Abstract: A gooseneck hinge assembly for a closure of a vehicle includes a body side strap adapted to be connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle and a closure side strap having a gooseneck shape adapted to be connected to a closure for closing an opening in the vehicle body. The gooseneck hinge assembly also includes a pivot pin pivotally connecting the closure side strap and the body side strap to allow rotational movement therebetween. The gooseneck hinge assembly further includes a wedge bumper interconnecting the body side strap and the closure side strap to allow the decklid to free rise to a fully open position and to dampen an impact of the closure side strap.

Abstract: A repricing system calculates new prices for goods based on pricing data received from a plurality of sources and updates the prices of the good. In an embodiment, a pricing engine determines a market price based on the pricing data and calculates a new price for the good based on the market price and seller repricing instructions. In another embodiment, the pricing data comprises prices of used versions of the good and/or the distribution of prices of the good. In another embodiment, repricing is triggered by the elapsing of a predetermined interval of time. Using an embodiment of the invention, a seller can automatically recalibrate her prices on a regular basis.

Abstract: A programmable fuse implements redundancy in semiconductor devices and enables the repair of defective elements. In an example embodiment, a fuse is built in the second-to-the-last metal interconnect layer used in the circuit. An opening to expose the fuse is incorporated into an existing mask of the last metal interconnect layer, typically the pad mask. The passivation layer on top of the bond pads is opened to expose the bonding pads. At the same time, a residual oxide window is defined over the fuse. The residual oxide covering the fuse provides for a reliable and reproducible fuse.

Abstract: The stress dislocations formed in a substrate by semiconductor processing are significantly reduced, if not eliminated, by subjecting the substrate to a high temperature post sacrificial oxide anneal that causes viscous flow of the oxide over the substrate. In one example embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a first oxide layer over a substrate and forming a first dielectric material layer over the first oxide layer. An opening is then etched in the oxide and dielectric layers thereby exposing the substrate. A trench is formed with a desired depth in the substrate in the opening provided, followed by a deposition of an insulator material in the trench. The first dielectric layer and a portion of the insulator material is then removed leaving a portion of the insulator material within the trench. Applications include logic circuits having embedded-DRAM and circuits directed to stand-alone logic or stand-alone DRAM.