Abstract: By incorporating a material exhibiting a high adhesion on chamber walls of a process chamber during sputter etching, the defect rate in a patterning sequence on the basis of an ARC layer may be significantly reduced, since the adhesion material may be reliably exposed during a sputter preclean process. The corresponding adhesion layer may be positioned within the ARC layer stack so as to be reliably consumed, at least partially, while nevertheless providing the required optical characteristics. Hence, a low defect rate in combination with a high process efficiency may be achieved.

Abstract: By forming a highly non-conformal stressed overlayer, such as a contact etch stop layer, the efficiency of the stress transfer into the respective channel region of a field effect transistor may be significantly increased. For instance, non-conformal PECVD techniques may be used for forming highly stressed silicon nitride in a non-conformal manner, thereby achieving higher transistor performance for otherwise identical stress conditions.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for positioning a first device in relation to a second device. An optical signal from a first device is sent to a second device. A reflection of the optical signal from the second device is received. A position of one of the devices relative to the other device is adjusted based upon the reflection.

Abstract: A system and method gathers data from callers and call center sites and incorporates that information in call routing decisions. To make call routing decisions, a database structure keeps track of the calls in a queue before efficiently distributing the calls to agents at various call center sites. In one embodiment, a call routing system may comprise a web application server, a caller server, and a call center server. A method for distributing a call from a caller to a call center site may comprise collecting a first dataset relating to the call from the caller, queuing the call based on the first dataset, collecting a second dataset from the call center site, and routing the call to the call center site based on the first and second datasets.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recovering power fluid from a device under water and for pumping recovered power fluid to a surface of the water, the systems and methods, in certain aspects, including: flowing fluid from a subsurface apparatus to a subsurface recovery system, the fluid initially provided to the subsurface apparatus to power the subsurface apparatus; and the subsurface recovery system including pump apparatus for selectively pumping recovered fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).

Abstract: A method includes defining a reference model of a system having a plurality of terms for modeling data associated with the system. A reference fit error metric is generated for the reference model. A set of evaluation models each having one term different than the reference model is generated. An evaluation fit error metric for each of the evaluation models is generated. The reference model is replaced with a selected evaluation model responsive to the selected evaluation model having an evaluation fit error metric less than the reference fit error metric. The model evaluation is repeated until no evaluation model has an evaluation fit error metric less than the reference fit error metric. The reference model is trained using the data associated with the system, and the trained reference model is employed to determine at least one characteristic of the system.

Abstract: By providing thermoelectric elements, such as Peltier elements, in a semiconductor device, the overall heat management may be increased. In some illustrative embodiments, the corresponding active cooling/heating systems may be used in a stacked chip configuration to establish an efficient thermally conductive path between temperature critical circuit portions and a heat sink of the stacked chip configuration.

Abstract: By forming a single spacer element and reducing the size thereof by a well-controllable etch process, a complex lateral dopant profile may be obtained at reduced process complexity compared to conventional triple spacer approaches in forming drain and source regions of advanced MOS transistors.

Abstract: A subsea leak detection system is disclosed which includes a plurality of subsea leak detection sensors and a leak detection controller adapted to receive leak detection data from the plurality of subsea leak detection sensors and direct the sensing activities of the plurality of subsea leak detection sensors based upon the received leak detection data.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of handing off a mobile unit that supports multiple quality-of-service (QoS) application layer clients that operate according to multiple wireless access technologies in a packet-switched communication system. The method includes receiving information indicating a request to hand off the mobile unit from a first access network that operates according to a first wireless access technology to a second access network that operates according to a second wireless access technology. The mobile unit established a first session according to the first wireless access technology at a first QoS level. The method also includes establishing, concurrently with the first session and in response to receiving the handoff request, a second session according to the second wireless access technology at the first QoS level. The method further includes communicating with the mobile unit at the first QoS level using the first and second sessions.

Abstract: A blend of a multiply branched lactic acid polymer of one steric configuration with a linear lactic acid polymer of the opposite steric configuration has different and more useful properties than either component alone.

Abstract: By removing excess material of an interlayer dielectric material deposited by SACVD, the gap filling capabilities of this deposition technique may be exploited, while, on the other hand, negative effects of this material may be reduced. In other aspects, a buffer material, such as silicon dioxide, may be formed prior to depositing the interlayer dielectric material on the basis of SACVD, thereby creating enhanced uniformity during the deposition process when depositing the interlayer dielectric material on dielectric layers having different high intrinsic stress levels. Consequently, the reliability of the interlayer dielectric material may be enhanced while nevertheless maintaining the advantages provided by an SACVD deposition.

Abstract: By forming a direct contact structure connecting, for instance, a polysilicon line with an active region on the basis of an increased amount of metal silicide by removing the sidewall spacers prior to the silicidation process, a significantly increased etch selectivity may be achieved during the contact etch stop layer opening. Hence, undue etching of the highly doped silicon material of the active region would be suppressed. Additionally or alternatively, an appropriately designed test structure is disclosed, which may enable the detection of electrical characteristics of contact structures formed in accordance with a specified manufacturing sequence and on the basis of specific design criteria.

Abstract: By forming a stressed dielectric layer on different transistors and subsequently relaxing a portion thereof, the overall process efficiency in an approach for creating strain in channel regions of transistors by stressed overlayers may be enhanced while nevertheless transistor performance gain may be obtained for each type of transistor, since a highly stressed material positioned above the previously relaxed portion may also efficiently affect the underlying transistor.

Abstract: A selective stress memorization technique is disclosed in which the creation of tensile strain may be accomplished without additional photolithography steps by using an implantation mask or any other mask required during a standard manufacturing flow, or by providing a patterned cap layer for a strained re-crystallization of respective drain and source areas. In still other aspects, additional anneal steps may be used for selectively creating a crystalline state and a non-crystalline state prior to the re-crystallization on the basis of a cap layer. Thus, enhanced strain may be obtained in one type of transistor while not substantially negatively affecting the other type of transistor without requiring additional photolithography steps.

Abstract: A polishing head for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus is provided which includes at least two polishing head zones configured to provide different temperatures for transferring heat to at least two zones of a substrate corresponding to the at least two polishing head zones. The present disclosure addresses chemical mechanical polishing which allows a control of the polishing profile even if slurries are used, which show almost no dependency between polishing rate and down force.

Abstract: A method includes receiving measured values for a plurality of electrical test parameters associated with integrated circuit devices on at least one wafer measured prior to completion of the wafer. Values of the electrical test parameters are predicted. The measured values are compared to the predicted values to generate residual values associated with the electrical test parameters. At least one performance metric associated with the devices is generated based on the residual values.

Abstract: By providing contact plugs having a lower plug portion, formed on the basis of well-established tungsten-based technologies, and an upper plug portion, which may comprise a highly conductive material such as copper or a copper alloy, a significant increase in conductivity of the contact structure may be achieved. For this purpose, after the deposition of a first dielectric layer of the inter-layer stack, a planarization process may be performed so as to allow the formation of the lower plug portions on the basis of tungsten, while, after the deposition of the second dielectric layer, a corresponding copper-based technology may be used for forming the upper plug portions of significantly enhanced conductivity.

Abstract: An apparatus operatively coupled to a well having a production casing positioned therein, the apparatus including a first device having and internal bore, a second device having an internal bore, and a fracture isolation sleeve disposed at least partially within the internal bores of the first and second devices, wherein the fracture isolation sleeve has an internal diameter that is greater than or equal to an internal diameter of the production casing.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a dual-mode access terminal such that a CAVE based authentication process may be used in both an IS-2000 and an HRPD mode of operation. Generally, the access terminal receives a CHAP challenge from an access network, and then derives a RAND challenge based on at least a portion of the CHAP challenge. The CAVE based authentication process is then performed using the RAND challenge to produce a SMEKEY and a PLCM. Thereafter a secret CHAP key is derived from the SMEKEY and PLCM and provided to the access network for purposes of authenticating the access terminal in the HRPD mode of operation.