Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for processing a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising at least two gate stacks and a spacer gap. The method and system comprise utilizing a spin-on technique at the transistor device level to provide an oxide spacer in the spacer gap and then curing the semiconductor device at a temperature above approximately 450° C. Through the use of a system/method in accordance with the present invention, the voids that are created in the spacer gaps during conventional semiconductor processing are eliminated. Furthermore, the oxide spacers posses the high quality characteristics that are typically provided through the use of the conventional CVD methodology. Accordingly, as a result of the use of the system/method in accordance with the present invention, the MOSFET oxide spacers are strengthened, which increases the reliability of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A data processing system including a processor having a load/store unit and method for utilizing alias hit signals to detect errors within the read address tag arrays. Within a load store unit, implemented within a processor, a real address tag array is utilized to indicate when effective address aliasing occurs in a primary cache array. If aliasing occurs, Alias Hit signals are then used to clear any aliased entries. These Alias Hit signals can also be utilized to determine if there has been some type of failure within the real address tag array.

Abstract: A bus interface apparatus and method are implemented. A pair of data streams is generated from the stream of data to be launched onto a data bus. Each stream is staged along a corresponding data path that includes a plurality of storage elements. Each path feeds an input of a multiplexer (MUX). The output of the MUX drives the bus, and the MUX selects a data value for launching onto the bus in response to a signal derived from an internal bus clock. The internal bus clock is also used to generate a bus clock that is output to the bus along with the data. The period of the bus clock may be a preselected multiple of the period of a processor clock. The data is staged along the two data streams in response to clocking signals derived from the processor clock. Each of the clocking signals is qualified by a corresponding hold signal, that, when asserted, holds the clocking signals in a predetermined state.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing and navigating search results from a database on a computer system. A graphical user interface is generated to receive user input including a data source to search for information and a query indicating information which is desired from the data source. The user input is transmitted to the data source, the search is performed and information responsive to the query resulting from the search is received from the data source. The search results include characteristics of the responsive information. The responsive information is clustered into a plurality groups based on selected characteristic information and the user may select at least one group of the responsive information to be displayed.

Abstract: A plurality of field emission device cathodes each generate emission of electrons, which are then controlled and focused using various electrodes to produce an electron beam. Horizontal and vertical deflection techniques, similar to those used within a cathode ray tube, operate to scan the individual electron beams onto portions of a phosphor screen in order to generate images. The use of the plurality of field emission cathodes provides for a flatter screen depth than possible with a typical cathode ray tube.

Abstract: A method and system for insulating a lower layer of a semiconductor device from an upper layer of the semiconductor device is disclosed. The method and system include providing an interlayer dielectric on the lower layer. The interlayer dielectric is capable of gap filling while using only species of relatively low mobility. The method and system also include planarizing a surface of the interlayer dielectric.

Abstract: Instruction branching circuitry including a plurality of logical stacks each having a plurality of entries for storing an address to a corresponding instruction in memory. A counter generates a pointer to an entry in an active one of the logical stacks, the counter including incrementation logic incrementing a stored pointer value following a Push operation and decrementation logic decrementing the stored pointer value following a Pop operation to the active one of the logical stacks. Selector circuitry selects the active one of the logical stacks in accordance with the performance of the Push and Pop operations.

Abstract: A film (carbon and/or diamond) for a field emitter device, which may be utilized within a computer display, is produced by a process utilizing treatment of a substrate and then depositing the film. The treatment step creates nucleation and growth sites on the substrate for the film deposition process and promotes election emission of the deposited film. With this process, a patterned emission can be achieved without post-deposition processing of the film. A field emitter device can be manufactured with such a film.

Abstract: A field emission cathode is provided which includes a substrate and a conductive layer desposed adjacent the substrate. An electrically resistive pillar is disposed adjacent the conductive layer, the resistive pillar having a substantially flat surface spaced from and substantially parallel to the substrate. A layer of diamond is disposed adjacent the surface of the resistive pillar.

Abstract: A graphical user interface is implemented to indicate how much of the systems resources are being consumed during a dictation operation, via speech recognition, of a document and its corresponding persistent results information and when said resources are nearing their capacity. An external user may take steps necessary to reduce the information stored within the memory resources of a data processing system implementing this graphical user interface in an efficient and effective manner, through the use of a “commit” signal.

Abstract: A system and method of the type for quickly mobilizing a unit for dredging a layer of material from a water bottom is provided. The dredging system includes: a motorized, substantially self-contained vessel positioned above a borrow site, at least one dredging shoe extended from the vessel to a bottom of a water adapted for dredging a material from the bottom to a pre-selected depth, a power source positioned on the vessel in operational connection with the dredging shoe for drawing the material into the shoe and transporting the material through a conduit to a deposit site, and a dredging motivation system connected to the vessel for moving the vessel and the dredging shoe along a dredging path.

Abstract: An audio system 100 includes circuitry 116 for generating an audio data stream and circuitry 103 for generating digital words defining a volume control level. System 100 also includes volume control circuitry 5000 for controlling the amplitude of the audio data stream in response to the digital words. Volume control circuitry 5000 includes a master register 5001 for holding digital words received from circuitry for generating 116 and a slave register 5002 for holding a digital word selectively transferred from master register 5001 in response to an enable signal. Output control circuitry 5005, 5006 and 5007 receive the audio data stream and apply a preselected gain defined by the digital word held in slave register 5002. Volume control circuitry 5000 also includes circuitry 5003, 5004 for generating the enable signal when a digital word held in the master register 5001 changes and the audio data stream output from ouput control circuitry 5005, 5006, 5007 reaches a zero crossing.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivery of prepaid telecommunication services and method therefor in which in substantially real time after a request for such services is submitted by a purchaser, the request is processed, a PIN number is issued for that particular service, and the prepaid telecommunication service is accessible. The PIN number can be transmitted to the purchaser or a third party recipient for whom the request for services was made. This transmittal includes incorporating the PIN number in an electronic mail message (for sending on a data processing network such as the Internet).

Abstract: The present application discloses a method and system of sharing reserved bandwidth among several connections issuing from a same physical port in an origin node of a packet switching communication network comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected with transmission links. At each request for establishing a connection i from an origin node to a destination node, the dependent connection management process: selects for connection i a routing path comprising one or a plurality of links from the origin node to the destination node: identifies on the selected path all consecutive links starting from the origin node and shared with another connection issuing from the same physical port; reserves on each link of these identified consecutive links an aggregate bandwidth for all connections issuing from the same physical port, said aggregate bandwidth being less than the sum of the bandwidth reserved for each connection considered individually.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing a multi-level directory search are implemented. The directory information may be stored in a backing store in accordance with a relational database. An ancestor table is generated which maps each node in the directory which is an ancestor of one or more descendant nodes to each of its ancestor nodes. Each node is associated with a unique identifier, which may be used to relate ancestor and descendant nodes. The table includes the identifier of each ancestor in association with all the corresponding descendants. Additionally, the table maps the distance between the ancestor and each descendant. For a search initiated at a given node the distance values may be used to delimit a search in accordance with a specified search scope. The search scope may be specified as a parameter in a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) search request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for non-interrupt-driven handshake with acknowledgment are provided. A first software resource in a data processing system communicates a data value to a second software resource by writing the data value to a first register field, where it may be read by the second software resource. On writing the data, the first resource sets a write signal in a second register field. If the second software resource attempts to read the data value before it is written by the first resource, a reset value in the second field informs the second resource that any data in the first field is invalid. The second resource then sets a first predetermined value in a third field which informs the first resource that the second has attempted a read. If the data is valid when the second resource attempts the read, the data is retrieved, and the second resource echos the value in a fourth field.

Abstract: A method, computer program product and data processing system for accessing extended attributes. An extended attribute descriptor in a dinode may be read to determine if there exists extended attributes associated with a file system object that is associated with the dinode. An extended attribute descriptor points to a dinodex associated with the dinode if there exists an extended attribute associated with the file system object. The dinodex may then be read to retrieve the extended attritbutes stored either inside or outside the dinodex. However, if there is no extended attribute associated with that particular file system object, then the extended attribute descriptor comprises a null value and does not point to a dinodex associated with the dinode.

Abstract: A WCDMA system includes a Base Station (BS) or forward transmitter and a pilot channel that transmits control signals between a Mobile Station (MS) and BS to reconfigure their transmitter/receiver according to the prediction of the channel power and channel power probability density function separated into three distinct equal probable regions. Data signals are encoded using a one-half Viterbi encoder and interleaved. The interleaved data bits are modulated using Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation. The QPSK data is multiplexed with the pilot channel and spread by an appropriate code in an OFDM transmitter modified by a long code. Output of the transmitter may be provided to two diverse antennas for reliable communications to the receiver. Data may be received at two diverse antennas. The outputs are provided to match filters coupled to a coherent rake receiver and a channel prediction system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for evaluating the performance degradation of semiconductor integrated circuit devices due to hot carrier injection (HCI) is implemented. A device under test (DUT) is subject to a sequence of stress cycles. A stress condition is set on the device, for example, an over voltage condition may be applied as the operating voltage of the device. A physical parameter serving as a measure of device performance, for example, the case temperature of the device, is then characterized by varying the physical measure as the DUT executes benchmark cycles until the device fails. Benchmark cycles may be run using conventional benchmark software, or, alternatively, synthetic code. Extrapolation of the data to nominal operating conditions provides a characterization of the expected lifetime of the DUT due to HCI.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for expansion of an inter-IC (I2C) is provided. An expansion processor resides on a primary I2C bus. The expansion processor is coupled to a plurality of I2C sub-buses each of which may host a plurality of I2C devices. Data is transferred between the expansion processor and the plurality of I2C devices via the corresponding sub-bus according to an I2C protocol. Data transfer is in response to a request initiated by a bus master on the primary I2C bus. The bus master communicates with a target device residing on one of the sub-buses by addressing the expansion processor. The bus master informs the expansion processor of the target device by sending the expansion processor a number of the sub-bus on which the target device resides, and an address of the target device. A data stream bound for the target device is directed to the expansion processor which the echos it to the target device.