Abstract: A method is provided which includes forming a metal layer and converting at least a portion of the metal layer to a hydrated metal oxide layer. Another method is provided which includes selectively depositing a dielectric layer upon another dielectric layer and selectively depositing a metal layer adjacent to the dielectric layer. Consequently, a microelectronic topography is formed which includes a metal feature and an adjacent dielectric portion comprising lower and upper layers of hydrophilic and hydrophobic material, respectively. A topography including a metal feature having a single layer with at least four elements lining a lower surface and sidewalls of the metal feature is also provided herein. The fluid/s used to form such a single layer may be analyzed by test equipment configured to measure the concentration of all four elements. In some cases, the composition of the fluid/s may be adjusted based upon the analysis.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided having a closable chamber that can be sealed and is capable of withstanding an increased pressure and high temperature. The chamber has several inlet ports for the supply of various process liquids, such as deposition solutions, water for rinsing, etc., and a port for the supply of a gas under pressure. The apparatus also includes a solution heater and a control system for controlling temperature and pressure in the chamber. Uniform deposition is achieved by carrying out the deposition process under pressure and under temperature slightly below the boiling point of the solution. The solution can be supplied from above via a shower head formed in the cover, or through the bottom of the chamber. Rinsing or other auxiliary solutions are supplied via a radially moveable chemical dispensing arm that can be arranged above the substrate parallel thereto.

Abstract: A method for electroless deposition from a deposition solution in a working chamber, where the process can include heating the deposition solution to its boiling point and subsequently reducing the temperature of the deposition solution to a working temperature range that is between approximately 1% and approximately 25% below the boiling point of said solution under a predetermined pressure; and the process also can include heating the deposition solution while filling an enclosed area of the chamber such that the deposition solution reaches its boiling point immediately after the enclosed area is filled.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to compositions and methods for identifying and testing tyrosine kinase signaling pathway agonists and antagonists, and more particularly, methods and compositions for screening compounds and identifying compounds that will modulate the interaction of protein tyrosine kinase substrates with their intracellular ligands, as well as between their intracellular ligands and other members of the signaling pathway.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided which are adapted to process a microelectronic topography, particularly in association with an electroless deposition process. In general, the methods may include loading the topography into a chamber, closing the chamber to form an enclosed area, and supplying fluids to the enclosed area. In some embodiments, the fluids may fill the enclosed area. In addition or alternatively, a second enclosed area may be formed about the topography. As such, the provided system may be adapted to form different enclosed areas about a substrate holder. In some cases, the method may include agitating a solution to minimize the accumulation of bubbles upon a wafer during an electroless deposition process. As such, the system provided herein may include a means for agitating a solution in some embodiments. Such a means for agitation may be distinct from the inlet/s used to supply the solution to the chamber.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided which are adapted to process a microelectronic topography, particularly in association with an electroless deposition process. In general, the methods may include loading the topography into a chamber, closing the chamber to form an enclosed area, and supplying fluids to the enclosed area. In some embodiments, the fluids may fill the enclosed area. In addition or alternatively, a second enclosed area may be formed about the topography. As such, the provided system may be adapted to form different enclosed areas about a substrate holder. In some cases, the method may include agitating a solution to minimize the accumulation of bubbles upon a wafer during an electroless deposition process. As such, the system provided herein may include a means for agitating a solution in some embodiments. Such a means for agitation may be distinct from the inlet/s used to supply the solution to the chamber.

Abstract: Automated multiple step tasks are executed on a computing device to analyze a computer system. A step engine performs a complex task such as troubleshooting, performance analysis, or disaster recovery as defined by an input file. The step engine parses the input file into individual steps and dispatches actions of the steps to another device for execution. The device returns a file with the results of the action. The step engine progresses through the list of steps and generates a log file representative of the actions taken and data collected during performance of the task.

Abstract: A method is provided which includes forming a metal layer and converting at least a portion of the metal layer to a hydrated metal oxide layer. Another method is provided which includes selectively depositing a dielectric layer upon another dielectric layer and selectively depositing a metal layer adjacent to the dielectric layer. Consequently, a microelectronic topography is formed which includes a metal feature and an adjacent dielectric portion comprising lower and upper layers of hydrophilic and hydrophobic material, respectively. A topography including a metal feature having a single layer with at least four elements lining a lower surface and sidewalls of the metal feature is also provided herein. The fluid/s used to form such a single layer may be analyzed by test equipment configured to measure the concentration of all four elements. In some cases, the composition of the fluid/s may be adjusted based upon the analysis.

Abstract: A method is provided which includes forming a metal layer and converting at least a portion of the metal layer to a hydrated metal oxide layer. Another method is provided which includes selectively depositing a dielectric layer upon another dielectric layer and selectively depositing a metal layer adjacent to the dielectric layer. Consequently, a microelectronic topography is formed which includes a metal feature and an adjacent dielectric portion comprising lower and upper layers of hydrophilic and hydrophobic material, respectively. A topography including a metal feature having a single layer with at least four elements lining a lower surface and sidewalls of the metal feature is also provided herein. The fluid/s used to form such a single layer may be analyzed by test equipment configured to measure the concentration of all four elements. In some cases, the composition of the fluid/s may be adjusted based upon the analysis.

Abstract: A process chamber is provided which includes a gate configured to align barriers with an opening of the gate and an opening of the process chamber such that the two openings are either sealed or provide an air passage to the chamber. A method is provided and includes sealing an opening of a chamber with a gate latch and exposing a topography to a first set of process steps, opening the gate latch such that an air passage is provided to the process chamber, and exposing the topography to a second set of process steps without allowing liquids within the chamber to flow through the air passage. A substrate holder comprising a clamping jaw with a lever and a support member coupled to the lever is also contemplated herein. A process chamber with a reservoir arranged above a substrate holder is also provided herein.

Abstract: Water-fat separated magnetic resonance (MR) images with balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) are produced. The acquired SSFP signals are isolated into multiple echo components in which the phase arrangements between the water and fat signals are controlled by appropriately selecting the TR and TE values of the SSFP imaging sequence. From the isolated echo components, the effects of the field inhomogeneities are corrected and water and fat images are separated.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided which are adapted to process a microelectronic topography, particularly in association with an electroless deposition process. In general, the methods may include loading the topography into a chamber, closing the chamber to form an enclosed area, and supplying fluids to the enclosed area. In some embodiments, the fluids may fill the enclosed area. In addition or alternatively, a second enclosed area may be formed about the topography. As such, the provided system may be adapted to form different enclosed areas about a substrate holder. In some cases, the method may include agitating a solution to minimize the accumulation of bubbles upon a wafer during an electroless deposition process. As such, the system provided herein may include a means for agitating a solution in some embodiments. Such a means for agitation may be distinct from the inlet/s used to supply the solution to the chamber.

Abstract: For isotropic diffusion weighting during magnetic resonance imaging, a motion-probing magnetic field gradient pattern is manufactured from a template by searching for an optimum value of a skew parameter (?) of the template. The gradient pattern includes a first pattern before at least one RF refocusing pulse and a second pattern after the refocusing pulse in which the second pattern is symmetrical with the first pattern. For example, gradient coils produce a respective gradient component along each of three orthogonal directions, and for each component and each pattern, the gradient pattern has one cycle of opposite polarity lobes about a crossing point, and for each pattern, the crossing point of the cycle in one of the orthogonal directions is a midpoint of the cycle; and the skew parameter (?) specifies a difference in time between the crossing points of the cycles in the other orthogonal directions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for activating and dissociating gases involves generating an activated gas with a plasma located in a chamber. A downstream gas input is positioned relative to an output of the chamber to enable the activated gas to facilitate dissociation of a downstream gas introduced by the gas input, wherein the dissociated downstream gas does not substantially interact with an interior surface of the chamber.

Abstract: Automated multiple step tasks are executed on a computing device to analyze a computer system. A step engine performs a complex task such as troubleshooting, performance analysis, or disaster recovery as defined by an input file. The step engine parses the input file into individual steps and dispatches actions of the steps to another device for execution. The device returns a file with the results of the action. The step engine progresses through the list of steps and generates a log file representative of the actions taken and data collected during performance of the task.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to compositions and methods for identifying and testing tyrosine kinase signaling pathway agonists and antagonists, and more particularly, methods and compositions for screening compounds and identifying compounds that will modulate the interaction of protein tyrosine kinase substrates with their intracellular ligands, as well as between their intracellular ligands and other members of the signaling pathway.

Abstract: A method and a system for acquiring diffusion magnetic resonance images with compensation of the effects of eddy currents induced by the diffusion weighting (DW) gradient pulses. Prescan data are first acquired using the same DW sequence to be used for imaging. The prescan data are used to obtain eddy current parameters that model the effects of DW-induced eddy currents under the exact conditions under which DW images are to be acquired. The DW imaging sequence is then slightly modified according to the eddy current parameters and used to acquire DW image data with the effects of DW-induced eddy currents compensated.

Abstract: A method and a system for acquiring diffusion magnetic resonance images with compensation of the effects of eddy currents induced by the diffusion weighting (DW) gradient pulses. Prescan data are first acquired using the same DW sequence to be used for imaging. The prescan data are used to obtain eddy current parameters that model the effects of DW-induced eddy currents under the exact conditions under which DW images are to be acquired. The DW imaging sequence is then slightly modified according to the eddy current parameters and used to acquire DW image data with the effects of DW-induced eddy currents compensated.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to compositions and methods for identifying and testing tyrosine kinase signaling pathway agonists and antagonists, and more particularly, methods and compositions for screening compounds and identifying compounds that will modulate the interaction of protein tyrosine kinase substrates with their intracellular ligands, as well as between their intracellular ligands and other members of the signaling pathway.

Abstract: A system has been developed for mapping the magnetic field during a balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence. Field maps are generated by analyzing the magnitude of images acquired using the SSFP imaging sequences with phase increment or frequency shift. The system maps the magnetic field relevant to the imaging sequence and need not rely on phase information. The field maps may be applied to adjust the hardware for correcting the field anomalies contained in the maps. The field maps may also be used for separation of water and fat signals in SSFP imaging.