Abstract: A surface of an insulating substrate is charged to a target potential. In one embodiment, the surface is flooded with a higher-energy electron beam such that the electron yield is greater than one. Subsequently, the surface is flooded with a lower-energy electron beam such that the electron yield is less than one. In another embodiment, the substrate is provided with the surface in a state at an approximate initial potential above the target potential. The surface is then flooded with charged particle such that the charge yield of scattered particles is less than one, such that a steady state is reached at which the target potential is achieved. Another embodiment pertains to an apparatus for charging a surface of an insulating substrate to a target potential.

Abstract: In one embodiment, wafers are processed to build test structures in the wafers. The wafers may be processed in tools of process steps belonging to a process module. The test structures may be tested to obtain defectivity data. Tool process parameters may be monitored and collected as process tool data. Other information about the wafers, such as metrology data and product layout attribute, may also be collected. A model describing the relationship between the defectivity data and process tool data may be created and thereafter used to relate the process tool data to a yield of the process module. The model may initially be an initial model using process tool data from a limited number of test wafers that contain test structures. The model may also be an expanded model using process tool data from product wafers containing embedded test structures in areas with no product devices.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a communication receiver includes an adaptive filter, a clock and data recovery (CDR) unit, and an adaptation control unit. The adaptive filter equalizes an input signal received over a communication channel to generate a compensated signal. The CDR unit processes the compensated signal to generate a sampling clock signal, a data signal, and a transition signal, the transition signal comprising samples of the compensated signal taken at an edge of the sampling clock signal, the data signal comprising data recovered from the input signal. The adaptation control unit receives the sampling clock signal, data signal, and transition signal and uses them to generate a control signal. The control signal may be used to control a gain of an amplifier in the adaptive filter to equalize the input signal. The adaptive filter, CDR unit, and adaptation control unit may be implemented using electrical circuits disclosed herein.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to a method of electron beam imaging of a target area of a substrate. During an imaging phase, an electron beam is controllably scanned over the target area of the substrate, and extracted secondary electrons are detected. An electric field at a surface of the substrate is changed from an original electric field after the imaging phase. During a charge control phase, the electron beam is controllably scanned over the target area of the substrate. The electric field at the surface of the substrate is reverted back to the original electric field after the charge control phase. The imaging and charge control frames are interleaved. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a protected process is monitored by one or more watchdog processes. Upon detection that the protected process has been abnormally terminated, the watchdog processes may initiate actions to identify and/or terminate one or more malicious processes terminating the protected process. For example, the watchdog processes may inject a detector in processes running in the computer. The detector may listen for an activity that would terminate the protected process, and report such activity to the watchdog processes. The watchdog processes may be configured to terminate malicious processes identified as abnormally terminating the protected process. Thereafter, the watchdog processes may restart the protected process.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a back side contact solar cell includes a tunnel oxide layer formed on a back side of a substrate. A polysilicon layer is formed on the tunnel oxide layer, and dopant sources are formed on the polysilicon layer. Dopants from the dopant sources are diffused into the polysilicon layer to form p-type and n-type regions therein. The p-type and n-type regions form p-n junctions that, among other advantages, allow for relatively high conversion efficiency.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to an electron beam apparatus for inspecting or reviewing a manufactured substrate. The apparatus includes a cathode, an extraction electrode, a lens electrode, an anode, deflectors, electron lenses, and a detector. The extraction voltage is positive relative to the cathode voltage, such that electrons are emitted from the cathode. Advantageously, the lens voltage is positive relative to the extraction voltage, such that electrons are accelerated from the extraction electrode to the lens electrode while the electrons are condensed to form an electron beam. The electron beam is transmitted through an opening of the anode and is controllably deflected to scan it over an area of the surface. The detector detects secondary electrons from the substrate so as to form an image of the scanned area. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed.

Abstract: A solar cell is fabricated by etching one or more of its layers without substantially etching another layer of the solar cell. In one embodiment, a copper layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching a topmost metallic layer comprising tin. For example, an etchant comprising sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide may be employed to etch the copper layer selective to the tin layer. A particular example of the aforementioned etchant is a Co-Bra Etcho® etchant modified to comprise about 1% by volume of sulfuric acid, about 4% by volume of phosphoric acid, and about 2% by volume of stabilized hydrogen peroxide. In one embodiment, an aluminum layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching the tin layer. For example, an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide may be employed to etch the aluminum layer without substantially etching the tin layer.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to a method for detecting defects in circuitry formed on a semiconductor substrate. A first scan of said circuitry is performed by scanning a primary electron beam in a first scan direction relative to said circuitry, and secondary electrons emitted during the first scan are detected so as to form a first voltage-contrast image. A second scan of said circuitry is performed by scanning the primary electron beam in a second scan direction relative to said circuitry, and secondary electrons emitted during the second scan are detected so as to form a second voltage-contrast image. The second scan direction is non-parallel to the first scan direction. The first and second voltage-contrast images are then compared to detect electrically-active defects. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a protected archive is checked for malicious content by checking a file size of the archive and/or examining the archive for notable characteristics indicative of malicious content. The notable characteristics may include values in a header of the archive. For example, the file name extension of a file contained in the archive and the compression method used to create the archive may be taken into account in determining whether the archive has malicious content, such as a worm or a virus. Embodiments of the present invention allow for detection of malicious content in the protected archive without necessarily having to extract files from the archive.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to an electronically-variable electrostatic immersion lens in an electron beam apparatus. The electrostatic immersion lens includes a top electrode configured with a first voltage applied thereto, an upper bottom electrode configured with a second voltage applied thereto, and a lower bottom electrode configured with a third voltage applied thereto. The third voltage is controlled separately from the second voltage. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: In one embodiment according to the present invention, relative z-ordering of segments in a digital image is determined. A method comprises forward and backward motion matching of image regions to determine overlap, followed by the creation of relationships (e.g., pairwise relationships) between regions and comparing the result with the original image to determine the relative z-ordering.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a serial link interface configured to send and receive data over a serial bus both during normal operation and during scan tests. The integrated circuit may include data routing circuitry for transferring data between the serial link interface and a scan chain during a scan test, and for transferring data between the serial link interface and a core logic circuit of the integrated circuit, without going through the scan chain, during normal operation. Scan data may be generated and analyzed by a tester integrated circuit coupled to the integrated circuit over the serial bus.

Abstract: One embodiment disclosed relates to a method for encoding and decoding a video sequence in which a keyframe is used to bi-directionally predict frames in the sequence. The keyframe is coded independently of other frames in the sequence. Both a prior frame occurring before the keyframe and a subsequent frame occurring after the keyframe are predicted using data from the keyframe. Another embodiment disclosed relates to a method for allocating bits to a keyframe during video encoding. Effects of a plurality of keyframe bit allocations on quality of a predicted frame are measured. Said effects are used to determine a near optimal keyframe bit allocation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, in a peer-to-peer network, data intended to be transferred directly from a first peer node to a second peer node are first redirected to an interception node. In the interception node, the data may be processed prior to being forwarded to the second peer node. The data may be scanned for virus detection and removal, for example.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to a method of automated microalignment using off-axis beam tilting. Image data is collected from a region of interest on a substrate at multiple beam tilts. Potential edges of a feature to be identified in the region are determined, and computational analysis of edge-related data is performed to positively identify the feature(s). Another embodiment relates to a method of automated detection of undercut on a feature using off-axis beam tilting. For each beam tilt, a determination is made of difference data between the edge measurement of one side and the edge measurement of the other side. An undercut on the feature is detected from the difference data. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to an electron beam apparatus for automated imaging of a substrate surface. An electron source is configured to emit electrons, and a gun lens is configured to focus the electrons emitted by the electron source so as to form an electron beam. A condenser lens system is configured to receive the electron beam and to reduce its numerical aperture to an ultra-low numerical aperture. An objective lens is configured to focus the ultra-low numerical aperture beam onto the substrate surface. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a content filtering system scans an incoming data for malicious content against a portion or the entirety of its knowledge base. If the incoming data is not detected to contain malicious content, the incoming data is forwarded to a content filtering agent that may perform further scanning of the incoming data against portions of its knowledge base that were not employed by the content filtering system. This advantageously allows a complete knowledge base to be segmented, with different computers scanning an incoming data using different segments of the knowledge base. The content filtering system and content filtering agent may be antivirus programs, while the knowledge bases may be virus/pattern files, for example.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes an optical displacement sensor having a dense multi-axis array of photosensitive elements. Generally, the sensor includes a two dimensional array of multiple photosensitive elements. In one embodiment, the array includes multiple linear arrays of photosensitive elements arranged along three or more axes in a space-filling, close-packed multi-axis array. The photosensitive elements are connected to each other in such a way that motion is determinable along each of the axes by measuring differential photocurrents between photosensitive elements along each of the axes. The inventive architecture advantageously increases signal redundancy, and reduces signal drop-out or low signals due to random fluctuations in the incident or absorbed light or in the signals from the photosensitive elements.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device is packaged using a low-cost thermally enhanced ball grid array (LCTE-BGA) package. The device may include a die with its backside mounted to the bottom side of a multi-layer packaging substrate. Thermal vias may be formed through the substrate to allow heat to be conducted away from the backside of the die to a top most metal layer of the substrate. Thermal balls may be attached to the bottom side of the substrate on the same plane as the die.