Abstract: An apparatus and method of manufacturing a wire mesh laminate includes wrapping a central core with multiple layers of mesh screen and a barrier layer having a higher melting point than the mesh screen to form a spool assembly. The spool assembly is then surrounded by an outer cover and is heated to sinter or fuse together the layers of mesh screen.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for etching a metal layer disposed on a substrate, such as a photolithographic reticle, are provided. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a photolithographic reticle including positioning the reticle on a support member in a processing chamber, wherein the reticle comprises a metal photomask layer formed on a silicon-based substrate, and a patterned resist material deposited on the silicon-based substrate, etching the substrate with an oxygen-free processing gas, and then etching the substrate with an oxygen containing processing gas.

Abstract: Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for software implemented timers configured to account for purposeful or desired program stoppage. Such program stoppage is a common occurrence in debugging environments. Because such program stoppage is not indicative of an error condition, it is undesirable to include the stoppage time with the elapsed timer value. Accordingly, a process counter is implemented which is incremented only while a process of the application being debugged is executing.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for identifying bookmark features either on a local browser or generated from a remote browser and sent to the local browser. Specifically, a method for managing bookmark information in a data structure residing on a computer, comprising receiving the bookmark information from a plurality of sources networked to the computer, the bookmark information comprising source identifier information and Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), and storing the bookmark information in the data structure.

Abstract: An optical package comprises an optical element (e.g., a filter), a reflective surface, an input optical fiber and an output optical fiber. A light signal travels through the input fiber and through the element where it is shaped or modified a first time. The shaped light signal is reflected by the reflective surface and is again transmitted through the element where it is shaped or modified a second time. The twice-shaped light signal then travels out through the output fiber. The package thereby utilizes the element two times. The package is useful in wavelength division multiplex (WDM) telecommunication systems and other light processing systems.

Abstract: A method for controlling etch processes during fabrication of semiconductor devices comprises tests and measurements performed on non-product and product substrates to define an N-parameter CD control graph that is used to calculate a process time for trimming a patterned mask to a pre-determined width. An apparatus for performing such a method.

Abstract: System and method for borehole compensation. The method includes simultaneously transmitting at least two modulated signals from one or more transmitters; receiving the at least two modulated signals by at least one receiver; and processing the received at least two modulated signals to determine a phase difference and an amplitude attenuation of the transmitted modulated signals, the processing providing borehole compensated data.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for polishing substrates comprising conductive and low k dielectric materials with reduced or minimum substrate surface damage and delamination. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate including positioning a substrate having a conductive material formed thereon in a polishing apparatus having one or more rotational carrier heads and one or more rotatable platens, wherein the carrier head comprises a retaining ring and a membrane for securing a substrate and the platen has a polishing article disposed thereon, contacting the substrate surface and the polishing article to each other at a retaining ring contact pressure of about 0.4 psi or greater than a membrane pressure, and polishing the substrate to remove conductive material.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and article manufacture of debugging code. One embodiment provides a method of debugging code, comprising displaying a user interface screen of a debugging program; and in response to an event, displaying the value of the variable and a comment associated with the variable in the user interface screen in a location other than in an original location of the comment. In one embodiment, the comment associated with the variable comprises at least one of a user-drafted comment embedded in the code being debugged, an external comment retrieved from a data source external to the code being debugged, and a machine-generated comment indicative of a manner in which the variable is used. In one embodiment, the value and the comment are displayed as fly-over text.

Abstract: A modular lift-pin assembly includes a lift-pin having a distal end, a connector, and an actuator pin. The connector includes an actuator end having a plurality of catch fingers disposed around the actuator end. Each of the plurality of catch fingers includes a lip extending radially inwards. A lift-pin end is coupled to the distal end of the lift-pin, and the actuator pin is coupled to the actuator end of the connector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a titanium silicon nitride barrier layer on a semiconductor wafer, comprising the steps of depositing a titanium nitride layer on the semiconductor wafer; plasma-treating the titanium nitride layer in a N2/H2 plasma; and exposing the plasma-treated titanium nitride layer to a silane ambient, wherein silicon is incorporated into the titanium nitride layer as silicon nitride thereby forming a titanium silicon nitride barrier layer. Additionally, there is provided a method of improving the barrier performance of a titanium nitride layer comprising the step of introducing silicon into the titanium nitride layer such that the silicon is incorporated into the titanium nitride layer as silicon nitride. Also provided is a method of integrating copper into a semiconductor device and a method of improving copper wettability at a copper/titanium nitride interface in a semiconductor device.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for adjusting acquisition assistance data received by a mobile receiver from a server is described. In one example, pseudoranges are measured from the mobile receiver to a set of satellites. Line-of-sight data is obtained with respect to the mobile receiver and the set of satellites. The pseudoranges and the line-of-sight data are processed to compute updates for an initial position associated with the acquisition assistance data and a correlator clock bias associated with the pseudoranges. The acquisition assistance data is then adjusted using the updates and the line-of-sight data.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments, including but not limited to a bicycle that includes, among other features, an elongated down tube and a single elongated seat tube, the longitudinal axis of the seat tube intersecting the longitudinal axis of the down tube at a location substantially intermediate between the first and second ends of the down tube, wherein the distance between the spaced apart side outer surfaces of each of the down tube and the seat tube are less than the distance between the upper and lower outer surfaces of each of the down tube and seat tube; additionally including a seat tube, a seat tube sleeve, a crank assembly and a bottom bracket sleeve for mounting the crank assembly, wherein the seat tube sleeve has an upper end, a lower end, and a longitudinal axis extending from the upper end to the lower end; the seat tube being disposed within the seat tube sleeve, the longitudinal axis of the seat tube sleeve intersecting the bottom bracket sleeve.

Abstract: A tool adapted for changing the direction of drilling during drilling. The drilling equipment used in the drilling includes a drill string, a bent sub, a drill motor, and a drill bit. The tool is positioned between the drill string and the bent sub, includes housing elements connected to one another, and has a passage for drilling fluid. The tool can be activated for rotation of the bent sub, so that the direction of drilling is changed in an infinitely variable manner. The tool includes a valve adapted for choking the passage so that the tool can be activated for rotation, a piston adapted for forced guiding of the rotation. The guides can be formed by twisted splines formed in the wall of the passage and in the wall of the opposite piston.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for placing fiber optic control line in a wellbore. In one aspect, a method for placing a line in a wellbore is provided. The method includes providing a tubular in the wellbore, the tubular having a first conduit operatively attached thereto, whereby the first conduit extends substantially the entire length of the tubular. The method further includes aligning the first conduit with a second conduit operatively attached to a downhole component and forming a hydraulic connection between the first conduit and the second conduit thereby completing a passageway therethrough. Additionally, the method includes urging the line through the passageway. In another aspect, a method for placing a control line in a wellbore is provided. In yet another aspect, an assembly for an intelligent well is provided.

Abstract: In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical device includes a first element which decomposes said optical signal into a first beam and a second beam with the first beam being in a first polarization state and the second beam being in a second polarization state. The first and second polarization states being orthogonal to one another and including each of said multiple channels. The optical device further includes a second element which transforms the first beam into a first elliptically polarized state having odd channels in a third polarization state and even channels in a fourth polarization state having even channels in the third polarization state and odd channels in the fourth polarization state; and a third element which combines the odd channels into a first output port and the even channels into a second output port.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided in which a method is described for transferring data in a digital system including a first bus, a second bus, a PCI-X bridge coupling the first and second buses, and a first device and a second device residing on the first and second buses, respectively. The first bus has the same or higher bandwidth than that of the second bus. According to the method, the PCI-X bridge immediately starts or resumes forwarding split completion data from the first device to the second device if the first device starts or resumes split completion data transfer to the PCI-X bridge at the beginning of a block (i.e., the start or resume byte address has the form of 128N). If the first device starts transfer to the PCI-X bridge not at the beginning of a block, the PCI-X bridge refrains from forwarding split completion data until (a) the first device sends the data byte at the beginning of the next block to the PCI-X bridge or (b) the byte transfer count is exhausted, whichever occurs first.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an accelerometer and/or displacement device that uses a mass coupled to a rhomboidal flexure to provide compression to an optical sensing element preferably having a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The transducer includes a precompressed optical sensor disposed along a first axis between sides of the flexure. The top portion of the flexure connects to the mass which intersects the flexure along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. When the mass experiences a force due to acceleration or displacement, the flexure will expand or contract along the second axis, which respectively compresses or relieves the compression of the FBG in the optical sensing element along the first axis. Perturbing the force presented to the FBG changes its Bragg reflection wavelength, which is interrogated to quantify the dynamic or constant force.

Abstract: Methods and systems for handling physical device placement requests are provided. In general, a physical device placement request is any request for information pertaining to placement of a physical device (e.g., a direct access storage device and a PCI card) in a computer system. Illustratively, a request may specify machine specific information, base system information or purchase order information. The user-supplied request information is then combined with configuration information according to predefined rules. The resulting output is placement information which may be returned to the requester.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of at least one gas flowing into a processing chamber is provided. In one embodiment, a gas temperature control apparatus for semiconductor processing includes a gas delivery line coupled between a processing chamber and a gas source. An enclosure substantially encloses the gas delivery line and is adapted to flow a heat transfer fluid away from the processing chamber.