Abstract: An integrated circuit substrate having a first surface for receiving a series of aligned layers during the creation of the integrated circuit, and a second surface disposed substantially opposite the first surface, where the second surface has at least one alignment mark for aligning the series of aligned layers one to another during creation of the integrated circuit. An apparatus for aligning a mask having an image and at least one complimentary alignment mark to a substrate having a first surface and a substantially opposing second surface, where the substrate has at least one alignment mark on the second surface.

Abstract: An original netlist is transformed to one employing universal gates. A negation net is created for each net coupled to an input or output of each gate and an input of each inverter in the original net. Each gate is removed from the original netlist and a universal gate is inserted so that the nets previously coupled to the inputs and output of the removed gate and a negation of those nets are coupled to the inputs and outputs of the inserted universal gate in a selected arrangement. Each inverter is removed from the original netlist and the net previously coupled to the input of the inverter is negated. A universal gate comprises gates performing anding and oring functions whose inputs and outputs are selectively coupled to the nets of the original netlist, and their negations.

Abstract: A wafer chuck assembly for a semiconductor wafer processing device has axially movable wafer support pins associated with a wafer chuck body of the wafer chuck assembly. The wafer support pins are biased to contact and support the backside of a semiconductor wafer when the semiconductor wafer is placed and/or maintained (typically via air suction) on the wafer chuck assembly. Each support pin axially moves independent of one another such that any area of contamination on the backside of the semiconductor wafer that registers with a support pin, moves the affected support pin axially downwardly.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for sealing a removable EMI shielded enclosure. A continuous gasket is placed between a stationary portion of the enclosure and a capture frame. The capture frame contains a second gasket that seals against a removable cover and further contains provisions for latching the removable cover to the enclosure. The latching mechanism is contained outside of the EMI shielded portion of the enclosure and can be very low profile while exerting a large compressive force.

Abstract: A confinement device for operative arrangement within a substrate etching chamber, having a lower surface of the device generally arranged over a substrate outer top surface such that a gap-spacing therebetween is generally equidistant. This spacing is less than a sheath thickness for the plasma, preferably less than ?rd of an inner width of an aperture through the lower surface of the device. The aperture, sized preferably greater than 3 times the sheath thickness, is in communication with a channel of the device in which an etchant gas can be confined for reaction to selectively etch a localized area in the substrate outer top surface generally below the aperture. A system for dry etching an IC wafer includes a substrate etching chamber and a confinement device. The etchant gas may be a plasma induced and sustained by RF energy, a microwave source, or other source, as designed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically generating a visual representation of a resistance network and an equivalent point to point resistance for any set of terminals on the resistance network are provided. With the apparatus and method, a cell layout is input to a resistance/capacitance (RC) extraction tool. The RC extraction tool extracts the RC parasitics from the cell layout and inputs them into a resistance network visualization and analysis tool. From the RC parasitics, a graph data structure representation of the resistance network is generated. The graph data structure of the resistance network may then be reduced using, for example, a single layer series and parallel reduction, all layers series and parallel reduction, layer specific reduction, or the like. Following reduction, if any, a visual representation of the resistance network is generated using the graph data structure. Thereafter, equivalent point to point resistance for any set of terminals on the resistance network may be generated.

Abstract: An unequal error protection Reed-Muller code and method for designing a generator matrix and decoder. A conventional RM code is concatenated with the combination of itself and a subcode of itself. The new generator matrix is decomposed to include empty submatrices. The resulting generator matrix allows parallel decoding of separate portions of the received code word vectors.

Abstract: An optical proximity correction system for local correction of an aerial image produced from a mask having transmissive portions and blocking portions collectively defining a target design includes an analyzer to match one or more segments of the target design to one or more typical case segments from a predetermined set of typical case segments; a controller, coupled to the analyzer, for approximating each of the one or more segments of the target design with matching typical case segments from the set of typical case segments to produce an adjusted aerial image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for measuring high speed glitch energy between first and second. The method and apparatus induce a change in charge on the first node from a first charge level to a second charge level with glitch energy supplied by the second node. An amount of charge is then supplied to the first node to restore the charge on the first node from the second charge level toward the first charge level. A representation of the amount of charge supplied to the first node is measured.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a multichannel interface controller. An interface controller may include a first channel and a second channel. The first channel and the second channel are suitable for providing an interface between a host and a host device, in which, the first channel is separately configurable from the second channel.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package comprises a cavity for housing an integrated circuit (IC) and an antenna provided as part of the package that is located substantially outside the cavity. The antenna may be located on the floor of the IC package that lies in the region outside of the IC cavity. Alternatively, the antenna may be located on the upper or lower surface of the lid sealing the IC package. The antenna may be placed in the floor or on a surface of the IC lid by forming depressions in the floor or lid surface and depositing conductive material in the depressions. The conductive material deposition may be by sputtering, evaporation, or other known physical or chemical deposition method. Antennas formed in the upper surface of an IC lid may be coupled to a pin of the IC package so that the antenna may be electrically coupled to a transceiver component on the IC within the package.

Abstract: A method of making a thin gate dielectric includes implanting a barrier substance into a region of a silicon substrate. A capacitance-increasing material is implanted into the silicon substrate. An outside layer of the silicon substrate is oxidized to form a first silicon oxide layer. The silicon substrate is oxidized between the first silicon oxide layer and the region.

Abstract: Static timing analysis results from multiple corner cases are combined to create a differential results table that may be used to identify components that are a high risk for failure. These results may be combined with a schematic analysis tool that finds overlapping logic cones for specific nodes of a circuit such as a failing output pin. These tools are specifically adapted to assist an engineer in the design and debugging of complex circuits, such as integrated circuits.

Abstract: A circuit that may be used to implement boundary scan testing. The circuit generally comprises a pad circuit, a core logic, a cell, and a test circuit. The pad circuit may be configured to transfer a data signal in response to a pad control signal. The core logic may be configured to (i) exchange the data signal with the pad circuit and (ii) present a control signal. The cell may be configured to (i) transfer the data signal between the pad circuit and the core logic and (ii) swap the data signal and a test signal. The test circuit may-be configured to (i) exchange the test data signal with the cell, (ii) store a test control signal, and (iii) multiplex the test control signal and the control signal to present the pad control signal.

Abstract: File paths for a plurality of IC design files in a hardware description language are abstracted by parsing description files, or a directory of description file names, to identify file paths to each of the plurality of design files in a first environment. An index is generated correlating each design file and its respective file path. In use, a file path in a second environment of an application is defined for each design file, and the index is applied to the file paths in the second environment to define full file paths for each design file through the first and second environments. The design files are then applied to the application using the full file paths.

Abstract: An iterative mantissa calculator calculates a quotient mantissa for a divide mode or a result mantissa for a square-root mode. The calculator includes at least first and second summing devices. In the divide mode, each summing device calculates a respective estimated partial remainder W[j+1] for the next iteration, j+1, as 2*W[j]?Sj+1*D, where W[j] is the estimated partial remainder for the current iteration calculated during the prior iteration, Sj+1 is the quotient bit estimated for the next iteration, and D is the respective divisor bit. The estimated quotient bit for the next iteration is selected based on the calculated partial remainder. In the square-root mode, the first summing device calculates 2W[j]?2S[j]Sj+1, where W[j] is the estimated partial remainder and Sj+1 is the estimated result generated during the current iteration, j.

Abstract: A silicon device which includes a silicon substrate and a bond pad array on the silicon substrate which is configured to be conductively connected to bond wire. The bond pad array consists of a plurality of bond pads which are vertically staggered on the silicon substrate. The vertical staggering allows the bond pads to be packed closer together on the silicon substrate, thereby reducing the horizontal space which is consumed by the bond pads on the silicon substrate, and thereby resulting in a reduction in die size. Preferably, the bond pads are also horizontally staggered on the silicon substrate, thereby allowing the bond pads to be spaced even closer together.

Abstract: A carbon-doped hard mask includes a dielectric material containing carbon which is released from the hard mask during a metal etching process. The released carbon is deposited on and bonds to sidewalls of the metal structure during the metal etching process to passivate the sidewalls of the metal structure and prevent lateral etching of the sidewalls during the metal etching process. The released carbon also prevents accumulation of metal residue in open fields.

Abstract: A method of global simplification of a netlist for an integrated circuit includes steps for generating a variable set representative of the inputs and outputs of logic elements in the netlist, re-ordering the inputs and corresponding outputs of the logic elements in the variable set, generating a key set representative of the inputs of the logic elements that are connected to the outputs, assigning names in the variable set that are representative of equivalent outputs having two or fewer essential variables to the same variable name, inserting names in the variable set representative of outputs having more than two essential variables, and assigning a value to each of the outputs having two or fewer essential variables.

Abstract: A method for modeling the output waveform of a cell driving a resistance-capacitance network includes multiple effective capacitances. A method of calculating Thevenin parameters includes the steps of (a) initializing estimates of effective capacitances Ceff1 and Ceff2, of a switching threshold delay t0, and of a slope delay deltat; (b) solving ramp response equations for t0 and deltat as a function of Ceff1 and Ceff2; (c) comparing the estimates of t0 and deltat with solutions for t0 and deltat found in step (b); and (d) replacing the estimates of t0 and deltat with the solutions for t0 and deltat if the solutions for t0 and deltat have not converged to the estimates of t0 and deltat.