Abstract: Methods of forming a microelectronic structure are described. Embodiments of those methods include providing a gate structure disposed on a substrate comprising at least one recess, wherein a channel region is in a <110> direction, and then forming a compressive layer in the at least one recess.

Abstract: A transistor may be formed of different layers of silicon germanium, a lowest layer having a graded germanium concentration and upper layers having constant germanium concentrations such that the lowest layer is of the form Si1-xGex. The highest layer may be of the form Si1-yGey on the PMOS side. A source and drain may be formed of epitaxial silicon germanium of the form Si1-zGez on the PMOS side. In some embodiments, x is greater than y and z is greater than x in the PMOS device. Thus, a PMOS device may be formed with both uniaxial compressive stress in the channel direction and in-plane biaxial compressive stress. This combination of stress may result in higher mobility and increased device performance in some cases.

Abstract: Provided are a method and a system, wherein optical beams of a plurality of wavelengths are directed through a plurality of optical devices, wherein waveguides comprising the optical devices have different fabrication errors, and wherein the waveguides have a plurality of waveguide lengths and a plurality of waveguide widths. Optical phase errors corresponding to the waveguides are measured by the optical devices. A determination is made of the components of the optical phase errors for the waveguides from the measured phase errors.

Abstract: The coupling properties of an optical device having at least two inputs and two outputs may be more accurately measured by simultaneously measuring the optical transmission through all outputs for light coupled to each input to the device. An optical switch may be used to selectively couple the light to each of the device inputs. This removes the need to remove the light source from one input and to reconnect it to another input. By proper processing of the measured optical transmission corresponding to each input, an accurate and precise value for the transfer function, including polarization properties, of the device may be obtained independent of the insertion losses in the system.