Abstract: An apparatus for holding a semiconductor substrate comprises a plate having a pocket which holds the substrate, wherein the pocket comprises a lower surface and an inner edge. The inner edge comprises a plurality of members extending radially inward to reduce the area of contact between the inner edge and the substrate. The beveled edge is inclined so that there is an acute angle between the lower surface of the pocket and the beveled edge.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate is described incorporating the steps of heating a substrate, implanting oxygen into a heated substrate, cooling the substrate, implanting into a cooled substrate and annealing. The steps of implanting may be at several energies to provide a plurality of depths and corresponding buried damaged regions. Prior to implanting, the step of cleaning the substrate surface and/or forming a patterned mask thereon may be performed. The invention overcomes the problem of raising the quality of buried oxide and its properties such as surface roughness, uniform thickness and breakdown voltage Vbd.

Abstract: A method (300) and system for controlling use of software programs on a client workstation; the programs (such as an operating system or a network stack) are started before completion of a bootstrap process. Each program requests (311) an execution authorisation to a system agent of a licensing management system, which grants (318-324) the authorisation according to a verification of a (simplified) local license certificate for the program stored on the client workstation before completion of the bootstrap. A full-function agent of the licensing management system revises (342-351) the granted authorisation according to a verification of a license certificate stored on a server workstation after completion of the bootstrap. Preferably, an execution environment of the programs (such as a power of the CPU on the client workstation) is monitored (333) in order to revise (336,360-384) compliance of the conditions of use of the programs with the respective license certificates dynamically.

Abstract: A method for scaling a signal sample rate includes interpolating between at least two scaling ratios to calculate an arbitrary scaling ratio, using a predetermined interpolation algorithm, and scaling a sample rate for a first portion of the signal using a first scaling ratio, and scaling a sample rate for a second portion of the signal using a second scaling ratio, to form a scaled signal having an average scaling ratio equal to the arbitrary scaling ratio.

Abstract: A computer executes a bid agent process that receives one or more selection requests for selected products over one or more of the network interfaces. A bid request process sends a bid request over one or more of the network interfaces to a one or more stores requesting a bid on the selected product. The bid request has a bid protocol agreed on by the stores and the stores also agree to send a bid within a time period. A bid receiving process then receives the bids and resends the bids over the network interface to the user.

Abstract: A method, system, and program product for controlling multi-node access to a disk storage system. In accordance with the method of the present invention, an active access authorization is set for a first node. The active access authorization enables read and write access by the first node to user and meta data within the disk storage system. A passive access authorization is set for a second node. The passive access authorization enables read-only access by the second node to logical volume management meta data within the disk storage system.

Abstract: Heat dissipation systems and structures which are employed in the cooling of electronic devices and/or semiconductor integrated-circuit chips which are installed in computer and/or communications systems. Moreover, disclosed is a method for implementing the heat dissipation systems and structures.

Abstract: A system and method for sequential decision-making for customer relationship management includes providing customer data including stimulus-response history data, and automatically generating actionable rules based on the customer data. Further, automatically generating actionable rules may include estimating a value function using reinforcement learning.

Abstract: The present invention is implemented in the context of a system that monitors the statuses of devices that operate in a network environment such as a physical facility from a central location. In this system, there is a depository of the status of all designated device attributes of a device including the past state history of the device. Each device on the system will transmit a state change notification to the central location each time the status of the device changes. In the process of the present invention, the central manger installs a publish routine on the newly added device to the network that would enable the device to asynchronously transmit to the state manager a status change each time a status change occurred with the device. A status change can be defined by a change in any one parameter or a combination of parameters. This status change will be recorded in a storage location for particular device.

Abstract: In one form of the invention, a method for scheduling multiple instruction threads for a processor in an information handling system includes communicating, to processor circuitry by an operating system, a selected schedule of instruction threads for a set of instructions. The processor circuitry switches from executing one of the threads with one of the contexts to executing another of the threads with another of the contexts, responsive to the schedule received from the operating system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing one or more program tasks associated with a software system. A program task-oriented tracing and analysis technique allows detailed information to be gathered and analyzed for one or more specified program tasks. A user can iteratively vary the level of detail or the selected program task(s) of interest, or both, until the source of a problem is identified. For each program task under analysis, the user can define what commences a task and what concludes a task. A software program is monitored until the user-specified criteria for commencing a task is identified and continues to trace the execution of the software program until the user-specified criteria for concluding a task is identified.

Abstract: A method is provided for scheduling software task execution. According to the method, at least one high priority software task that has a specified start time and at least one lower priority software task are accepted. There is determined a time remaining until the specified start time for the high priority software task, and there is determined if the lower priority software task can complete execution within the time remaining that was determined. The lower priority software task is executed only if it was determined to be able to complete execution within the time remaining, and the high priority software task is executed at or very near the specified start time. In a preferred embodiment, all incoming software tasks are placed on a task queue with a status of hold to prevent execution.

Abstract: A system and method for executing a regular expression (regex) query against a large data repository such as the World Wide Web includes an index engine that constructs multigram indices based on regex. A run time then receives a regex query and accesses the indices to return a set of potentially matching pages, which are then efficiently and quickly searched for matches to the regex query.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unique device structure and method that provides increased transistor performance in integrated bipolar circuit devices. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides improved high speed performance by providing reduced base resistence. The preferred design forms the extrinsic base by diffusing dopants from a dopant source layer and into the extrinsic base region. This diffusion of dopants forms at least a portion of the extrinsic base. In particular, the portion adjacent to the intrinsic base region is formed by diffusion. This solution avoids the problems caused by traditional solutions that implanted the extrinsic base. Specifically, by forming at least a portion of the extrinsic base by diffusion, the problem of damage to base region is minimized. This reduced damage enhances dopant diffusion into the intrinsic base. Additionally, the formed extrinsic base can have improved resistence, resulting in an improved maximum frequency for the bipolar device.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a flexible infrastructure for managing a process. The method comprises the steps of defining a workflow type, building a workflow pointer that defines the location of a database within a network, and coding subforms for the defined workflow type. Role documents are defined and customized, process flow documents are built for the defined workflow type, and action control documents are built for determining what happens to the defined workflow type.

Abstract: A local word-line redundancy architecture and method that implements both word-line and match-line steering for semiconductor memories and more particularly for content-addressable memories (CAM) are introduced. According to the present invention, the method of performing local word-line redundancy comprising: testing by using BIST, storing results, comparing failing read address data and failing match-line address data to determine if redundancy is possible and, if so, storing the redundancy repair data pattern and loading that patten upon initialization so that redundancy steering is activated.

Abstract: An interposer, located between an integrated circuit having power, ground and signal connections and a ceramic substrate having power, ground and signal connections, that includes an oxide layer formed on a polished surface of a silicon substrate, a thin film dielectric capacitor formed on the oxide layer, a plurality of metallized that electrically connect to either of the electrodes of the thin film dielectric capacitor, and vias than conduct power, ground and signals between a the ceramic substrate and the integrated circuit. The interposer connects the metallized vias to the integrated circuit by solder connections and also connects the vias conducting power, ground and signals from the ceramic substrate to the interposer by solder connections.

Abstract: A user specifies, in advance, the expansion devices which he/she does not want to remove among the expansion devices which are attachable/detachable with respect to the PC, and the specified expansion devices are excluded from a list displayed later for the user to select an expansion device to remove. Besides, whether to display expansion devices in the list is specified to an BIOS and the information referenced by the BIOS is stored in an NVRAM.

Abstract: An electronic module, substrate assembly, and fabrication method, the assembly providing thermal conduction between an electronic device to be cooled and an aqueous coolant, while maintaining physical separation between the coolant and electronic device. The assembly includes a substrate, one or more electronic devices to be cooled, and a multilayer, impermeable barrier. The multilayer barrier includes a first layer, providing mechanical support for a second layer. The second, thinner layer provides an impermeable barrier, and a high effective thermal conductivity path between an electronic device and a cooling fluid in contact with an upper surface of the second barrier layer. Mechanical stresses are minimized by appropriate material selection for the first layer, and a thin second layer.

Abstract: A technique for automatically installing software on one or more network-connected computer systems is disclosed. A user makes a request through a World Wide Web (WWW) site to install software on one or more computer systems. Software agents residing on the computer systems, under the direction of the server underlying the WWW site, collect installation information and install and configure the software.