Abstract: A method is disclosed for fabricating a photovoltaic cell comprising local back contacts. In one aspect, the method includes providing a silicon substrate, depositing a surface passivation layer at a rear side of the silicon substrate, forming delaminated regions or bubbles at an interface between the surface passivation layer and the silicon substrate, depositing a metal layer on the surface passivation layer, and performing a metal firing.

Abstract: A wavelength-sensitive detector is provided that is based on elongate nanostructures, e.g. nanowires. The elongate nanostructures are parallel with respect to a common substrate and they are grouped in at least first and second units of a plurality of parallel elongate nanostructures. The elongate nanostructures are positioned in between a first and second electrode, the first and second electrodes lying respectively in a first and second plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of substrate, whereby all elongate nanostructures in a same photoconductor unit are contacted by the same two electrodes. Circuitry is added to read out electrical signals from the photoconductor units. The electronic density of states of the elongate nanostructures in each unit is different, because the material, of which the elongate nanostructures are made, is different or because the diameter of the elongate nanostructures is different.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for controlled formation of the resistive switching layer in a resistive switching device. The method comprises providing a substrate (2) comprising the bottom electrode (10), providing on the substrate a dielectric layer (4) comprising a recess (7) containing the metal for forming the resistive layer (11), providing on the substrate a dielectric layer (5) comprising an opening (8) exposing the metal of the recess, and forming the resistive layer in the recess and in the opening.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device comprising at least one delay line for applying a variable delay to a clock signal and a controller for controlling the variable delay of the delay line. Each delay line comprises a plurality of concatenated delay banks which provide different delay values with respect to each other, a bypass parallel over each of said the delay banks, and switching elements associated with each of the delay banks for selecting either the respective delay bank or the respective bypass. Each of the delay banks is provided with a delay bank status indicator for indicating propagation of the clock signal through the delay bank towards the controller. The controller is provided for taking the indicated propagation of the clock signal into account upon setting said switching elements.

Abstract: Manufacturing an III-V engineered substrate involves providing a base substrate comprising an upper layer made of a first III-V compound with a <110> or a <111> crystal orientation, forming an intermediate layer comprising at least a buffer layer of a second III-V compound, wherein the intermediate layer is overlying and in contact with the upper layer of the base substrate. Then a pseudomorphic passivation layer made of a group IV semiconductor material is grown so as to be overlying and in contact with the intermediate layer. This can enable an unpinned interface. The substrate surface can be smoother, implying fewer problems from surface stress. It can be used in electronic devices such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), tunneling field effect transistors (TFETs), and optoelectronic devices.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical (MEMS) resonator is disclosed that comprises a substrate and a resonator body suspended above the substrate by means of clamped-clamped beams, where each beam comprises two support legs with a common connection to the resonator body, and the resonator body is configured to resonate at an operating frequency. The MEMS resonator further comprises an excitation component configured to excite the resonator body to resonate at the operating frequency, where each beam is further configured to oscillate in a flexural mode at a flexural wavelength as a result of resonating at the operating frequency, and each leg is acoustically long with respect to the flexural wavelength.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for providing solder material on a predetermined area on a substrate. In various embodiments, the solder material is deposited on a wetting layer which lies within an area on a substrate having a confinement layer. Further a packaging method and package are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for removing impurities from at least one semiconductor device layer during manufacturing of a semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device layer has a compound semiconductor material and/or germanium. Each heating process performed during the manufacturing of the semiconductor device after provision of the semiconductor device layer has a low thermal budget determined by temperatures equal to or lower than about 900° C. and time periods equal to or lower than about 5 minutes. In one aspect, the method includes providing a germanium gettering layer with a higher solubility for the impurities than the semiconductor device layer. The germanium gettering layer is provided at least partly in direct or indirect contact with the at least one semiconductor device layer, such that impurities can diffuse from the at least one semiconductor device layer to the germanium gettering layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for managing the operation of a telecom system, and minimizing the energy to be drained from a power supply. According to the method, a rate constraint and telecom environment conditions are determined. Then, a working point is selected a plurality of predetermined working points based on the rate constraint and the telecom environment conditions. The telecom system is operated at the selected working point by setting corresponding control parameters.

Abstract: A method for selective deposition of semiconductor materials in semiconductor processing is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a patterned substrate comprising a first region and a second region, where the first region comprises an exposed first semiconductor material and the second region comprise an exposed insulator material. The method further includes selectively providing a film of the second semiconductor material on the first semiconductor material of the first region by providing a precursor of a second semiconductor material, a carrier gas that is not reactive with chlorine compounds, and tin-tetrachloride (SnCl4). The tin-tetrachloride inhibits the deposition of the second semiconductor material on the insulator material of the second region.

Abstract: A configuration is disclosed. In one aspect, the configuration includes a substantially planar electrode layer, in a first plane. The configuration further includes a substantially planar two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) layer electrically connected in series with the electrode layer. The 2DEG layer is provided in a second plane substantially parallel with the first plane and located at a predetermined distance, in a direction orthogonal to the first plane, from the first plane. The 2DEG layer and the electrode layer are patterned such that the electrode layer overlays a part of the 2DEG layer, wherein the predetermined distance between the first plane and the second plane is selected to be sufficiently small for allowing electrostatic interaction between the electrode layer and the 2DEG layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a method for the deposition of a continuous layer of germanium on a substrate by chemical vapor deposition. According to the disclosure, a mixture of a non-reactive carrier gas and a higher order germanium precursor gas, i.e. of higher order than germane (GeH4), is applied. In an example embodiment, the deposition is done under application of a deposition temperature between 275° C. and 500° C., with the partial pressure of the precursor gas within the mixture being at least 20 mTorr for temperatures between 275° C. and 285° C., and at least 10 mTorr for temperatures between 285° and 500° C.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems of transmitting data signals from at least one transmitting terminal with a spatial diversity capability to at least two receiving user terminals, each provided with spatial diversity receiving device. The methods and systems are useful, for example, in communication between terminals, e.g., wireless communication. In certain embodiments, transmission can be between a base station and two or more user terminals, wherein the base station and user terminals are each equipped with more than one antenna.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a layer of organic material. The method comprises providing onto a substrate, under deposition conditions, a layer of a solution comprising said organic material dissolved in a solvent; optionally partially drying said layer of solution; thereafter annealing said layer of solution, said annealing being applied before said layer of solution has been dried out completely and the duration of said annealing being limited such that said layer of solution is not dried out completely during the annealing, said annealing inducing reflow of said layer of solution; and thereafter drying out said layer of solution, said drying out being controlled such that it is performed slower than it would be under deposition conditions. The resulting layer of organic material shows an improvement of both the micro quality and the macro quality, leading to obtaining a fully continuous film with minor surface roughness and an accurate line resolution and edge definition.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an out-of-plane variable overlap MEMS capacitor comprises: providing a substrate (40) comprising a first layer (41), a second layer (42), and a third layer (43) stacked on top of one another; and etching a plurality of first trenches (70) through the third layer (43), through the second layer (42), and into the first layer (41) using a single etching mask. Etching the plurality of first trenches (70) defines a plurality of first fingers (51) in the third layer (43) and a plurality of second fingers (52) in the first layer (41). By using a single mask, the process is self-aligned. The method further comprises removing the second layer (42) in a first region where the plurality of first trenches (70) are provided, thereby forming a spacing or gap between the plurality of first fingers (51) and the plurality of second fingers (52).

Abstract: A system for assisting in spectrally characterizing or detecting a sample using radiation at a predetermined wavelength or in a predetermined wavelength range is disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes a substrate having a nanopore for excitation of plasmons. The nanopore provides a window through the substrate, wherein a smallest window opening of the window has an average length (L) and an average width (W) both being substantially smaller than 2 ?m. The nanopore supports highly confined surface plasmon polaritons and at specific wavelengths resonances are observed, when the conditions for a standing wave are fulfilled. This leads to strong field enhancements and enables single molecule spectroscopy.

Abstract: Integrated body sound monitoring system arranged for recording and processing body sounds such as respiratory sounds is disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes a number of microphones arranged for recording a body sound signal that represents a mixture of different body sounds, a processing block that is arranged for processing the body sound signal and comprises electronic components for locally storing, processing and analyzing the body sound signal prior to transmittal to an external device, and a radio arranged for transmitting data related to the body sound signal to the external device.

Abstract: One inventive aspect relates to a method for fabricating a high-k dielectric layer. The method comprises depositing onto a substrate a layer of a high-k dielectric material having a first thickness. The high-k dielectric material has a bulk density value and the first thickness is so that the high-k dielectric layer has a density of at least the bulk density value of the high-k dielectric material minus about 10%. The method further comprises thinning the high-k dielectric layer to a second thickness. Another inventive aspect relates to a semiconductor device comprising a high-k dielectric layer as fabricated by the method.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing pressure is disclosed. The sensor may be a pressure sensor for sensing pressure, or a tactile sensor for sensing tactile events through pressure measurement. In one aspect, the sensor includes at least one pressure sensor having at least one VCSEL on a substrate. It further includes a compressible sensor layer covering a top surface of the at least one VCSEL, and a reflecting element covering a top surface of the sensor layer. A method of manufacturing such a sensor is also disclosed.

Abstract: In the manufacture of electronic devices that use porous dielectric materials, the properties of the dielectric in a pristine state can be altered by various processing steps. In a method for restoring and preserving the pristine properties of a porous dielectric layer, a substrate is provided with a layer of processed porous dielectric on top, whereby the processed porous dielectric is at least partially exposed. A thin aqueous film is formed at least on the exposed parts of the processed porous dielectric. The exposed porous dielectric with the aqueous film is exposed to an ambient containing a mixture comprising at least one silylation agent and dense CO2, resulting in the restoration and preservation of the pristine properties of the porous dielectric.