Abstract: Using mode bits, multiple coding standards are supported by a single digital signal processor. The mode bits specify which coding standard is implemented so that the system will perform the correct data manipulation operations for that coding standard. Mode bits are provided for shift fifteen bits operations and shift-and-round operations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reconstructing legible characters from stored data are described. For each of a plurality of handwritten strokes, a set of endpoint conditions is received. The endpoint conditions are data which define an initial and a final tangent angle for the stroke, and positions of an initial and a final endpoint of the stroke. For each set of endpoint conditions, an artificial stroke is constructed such that it satisfies the corresponding endpoint conditions and consists of at most three segments. Each of these segments consists of a straight line or an arc. Within any given stroke, lines and arcs may occur only in alternation.

Abstract: In a multi-layered dielectric mirror the higher refractive index layers comprise ZnS and the lower refractive index layers comprise a composite of approximately 95%MgF2 and 5%CaF2 by mole fraction. In one embodiment, the fluoride layers are e-beam deposited from an essentially eutectic melt of the two fluorides. In another embodiment, the semiconductor surface on which the mirror is formed is protected by an aluminum borosilicate glass layer. Application of the invention to the design and fabrication of VCSELs is also described.

Abstract: A method for making an oxide/nitride stacked layer makes the nitride layer defective so that it is semi-transparent or permeable to oxygen. The method includes first forming an oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate. The defective nitride layer is formed on the oxide layer using direct plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The defective nitride layer is formed while exposing the plasma with a low energy magnetic field for providing a uniform energy distribution across a surface of the oxide layer. A resulting distribution of thicknesses of the defective nitride layer has a standard deviation less than about 1.5% across a wafer. The defective nitride layer is permeable to oxygen so that when the semiconductor substrate is annealed, the interface trap sites are significantly reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bond pad support structure for use in an integrated circuit having a bond pad located thereon. In one embodiment, the bond pad support structure comprises a support layer that is located below the bond pad and that has an opening formed therein. The bond pad support structure further includes a dielectric layer that is located on the conductive layer and that extends at least partially into the opening to form a bond pad support surface over at least a portion of the opening. The first bond pad support layer, in one embodiment, may comprise a conductive metal and the second bond pad support layer may comprise of a dielectric material. The present invention provides a unique bond pad structure wherein an opening within a first bond pad support layer is at least partially filled with a second bond pad support layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit using a polishing head in a semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus. The polishing head preferably comprises a wafer carrier head and a protuberance coupled to the wafer carrier head. The wafer carrier head has a back surface that contacts the wafer when it is positioned within the carrier head and a carrier ring depends from the carrier head to form an annulus. The annulus has an inner surface, which is typically an inner surface of the carrier ring, and it forms a cavity with the wafer carrier head that is configured to receive a semiconductor wafer therein. The protuberance is located within the annulus proximate the inner surface and is configured to cooperate with a concavity in a periphery of the semiconductor wafer. This cooperation prevents the semiconductor wafer from rotating with respect to the wafer carrier head during polishing of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: The temperature of a thermo-electric cooler that is used to cool a laser is effectively controlled using a monitor which accurately and continuously measures the temperature of the thermo-electric cooler and using apparatus that determines the difference between the measured temperature and a desired thermo-electric cooler temperature. A discriminator circuit causes the thermo-electric cooler to enter (a) a heating cycle when such difference is below a first reference level or (b) a cooling cycle when such difference reaches a reaches a second reference level. Power consumption within the associated cooling/heating system is also accurately controlled using a pulse width modulated power supply to provide the voltage signal that drives the thermoelectric cooler.

Abstract: A scribing machine adapter plate is configured to receive and couple a hoop assembly to a chuck on a scribing machine. The adapter plate includes an upper surface and an inner annular vacuum groove and an outer annular vacuum groove formed in the upper surface. A third vacuum groove extends radially between, and communicates with, the inner and outer grooves. The outer vacuum groove includes a vacuum inlet hole that extends from the groove through the adapter plate to provide communication between a vacuum channel in the chuck and the vacuum grooves in the plate. The polymer film of the hoop assembly is disposed on the upper surface to seal the vacuum grooves to hold the film in place during scribing of materials placed on the film.

Abstract: A method for making an integrated circuit includes the steps of forming a plurality of spaced apart isolation regions in a substrate to define active regions therebetween, forming a first mask, and using the first mask for performing at least one implant in the active regions for defining high voltage active regions for the high voltage transistors. The method further includes the steps of removing the first mask and forming a second mask, and using the second mask for performing only one implant for converting at least one high voltage active region into a low voltage active region for a low voltage transistor. All of the implants needed to define the high voltage transistors are first performed throughout the active regions using the first mask. A separate single implant is then performed using the second mask to convert at least one of the high voltage active regions to a low voltage active region.

Abstract: A short message service (SMS) network allows more than one short message service center (SMSC) to service an individual subscriber with virtually no modification to the existing conventional network elements, e.g., the home location register (HLR) or the mobile switching center (MSC). In a disclosed embodiment, the HLR of the SMS network sends a notification, e.g., an SMS notification (SMSNOT) signal, to a predetermined one of the plurality of SMSCs in the SMS network when a subscriber becomes available to receive a pending short message from at least one of the plurality of SMSCs. Each of the plurality of SMSCs in turn delivers short messages to an intended subscriber, and then forwards the notification signal to another one of the SMSCs, until all of the SMSCs have delivered the respective pending short messages. The next SMSC to which the SMSNOT is forwarded may be fixedly determined, e.g., by network configuration.

Abstract: An effective receiver is achieved for situations where the receiver is mobile, and may be traveling at relatively high speed, and where the receiver's internal demodulation oscillator causes a frequency offset, with processing that shares a common algorithm for both frequency offset and channel characteristics estimations. Specifically, the commonly employed algorithm, such as the LMS algorithm, computes an estimate of the frequency offset, and that very same algorithm is also used to estimate the channel characteristics. When the LMS algorithm is used, a frequency offset estimate can be derived from signals derived in the course of executing the LMS algorithm. A frequency compensation factor is then developed and applied to the incoming signal to create a signal that that not have an appreciable frequency offset.

Abstract: An error-correction process enables or disables error-correction in a cellular or wireless unit so as to conserve power of a battery or other power storage unit of the cellular or wireless unit. The error-correction process includes receiving a datablock having a checksum value and an encoded payload, the encoded payload includes one or more parity bits for error-correction of bit values within the encoded payload. If the checksum value is equivalent to a checksum value calculated for the encoded payload, then the error-correction process removes the parity bits from the encoded payload and provides the remaining encoded payload bits as the error-corrected data. Otherwise, if the checksum and calculated checksum are not equivalent, error-correction of the encoded payload is enabled.

Abstract: For use with a plate having a via located therethrough an electrical connector configured to transfer an electrical signal from one major surface of a plate to the other major surface, a method of manufacturing the electrical connector and a board mounted power supply utilizing the same. In one embodiment, the electrical connector comprises a dielectric layer coating a peripheral wall of the via and extending therefrom to coat portions of the opposing major surfaces of the plate adjacent the via. The electrical connector further comprises a conductive contact layer that covers a portion of the dielectric layer and extends to portions of the opposing major surfaces to form opposing contacts thereon.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing integrated circuit apparatuses; particularly, 1) a method for removing barrier material that lies between copper conductors in damascene interconnections, and 2) a method for removing a thin layer of silicon nitride material that has been intentionally un-etched during the formation of trenches and vias in damascene interconnect dielectric and thereby not exposing copper metal.

Abstract: A warranty registration method for a wireless remote unit in a communication network is provided wherein the communication network includes a wireless network and a message center. Initial activation of a wireless remote unit prompts retrieval of warranty information specific to the wireless remote unit. A message is constructed based on the warranty information and subsequently transmitted to the message center. The message center receives the warranty information and transfers it to a warranty center.

Abstract: A user on a data call, e.g., to the Internet, is prevented from establishing a data call immediately after an emergency interrupt has been initiated, and the fact that the emergency interrupt took place is brought to his attention. This is necessary because otherwise the emergency interrupt is likely to be perceived by a user connected to the Internet as simply a dropped line, in response thereto the user is likely to simply originate a new call to the ISP, and so may never become aware that there has been an attempt to bring to his attention, via the emergency interrupts, an extraordinary circumstance. The invention achieves this by transmitting from the telephone network a signal which is recognizable by the user's modem and which indicates that an emergency interrupt took place. Such an emergency-interrupt-occurred signal may be transmitted upon the occurrence of the emergency interrupt or after the line next goes off-hook. Such a signal may be in addition to or in lieu of dial tone.

Abstract: A circuit that increases the efficiency of a radio frequency mobile telephone unit is disclosed. When the signal strength between the base station and the mobile unit is below a predetermined signal strength level, the power amplifier is turned on and the transmitter circuit of the mobile unit fully amplifies the RF signal. However, when the signal strength between the mobile telephone unit and the base station is above a predetermined signal strength level, the power amplifier is deactivated and bypassed from the transmitter circuitry, thereby conserving the battery power of the mobile unit.

Abstract: Waveguides according to this invention have a chalcogenide glass core that comprises Se and one or both of As and Ge, and further comprises one or more dopant elements selected from the elements that cause a change in optical energy gap Eg of the glass core. The amount of dopant is selected such that Eg is equal to or less than a 2-photon energy 2h&ngr;, where h is Planck's constant and &ngr;=c/&lgr;, where c is the speed of light in vacuum and &lgr; is an operating wavelength. The dopant elements furthermore are selected such that the chalcogenide glass core has a nonlinear refractive index n2 greater than 200n2 (SiO2), where n2 (SiO2) is the nonlinear index of silica at &lgr;. Typically, &lgr; is about 1.55 &mgr;m. Exemplary, the dopant elements are selected from Sb, Bi, Sn, Pb, In, Tl, Cu, Ag and S. Currently preferred dopants are Te, Sb, Tl, Cu and Ag.

Abstract: The present invention provides a connector for terminating an optical fiber. The connector comprises a one-piece housing, a ferrule assembly and an insert. The insert has keys formed thereon that are adapted to mate with keyways formed in the housing. The housing has a first opening formed therein that first receives the ferrule assembly and then the insert and a second opening opposite the first opening. The end of the ferrule assembly that holds the end of the optical fiber protrudes through the second opening. The insert has a flange thereon that has two oppositely located flat surfaces and two oppositely located keys. The keys each have a chamfered surface. The keys and the flat surfaces of the flange provide the flange with a substantially rectangular cross-section. The first opening formed in the housing has a substantially square cross-section.

Abstract: A system identifies calling parties who are unable to successfully complete calls to a called party. Call attempt failure records are retrieved from a local exchange carrier that services the calling parties, from a local exchange carrier that services the called party, and from an interexchange carrier that carries calls between the two local exchanges. Call completion records are retrieved from the local exchange carrier serving the called party. The failure records are compared to the completion records to determine which calling parties experienced one or more failed call attempt to the called party, and of these calling parties, which parties also failed to complete subsequent call attempts to the called party. The system also reports the intensity of calls made by these parties to the called party over a specified time period.