Abstract: A method for forming electrical contacts on a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The method includes forming a first metal layer over the substrate, and forming a layer of a second metal oxide by sputter deposition of a second metal in an oxygen environment. In some embodiments, the second metal oxide may be ruthenium dioxide, and the first metal layer may be gold, copper, platinum, silver or aluminum.

Abstract: The present application discloses a method for forming electrical contacts on a semiconductor substrate. The method includes forming a first metal layer over the substrate, and forming a layer of a second metal oxide by sputter deposition of a second metal in an oxygen environment.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an electrostatic microelectromechanical (MEMS) device comprising a dielectric layer separating a first conductor and a second conductor. The first conductor is moveable towards the second conductor, when a voltage is applied to the MEMS device. The dielectric layer recovers from dielectric charging failure almost immediately upon removal of the voltage from the MEMS device.

Abstract: A reliable long life RF-MEMS capacitive switch is provided with a dielectric layer comprising a “fast discharge diamond dielectric layer” and enabling rapid switch recovery, dielectric layer charging and discharging that is efficient and effective to enable RF-MEMS switch operation to greater than or equal to 100 billion cycles.

Abstract: A reliable long life RF-MEMS capacitive switch is provided with a dielectric layer comprising a “fast discharge diamond dielectric layer” and enabling rapid switch recovery, dielectric layer charging and discharging that is efficient and effective to enable RF-MEMS switch operation to greater than or equal to 100 billion cycles.

Abstract: Methods for estimating performance of and/or detecting faults in components of a multi-component system, where the performance of each component is defined by one or more performance parameters x related to measurement parameters z that can be expressed as a function of the performance and operating parameters defining an operating condition of the system. The methods include: defining a series of fault classes corresponding to possible outcomes of faulty components; creating an initial population of strings for each fault class, each including a plurality of elements corresponding to the performance and operating parameters, values being assigned to the string elements which represent estimated values of said parameters and are constrained only to indicate fault affected values for performance parameters of the fault affected component of the respective class; and optimising an objective function which gives a measure of the consistency between measured and calculated values of the measurement parameters.

Abstract: Methods for estimating performance of and/or detecting faults in components of a multi-component system, where the performance of each component is defined by one or more performance parameters x related to measurement parameters z that can be expressed as a function of the performance and operating parameters defining an operating condition of the system. The methods include: defining a series of fault classes corresponding to possible outcomes of faulty components; creating an initial population of strings for each fault class, each including a plurality of elements corresponding to the performance and operating parameters, values being assigned to the string elements which represent estimated values of said parameters and are constrained only to indicate fault affected values for performance parameters of the fault affected component of the respective class; and optimising an objective function which gives a measure of the consistency between measured and calculated values of the measurement parameters.