Abstract: An in-mouth headset for use to send and receive an audio signal, the headset comprising: a bone conductor for producing a vibration indicative of the audio signal; a membrane adapted to be in contact with the bone conductor, and being shaped to multiply touch jawbone or sit between the teeth of the user, in use, wherein the membrane transfers the vibrations produced by the bone conductor so that an audio signal can be heard by the user; and a processing circuit adapted to convert the audio signal for reception from a communications device.

Abstract: Annotation methods and systems for supporting the annotation of documents in the format of a rendering engine are provided. The annotation system allows for the adding of annotations to documents, the displaying of annotations over content of the documents, and the displaying of annotations in an annotation pane. To provide annotation support for a document, the annotation system augments the document with elements including an element with annotation engine code and elements to support the collecting and displaying of annotations. When the rendering engine renders the document, it executes the annotation engine code to effect the collecting and displaying of the annotations.

Abstract: A method of forming an isolation region is provided that in one embodiment substantially reduces divot formation. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a first pad dielectric layer on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and forming a trench through the first pad dielectric layer into the semiconductor substrate. In a following process sequence, the first pad dielectric layer is laterally etched to expose an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate that is adjacent the trench, and the trench is filled with a trench dielectric material, wherein the trench dielectric material extends atop the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate adjacent the trench and abuts the pad dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method of forming an isolation region is provided that in one embodiment substantially reduces divot formation. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a first pad dielectric layer on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and forming a trench through the first pad dielectric layer into the semiconductor substrate. In a following process sequence, the first pad dielectric layer is laterally etched to expose an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate that is adjacent the trench, and the trench is filled with a trench dielectric material, wherein the trench dielectric material extends atop the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate adjacent the trench and abuts the pad dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate using a thermal annealing process to provide a semiconductor base wafer having a thin high resistivity surface layer that is positioned at the interface with the buried insulating layer is provided. Specifically, the inventive method fabricates an a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having an SOI layer and a semiconductor base wafer that are separated, at least in part, by a buried insulating layer, wherein the semiconductor base wafer includes a high resistivity (HR) surface layer located on a lower resistivity semiconductor portion of the semiconductor base wafer, and the HR surface layer forms an interface with the buried insulating layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate using a thermal annealing process to provide a semiconductor base wafer having a thin high resistivity surface layer that is positioned at the interface with the buried insulating layer is provided. Specifically, the inventive method fabricates an a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having an SOI layer and a semiconductor base wafer that are separated, at least in part, by a buried insulating layer, wherein the semiconductor base wafer includes a high resistivity (HR) surface layer located on a lower resistivity semiconductor portion of the semiconductor base wafer, and the HR surface layer forms an interface with the buried insulating layer.

Abstract: In a projection apparatus for projecting optical images, an optical mask support stage having a pair of separated arms. Each arm being provided with a respective mask chucking bar that supports a respective edge of a thin glass mask and applies to the respective edge a bending moment away from the center of the mask to reduce or eliminate any gravitational induced sag in the center of the mask thereby improving the quality of the images projected by the apparatus.