Abstract: A patterned hardmask and method for forming the same, the method including providing a substrate comprising an overlying resist sensitive to activating radiation; forming an overlying hardmask insensitive to the activating radiation; exposing the resist through the hardmask to the activating radiation; baking the resist and the hardmask; and, developing the hardmask and resist to form a patterned resist and patterned hardmask.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is fabricated to include one or more sets of calibration patterns used to measure line pitch and line focus.

Abstract: A Viterbi decoder is configured for subtracting each survivor metric for each corresponding encoder state by a prescribed subtraction operator based on a prescribed event. The subtraction of each survivor metric by a prescribed subtraction operator based on a prescribed event minimizes memory requirements in the accumulated metric table by limiting the survivor metric values to a identifiable range. Hence, the Viterbi decoder can be implemented in an economical manner with reduced memory requirements.

Abstract: Photolithography processing methods by which a photoresist layer is deposited, a portion of the photoresist layer is exposed to electromagnetic radiation to transfer a reticle pattern thereto, and the exposed portion of the photoresist layer is treated with thermal energy while being subjected to an electric field, wherein the electric field is configured to substantially limit diffusion of the exposed photoresist layer portion to anisotropic diffusion.

Abstract: An OFDM receiver configured for measuring frequency error based on comparing prescribed pilot tones from a prescribed group of consecutive symbols in a received OFDM signal. A complex conjugate generator is configured for generating complex conjugates of the prescribed pilot tones of a first subgroup of the consecutive symbols. A multiplier is configured for generating a complex pilot product, for each symbol subgroup position, by multiplying the pilot tones of a second subgroup symbol at the corresponding symbol subgroup position with the respective complex conjugates of the first subgroup symbol at the corresponding symbol subgroup position. A complex summation circuit sums the complex pilot products of the symbol subgroup positions to obtain an accumulated complex value. A error calculator calculates the frequency error from the accumulated complex value for use in correcting frequency offset.

Abstract: A patterned hardmask and method for forming the same, the method including providing a substrate comprising an overlying resist sensitive to activating radiation; forming an overlying hardmask insensitive to the activating radiation; exposing the resist through the hardmask to the activating radiation; baking the resist and the hardmask; and, developing the hardmask and resist to form a patterned resist and patterned hardmask.

Abstract: An immersion lithography process is described as follows. A photoresist layer and a protective layer are sequentially formed on a material layer, and then an immersion exposure step is performed to define an exposed portion and an unexposed portion in the photoresist layer. A solubilization step is conducted to solubilize the protective layer on the exposed portion of the photoresist layer, and then a development step is conducted to remove the exposed portion of the photoresist layer and the protective layer thereon. Since the photoresist layer is covered with the protective layer, the chemicals in the photoresist layer do not diffuse into the immersion liquid to cause contamination. The protective layer can be patterned simultaneously in the development step, and no extra step is required to remove the protective layer. Therefore, the whole lithography process is not complicated.