Abstract: Embodiments described herein include techniques for providing information regarding a hardware part using a scannable code so that a customer can make an informed decision when placing the hardware part in a larger computing system. A customer may purchase hardware parts that are categorized into a certain bin which has guaranteed range of power consumption or performance. The customer may over design the computing system to accommodate the worst parameter in the range (e.g., the minimum performance or the maximum power consumption) to ensure the timing or power specifications are not violated. Instead, the embodiments herein provide a scannable code on the hardware part which the customer can use to access a database which stores more granular information about the part. The customer can use the performance parameters to make better informed decisions to determine where to place the part in the computing system.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein include techniques for providing information regarding a hardware part using a scannable code so that a customer can make an informed decision when placing the hardware part in a larger computing system. A customer may purchase hardware parts that are categorized into a certain bin which has guaranteed range of power consumption or performance. The customer may over design the computing system to accommodate the worst parameter in the range (e.g., the minimum performance or the maximum power consumption) to ensure the timing or power specifications are not violated. Instead, the embodiments herein provide a scannable code on the hardware part which the customer can use to access a database which stores more granular information about the part. The customer can use the performance parameters to make better informed decisions to determine where to place the part in the computing system.

Abstract: An example method of tracking information for integrated circuits (ICs) that are handled by a plurality of tools during manufacture includes: marking each of IC with a barcode after the ICs have been packaged; performing, at a first tool of the plurality of tools, one or more electrical tests of the ICs and storing electrical characteristics of each IC in association with the barcode of each IC in a database; querying the database with a specification to obtain a set of barcodes for candidate ICs having electrical characteristics that match the specification; scanning, at a second tool of the plurality of tools, the barcode of each of the ICs to select a plurality of ICs each having a respective barcode in the set of barcodes; and segregating the plurality of ICs from the ICs.

Abstract: The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a novel method of forming MOS devices using hydrogen annealing. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate including a first region and a second region, forming at least a portion of a first MOS device covering at least a portion of the first active region, performing a hydrogen annealing in an ambient containing substantially pure hydrogen on the semiconductor substrate. The hydrogen annealing is performed after the step of the at least a portion of the first MOS device is formed, and preferably after a pre-oxidation cleaning. The method further includes forming a second MOS device in the second active region after hydrogen annealing. The hydrogen annealing causes the surface of the second active region to be substantially rounded, while the surface of the first active region is substantially flat.