Abstract: A method for determining the presence of defects in a covering layer overlying an underlying layer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises providing a substrate comprising the covering layer, where the covering layer is at least partially exposed. The covering layer is subjected to a first substance, such as a solvent, and then subjected to a light beam. An optical property of the covering layer is determined and compared with a threshold value. The presence of defects in the covering layer is determined by the difference of the optical property from the threshold value, where the optical property indicates a level of penetration of the first substance through the covering layer.

Abstract: A sensor array is described comprising a substantially constant resolution portion comprising a first series of first concentric closed rings, each first closed ring comprising a monodimensional array of equally spaced sensor element location sites, each location site including at aleast one sensor element; and a spatially variant portion comprising a second series of second concentric closed rings, the second series being concentric with the first series and each second closed ring comprising a monodimensional array of equally spaced sensor element location sites, each location site having at least one sensor element, the spatially variant portion surrounding or being surrounded by the substantially constant resolution portion, and the density of sensor element location sites continuously increasing or decreasing between the substantially constant resolution portion and the spatially variant portion.

Abstract: A method for providing an optical interface with at least one optical coupling structure for a packaged optical device is described. The at least one optical coupling structure may be, for example, wave-guides and/or microlenses. The packaged optical device includes an external alignment structure. The external alignment structure has a support means with at least one hole and at least one alignment feature. The method includes providing optical encapsulate material in the hole of the support means. Optical coupling structures, such as wave-guides or microlenses, may be provided into the encapsulation at a well-defined position relative to the at least one alignment feature of the external alignment structure. By providing the optical coupling structures directly in the material comprised in the encapsulation, a high degree of alignment accuracy is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention is a design apparatus compiled on a computer environment for generating from a behavioral description of a system comprising at least one digital system part, an implementable description for said system, said behavioral description being represented on said computer environment as a first set of objects with a first set of relations therebetween, said implementable description being represented on said computer environment as a second set of objects with a second set of relations therebetween, said first and second set of objects being part of a design environment.

Abstract: A method for generating an ultra-wideband communications signal is described. The method includes generating a piecewise linear ultra-wideband baseband signal comprising at least one pulse, based on an inputted data signal; generating a carrier tone having a carrier frequency suitable for wireless transmission; and upconverting the baseband signal with the carrier tone to the carrier frequency. A method for interpreting a received ultra-wideband communications signal, the signal having a center frequency in the RF domain, is also described. The method includes generating at least one local signal template, synchronized with the received ultra-wideband communications signal and having substantially the same center frequency; correlating the received ultra-wideband communications signal with each of the local signal templates in the analog domain, obtaining at least one ultra-wideband baseband signal; and interpreting the at least one ultra-wideband baseband signal to generate a data signal.

Abstract: A micro electromechanical switchable capacitor is disclosed, comprising a substrate, a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer deposited on at least part of said bottom electrode, a conductive floating electrode deposited on at least part of said dielectric layer, an armature positioned proximate to the floating electrode and a first actuation area in order to stabilize the down state position of the armature. The device may furthermore comprise a second actuation area. The present invention provides shunt switches and series switches with actuation in zones attached to the floating electrode area or with relay actuation.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the performances of at least one micromachined or microelectromechanical device (MEMS device) intended to carry a high frequency signal having an intended working frequency is disclosed. The MEMS device comprises a capacitive structure with at least one movable part, able to move with a frequency. The apparatus comprises a voltage signal source, at least one voltage divider circuit arranged between the capacitive structure and the voltage signal source, and a detection unit for detecting and measuring the voltage at the outlet of the voltage divider. The detection unit provides a combined voltage signal of an actuation voltage able to act on the moveable part of the capacitive structure with an actuation frequency and of a measurement voltage having a measurement frequency lower than the intended working frequency.

Abstract: A thermoelectric generator (TEG) and a method of fabricating the TEG are described. The TEG is designed so that parasitic thermal resistance of air and height of legs of thermocouples forming a thermopile can be varied and optimized independently. The TEG includes a micromachined thermopile sandwiched in between a hot and a cold plate and at least one spacer in between the thermopile and the hot and/or cold plate. The TEG fabrication includes fabricating the thermopiles, a rim, and the cold plate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for immersion lithography is described. The method includes positioning a semiconductor substrate under an optical immersion head assembly, providing an immersion liquid between the substrate and the optical immersion head assembly, and supplying a tensio-active gaseous substance along the perimeter of the contact area of the immersion liquid and the substrate. The immersion liquid contacts at least an area of the substrate. The tensio-active gaseous substance is chosen such that, when at least partially mixed with the immersion liquid, the mixture has a lower surface tension than the immersion liquid, thereby creating a surface tension gradient pulling the immersion liquid from the perimeter towards an inside portion of the contact area.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a driver circuit comprising an input, an output and at least one low-ohmic switch. The switch is provided with an input terminal and two output terminals. The driver circuit further comprises a first feedback arrangement in a low-voltage CMOS technology, inputting the voltage of one output terminal of the switch and steering the input terminal of the switch to keep the voltage of that one output terminal within a predefined range, whereby the predefined range is characterised by a threshold value.

Abstract: Four related but independent aspects are described: (1) a method and a system to derive mesh surface descriptions (also called connectivity-wireframes) from objects represented as a scalar field (e.g. discrete multi-dimensional data), scalar functions (e.g. implicit surfaces) or any other surface description, (2) a compact, optionally multi-scalable, optionally view-dependent, optionally animation-friendly, multi-dimensional surface representation method and system comprising a combination of a surface mesh description associated with a reference grid, (3) a digital coding and decoding method and system of a combined surface mesh representation with connectivity information and a reference grid, and (4) a method and system for conversion of other surface descriptions to the combined surface mesh representation and reference grid. The presentation of the surface of an object may be transmitted across a communications channel by means of a bit stream.

Abstract: The invention presents video information stream encoding methods used in applications of a data storage and transfer design methodology for data-dominated applications. The invention relates to video encoding methods with variable video frames designed such that the digital system on which the methods are implemented, consumes a minimal of power, during their execution and still obtain excellent performance such as speed compliance. The resulting video information stream encoding methods can be mapped on different processor architectures and custom hardware. The methods enable combined low power consumption, reduced bus loading and increased performance to achieve speed compliance. The encoding methods are essentially based on block-based motion estimation and grouping of motion estimations of various video frames.

Abstract: A CMOS circuit for and method of forming a FinFET device is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate comprising a semiconductor layer, forming on the semiconductor layer active areas insulated from each other by field areas, forming at least one dummy gate on at least one of said active areas and forming source and drain regions on the at least one of the active areas. The method also includes covering the substrate with an insulating layer leaving said dummy gate exposed and forming an open cavity by patterning the dummy gate to form a dummy fin and a semiconductor fin aligned to said dummy fin, both fins extending from the source to the drain regions.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing electronic devices and devices produced by those methods are disclosed. One such method includes releasably bonding a first surface of a device substrate to a face of a first carrier substrate using a first bonding agent to produce a first composite substrate, where the face of the first carrier substrate includes a pattern of trenches. The method also includes processing the device substrate to manufacture an electronic device on a second surface of the device substrate. The method further includes releasing the device substrate from the first carrier substrate by a releasing agent.

Abstract: An electronic system for receiving spread spectrum signals, in particular GPS and/or GLONASS signals is described. In particular, the functional specification for the design of an advanced GPS and/or GLONASS receiver (AGGR) is disclosed. The AGGR is preferably fabricated including at least one sub-system implemented as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The present disclosure describes the AGGR functionality and its modes of operation to a detail allowing a future user of the device to understand its features and limitations and to assess its suitability for an envisaged application. A method and an apparatus are described for processing received spread spectrum signals modulated with a unique pseudo-random code including a capability of hierarchically chaining a plurality of channel modules in series, specific forms of delay line units and correlator units which can process CA-code, P-code and Y-code signals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for slicing a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, the invention allows repetitive etching of a surface of the semiconductor substrate with a time dependent concentration of fluorine ions and a time dependent current I, such that multiple porous layers are obtained. The porous layer is released, and the released porous layer is removed from the surface of the substrate. The surface roughness of the porous layer is maintained within an acceptable or desired level of roughness value. The invention also provides an apparatus including a container having an etching solution. The semiconductor substrate may be protected by a tube covering at least a potion of said semiconductor substrate from said etching solution. The rate of insertion of said semiconductor substrate into the container is controlled to synchronize the lift-off with the insertion of the correct thickness of the semiconductor substrate. The anodising current is provided between two electrodes during operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the design of an essentially digital system. As one example of digital systems, these may perform real-time transformations on time discrete digitized samples of analogue quantities. An example of such a system is a digital communication system. The transformations on the data can be specified in a programming language and executed on a processor such as a programmable processor or directly on application specific hardware. In accordance with the present invention the digital system is described as a set of threads in a description language. Alternative names for a thread are tasks and processes. The set of threads defines a representation or model of the digital system. In accordance with the present invention, the representation or model is preferably executable at each stage of the design independent of the current level of abstraction of that representation or model. With description language is meant a programming language.

Abstract: Dielectric material compositions comprising HfO2 and a second compound are disclosed. The compositions are characterized by at least a part of the compositions being in a cubic crystallographic phase. Further, semiconductor based devices comprising such dielectric material compound and method for forming such compounds are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for removing unreacted metal from a germanium layer, a germanide layer and or a dielectric material. The method includes removing the unreacted metal using a chemical composition that includes one or more hydrohalides, such as in an aqueous form. In certain embodiments, the chemical composition may also include H2SO4. Also, in certain embodiments, the chemical composition may be heated to increase the etch rate of the unreacted metal and/or improve the etch selectivity to the germanium, the germanide and/or the dielectric material.

Abstract: Simulation methods and simulators are presented which operate on a computer under software control. Said computer simulation methods and simulators are specially suited for simulating digital circuits and mixed analog digital circuits. The methods enable efficient simulation, meaning resulting in a fast simulation while still obtaining accurate results. With fast simulation is meant that the simulation can be completed in a short simulation time. Accurate means that the signals obtained or determined by simulation are good approximations of the signals that would be measured when the circuit, which representation is under simulation, is actually running in real world. Indeed the simulation methods and the related simulation apparatus or simulator exploits a representation of a circuit.