Abstract: Damage to the rim of a semiconductor wafer caused by etching processes is reduced by forming a rim of photoresist or other material around the outer edge of the wafer that has a thickness such that images projected on the rim are sufficiently out of focus that they do not develop, so that etching takes place only in the interior.

Abstract: Corner rounding and image shortening is substantially reduced in an image printed on a substrate by illuminating a photolithographic mask and projecting light transmitted through the photolithographic mask onto the substrate using an optical projection system. The photolithographic mask has a mask pattern that includes at least one printable feature having at least one corner. Incorporated, in the mask pattern, is at least one line feature corresponding to the corner of the printable feature. The line feature is in at least close proximity to the corresponding corner of the printable feature and has a line width that is smaller than a minimum resolution of the optical projection system.

Abstract: A lithography method for use in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, which prevents lithographic exposure of a periphery region or edge region of a semiconductor wafer and which prevents the formation of black silicon related particle contamination in a patterned region on the periphery region as a result of, e.g., a deep trench manufacturing process. A quencher solution is applied at peripheral areas of the wafer on which a photoresist layer is formed. The quencher solution neutralizes acid generated in the photoresist when the photoresist is exposed to radiation, thereby preventing the photoresist on the peripheral region of the wafer to dissolve during a subsequent developing process.

Abstract: A lithography method for use in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, which prevents lithographic exposure of a periphery region or edge region of a semiconductor wafer and which prevents the formation of black silicon related particle contamination in a patterned region on the periphery region as a result of, e.g., a deep trench manufacturing process. A quencher solution is applied at peripheral areas of the wafer on which a photoresist layer is formed. The quencher solution neutralizes acid generated in the photoresist when the photoresist is exposed to radiation, thereby preventing the photoresist on the peripheral region of the wafer to dissolve during a subsequent developing process.

Abstract: A process of eliminating resist footing on a hardmask when preparing a semiconductor wafer stack, comprising:

Abstract: A technique for forming functionalized particles, where such particles are readily formed into periodic structures. A layer of particles is formed on a substrate, a first material is deposited over at least a portion of each of the particles, and then a functionalizing agent is attached to the first material. The functionalized particles are then capable of being formed into an ordered structure, by selection of appropriate complementary functionalizing agents on a substrate and/or on other particles and/or on other regions of the same particles.

Abstract: The invention relates to poly(phenylene vinylene) polymers substituted with dendritic sidechains to enhance main-chain separation in the solid state. The polymers are synthesized by the Heck polymerization and have a weight-average molecular weight of 20,000 to 60,000 Daltons. The polymers are self-ordering in the solid state and have thermotropic liquid crystalline phases. The polymers show enhanced photoconductivity, better charge transport capability and improved polarized light emission.

Abstract: A polarized organic photonics device, including an LED or photovoltaic device, is comprised of a first conductive layer or electrode coated with a friction transferred alignment material, a photoactive material, and a second electrically conductive layer or electrode. The alignment material provides for the orientation of the subsequently deposited photoactive material such that the photoactive material interacts with or emits light preferentially along a selected polarization axis. Additional layers and sublayers optimize and tune the optical and electronic responses of the device.

Abstract: A resist layer is deposited atop a substrate and is patterned to expose portions of a substrate. A hardmask layer is deposited atop the patterned resist layer and atop the exposed portions of the substrate. The patterned resist layer is removed so that only a portion of the hardmask layer that is atop the substrate remains.

Abstract: A polarized organic photonics device, including an LED or photovoltaic device, is comprised of a first conductive layer or electrode coated with a friction transferred alignment material, a photoactive material, and a second electrically conductive layer or electrode. The alignment material provides for the orientation of the subsequently deposited photoactive material such that the photoactive material interacts with or emits light preferentially along a selected polarization axis. Additional layers and sublayers optimize and tune the optical and electronic responses of the device.

Abstract: A polarized organic photonics device, including an LED or photovoltaic device, is comprised of a first conductive layer or electrode coated with a friction transferred alignment material, a photoactive material, and a second electrically conductive layer or electrode. The alignment material provides for the orientation of the subsequently deposited photoactive material such that the photoactive material interacts with or emits light preferentially along a selected polarization axis. Additional layers and sublayers optimize and tune the optical and electronic responses of the device.

Abstract: The invention relates to poly(phenylene vinylene) polymers substituted with dendritic sidechains to enhance main-chain separation in the solid state. The polymers are synthesized by the Heck polymerization and have a weight-average molecular weight of 20,000 to 60,000 Daltons. The polymers are self-ordering in the solid state and have thermotropic liquid crystalline phases. The polymers show enhanced photoconductivity, better charge transport capability and improved polarized light emission.

Abstract: An organic semiconducting material having bi-polar charge transport characteristics is described which may comprise the active layer of a field-effect transistor. The semiconducting material comprises a bi-polar polymeric film effective for hole or electron transport comprising a polymer having a conjugated framework with functional moieties capable of solvating ions or promoting ionic charge transport. The conjugated framework is selected from at least one of thiophene, pyrrole, benzene, naphthalene, antrhacene, and antrhacene-dione, and the functional moieties are selected from (i) functional side groups comprising salts of carboxylic acid and sulfonic acid and (ii) functional sites selected from heteroatoms having electron lone pairs comprising sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen. The field-effect mobility of the bi-polar polymeric film is at least 10−3 cm2/Vs when operating as an n-type or p-type device.

Abstract: The apparatus (300) comprises a DWT engine (308), a code block manager (310) and entropy encoder (314). The code block manager (310) comprises at least one controller (412, 414, and 416), which losslessly compress the transform coefficients and stores them in a code block store (418) for buffering. The entropy coder (314) comprises at least one entropy encoder (422, 424, 426), each comprising a decoder (1206, 1204,) for decoding the losslessly compressed transformed coefficients prior to entropy encoding (1202).

Abstract: The invention relates to poly(phenylene vinylene) polymers substituted with dendritic sidechains to enhance main-chain separation in the solid state. The polymers are synthesized by the Heck polymerization and have a weight-average molecular weight of 20,000 to 60,000 Daltons. The polymers are self-ordering in the solid state and have thermotropic liquid crystalline phases. The polymers show enhanced photoconductivity, better charge transport capability and improved polarized light emission.

Abstract: A method of providing a thumbnail-size colour digital image in a bit stream of a larger size colour digital image is disclosed. The bit stream of the larger digital image is typically in a compressed format, and includes a thumbnail size image in a substantially uncompressed format. The method includes converting input colour values of the larger colour image from a first colour format to corresponding values in a Luminance, Chrominance-blue, Chrominance-red (Y,Cb,Cr) colour format, A transform is then applied to said corresponding values to decompose the larger digital image into a DC subband and one or more higher frequency subbands. Typically the transform is a discrete wavelet transform. The DC subband is then output to the bit stream in an uncompressed format. Then at least one of the one or more higher frequency subbands is encoded into the bit stream in a substantially compressed format. The DC subband thus represents a thumbnail-size colour digital image in the bit stream.

Abstract: A laser system using non-linear crystals for second harmonic generation and solid state gain media is operated under data processor control so that a plurality of pump power modes are available. The data processor modulates the pump power in a low power mode, and supplies continuous pump power in combination with Q-switching in a high power mode. Alternatively, modulation may be used in both low power and high power modes, with the parameters of the modulation adjusted under program control. Second harmonic generation without a Q-switch in high power modes can be achieved as well. The data processing control of pump power allows optimization of pump energy consumption and the generation of waste heat so that the laser resonator may be air-cooled in many environments. Also other design objectives can be achieved for specific laser applications using the program controlled data processor to drive the pump power source.