Abstract: An insulating barrier extending between a first conductive region and a second conductive region is disclosed. The insulating barrier is provided for tunnelling charge carriers from the first to the second region, the insulating barrier comprising a first portion contacting the first region and a second portion contacting the first portion and extending towards the second region, the first portion being substantially thinner than the second portion, the first portion being constructed in a first dielectric and the second portion being constructed in a second dielectric different from the first dielectric, the first dielectric having a lower dielectric constant than the second dielectric.

Abstract: In one inventive aspect, a thin film device is manufactured by (a) forming a porous semiconductor layer in the form of a thin film on an original substrate, the formation being immediately followed by (b) separation of the thin film by a lift-off process from the original substrate; (c) transfer of the thin film to a dummy support, the thin film not being attached to the dummy support; (d) fabrication of a device on top of the thin film; and (e) transfer and attachment of said device on said thin film on a foreign substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for creating transient cavitation comprising the steps of creating gas bubbles having a range of bubble sizes in a liquid, creating an acoustic field and subjecting the liquid to the acoustic field, characterized in that the range of bubble sizes and/or the characteristics of the acoustic field are selected to tune them to each other, thereby controlling transient cavitation in the selected range of bubble sizes. It also relates to an apparatus suitable for performing the method according to the invention.

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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: A simulation system is described for computing the overall signal generated in a substrate by a digital system comprising a plurality of gates associated with the substrate, wherein each gate is configured to perform a switching event. Output of a transistor-level model is compared with output of a lumped circuit model for each gate and the substrate, and signal contributions from each gate and switching event are determined based on the comparison. The system determines switching event signals for each of the plurality of gates. The signal contributions and the switching event signals are combined, and a combined lumped circuit model is derived based on a combination of lumped circuit models of the plurality of gates. The overall signal is computed based on the combined gate signal contributions and switching event signals, which are configured as an input to the combined lumped circuit model.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a rotatable chuck for supporting a substrate and a splash guard. The splash guard surrounds the chuck and surrounds a substrate mounted on the chuck. The splash guard has a portion that deflects fluid being flung off the substrate by centrifugal action in a manner so as to not splash back onto the substrate. The splash guard is moveable between a process position in which the upper annular edge of the splash guard extends above the chuck and a substrate on the chuck, and a load/unload position in which the splash guard is tilted so that one side of the upper annular edge is below an upper edge of the chuck. The movement of the splash guard facilitates loading and unloading of a substrate.

Abstract: A tuneable film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) device. The FBAR device includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode and a piezoelectric layer in between the bottom electrode and the top electrode. The piezoelectric layer has a first overlap with the bottom electrode, where the first overlap is defined by a projection of the piezoelectric layer onto the bottom electrode in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of the bottom electrode. The FBAR device also includes a first dielectric layer in between the piezoelectric layer and the bottom electrode and a mechanism for reversibly varying an internal impedance of the device, so as to tune a resonant frequency of the FBAR device.