Abstract: Aluminum sheet stamping processes are provided that can include heating an aluminum sheet to a first temperature that is greater than ambient temperature; quenching the aluminum sheet to cool the aluminum sheet to a second temperature that is less than the first temperature; after the quenching allowing the aluminum sheet to rest at ambient temperature for at least 24 hours; and stamping the aluminum sheet to form a stamped component. Stamped aluminum components including one or more portions having an HRB hardness of greater than 87 are also provided. Processes are also provided for fabricating an aluminum component from an aluminum sheet. The processes can include modifying formability of at least one discrete portion of an aluminum sheet, and compressing and/or expanding at least a portion of the one discrete portion to form a fabricated component. The fabricated component can include at least one aluminum member comprising a compressed and/or expanded modified discrete portion.

Abstract: Implementations of a semiconductor device may include a trench including a gate and a gate oxide formed therein, the trench extending into a doped pillar of a first conductivity type formed in a substrate material. The device may include a trench channel adjacent to the trench and two doped pillars of a second conductivity type extending on each side of the first conductivity type doped pillar where a ratio of a depth of each of the two second conductivity type doped pillars to a depth of the trench into the substrate material may be at least 1.6 to 1.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a software product release automation framework are described. In one embodiment, a system includes a repository configured to store activity instances and process instances. Each activity instance includes parameters and a plurality of blocks of executable code for performing the activity. Each block of executable code is associated with a target platform. Each process instance includes activity instances and a sequence in which the activity instances are to be performed. The system includes interpreter logic configured to retrieve a requested process instance and read the process instance to identify activity instances and parameter values for the parameters in the activity instances. The interpreter logic reads the activity instances to identify the block of code for the platform and combines the parameter values and the block of code to create a target definition for an execution application on the target's platform.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a software product release automation framework are described. In one embodiment, a system includes a repository configured to store activity instances and process instances. Each activity instance includes parameters and a plurality of blocks of executable code for performing the activity. Each block of executable code is associated with a target platform. Each process instance includes activity instances and a sequence in which the activity instances are to be performed. The system includes interpreter logic configured to retrieve a requested process instance and read the process instance to identify activity instances and parameter values for the parameters in the activity instances. The interpreter logic reads the activity instances to identify the block of code for the platform and combines the parameter values and the block of code to create a target definition for an execution application on the target's platform.

Abstract: A method for the epitaxial growth of SiC is described which includes contacting a surface of a substrate with hydrogen and HCl, subsequently increasing the temperature of the substrate to at least 1550° C. and epitaxially growing SiC on the surface of the substrate. A method for the epitaxial growth of SiC is also described which includes heating a substrate to a temperature of at least 1550° C., contacting a surface of the substrate with a C containing gas and a Si containing gas at a C/Si ratio of 0.5-0.8 to form a SiC buffer layer and subsequently contacting the surface with a C containing gas and a Si containing gas at a C/Si ratio >0.8 to form a SiC epitaxial layer on the SiC buffer layer. The method results in silicon carbide epitaxial layers with improved surface morphology.