Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes: forming a transistor region in a substrate; forming a gate dielectric layer over the transistor region; forming a diffusion-blocking layer over the gate dielectric layer; forming a first portion of a work function layer over the diffusion-blocking layer; forming a second portion of the work function layer over the first portion of the work function layer; forming a plurality of barrier elements on or under a top surface of the second portion of the work function layer; and forming a gate electrode over the work function layer, wherein the plurality of barrier elements block oxygen from diffusing into the work function layer during the formation of the gate electrode.

Abstract: A power-outputting management method includes following steps. When a plurality of power-supplying apparatuses are in a working interval, if an output power ratio of the power-supplying apparatus in a working status is less than an output power ratio standard, at least one of the power-supplying apparatuses in the working status is turned off, so that the output power ratio of the power-supplying apparatus in the working status increases and meets the output power ratio standard. When the power-supplying apparatuses are in the working interval, if the output power ratio of the power-supplying apparatus in the working status meets the output power ratio standard, a power capping of the power-supplying apparatuses is set based on an actual power consumption of an electronic apparatus.

Abstract: A power-outputting management method includes following steps. When a plurality of power-supplying apparatuses are in a working interval, if an output power ratio of the power-supplying apparatus in a working status is less than an output power ratio standard, at least one of the power-supplying apparatuses in the working status is turned off, so that the output power ratio of the power-supplying apparatus in the working status increases and meets the output power ratio standard. When the power-supplying apparatuses are in the working interval, if the output power ratio of the power-supplying apparatus in the working status meets the output power ratio standard, a power capping of the power-supplying apparatuses is set based on an actual power consumption of an electronic apparatus.

Abstract: A method for testing a magnetic head to determine whether the magnetic head is unacceptably affected by temperature variations. The test includes testing the magnetic head at different temperatures and measuring either or both of a signal amplitude and a signal asymmetry of a signal from the magnetic head at the different temperatures. If signal amplitude or signal asymmetry vary excessively as a result of the temperature change then the head can be scrapped.

Abstract: A method for testing a magnetic head to determine whether the magnetic head is unacceptably affected by temperature variations. The test includes testing the magnetic head at different temperatures and measuring either or both of a signal amplitude and a signal asymmetry of a signal from the magnetic head at the different temperatures. If signal amplitude or signal asymmetry vary excessively as a result of the temperature change then the head can be scrapped.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product provide an annealing process for setting a magnetization condition of a read head. An amount of heat for stabilizing magnetization condition of a read head is calculated. A width and amplitude of a voltage pulse that generates the calculated amount of heat in the read head are calculated. A voltage pulse of the calculated width and amplitude is applied to the read head for generating Joule heating in the read head. The width of the voltage pulse is less than one second.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product provide an annealing process for setting a magnetization condition of a read head. An amount of heat for stabilizing magnetization condition of a read head is calculated. A width and amplitude of a voltage pulse that generates the calculated amount of heat in the read head are calculated. A voltage pulse of the calculated width and amplitude is applied to the read head for generating Joule heating in the read head. The width of the voltage pulse is less than one second.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product provide an annealing process for setting a magnetization condition of a read head. An amount of heat for stabilizing magnetization condition of a read head is calculated. A width and amplitude of a voltage pulse that generates the calculated amount of heat in the read head are calculated. A voltage pulse of the calculated width and amplitude is applied to the read head for generating Joule heating in the read head. The width of the voltage pulse is less than one second.

Abstract: An automated production process for the screening of the read-width (RW) and/or the stripe-height (SH) for every magnetoresistive (MR) read sensor element in a wafer substrate. The method of this invention uses the RW and/or SH values found with optical examination by electron microscopy of several of the MR sensor elements to estimate two substrate coefficients that relates the optical RW and SH measurements to heating-delta measurements, &dgr;=(RH−RC)/RC, where RH is the sensor resistance when hot and RC is the sensor resistance when cold, both of which can be measured using automated equipment. These relationships are sufficiently similar among all MR sensor elements manufactured on a single wafer substrate during a single manufacturing procedure that, when the hot resistance RH is measured at a constant applied voltage, the heating-delta, may be used with a first substrate coefficient to estimate the read-width RW of each MR sensor element for quality-control purposes during manufacture.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product provide an annealing process for setting a magnetization condition of a read head. An amount of heat for stabilizing magnetization condition of a read head is calculated. A width and amplitude of a voltage pulse that generates the calculated amount of heat in the read head are calculated. A voltage pulse of the calculated width and amplitude is applied to the read head for generating Joule heating in the read head. The width of the voltage pulse is less than one second.

Abstract: An automated production process for the screening of the read-width (RW) and/or the stripe-height (SH) for every magnetoresistive (MR) read sensor element in a wafer substrate. The method of this invention uses the RW and/or SH values found with optical examination by electron microscopy of several of the MR sensor elements to estimate two substrate coefficients that relates the optical RW and SH measurements to heating-delta measurements, &dgr;=(RH−RC)/RC, where RH is the sensor resistance when hot and RC is the sensor resistance when cold, both of which can be measured using automated equipment. These relationships are sufficiently similar among all MR sensor elements manufactured on a single wafer substrate during a single manufacturing procedure that, when the hot resistance RH is measured at a constant applied voltage, the heating-delta, may be used with a first substrate coefficient to estimate the read-width RW of each MR sensor element for quality-control purposes during manufacture.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for identifying electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage to a thin film device. The method includes (1) determining a cold resistance of the thin film device, (2) determining a hot resistance of the thin film device, (3) calculating a heating delta resistance (HDR) from the hot and cold resistances and (4) comparing the HDR to a threshold value to ascertain if the thin film device has suffered ESD damage. The HDR of the thin film device is characterized by the following relationship: HDR=(hot resistance-cold resistance)/(cold resistance).