Abstract: A self aligned contact to the substrate in the region between two gate electrodes is formed by depositing a conformal dielectric layer and patterning to form a contact window. The conductive elements of the gate electrode are not contacted because of etch rate differentials between the conformal dielectric and the insulating elements of the gate structure.

Abstract: A gate contact to a field effect transistor is opened over the source/drain region by forming polysilicon plugs between the gate structure, which has a nitride top layer, and the field oxide regions. The contacts are formed by oxidizing and etching the gate structure and the polysilicon plugs. An oxide layer may be deposited prior to the etching. The latter step opens a gate contact but does not expose the silicon in the plug because the different oxidation rates of the polysilicon plug and the material on top of the gate structure create oxide layers having different thicknesses. The nitride is now removed and contacts formed to the gate structure.

Abstract: A tunable tandem Fabry-Perot etalon in used in wavelength division multiplexed optical systems or in an optical device. One path is used to calibrate the pre-spectral range with respect to a reference wavelength and the other path is used to select and acquire the desired wavelength.

Abstract: A tunable tandem Fabry-Perot etalon in used in optical systems as a filter between two amplifier stages. The etalon filters the signal going from the preamplifier to the amplifier and provides further filtering as the output of the amplifier also passes through the etalon.

Abstract: SRAM cells are manufactured with balanced, high-resistance load resistances by having substantially all of dielectric layer directly over the polysilicon load resistor covered by a metal layer. The metal layer protects the polysilicon during subsequent processing which can adversely alter its characteristics.

Abstract: An optical communication system uses adjustable dispersion compensating fibers to compensate for dispersion in system fibers. The amount of dispersion introduced by the dispersion compensating fibers is varied depending upon the amount of compensation required. The amount of compensation may be determined automatically and the amount of compensation introduced by the fibers may be adjusted automatically by a controller.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is described which has an electrical contact formed between a metallic silicide and .alpha.:Si. The method of integrated circuit manufacturing comprising the steps of: forming a layer of a metallic silicide; depositing a layer of .alpha.:Si on said metallic silicide at a temperature less than the recrystallization temperature; and increasing the conductivity of at least selected portions of said .alpha.:Si by ion implanting a species having the peak of its spatial distribution spaced from the .alpha.:Si-Silicide interface and the .alpha.:Si surface.

Abstract: Data recovery is simplified when there is a known interval between packets by using the information about time between packet starts to adjust the receiver clock rather relying solely on the information conveyed by the received bits. Information about packet length may also be used.

Abstract: Re-entrant angles in doped dielectrics produced from the decomposition of organo-silicon compounds are reduced or eliminated by the addition of a polar molecule to the dielectric deposition process.

Abstract: Bidirectional transmission over a single optical fiber is obtained in an optical communications system by using a three port circulator in customer premises equipment together with an optical fiber amplifier and a narrow band filter. The fiber amplifier can be locally or remotely pumped. The acousto-optic modulator is advantageously used because it reduces the coherent Rayleigh noise by detuning upstream and downstream wavelengths.

Abstract: A bidirectional optical amplifier uses a four port optical circulator. Optical amplification is obtained in two fiber amplifiers which are connected to the optical circulator.

Abstract: An optical isolator obtains reduced ripple due to Fabry-Perot reflections by using a polarization mode dispersion compensation element with first and second antireflection coatings designed to minimize reflections for first and second polarizations for first and second wavelengths.

Abstract: An optical filter in fabricated in an electro-optic material such as lithium niobate and uses a plurality of pairs of waveguides coupled to each other by optical coupling regions. The waveguides and optical coupling regions overlying electrodes which are used to tune the filter by varying the optical path length difference between waveguides and the optical cross coupling in the optical coupling regions.

Abstract: Convolutionally encoded information subjected to channel intersymbol interference is decoded by calculating the minimum cost path through a trellis. The trellis terminates in known states. Exploiting the open architecture of the coprocessor, the minimum cost state is checked to ascertain if it is the known, that is, correct state and if it is not, the possible known states are searched by the DSP inside the ECCP active register and the state with the lowest cost amont the possible states is selected.

Abstract: Etch baths having phosphoric acid, nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid and used to selectively remove silicon nitride or silicon with respect to silicon oxide have enhanced initial selectivity when silicon is added to the initial bath. The silicon may be added in the form of soluble silicon compounds such a hexafluorosilicic acid or ammonium fluorosilicate.

Abstract: Electrical discontinuities in a silicide formed on a patterned surface are prevented by forming metal fillets in the recesses of the patterned polysilicon covered surface, and then depositing a metal layer and reacting with silicon to form the silicide. The fillet provides extra metal at a place where there is typically a deficiency in conventional deposition techniques.

Abstract: A field effect transistor is fabricated with an ion implanted silicide layer and a conducting diffusion barrier pad layer that acts as a diffusion mask. The dopants from the silicide layer are diffused into the substrate to form shallow source/drain regions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit has a plurality of programmable antifuses. Each antifuse can be programmed to connect metals runners on one level with either or both of a pair of runners on a second level.

Abstract: Control voltages are generated so that each transistor in a plurality of parallel connected field effect transistors turns ON with smooth transitions between transistors and in a manner that is relatively insensitive to processing and operating temperature variations.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor package which permits coupling of semiconductor bond pads to I/O leads where a high density of connections is needed. Conductive fingers backed by an insulating tape are bonded to the ends of the ringers on a lead frame. The tape fingers are electrically coupled to the bond pads on one major surface of the semiconductor chip by wire bonding. In one embodiment, the opposite major surface of the chip is bonded to a paddle on the lead frame through an aperture in the tape for maximum heat dissipation.