Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor device comprises a fuse bank with a fuse window, a pad area with a pad window, and a composite passivation layer comprising a sacrificial dielectric layer and a final passivation layer. Both the fuse window and the pad window have a bottom portion and two sidewalls, and the composite passivation layer covers both the fuse bank and the pad area except for the bottom portions of the fuse bank and the pad area.

Abstract: A metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor having a gate electrode comprising a metal oxynitride and a method of forming the same are provided. The metal oxynitride preferably comprises molybdenum oxynitride and/or iridium oxynitride. The gate electrode may further comprise carbon and/or silicon. The gate electrode is preferably formed in a chamber containing nitrogen, oxygen and a carbon-containing gas. The gate electrode of the MOS transistor has a high work function and a low equivalent oxide thickness.

Abstract: A self-oscillating bridge circuit comprises a start circuit for rendering one of the switches conductive for the first time at the start of operation. The start circuit is configured in such a way that it does not influence the switching of the bridge switches during stationary operation.

Abstract: A securities evaluating system includes a central processing device, an input device linked to the central processing device to receive security parameters of a trade order in the central processing device, the security parameter including a security to be traded, a trading price of the security, a fund to be committed, a quantity of the share of the security, and a cost of the trade order, wherein one of the security parameters is set as an unknown parameter, and a displaying device for displaying the security parameters of the trade order including the unknown parameter, wherein the unknown parameter of the trade order is evaluated based upon the security parameters input in the central processing device.

Abstract: A method of evaluating stock trading capacity includes the steps of providing a personal investment portfolio having a predetermined market value, setting aside a portion of an equity to form a cash reserve from the investment portfolio wherein the cash reserve serves as a cash portion of a future asset allocation, inputting a trade order of desired amount by a user wherein the trade order must include a security to be traded and a trading price when either a fixed price is desired or a price quote is unable to be retrieved automatically, producing a security balance by computing the trade order according to either a specified quantity or an amount of fund to be committed, and evaluating a cost of the trade order with respect to a disposable cash.

Abstract: In an electronic ballast for operating a discharge lamp at a high frequency, a single feedback and a double pump feedback are implemented in a combined way. The resulting electronic ballast combines the advantageous of a simple topology with favorable properties with respect to power factor, THD, efficacy, crest factor of the lamp current and EMI restrain.

Abstract: A self-oscillating bridge circuit comprises a start circuit for rendering one of the switches conductive for the first time at the start of operation. The start circuit is configured in such a way that it does not influence the switching of the bridge switches during stationary operation.

Abstract: In an electronic ballast for operating a discharge lamp at a high frequency, a single feedback and a double pump feedback are implemented in a combined way. The resulting electronic ballast combines the advantageous of a simple topology with favorable properties with respect to power factor, THD, efficacy, crest factor of the lamp current and EMI restrain.

Abstract: A ballast for a gas discharge lamp includes a detection circuit which detects an operating state of the lamp in which the lamp current for the column discharge of one polarity is different from the lamp current for the column discharge of the other polarity by detecting the DC component of the voltage across the discharge lamp. The detection circuit includes (i) a device coupled such that a DC voltage is imposed there across when the lamp current is different for the column discharge according to one polarity verses the other polarity, and (ii) a sensing circuit for sensing the DC voltage across the device. The device may be a capacitive device, and in a particularly inexpensive implementation, is a DC blocking capacitor or a ballast capacitor. The sense circuit senses when the DC voltage across the device exceeds a threshold value, which may corresponds to fully-rectified state of the lamp or more favorably, to a lesser state of imbalance.

Abstract: A dimming ballast system wherein the light output of the lamp is controlled by a remote source. The ballast output voltage is regulated by a voltage control feedback loop, the dimming function being achieved by varying the set point of the control loop. The remote control signal, coded by interrupting the current flow to the ballast for a short period, is processed digitally by a microcomputer which generates information to vary the control set point. Circuit means are provided to control the filament voltage of the fluorescent lamps such that as the lamps are dimmed down, the filament voltage is maintained or slightly increased, thus prolonging lamp life and stabilizing the lamp light output.

Abstract: A dimming ballast system wherein the light output of the lamp is controlled by a remote source. The ballast output voltage is regulated by a voltage control feedback loop, the dimming function being achieved by varying the set point of the control loop. The remote control signal, coded by interrupting the current flow to the ballast for a short period, is processed digitally by a microcomputer which generates information to vary the control set point. Circuit means are provided to control the filament voltage of the fluorescent lamps such that as the lamps are dimmed down, the filament voltage is maintained or slightly increased, thus prolonging lamp life and stabilizing the lamp light output.

Abstract: A dimming ballast system wherein the light output of the lamp is controlled by a remote source. The ballast output voltage is regulated by a voltage control feedback loop, the dimming function being achieved by varying the set point of the control loop. The remote control signal, coded by interrupting the current flow to the ballast for a short period, is processed digitally by a microcomputer which generates information to vary the control set point. Circuit means are provided to control the filament voltage of the fluorescent lamps such that as the lamps are dimmed down, the filament voltage is maintained or slightly increased, thus prolonging lamp life and stabilizing the lamp light output.