Abstract: A method for reducing stress on under ball metallurgy (UBM) is disclosed. A collar is disposed around the ball to provide support, and prevent solder interaction in the undercut areas of the UBM. In one embodiment, the collar is comprised of photosensitive polyimide.

Abstract: A replacement gate structure and method of fabrication are disclosed. The method provides for fabrication of both high performance FET and low leakage FET devices within the same integrated circuit. Low leakage FET devices are fabricated with a hybrid gate dielectric comprised of a low-K dielectric layer and a high-K dielectric layer. High performance FET devices are fabricated with a low-K gate dielectric.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a gripping device that removably attaches onto a user's wrist to enable the user to grip onto a handle. The gripping device comprises a wrist-wrapping, elongated belt portion having opposite ends, and a gripping structure that extends outward from the plane of the belt portion.

Abstract: A planar silicide structure and method of fabrication is disclosed. A FET having a silicided raised source-drain structure is formed where the height of the source-drain structures are the same as the height of the gates, simplifying the process of forming contacts on the FET. One embodiment utilizes a replacement metal gate FET and another embodiment utilizes a gate-first FET.

Abstract: A strap with retrieving components includes an elongated strip of flexible material having a central portion extending along a longitudinal axis there through. The retrieving components are secured at opposite ends of the central portion of flexible material and comprise first and second rigid, hook shaped components, each secured at opposite ends of the central portion of flexible material so that the first and second hooked shaped components are disposed in a plane through the central portion of the strip of flexible material. Each of the first and second hook shaped components are curved in opposite directions from the longitudinal axis so that a free end of the first hooked shaped component extends in an opposite direction from a free end of the second hooked shaped component.

Abstract: A two-speed transmission having an input shaft and an output shaft, the transmission being capable of transitioning between fixed ratios, the high-range ratio being direct 1:1 and the low-range ratio being about 2:1. The transmission is a simple lightweight, yet robust, configuration utilizing only two gear meshes, being comprised of an input gear, a cluster gear, and an output gear. The transmission is controlled with a clutch and a sprag and with the input and output shafts turning in the same direction.

Abstract: A trunk lid cover in combination with a car spoiler. The trunk lid cover is of flexible material and is disposed for covering the trunk lid only of an automobile. The trunk lid cover is held tightly against the surface of said trunk lid. A car spoiler attached to the trunk lid cover. A message display is mounted to the trunk lid cover or to the car spoiler.

Abstract: A refrigeration delivery system for use with portable food storage systems having an L-shaped body with a hollow vertical tower portion and a hollow horizontal flat lower portion. The internal volume of the body is suitable for the storage of ice and a combination of ice and melt water. In one embodiment, a hand-powered pump and spout is provide through a top of the tower portion to pump chilled water for drinking or to remove it from the delivery system. A second embodiment incorporates a flexible straw arrangement through a top of the tower portion. A third embodiment incorporates both a hand-powered pump and spout as well as a flexible straw arrangement through a top of the tower portion.

Abstract: A tapered tube manufacturing apparatus and method of operation comprises an entry station adapted to receive a tapered tube having an open, longitudinal seam with spaced longitudinal edges extending the length of the tapered tube. A feed line section moves the tapered tube from the entry section into a welding station while maintaining the longitudinal seam coincident with a pass center line which defines a direction of movement of the tapered tube through the entry station, the feed line section and the welding station. A pair of squeeze rolls in the welding station move the tapered tube through the welding station where the edges of the seam are heated, squeezing the open seam closed for welding the edges of the seam together, and then move the welded tapered tube into a cooling and transition station while maintaining the welded seam coincident with the pass center line.

Abstract: A portable modular table includes a main base unit of a lower frame section, an upper frame section secured to the lower frame section and a counter top removably attached to the upper frame section. The portable modular table can further include one or more attachment components for mounting to the main base unit in a number of configurations.

Abstract: Fully and uniformly silicided gate conductors are produced by deeply “perforating” silicide gate conductors with sub-lithographic, sub-critical dimension, nanometer-scale openings. A silicide-forming metal (e.g. cobalt, tungsten, etc.) is then deposited, polysilicon gates, covering them and filling the perforations. An anneal step converts the polysilicon to silicide. Because of the deep perforations, the surface area of polysilicon in contact with the silicide-forming metal is greatly increased over conventional silicidation techniques, causing the polysilicon gate to be fully converted to a uniform silicide composition. A self-assembling diblock copolymer is used to form a regular sub-lithographic nanometer-scale pattern that is used as an etching “template” for forming the perforations.

Abstract: A deep trench (DT) capacitor comprises a trench in a silicon layer, a buried plate surrounding the trench, a dielectric layer lining the trench, and a node conductor in the trench. The top surface of the poly node is higher than the surface of the silicon layer, so that it is high enough to ensure that a nitride liner used as a CMP etch stop for STI oxide surrounding a top portion of the poly node will be higher than the STI oxide, so that the nitride liner can be removed prior to forming a silicide contact on top of the poly node.

Abstract: The mobility of charge carriers in a bipolar (BJT) device is increased by creating compressive strain in the device to increase mobility of electrons in the device, and creating tensile strain in the device to increase mobility of holes in the device. The compressive and tensile strain are created by applying a stress film adjacent an emitter structure of the device and atop a base film of the device. In this manner, the compressive and tensile strain are located in close proximity to an intrinsic portion of the device. A suitable material for the stress film is nitride. The emitter structure may be “T-shaped”, having a lateral portion atop an upright portion, a bottom of the upright portion forms a contact to the base film, and the lateral portion overhangs the base film.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic characterization of reliability wearout mechanisms is disclosed. The system comprises an integrated circuit incorporating a device under test to be measured, structure for inputting a waveform to the device under test for a first predetermined time interval, structure for disabling the inputting of the waveform to the device under test, structure for measuring one or more fundamental parameters of the device under test after a second predetermined time interval, and structure for calculating an aging estimate of the device under test without the influence of recovery effect based on the one or more measured fundamental parameters. The time between stressing and measurement is precisely controlled, providing for repeatable experiments, and serves to minimize measurement error caused by recovery effects.

Abstract: A DRAM cell in a substrate has a deep trench (DT) extending from a surface of the substrate into the substrate, a word line (WL) formed on the surface of the substrate adjacent the deep trench, and oxide (TTO) disposed in a top portion of the trench and extending beyond the trench in the direction of the word line. In this manner, when silicided, there is oxide rather than silicon on the surface of the substrate in a gap between the word line (WL) and a passing word line (PWL) disposed above the deep trench.

Abstract: A method and system providing for tire tread design with improved noise characteristics is disclosed. The volume of air created by the lateral grooves that separate each tread block, referred to as a void, is computed at various sampling areas around a tire to generate a void function. The void function is measured at the boundaries of the tire footprint. The footprint of the tire is the portion of the tire that is in contact with the road surface. There is a correlation between the void function, and tire noise. Depending on the tread design, the void function changes as the tire rotates. By minimizing fluctuation in the void function over the course of a complete tire rotation, the tire noise can be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention is an electronic table tennis apparatus including an electronic scoreboard, a plurality of touch sensors disposed on a table tennis table for sending sensor signals to the scoreboard. A plurality of laser scanner/locators create a locator field to identify the location of the ball and send location signals to the scoreboard. The apparatus also includes a table tennis ball having an identifying code imprinted upon its surface. The electronic scoreboard integrates the sensor signals from the touch sensors and the location signals from the laser scanner/locators for calculating and displaying the score. The electronic scoreboard can also have an alerting system to notify of score changes.