Abstract: A side trimming apparatus including a cutting unit which is installed on at least one side of a steel plate being transferred and trims a side of the steel plate by mechanical cutting and a laser processing unit which is installed in front of the cutting unit and emits a laser beam to a portion of the steel plate to be cut to form a groove at the portion to be cut or preheat the portion to be cut, and a side trimming method using the same are provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for ultrasonic detection are provided. The apparatus includes an injection nozzle which is installed below a steel plate being transported and forms a medium column by jet a medium toward the steel plate, an ultrasonic probe which is installed in the injection nozzle and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves for detecting flaws in the steel plate through the medium column, and a medium circulation unit which reclaims the medium which falls from the medium column and circulates the reclaimed medium to the injection nozzle.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for plating high strength steel such as advanced high strength steel (AHSS) after irradiating the high strength steel with at least one of laser light and plasma to remove Si/Mn/Al oxides from the surface of the high strength steel, modify the surface of the high strength steel, or make the surface of the high strength steel suitable for a post process such as a zinc plating process. For this, a plating method includes heating high strength steel; treating a surface of the high strength steel with plasma to remove at least one of a Mn oxide, an Al oxide, and an Si oxide formed on the surface of the high strength steel during the heating of the high strength steel; and plating the surface-treated high strength steel.

Abstract: System and method for handoff between different types of networks. A communication session of a user equipment may be handed off from a first network to a second network based on a network condition of the first network. A network information may be transmitted from the first network and the network condition of the first network may be determined based on received network information. The network information may include information of an adaptive multi-rate (AMR) mode assigned for providing a corresponding service, and the information of the AMR mode may be assigned based on the network condition of the first network and may be associated with a bit-rate for speech coding. A handoff from the first network to the second network may be initiated when the network condition of the first network is determined to be poor.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for plating high strength steel such as advanced high strength steel (AHSS) after irradiating the high strength steel with at least one of laser light and plasma to remove Si/Mn/Al oxides from the surface of the high strength steel, modify the surface of the high strength steel, or make the surface of the high strength steel suitable for a post process such as a zinc plating process. For this, a plating method includes heating high strength steel; treating a surface of the high strength steel with plasma to remove at least one of a Mn oxide, an Al oxide, and an Si oxide formed on the surface of the high strength steel during the heating of the high strength steel; and plating the surface-treated high strength steel.

Abstract: System and method for handoff between different types of networks. A communication session of a user equipment may be handed off from a first network to a second network based on a network condition of the first network. A network information may be transmitted from the first network and the network condition of the first network may be determined based on received network information. The network information may include information of an adaptive multi-rate (AMR) mode assigned for providing a corresponding service, and the information of the AMR mode may be assigned based on the network condition of the first network and may be associated with a bit-rate for speech coding. A handoff from the first network to the second network may be initiated when the network condition of the first network is determined to be poor.

Abstract: An optical wireless communications network connects a plurality of communication cells, which are defined by dividing a local communication area, for enabling optical wireless communication in each of the communication cells. An optical signal transmitter is installed in each communication cell for irradiating the cell with a data-modulated optical signal to perform data transmission to a terminal located therein. The optical signal transmitter comprises an optical signal source for outputting the data-modulated optical signal, and an optical signal diffuser with a concave inside surface facing the output end of the optical signal source for diffusing and reflecting the data-modulated optical signal to irradiate the cell.

Abstract: A chuck adapted to support a substrate includes an array of glass bars spaced apart and each having a number of holes in its supporting surface. The holes in the supporting surfaces are connected to a common conduit that is supplied with air to provide an air cushion to support the substrate during loading and positioning operations. Scrubbers in contact with one or more edges of the substrate are used to locate the substrate precisely relative to a mechanical reference. After the substrate is positioned at the desired location, the common conduit is separately supplied with vacuum to provide a suction force to hold the substrate to the chuck. The array of glass bars are designed to operate in conjunction with a multi-light backlight system that provides uniform illumination for areas of the substrate that are supported above a glass bar as well as for areas of the substrate that are positioned between the glass bars.

Abstract: A method of forming a notched gate structure comprising a semiconductor substrate having a first oxide layer formed thereon. A first conductive layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate. A portion of the first conductive layer and a portion of the first oxide layer are removed to form first gate structures. First spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the gate structure. A second oxide layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate. A second conductive layer is formed on the surface of the second oxide layer. The first gate structures and the second conductive layer formed thereon are then removed to form a second gate structure. Second spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the second gate structure to complete the notched gate structure process. The method of the present invention reduces the capacitance between the gate and the source/drain extension, and simplifies the process, thereby increasing the controllability of the process.

Abstract: A method of fabricating self-aligned contact structures comprising providing a semiconductor substrate having at least two conductive structures thereon. The conductive structures are positioned beside the desired self-aligned contact structures having a plurality of masking structures thereon. Each masking structure has a top surface and a vertical surface. A dielectric layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate. A portion of the dielectric layer is removed by etching to expose the top surface and the vertical surface of each masking structure. A plurality of spacers is formed on the exposed vertical surface. While subsequently forming the self-aligned contact structures between two conductive structures, the peripheral of the nitride spacers has the low parasitic capacitance.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus comprises an outer tank, a cleaning tank provided within the outer tank, a wafer carrier provided within the cleaning tank, a plurality of jet nozzles directed toward the wafer carrier, a main pipe connected to the jet nozzles, a circulating pump connected to the main pipe and the outer tank for circulating a cleansing solution from the outer tank, through the main pipe, the jet nozzles, and the cleaning tank, and a filter for filtering the circulated cleansing solution.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus comprises an outer tank, a cleaning tank provided within the outer tank, a wafer carrier provided within the cleaning tank, a plurality of jet nozzles directed toward the wafer carrier, a main pipe connected to the jet nozzles, a circulating pump connected to the main pipe and the outer tank for circulating a cleansing solution from the outer tank, through the main pipe, the jet nozzles, and the cleaning tank, and a filter for filtering the circulated cleansing solution.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus comprises an outer tank, a cleaning tank provided within the outer tank, a wafer carrier provided within the cleaning tank, a plurality of jet nozzles directed toward the wafer carrier, a main pipe connected to the jet nozzles, a circulating pump connected to the main pipe and the outer tank for circulating a cleansing solution from the outer tank, through the main pipe, the jet nozzles, and the cleaning tank, and a filter for filtering the circulated cleansing solution.

Abstract: A dual thickness gate insulation layer, for use with, e.g., a dual gate MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), is formed using a more simplified method and improves the reliability. An impurity layer is formed in the semiconductor substrate, and the impurity layer includes a first portion and a second portion. An insulation layer is grown in the semiconductor substrate, and the insulation layer includes a first layer and a second layer which are different from each other in thickness. The present invention simplifies the insulation layer fabricating steps and improves product reliability.

Abstract: A method of forming a capacitor for a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming a gate electrode on a semiconductor substrate, forming an impurity diffused region on portions of the semiconductor substrate at sides of the gate electrode, forming a storage node electrode layer contacting one side of the impurity diffused region, forming a thermal nitride film on the storage node electrode layer, forming a Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 layer on the thermal nitride film, and annealing the Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 layer using an N.sub.2 O gas.

Abstract: A system and method for cleaning semiconductor wafers, includes an internal cleaning tank having an outlet and a cassette for holding wafers, and a device disposed near the outlet of the internal cleaning tank for releasing a cleaning solution so as to increase a flow rate of the cleaning solution by creating a spiral flow of the cleaning solution, an external cleaning tank having an intake through which the cleaning solution is supplied to clean the wafers in the internal cleaning tank, a circulating pipe for connecting the outlet to the intake, a circulating pump formed in the middle section of the circulating pipe to repeatedly circulate that cleaning solution, and a filter for filtering the used cleaning solution circulated by the circulating pump to return the cleaning solution to the internal cleaning tank through the intake. The device prevents contaminating materials from adhering to the semiconductor wafers by spirally drawing out the used cleaning solution from the internal tank.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus includes an internal cleaning tank having an inlet for introducing and an outlet for removing a cleaning solution, and an external cleaning tank surrounding the internal cleaning tank and having a plurality of inlets and outlets for introducing and removing the cleaning solution. First and second circulation pumps each disposed in the middle of the first and second circulation pipes for connecting the inlet and outlet of the internal cleaning tank with the plurality of inlets and outlets of the external cleaning tank are also provided. A baffle plate may also be disposed within the internal cleaning tank for fixing and separating a cassette having a plurality of wafers contained therein from the bottom of internal cleaning tank.

Abstract: A nozzle for spraying a cleaning solution, a body of the nozzle having its intake at one end, its sealed end portion at the other end, and a plurality of holes arranged linearly on its surface form inside of the body to outside of the body are disclosed. Also disclosed is a cleaning apparatus of a semiconductor device which includes a bath where wafers are cleaned and a cleaning solution spraying nozzle mounted at the bottom of the bath for spraying a cleaning solution through a plurality of holes formed on its surface, with the nozzle's one side being connected to a cleaning solution supply tube and the nozzle's other side being sealed. The hole's area through which the solution passes gradually decreases from one side of the nozzle through which the cleaning solution is induced, to the other side sealed so that the solution is sprayed with a uniform pressure.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus includes an internal cleaning tank having an inlet for introducing and an outlet for removing a cleaning solution, and an external cleaning tank surrounding the internal cleaning tank and having a plurality of inlets and outlets for introducing and removing the cleaning solution. First and second circulation pumps each disposed in the middle of the first and second circulation pipes for connecting the inlet and outlet of the internal cleaning tank with the plurality of inlets and outlets of the external cleaning tank are also provided. A baffle plate may also be disposed within the internal cleaning tank for fixing and separating a cassette having a plurality of wafers contained therein from the bottom of internal cleaning tank.

Abstract: A wet-etching method which determines a desired etch-ended point includes the steps of providing an etchant solution in a bath, performing the wet-etch process by dipping a material to be etched in the bath, measuring a weight variation value of the material during the wet etch process, calculating a thickness variation value of the material by using the weight variation value, and stopping the wet-etch process when the thickness variation value reaches a preset value.