Abstract: A method of increasing mobility of charge carriers in a bipolar device comprises the steps of: creating compressive strain in the device to increase mobility of holes in an intrinsic base of the device; and creating tensile strain in the device to increase mobility of electrons in the intrinsic base of the device. The compressive and tensile strains are created by forming a stress layer in close proximity to the intrinsic base of the device. The stress layer is at least partially embedded in a base layer of the device, adjacent an emitter structure of the device. The stress layer has different lattice constant than the intrinsic base. Method and apparatus are described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and method for measuring the stiffness of base and subgrade layers of soil. The device is a penetrometer comprising first and second spaced apart cone penetrometer shafts. A first of the cone penetrometer shafts is fitted with a set of at least two vertically spaced apart piezoelectric transmitters for wave transmission. The second cone penetrometer shaft is fitted with a set of at least two vertically spaced apart piezoelectric receivers for wave receiving. A trigger device is provided for triggering shear and primary waves from each piezoelectric transmitter to propagate through the soil. A capture device is provided for capturing the shear and primary waves from each of the piezoelectric receivers. A calculating device is provided for calculating soil stiffness from the measured shear and primary wave velocities.

Abstract: An FET transistor has a gate disposed between a source and a drain; a gate dielectric layer disposed underneath the gate; and a spacer on a side of the gate. The gate dielectric layer is conventional oxide and the spacer has a reduced dielectric constant (k). The reduced dielectric constant (k) may be less than 3.85, or it may be less than 7.0 (˜nitride), but greater than 3.85 (˜oxide). Preferably, the spacer comprises a material which can be etched selectively to the gate dielectric layer. The spacer may be porous, and a thin layer is deposited on the porous spacer to prevent moisture absorption. The spacer may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, TERA and Blok type materials. Pores may be formed in the spacer material by exposing the spacers to an oxygen plasma.

Abstract: An ultra-thin, scaleable MOSFET transistor and fabrication method are described. The transistor features fully self-aligned, raised source/drain junctions on a thin SOI wafer and exhibits low contact resistance, low gate resistance and good device isolation characteristic. No extra lithographic mask steps are required beyond those required by conventional processes. The transistor is completely “bracketed” or surrounded by STI (shallow trench isolation), providing inherent isolation between it and any other devices on the SOI wafer. Gate sidewall spacers are formed outside of the gate area so that the scalability is limited solely by lithography resolution.

Abstract: By adding silica to ceria-based CMP slurries the polish process starts much faster than without silica thereby eliminating dead time in the polish process and eliminating process instability caused by changes in the dead time with operating conditions. A slurry for performing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of patterned oxides (e.g., STI, PMD, ILD) on a substrate, comprises: ceria particles having a concentration of 1.0–5.0 wt % and silica particles having a concentration of 0.1–5.0 wt %. A ratio of ceria concentration to silica concentration (ceria:silica) is from approximately 10:1 to nearly 1:1 by weight. The ceria particles have a particle size of 150–250 nm, and the silica particles have a particle size of greater than 100 nm. The silica may be fumed or colloidal. The slurry has a pH of approximately 9.0.

Abstract: A laboratory test for general tire durability can produce results comparable to the GM-ATE road test. A passenger tire is mounted in a test machine and run at approximately 50 mph (80 kph), at maximum rated inflation pressure, with at least 100% maximum rated radial load, with approximately 25% of the test duration being performed with lateral force comprised of approximately equal portions of right and left steering, the remainder of the test being performed without lateral force (straight portions). A test segment comprises repeating a loading cycle a plurality of times until approximately 5000 miles have accumulated, and multiple test segments are performed until 16,000 miles have been accumulated. The test is paused and the tire is visually inspected several times during the test segments, including at the end of the test.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of forming a coil of spring wire by winding a wire into a coil spring formed of a plurality of rings of the wire wherein each of the rings has a substantially constant strain rate. The forming speed of the wire being wound is controlled so that each of the rings has a substantially constant strain rate and minimum work hardening occurs.

Abstract: The present invention describes a technique for achieving high peak power output in a laser employing single-stage, multi-pass amplification. High gain is achieved by employing a very small “seed” beam diameter in gain medium, and maintaining the small beam diameter for multiple high-gain pre-amplification passes through a pumped gain medium, then leading the beam out of the amplifier cavity, changing the beam diameter and sending it back to the amplifier cavity for additional, high-power amplification passes through the gain medium. In these power amplification passes, the beam diameter in gain medium is increased and carefully matched to the pump laser's beam diameter for high efficiency extraction of energy from the pumped gain medium. A method of “grooming” the beam by means of a far-field spatial filter in the process of changing the beam size within the single-stage amplifier is also described.

Abstract: A dual layer of polymeric material is deposited with a base layer and top layer resist onto an integrated circuit structure with topography. The base layer planarizes the surface and fills in the native topography. The base layer decomposes almost completely when exposed to an oxidizing environment. The top layer contains a high composition of oxidizing elements and is photosensitive. (i.e., the layer can be patterned by exposing normal lithographic techniques.) The patterning allows the creation of escape paths for the decomposition products of the underlying base layer. This structure is decomposed in an oxidizing ambient (or plasma) leaving behind a thin carbon-containing membrane. This membrane layer blocks deposition of future layers, creating air gaps in the structure.

Abstract: A false drum servers used in the manufacture of tires having a hollow cylindrical drum with a perforated surface on the drum through which air is drawn. The drawn air creating a suction surface for holding flat or sheet materials that are to be cut before transferring onto a tire building drum. When smaller pieces of flat materials are being held on the drum, the perforations that are not covered allow air to flow freely into the drum, thereby reducing the suction adhering effect of the perforated surface. The present invention provides methods and apparatus for varying the amount of perforated area through which air can be drawn into the drum, thereby changing the amount of suction adhering surface area of the perforated drum.

Abstract: According to the invention there is in conjunction with a pneumatic tire having a central tread, one or more radially-extending belt(s) disposed radially inwardly of the tread and an innerliner disposed radially inwardly of the belt. Apparatus for mounting an electronic tag (40) within the tire is characterized by a patch (70) having a first side (72) for mounting against the innerliner of the tire; a second arcuately-shaped side (73) and an internally threaded member (71); and an externally threaded member (64) having a portion extending from a side (74) of the tag and threadable into the internally threaded member of the patch.

Abstract: An interlevel dielectric layer (ILD) comprises a low-k dielectric layer; and a low-k dielectric film, deposited under compressive stress, atop the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer comprises a low-k material, such as an organosilicon glass (OSG) or a SiCOH material. The dielectric film has a thickness, which is 2%–10% of the thickness of the dielectric layer, has a similar chemical composition to the dielectric layer, but has a different morphology than the dielectric layer. The dielectric film is deposited under compressive stress, in situ, at or near the end of the dielectric layer deposition by altering a process that was used to deposit the low-k dielectric layer.

Abstract: A cutting segment for a False Drum (100,200,300) having a cylindrical outer surface (202,306) comprises a slot (204,224,330) extending generally axially from end-to-end of the cylindrical surface, a door panel (322) having substantially the same size and shape as the slot; and a mechanism (320) for opening and closing the door panel. The mechanism for selectively opening and closing the door panel includes an elongate lever (324), one end of which supports the door panel, the other end of which is pivotally attached to a stationary portion (point) of the drum, a spring (326) extending between an inner surface of the door panel and another stationary portion of the drum; and an inflatable pneumatic tube (328) disposed between the lever and yet another stationary portion of the drum. There is thereby provided a method of supporting material overlying the cutting slot of the False Drum, by opening the slot when cutting the material, and closing the slot when not cutting the material.

Abstract: A relaxation oscillator for a transponder capable of measuring one or more parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure) in an object and transmitting a data stream to an external reader/interrogator. The transponder typically operates in a passive mode, deriving its power from an RF interrogation signal received by an antenna system, but c=also operate in a battery-powered active mode. The transponder includes memory for storing measurements, calibration data programmable trim settings, transponder ID and the like. Measurement readings comprise counting oscillations of a measurement signal during a fixed time window. The measurement signal is generated by a relaxation oscillator driven by the alternating charging and discharging of measurement capacitors. wherein the capacitor charging rate is a function of current, and of capacitance. By using a mirror measurement current lo discharge the measurement capacitors, the discharge rate is made approximately equal to the charge rate.

Abstract: Very low resistance, scaled in MOSFET devices are formed by employing thin silicidation-stop extension that act both as a silicidation “stop” barriers and as thin interface layers between source/drain silicide regions and channel region of the MOSFET. By acting as silicidation stops, the silicidation-stop extensions confine silicidation, and are not breached by source/drain silicide. This permits extremely thin, highly-doped silicidation-stop extensions to be formed between the silicide and the channel, providing an essentially ideal, low series resistance interface between the silicide and the channel.

Abstract: A heat engine, preferably combined with an electric generator, and advantageously implemented using micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technologies as an array of one or more individual heat engine/generators. The heat engine is based on a closed chamber containing a motive medium, preferably a gas; means for alternately enabling and disabling transfer of thermal energy from a heat source to the motive medium; and at least one movable side of the chamber that moves in response to thermally-induced expansion and contraction of the motive medium, thereby converting thermal energy to oscillating movement. The electrical generator is combined with the heat engine to utilize movement of the movable side to convert mechanical work to electrical energy, preferably using electrostatic interaction in a generator capacitor.

Abstract: A power-on reset for a transponder (102, 200, 400) capable of measuring one or more parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure) in an object (e.g., a tire, 104) and transmitting a data stream (FIGS. 3C, 4B) to an external reader/interrogator (106). The transponder typically operates in a passive mode, deriving its power (Vxx, Vcc, Vdd) from an RF interrogation signal received by an antenna system (210, 410), but can also operate in a battery-powered active mode. The transponder includes memory (238, 438) for storing measurements, calibration data, programmable trim settings (436b), transponder ID and the like. A power-on reset circuit (600) prevents operation of the transponder until it is stable, and starts transmission of the data stream at a first bit of the data stream, in order to ensure a first-pass transmission of a complete data stream. It also prevents modulation of the antenna system for data stream transmission if the power levels are too low for stable transponder operation during modulation.

Abstract: In a DRAM cell having a trench, a cell capacitor and a cell transistor, a node conducting element connects the cell capacitor to the cell transistor and a collar is disposed about the node conducting element. The collar is disposed in the substrate at least partially, up to entirely outside of the trench. Because the collar is disposed in the substrate outside of the trench, it does not restrict the size of the trench opening. This enables sub-100 nm trenches, using techniques which are compatible with contemporary DRAM process steps. A strap is embedded into a top surface of the collar.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply tire (500) comprises a tread (510), a belt structure (512), and a carcass (514). The carcass (514) has a radial ply (518) and two bead sections (530A, 530B). Each bead section (530A, 530B) has a bead (532) and a component apex (534) with a inner apex (534A), a middle apex (534B) and an outer apex (534C).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for precision alignment of a moving tire building drum to an automated tire building system working axis, wherein the automated tire building system comprises one or more work stations with application drums aligned to the working axis, and the tire building drum is moved into and out of each work station, comprising: supporting the tire building drum on a rigid, two-sided drum support frame having flat skates with flat bearing rollers under one side, and V-skates with V-mounted bearing rollers under the other side; providing a rail system comprising first and second approximately parallel rails passing through the one or more work stations, wherein the first rail is substantially flat-topped, and the second rail is substantially inverted V-shaped on top; causing the one or more flat skates to ride on the first rail, and causing the one or more V-skates to ride on the second rail; and positioning the drum support frame, the flat skates, and the V-skates relative to the tire building drum