance imaging system while using substantially one contrast agent injection. The technique and system of the present invention acquires image data of a plurality of image volumes which are representative of different portions of the patient's body. The image data of each image volume includes image data which is representative of the center of k-space. The acquisition of image data which is representative of the center of k-space is correlated with a concentration of contrast agent in the artery(ies) residing in the image volume being substantially greater than the concentration of contrast agent in veins and background tissue adjacent to the artery(ies).

Abstract: A selective oxidation process includes conducting a former phase of an oxidation process employing a thick mask layer to produce an oxide layer having a thickness less than the finished thickness of a desired semiconductor device isolation insulator. Then the thickness of the mask layer is reduced and a latter phase of the oxidation process using the reducing thickness mask layer is performed to produce the desired semiconductor device isolation insulator having the ultimate thickness. The use of both a thick mask layer and a reduced thickness mask layer for various phases of the oxidation process limits both the growth of the bird's beak and the growth of crystalline defects in the bird's beak.

Abstract: A CMOS output buffer circuit includes a predriving circuit which generates two predriving signals, a main driving circuit which has a plurality of parallel connected pull-up transistors and a plurality of parallel connected pull-down transistors, and a sequential driving circuit which provides sequential pull-up and pull-down driving signals to the pull-up and pull-down transistors, respectively. The main driving circuit generates the output signal according to the sequential pull-up or pull-down driving signals, whereby the output signal is developed step by step into either the power supply potential or the ground potential. In the manner, any spike in the switching current is considerably mitigated, thereby reducing switching noise.

Abstract: An improved wafer boat for a vertical furnace has inner upper and lower corners formed as sloped surfaces, and has outer upper and lower corners formed as sloped surfaces. This prevents the formation and collection of particles off of the wafer boat that can generate a protrusion on the wafer boat. By preventing the formation of a protrusion, this improved wafer boat prevents damage to the wafers processed in the wafer boat and improves the reliability of semiconductor devices formed from those wafers. Also, holes are provided for locking pins on both the upper and lower plates of the wafer boat. This means that the wafer boat can be loaded into the furnace in both a rightside-up and upside-down orientation, thus increasing the lifespan of the boat and reducing boat maintenance costs.

Abstract: A gray code decoding circuit of a hard disk drive includes a servo pattern area, a data pick-up device, and a pattern detecting device. The servo pattern area has data recorded as a gray code. The data pick-up device detects the recorded data, converts it into encoded read data, and outputs the encoded read data. The pattern detecting device detects a position of the servo pattern area in response to the encoded read data and outputs a reference pulse. The gray code decoding circuit also contains a gray window generating device, a synchronous signal generating device, a gray code extracting device, and a gray-binary converting device. The gray window generating device divides the encoded read data by a division ratio, converts the divided encoded read data into gray data, outputs the gray data, and generates a first synchronous signal after counting by a system clock to a first value. The synchronous signal generating device outputs first and second window signals in response to a second synchronous signal.

Abstract: A negative pressure air bearing slider includes a slider body for flying above a surface of a recording disc during relative rotation of the recording disc. First and second projections extend from a lead portion of a principal surface of the slider body to define first and second air bearing surfaces, respectively, the first and second air bearing surfaces being spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of said slider body. A third U-shaped projection extends from the principal surface and includes a curved front wall portion at least partially located between the first and second projections and first and second side wall portions extending from opposite ends of the curved front wall portion to a rear portion of the principal surface so as to define a rounded negative pressure cavity therein.

Abstract: An HMDS supplying apparatus capable of sensing the flow of hexamethyldisilazane through a flowmeter and to control the amount thereof which is flowing, to thereby prevent a lowering of productivity due to inadequate or excessive flow amounts. The HMDS supplying apparatus includes a carrier gas supplier for supplying a carrier gas for HMDS; a container connected to the carrier gas supplier adapted for containing HMDS therein; a flowmeter for controlling the amount of flowing HMDS supplied together with the carrier gas from the container; and an HMDS processor for depositing HMDS supplied via the flowmeter on the surface of a wafer; wherein the apparatus further includes: an indicator for indicating the level of HMDS in the flowmeter; and an optical sensing device having an optical source and an optical sensor, for controlling the flow of HMDS by sensing whether the indicator is located at an optimum position.

Abstract: The present invention includes a memory subsystem comprising at least two semiconductor devices, including at least one memory device, connected to a bus, where the bus includes a plurality of bus lines for carrying substantially all address, data and control information needed by said memory devices, where the control information includes device-select information and the bus has substantially fewer bus lines than the number of bits in a single address, and the bus carries device-select information without the need for separate device-select lines connected directly to individual devices.The present invention also includes a protocol for master and slave devices to communicate on the bus and for registers in each device to differentiate each device and allow bus requests to be directed to a single or to all devices. The present invention includes modifications to prior-art devices to allow them to implement the new features of this invention.

Abstract: An integrated optical apparatus includes an optically transparent substrate with a light source and a detector mounted adjacent thereto. The substrate includes an optical element in a transmit path from the light source to a remote target. The optical element splits the light into more than one beam. A detector receives beams reflected by the target. All optical elements needed to create the more then one beam, direct the more than one beam onto the target and direct the more than one beam from the target to the detector are on the substrate and/or any structure bonded to the substrate. Preferably, the optical element provides sufficient separation between the more than one beam such that each beam is delivered to a unique respective light detecting element of the detector. The return path from the remote target to the detector may include an optical element for each beam or no optical elements. An additional substrate may be included and bonded to the substrate.

Abstract: An integral strap handling device for a casted foot includes an instep strap extending from one side of the ankle to the other over a casted foot, a heel strap extending from one side of the ankle to the other around the heel, and a sole strap extending from one side of the ankle to the other under a casted foot. The instep, heel, and sole straps are connected to each other via rings to allow movement of the straps so as to provide a secure fit for the integral strap when placed over cast. Another connector attaches an assist strap to the instep strap to provide for increased mobility of the casted foot.

Abstract: A wafer spin coating system, for coating a layer of photoresist on a wafer, includes a spin coating unit, a pumping unit and a sensing unit. A first controller in the spin coating unit controls the operation of a rotating device with the wafer mounted thereon. The first controller also outputs a photoresist pumping operation order. A second controller in the pumping unit receives the pumping operation order and outputs a pumping operation commencing signal and a valve operation signal that opens and closes a valve to control a gas feeding operation. The sensing unit receives the pumping operation commencing signal and the valve operation signal, and selectively outputs an abnormal status control signal to the first controller to stop the pumping operations if an abnormality is detected.

Abstract: A support table supports a module board during a screen printing thereof. The support table has a body in which rectangular grooves are formed in both upper and lower surfaces thereof, a plurality of slots formed in a middle portion thereof and open to the grooves, and a plurality of jigs which are inserted into the slots and fixed relative to the body. The jigs can compensate for any difference between the heights of semiconductor devices which are mounted on the board, and support the board, with the board or the semiconductor devices resting directly on the jigs as the manufacture process at that time requires.

Abstract: At least one base station is connected to at least one central office via a T1/E1 trunk. Some channels of the trunk are assigned to carry PCM data destined for the public switched telephony network via the central office, while other channels of the truck are assigned to carry packet data destined for the internet via the central office. The base station includes a wireless subscriber interface, a PCM interface, a packet data interface and a selector circuit which selectively couples an input/output of the subscriber interface to either one of an input/output of the PCM interface or an input/output of the packet data interface.

Abstract: A CAM device has an HIT flag cell and a word select separation circuit, with data being stored in a plurality of CAM cells. The HIT flag cell then stores whether or not data stored in the CAM and inputted words (data) coincide. The word select separation circuit the detects the lowest address values corresponding to words within coinciding words and then sequentially resets HIT flag cells storing the coinciding of words.

Abstract: A wet etching station and a wet etching method adapted for utilizing the same are provided. The wet etching station includes a bath apparatus containing a chemical etchant, with the bath apparatus having a plurality of cooling lines installed in the lower portion of the bath area, such that the cooling lines can make contact with the chemical etchant. Thus, a large-diameter wafer can uniformly etched.

Abstract: A spectroscopic analyzing method and apparatus for a wafer surface and gas phase elements in a reaction chamber. A beam of radiant energy is introduced from a light incident apparatus to the reaction chamber through a window on a wall of the reaction chamber at a predetermined, but variable, angle of incidence. The angle of incidence is set by adjusting optical elements in the light incident apparatus and an angle of the window. At one angle of incidence, the beam of radiant energy is caused to interact with gas-phase elements in the reaction chamber for spectroscopic analysis. At another angle of incidence, the beam of radiant energy is caused to interact with the wafer surface for spectroscopic analysis.

Abstract: A furnace used for a semiconductor manufacturing process includes an injector that can be formed as either two or more divided tubes, having a straight-line form with each of the tubes having different lengths and open ends, or by one straight injector having a closed end and a plurality of nozzles spaced along a length of the injector. Accordingly, the furnace can easily be cleaned and handled, and a reaction gas can be uniformly distributed in the processing tube.