Abstract: Low-k dielectric films such as SiLK are desirably used in semiconductor structures, for example in back-end multilevel metal interconnect structures, as insulators. Low-k dielectric films, however, are prone to damage in the course of typical rework processes such as chemical-mechanical polishing, plasma/reactive ion etching, or wet chemistry processing/etching. The present invention uses an ion milling process with a variable-position endpoint detector to unlayer multiple layers including low-k dielectric films. The ion milling process can be controlled for each material type so as to maintain a planar surface with minimal or no damage to the exposed materials.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer product are disclosed for improving wireability near clock nets in a logic design that includes multiple logic blocks. Each of the logic blocks has an actual physical size. Logic blocks that are a particular type are identified. During placement of the logic blocks, an apparent physical size of each of the identified logic blocks is utilized as a physical size for the identified logic block. The apparent physical size is larger than the actual physical size. During routing, the actual physical size of each of the identified logic blocks is utilized.

Abstract: The field of invention relates to a method, means, and device for acquiring user input by a computer and, more particularly, a new and improved method of customizing a user interface to each specific task performed by a user such that the user interface customizes itself without the user having to modify multiple sets of preferences.

Abstract: A number of transducers are produced on a substrate, the transducers positioned on the substrate in non-linear rows. The substrate is then sliced into rows. Each row is then lapped with a curved lapping plate. Finally, each row is sliced into individual sliders, each slider now having an air bearing surface with non-zero camber.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously forming a line interconnect such as a bitline and a borderless contact to diffusion, e.g. bitline contact, is described. A semiconductor substrate having prepatterned gate stacks thereon is covered with a first dielectric to form a first level and then a second dielectric is deposited which forms a second level. Line interconnect openings are defined in the second level by lithography and etching. Etching is continued down to monocrystalline regions in an array region of the substrate to form borderless contact openings coincident to the line interconnects between the gate stacks. The openings are filled with one or more conductors to form contacts to diffusion, e.g. bitline contacts, which are coincident to the line interconnects, e.g. bitlines.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arithmetic unit (AU) in combination with an algebraic block ECC decoder for controlling errors in an electronically recorded digital data message by performing at least one of a plurality of predetermined arithmetic operations on the data message in one or more of a plurality of subfields of a first GF(2.sup.12) or a second GF(2.sup.8) finite field. The arithmetic operations are selected either from a first group of operations associated with a first subfield GF(2.sup.4) as cubically extended to the first finite field GF(2.sup.12) or as quadratically extended to the second finite field GF(2.sup.8), or selected from a second group of operations associated with a second subfield GF(2.sup.6) as quadratically extended to the first finite field GF(2.sup.12).

Abstract: A system for encoding and decoding binary data in a data transmission system, such as a magnetic or optical data storage channel. The encoding process is implemented as a two-step RLL coding procedure wherein the original user bit data are first encoded as an asymmetric RLL code signal at a reduced clock rate and then translated to a second even-spaced RLL code signal suitable for recording to a data storage medium at a full-speed clock rate. The system also provides for recovering suitable even-spaced RLL codes recorded at a full-speed clock rate, translating the recovered even-spaced RLL code signal to an asymmetric RLL code signal at a reduced clock rate, and then decoding the asymmetric RLL code signal to recover the original user bit data. A preferred embodiment uses a rate 2/5 (2, 16, 2) even-spaced RLL code at a full-speed clock rate and a rate 4/5 (0,7; 1,8) asymmetric RLL code at a half-speed clock rate.

Abstract: An electron microscope which includes a detector which is located in the magnetic field used to focus the primary electron beam onto the sample. The focusing magnetic field is used to energy-filter and/or energy analyze the scattered electrons without the need for additional equipment, such as a retarding-field energy filter. The magnetic field of the condenser-objective lens (or of any other type of magnetic lens) of the microscope provides the filtering and/or analyzing action, and the detector can be located so as to collect only low-loss electrons.