Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a porous elastomer, the method comprising the steps of: providing a predetermined amount of a liquid elastomer and a predetermined amount of a porogen; mixing the liquid elastomer and the porogen in vacuum until a homogenous emulsion without phase separation is formed; curing the homogenous emulsion until polymerizations of the emulsion is reached, thereby forming a cured emulsion; and removing the porogen from the cured emulsion. The method can advantageously be used for forming biocompatible porous elastomers and biocompatible porous membranes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a EHF wireless communication receiver comprising a phased array radio arranged for receiving a beam of signals in a predetermined frequency band. The phased array radio comprises a plurality of antenna paths, each arranged for handling one of the incoming signals and forming a differential I/Q output signal, each antenna path comprises a downconversion part and a phase shifting part for applying a controllable phase shift; a signal combination circuitry is connected to the antenna paths and is arranged for combining the differential I/Q output signals; and a control circuitry is connected to the phase shifting parts of the antenna paths and is arranged for controlling the controllable phase shift. In each antenna path, the phase shifting part is a baseband part downstream from the downconversion part and the phase shifting part comprises a set of variable gain amplifiers arranged for applying controllable gains to the respective downconverted incoming signals in the I/Q branches.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for manufacturing floating gate memory devices and the floating gate memory devices thus manufactured. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a monocrystalline semiconductor substrate, forming a tunnel oxide layer on the substrate, and depositing a protective layer on the tunnel oxide layer to form a stack of the tunnel oxide layer and the protective layer. The method further includes forming at least one opening in the stack, thereby exposing at least one portion of the substrate, and cleaning the at least one exposed portion with a cleaning liquid. The method still further includes loading the substrate comprising the stack into a reactor and, thereafter, performing an in-situ etch to remove the protective layer, using the at least one exposed portion as a source to epitaxially grow a layer comprising the monocrystalline semiconductor material, and forming the layer into at least one columnar floating gate structure.

Abstract: A tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) is disclosed. In one aspect, the transistor comprises a gate that does not align with a drain, and only overlap with the source extending at least up to the interface of the source-channel region and optionally overlaps with part of the channel. Due to the shorter gate, the total gate capacitance is reduced, which is directly reflected in an improved switching speed of the device. In addition to the advantage of an improved switching speed, the transistor also has a processing advantage (no alignment of the gate with the drain is necessary), as well as a performance improvement (the ambipolar behavior of the TFET is reduced).

Abstract: Various implementations of the invention provide for generation of a high transmission phase shift mask layout through inverse lithography techniques. In various implementations of the present invention, a set of mask data having a plurality of pixels is generated. The transmission value associated with each pixel may then be determined through an inverse lithography technique. With various implementations of the invention, the inverse lithography technique identifies an objective function, minimizes the objective function in relation to a simulation of the optical lithographic process, such that the transmission value, which is greater than 6%, may be determined.

Abstract: A method is provided for modifying a poly(arylene vinylene) or poly(heteroarylene vinylene) precursor polymer having dithiocarbamate moieties by reacting it with an acid and further optionally reacting the acid-modified polymer with a nucleophilic agent. Also provided are novel polymers and copolymers bearing nucleophilic side groups which are useful as components of electronic devices, e.g. in the form of thin layers.

Abstract: A method is provided for modifying a poly(arylene vinylene) or poly(heteroarylene vinylene) precursor polymer having dithiocarbamate moieties by reacting it with an acid and further optionally reacting the acid-modified polymer with a nucleophillic agent. Also provided are novel polymers and copolymers bearing nucleophillic side groups which are useful as components of electronic devices, e.g. in the form of thin layers.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments provide a method for forming at least one metal comprising elongated nanostructure on a substrate. The method comprises exposing a metal halide compound surface to a photon comprising ambient to initiate formation of the at least one metal comprising elongated nanostructure. The preferred embodiments also provide metal comprising elongated nanostructures obtained by the method according to preferred embodiments.

Abstract: A method for trimming an effective refractive index of optical waveguiding structures made for example in a high refractive index contrast material system. By compaction of cladding material in a compaction area next to patterns or ridges that are formed in the core material for realizing an optical waveguiding structure, the effective index of refraction of the optical waveguiding structure can be trimmed. Thus, the operating wavelength of an optical component comprising such an optical waveguiding structure can be trimmed. An optical waveguide structure thus obtained is also disclosed.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing contamination in an application system is disclosed. In one aspect, the sensor comprises a capping layer. The sensor is adapted to cause a first reflectivity change upon initial formation of a first contamination layer on the capping layer when the sensor is provided in the system. The first reflectivity change is larger than an average reflectivity change upon formation of a thicker contamination layer on the capping layer and larger than an average reflectivity change upon formation of an equal contamination on the actual minors of the optics of the system.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for electroplating a copper deposit onto a substrate, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) immersing the substrate into an electroplating bath having a copper ion concentration comprised between 0.5 mmol·l?1 and 50 mmol·l?1, and an acid concentration comprised between 0.05% and 10% per volume of said electroplating bath; and wherein the method further comprises the step of b) electroplating the copper deposit from the electroplating bath onto the substrate. In particular, the present invention is directed to an improved method for the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) devices provided with sub-100 nm features.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a method or apparatus is described for determining concentration(s) of one or more analytes in a sample using plasmonic excitations. In another aspect, a method relates to designing systems for such concentration determination, wherein metallic nanostructures are used in combination with local electrical detection of such plasmon resonances via a semiconducting photodetector. In certain aspects, the method exploits the coupling of said metallic nanostructure(s) to a semiconducting photodetector, said detector being placed in the “metallic structure's” near field. Surface plasmon excitation can be transduced efficiently into an electrical signal through absorption of light that is evanescently coupled or scattered in a semiconductor volume. This local detection technique allows the construction of sensitive nanoscale bioprobes and arrays thereof.

Abstract: In one aspect, this disclosure provides a substrate for determining the concentration of an analyte within a sample. The substrate includes a conductive region and a recognition layer, the conductive region including at least one particle and having a first surface operatively coupled with the recognition layer, the recognition layer comprising at least one recognition molecule. The distance between the first surface of the conductive region and the recognition molecule is selected such that when the analyte is bound to the recognition layer the combination of the at least one particle and the analyte exhibits at least one of the following effects when radiation is directed through the conductive region and the recognition layer: (i) a particle plasmon effect, (ii) a particle bulk interband absorption, (iii) analyte molecular absorption, and (iv) absorption by the analyte-particle combination.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for producing a stack of layers on a semiconductor substrate. The method includes producing a substrate a first conductive layer; and producing by ALD a sub-stack of layers on said conductive layer, at least one of said layers of the sub-stack being a TiO2 layer, the other layers of the sub-stack being layers of a dielectric material having a composition suitable to form a cubic perovskite phase upon crystallization of said sub-stack of layers. Crystallization is obtained via heat treatment. When used in a metal-insulator-metal capacitor, the stack of layers can provide improved characteristics as a consequence of the TiO2 layer being present in the sub-stack.

Abstract: A multi-channel biopotential signal acquisition system is disclosed. In the system, a plurality of biopotential channels is corrected for common-mode interference. In one aspect, each biopotential channel includes an electrode for providing a biopotential input signal and an associated amplifier for amplifying the biopotential input signal and providing a biopotential output signal. The output signal is processed in a processor. Each biopotential output signal is passed to a common-mode feedback system, which determines an average common-mode signal and feeds that signal back to each of the amplifiers in each of the biopotential channels to enhance common-mode rejection ratio of the system.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a semiconductor substrate having a back surface and including at least one piece of metal embedded in the substrate comprises directing measuring light towards the back surface of the substrate and detecting a portion of the measuring light received back from the substrate. The method also includes determining a distance between the piece of metal and the back surface based upon the detected measuring light received back from the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices for measuring electromagnetic properties of samples. In one embodiment, a device is disclosed that includes a substantially two-dimensional measurement chamber comprising a reflective surface, where the reflective surface has a substantially elliptical shape that forms a part of an ellipse having a first focal point and a second focal point. The device further includes an input/output port located at the first focal point and a sample holder located at the second focal point.

Abstract: Disclosed are optical devices for coupling radiation between an optical waveguide and an external medium. In one embodiment, an optical device is disclosed comprising a semiconductor die comprising an integrated optical waveguide core and an overlying optical waveguide comprising a waveguide taper and a waveguide facet. The overlying optical waveguide at least partially overlies the integrated optical waveguide core, and the waveguide facet is between about 1 ?m and 200 ?m from an edge of the semiconductor die. In another embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising providing a substrate comprising an integrated semiconductor waveguide and forming on the substrate an overlying waveguide comprising a waveguide taper and a waveguide facet. The overlying waveguide at least partially overlies the integrated semiconductor waveguide. The method further includes cutting the substrate about 1 ?m and 200 ?m from the waveguide facet.

Abstract: A non-destructive and simple analytical method is provided which allows in situ monitoring of plasma damage during the plasma processing such as resist stripping. If a low-k film is damaged during plasma processing, one of the reaction products is water, which is remained adsorbed onto the low-k film (into pores), if the temperature is lower than 100-150 C. A plasma (e.g. He) that emits high energy EUV photons (E>20 eV) which is able to destruct water molecules forming electronically excited oxygen atoms is used to detect the adsorbed water. The excited oxygen is detected from optical emission at 777 nm. Therefore, the higher the adsorbed water concentration (higher damage), a more intensive (oxygen) signal is detected. Therefore, intensity of oxygen signal is a measure of plasma damage in the previous strip step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device comprising a homojunction or a heterojunction with a controlled dopant (concentration) profile and a method of making the same. Accordingly, one aspect of the invention is a method for manufacturing a junction comprising forming a first semiconductor material comprising a first dopant having a first concentration and thereupon; forming a second semiconductor material comprising a second dopant, having a second concentration thereby forming a junction, and depositing by Atomic Layer Epitaxy or Vapor Phase Doping at least a fraction of a monolayer of a precursor suitable to form the second dopant on the first semiconductor material, prior to forming the second semiconductor material, thereby increasing the second concentration of the second dopant at the junction.