Abstract: An improved glass sheet support system eliminates the use of elastomeric gaskets for mounting glass sheets in metal frames and replaces the gaskets with elastomeric support members that are positioned within a channel of the metal frame to temporarily support the glass sheet. Permanent support of the glass sheet is then provided by utilizing a bonding agent to adhesively bond an edge of the glass to the metal frame. The temporary elastomer support members may be short sections of elastomeric material laid into the channel and having sufficient length and spacing to adequately support the glass sheet in the metal frame until such time as the bonding agent has set. A plastic insert in the form of an elongated strip of material that can be snapped into place between the glass sheet and the upper edges of the channel fills the space between the glass and frame and provides a clean cosmetic edge. In the case of a boat windshield, the invention includes an improved mounting of the windshield to the deck of a boat.

Abstract: A film structure includes low-k dielectric films and N—H base source films such as barrier layer films, etch-stop films and hardmask films. Interposed between the low-k dielectric film and adjacent N—H base film is a TEOS oxide film which suppresses the diffusion of amines or other N—H bases from the N—H base source film to the low-k dielectric film. The film structure may be patterned using DUV lithography and a chemically amplified photoresist since there are no base groups present in the low-k dielectric films to neutralize the acid catalysts in the chemically amplified photoresist.

Abstract: A two-dimensional parity method and system that provides three-disk fault tolerance in an array of disks, such as a RAID system, is presented. The method includes arranging strips containing data in the disk array into horizontal and diagonal parity sets, each parity set including at least one data strip as a member and no single data strip is repeated in any one parity set. The diagonal parity sets are then grouped into two groups of diagonal parity sets—Group 1 and Group 2—such that each data strip is a member of a unique diagonal parity set in Group 1 and a unique diagonal parity set in Group 2. Horizontal XOR parities are calculated and stored in a designated disk. Diagonal XOR parities are calculated and at least some of the diagonal XOR parities are stored in a designated disk. The remaining diagonal parities are stored in a diagonal parity stripe so that diagonal parity can be retrieved in the event of a disk failure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus used to calibrate high-resolution electron microscopes where a single standard provides multiple samples, each having a different atomic structure, permits rapid accurate calibration of the entire range of magnifications. The different atomic structure dimensions possess known reference measurement data. The S/TEM is adjusted to focus onto the crystal lattice structure of each sample in a selected sequence. Measurements of these lattice spacings are compared to known dimensions. If S/TEM measurements do not agree with the lattice spacing dimensions, the S/TEM magnification is adjusted to reflect known dimensions. Typical standard exchange and associated processing steps are eliminated by the use of the single standard comprising of a plurality of samples.

Abstract: An endoscope for eye surgery incorporates a handle having a camera and an electric motor driven lens assembly for enabling a user to focus the camera during surgery without manually adjusting the focus. The endoscope includes a probe attached by a rotatable bayonet type connector with a simple pivoting lever to release the probe from the handle. The motor drive system incorporates spring biasing to compensate for overruns of a drive nut on a lead screw when the user attempts to exceed the focal range of the lens assembly.

Abstract: A method for dry etching a material deposited on semiconductor device is performed by chemically reacting the material with an etchant gas. The etching process is conducted in a reaction chamber at a predetermined temperature and predetermined pressure within the reaction chamber and without the need of generating a plasma within the chamber or applying an electrical bias to the semiconductor device. A sufficient amount of gas is introduced into the reaction chamber to selectively remove the material from the semiconductor device.

Abstract: An apparatus that may be removably attached to a golf cart for covering a bag storage area of the golf cart may include a top panel sized to cover the bag storage area, fasteners for releasably coupling the top panel to the golf cart, a first side panel and a second side panel each having a respective upper edge wherein a first segment of each respective upper edge is connected to a corresponding respective edge of the top panel, fasteners for releasably coupling the first side panel and the second side panel to the golf cart, a back panel having a rear upper edge and a pair of lateral edges, the back panel positioned between the first side panel and the second side panel wherein the back panel is connected along a portion of each lateral edge to a respective portion of the first side panel and the second side panel and wherein a portion of the rear upper edge is connected to the top panel, and fasteners for releasably coupling the top panel to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel an

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing automation method for analyzing a patterned feature formed on a semiconductor layer is disclosed. At least one patterned feature is scanned to generate an amplitude modulated waveform signal of the line and neighboring space characteristics. Signal processing is automatically performed on this waveform by an in-line computational source to extract known patterned features based on the profile of the amplitude modulated waveform signal. The extracted waveform segments are subjected to known geometric shapes to determine if the waveform indicates a normal or abnormal patterned feature on a semiconductor layer.

Abstract: High speed optical scanner systems and methods using optical multiplexing of wavelengths and spatial codes. In one form, a wavelength multiplexed optical scanner (W-MOS) is disclosed, wherein tuning the wavelength or selection of wavelength accomplishes a high speed, no-moving, parts scanner coupled with a wavelength dispersive element, such as a grating or a thin-film interference filter. In another form, a W-MOS employs beam expansion optics and a freespace-coupled wavelength dispersive element. In another embodiment, the invention includes a fiber-based W-MOS using an optical fiber coupled with a fiber-based wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) device to form a spatially distributed scanner for wide angular coverage in three-dimensional beam scanning. The invention also includes a code multiplexed optical scanner (C-MOS) that uses the principle of holography and spatial code multiple access optical communications.

Abstract: A system and method for memory management in a high-speed network environment. Multiple packets are interleaved in data streams and sent to a Memory Manager System. Read and write requests are queued in FIFO buffers. Subsets of these requests are grouped and ordered to optimize processing. This method employs a special arbitration scheme between read and write accesses. Read and write requests are treated as atomic. Memory bank selection is optimized for the request being processed. Alternating between memory bank sets is done to minimize bank conflicts. Link list updates are pipelined. Multiple independent link lists may be supported with the inclusion of a link list identifier. Arbitration between read and write requests continues until the group is exhausted. Then, processing is repeated for the next requests in the BRAM (buffer memories).

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor device is provided. The method allows for depositing a layer of a doped dielectric. The method further allows for executing plasma etching so that one or more etchant gases flow over the layer of doped dielectric. A redepositing step allows for redepositing another layer of doped dielectric over the plasma etched layer. The present invention enables to remove crystal defects that may be present in the doped dielectric surface and improve surface planarity.

Abstract: A method of surface treating a surface and semiconductor article is disclosed. A deposited surface layer on a substrate, such as a semiconductor surface, is treated and annealed within an alkyl environment of a chemical vapor deposition chamber to passivate the surface layer by bonding with the silicon and attaching alkyl terminating chemical species on the surface of the surface layer to aid in dehydroxylating the surface. The surface layer comprises a silicon-oxy-carbide surface layer having a carbon content ranging from about 5% to about 20% at the molecular level and a dielectric constant of about 2.5 to about 3.0.

Abstract: A high resolution, fault tolerant, variable optical attenuator and polarizer module for fiber optical beam control using parallel, serial, and serial-parallel optical control architectures. The module uses mixed control modes to control a macropixel array and includes spatially multiplexed processing techniques. The macropixel array consists of an array of individually controlled pixels, such as a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror array, where each pixel has a specific addressable location in the array, and each pixel can have a unique size, shape and electrical or optical drive format. The module can provide amplitude, routing, and polarization control of an input optical beam. In an embodiment, the module can control the gain of a light beam in fiber optical systems coupled to lenses. In another embodiment, the modules can be cascaded to form a high-resolution fiber optic attenuator.

Abstract: This invention pertains to a basic multi-technology application of cascaded beam-formers. A dual MEMS-EO technology platform method involving a two axis deflection micro-mirror cascaded with a three dimensional electro-optical beam-former such as a multi pixel liquid crystal device forms a powerful reflective control site for an incident beam, thereby inherently providing a robust beam control with both coarse and fine beam control capabilities in three dimensions. The electrically controlled two axis micro-mirror is excellent in providing the large angular beam deflections, while the liquid crystal device provides excellent small-beam deflections. This leads to a mechanically robust beam control module. A multipixel MEMS mirror device option coupled with the EO device can also provide simultaneous multi-beam generation capability. Furthermore, use of macro-pixels for both the MEMS and EO devices provides resistance to single pixel dependent catastrophic failure for the overall module.