Abstract: A method is proposed for improving the adhesion between a diffusion barrier film and a metal film. Both the diffusion barrier film and the metal film can be deposited in either sequence onto a semiconductor substrate. A substrate comprising a first film, which is one of a diffusion barrier film or a metal film, with the first film being exposed at least at part of the surface area of the substrate, is exposed to an oxygen-containing reactant to create a surface termination of about one monolayer of oxygen-containing groups or oxygen atoms on the exposed parts of the first film. Then the second film, which is the other one of a diffusion barrier film and a metal film, is deposited onto the substrate. Furthermore, an oxygen bridge structure is proposed, the structure comprising a diffusion barrier film and a metal film having an interface with the diffusion barrier film, wherein the interface comprises a monolayer of oxygen atoms.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing glass products of predetermined shape. In the method, a perform is introduced into a furnace and heated to a temperature above the softening point of the glass. The heated portion is subjected to tensile forces and drawn from the furnace through an outlet opening. During processing, inert gas is fed into the furnace. According to the invention, the concentration of gaseous impurities in the furnace is maintained on the same level as in the inert gas fed into the oven. To prevent inflow of undesired gaseous components from the ambient air, a diffusion barrier is established by generating a barrier flow of inert gas in the inlet or outlet openings. This barrier flow has a direction of flow, which is opposite to the direction of the diffusion. The invention provides non-contacting sealing between the furnace and the preform while optimizing the consumption of protective gas. The invention also allows for simultaneous rotation of the preform.

Abstract: The present method provides tools for growing conformal metal nitride, metal carbide and metal thin films, and nanolaminate structures incorporating these films, from aggressive chemicals. The amount of corrosive chemical compounds, such as hydrogen halides, is reduced during the deposition of transition metal, transition metal carbide and transition metal nitride thin films on various surfaces, such as metals and oxides. Getter compounds protect surfaces sensitive to hydrogen halides and ammonium halides, such as aluminum, copper, silicon oxide and the layers being deposited, against corrosion. Nanolaminate structures (20) incorporating metal nitrides, such as titanium nitride (30) and tungsten nitride (40), and metal carbides, and methods for forming the same, are also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention concerns a process for producing integrated circuits containing at least one layer of elemental metal which during the processing of the integrated circuit is at least partly in the form of metal oxide, and the use of an organic compound containing certain functional groups for the reduction of a metal oxide layer formed during the production of an integrated circuit. According to the present process the metal oxide layer is at least partly reduced to elemental metal with a reducing agent selected from organic compounds containing one or more of the following functional groups: alcohol (—OH), aldehyde (—CHO), and carboxylic acid (—COOH).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing a preform and/or drawing an optical fiber. The method is characterized by securing the preform (2) to the processing device by means of at least two separate gripping means (4, 6), heating the preform (2) or a section thereof by means of at least one heating device at least locally, generating a tension in the preform (2) by means of the gripping means (4, 6), and processing the preform (2) by moving one of the gripping means (4, 6) and the heating means (12) and keeping the gripping means (4, 6) on the side of the end product of the preform in position relative to the body of the processing device, whereby the end product produced also remains in position relative to the body of the processing device.

Abstract: The present method provides tools for growing conformal metal nitride, metal carbide and metal thin films, and nanolaminate structures incorporating these films, from aggressive chemicals. The amount of corrosive chemical compounds, such as hydrogen halides, is reduced during the deposition of transition metal, transition metal carbide and transition metal nitride thin films on various surfaces, such as metals and oxides. Getter compounds protect surfaces sensitive to hydrogen halides and ammonium halides, such as aluminum, copper, silicon oxide and the layers being deposited, against corrosion. Nanolaminate structures (20) incorporating metal nitrides, such as titanium nitride (30) and tungsten nitride (40), and metal carbides, and methods for forming the same, are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, which could advance the commercialization of semiconductor devices with a copper interconnect. In a process of metal interconnect line fabrication, a TiN thin film combined with an Al intermediate layer is used as a diffusion barrier on trench or via walls. For the formation, Al is deposited on the TiN thin film followed by copper filling the trench. Al diffuses to TiN layer and reacts with oxygen or nitrogen, which will stuff grain boundaries efficiently, thereby blocking the diffusion of copper successfully.

Abstract: Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating use of an antenna assembly forming a portion of a communication station, such as a node of a wireless mesh network. Antenna information is determined and stored at a routing table of the node. The antenna information is combined with an IP address or other identifier of another node to which a data packet is to be communicated. The antenna information is utilized to define characteristics to be exhibited by the antenna assembly to best facilitate communication of the data packet between the nodes.

Abstract: Containers for providing vapor phase reactant from liquid sources include bubbler designs and designs in which carrier gas flows over the liquid surface. Among the bubbler arrangements, a bypass conductance is provided to release excess pressure from the gas volume inside the container, or an enlarged bubbler tube is provided with a volume sufficient to accommodate all possible liquid backflow without having the liquid exit the container. Among the overflow designs, flow dividers provide a tortuous path for the gas to increase the time exposure of carrier gas packets to the evaporating liquid surface. The flow dividers can be microporous to encourage capillary action, thereby increasing the evaporating surface. The tortuous gas flow path can be separated from the liquid phase by a breathable semi-porous membrane that permits vapor phase reactant to pass through but prohibits liquid from passing in the other direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to depositing elemental thin films. In particular, the invention concerns a method of growing elemental metal thin films by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) using a boron compound as a reducing agent. In a preferred embodiment the method comprises introducing vapor phase pulses of at least one metal source compound and at least one boron source compound into a reaction space that contains a substrate on which the metal thin film is to be deposited. Preferably the boron compound is capable of reducing the adsorbed portion of the metal source compound into its elemental electrical state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the production of thin films. In particular, the invention concerns a method of growing a thin film onto a substrate, in which method the substrate is placed in a reaction chamber and is subjected to surface reactions of a plurality of vapor-phase reactants according to the ALD method. The present invention is based on replacing the mechanical valves conventionally used for regulating the pulsing of the reactants, which valves tend to wear and intrude metallic particles into the process flow, with an improved precursor dosing system. The invention is characterized by choking the reactant flow between the vapour-phase pulses while still allowing a minimum flow of said reactant, and redirecting the reactant at these times to an other destination than the reaction chamber. The redirection is performed with an inactive gas, which is also used for ventilating the reaction chamber between the vapour-phase pulses.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data transfer method in a radio system utilizing a multiple antenna method, the data transfer method comprising generating, at a receiver, at least part of a change in a variable which contains transmit filter information on a transmitter as compared with a previous value of the variable, transmitting at least part of the change in the variable containing transmit filter information on the transmitter from the receiver to the transmitter and updating, at the transmitter, the transmit filter information on the transmitter on the basis of the received change in the variable containing transmit filter information. The invention further relates to a radio system implementing the method. In the solution, the amount of data used for updating transmit filter information and to be transmitted to a transmitter can be optimised, which enables unnecessary loading of radio capacity to be avoided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of channel allocation in a fixed radio link network. For each radio link to be commissioned channels, interference level measurement on each available channel of the frequency band is carried out. Based on the interference measurements, best transmission and reception channel for the link are selected. Thereafter, the radio link can be commissioned and measurements in the next radio link to be commissioned can be started. Instead of using a fixed and pre-set channel for the fixed radio link, a channel is assigned autonomously and automatically when commissioning the link, depending on interference measurement results and/or distance measurement results. The possibility for automatic channel selection decreases the amount of commissioning work by removing the need for detailed frequency planning and fixed channel setting at the factory for each radio.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing a thin film on a substrate. A substrate is placed in a reaction space and is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions with at least two different reactants. The reactants are fed in the vapor phase repeatedly and alternately into the reaction space through tree-like piping having a plurality of channels and nozzle orifices, where the nozzle orifices are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The apparatus includes a reaction chamber in which the substrate is placed, inflow piping having a plurality of channels and nozzle orifices, and outlet passages for removing the reaction products and excess reactants. The inflow piping has a tree-like shape and is contained in a plurality of interconnected plates. The nozzle orifices are arranged in an essentially planar fashion in a plane essentially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data transmission method used in a CDMA-type radio system. A base station and terminal equipments exchange data at least in a packet switched mode, and a terminal equipment transmits to the base station on a random access channel a random access signal comprising at least a preamble (100) and a data part (102) multiplied by a spreading code. A predetermined set of spreading codes and signature sequences (104) are stored in the terminal equipment, and each signature sequence (104) determines one spreading code. The terminal equipment selects one signature sequence (104) by a random process from the set of signature sequences and adds the selected signature sequence (104) to the preamble (100) of the random access signal. Further, the terminal equipment uses the spreading code corresponding to the selected signature sequence (104) in the data part (102) of the random access signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data transmission method used in a CDMA-type radio system. A base station and terminal equipments exchange data at least in a packet switched mode, and a terminal equipment transmits to the base station on a random access channel a random access signal comprising at least a preamble (100) and a data part (102) multiplied by a spreading code. A predetermined set of spreading codes and signature sequences (104) are stored in the terminal equipment, and each signature sequence (104) determines one spreading code. The terminal equipment selects one signature sequence (104) by a random process from the set of signature sequences and adds the selected signature sequence (104) to the preamble (100) of the random access signal. Further, the terminal equipment uses the spreading code corresponding to the selected signature sequence (104) in the data part (102) of the random access signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data transmission method used in a CDMA-type radio system. A base station and terminal equipments exchange data at least in a packet switched mode, and a terminal equipment transmits to the base station on a random access channel a random access signal comprising at least a preamble (100) and a data part (102) multiplied by a spreading code. A predetermined set of spreading codes and signature sequences (104) are stored in the terminal equipment, and each signature sequence (104) determines one spreading code. The terminal equipment selects one signature sequence (104) by a random process from the set of signature sequences and adds the selected signature sequence (104) to the preamble (100) of the random access signal. Further, the terminal equipment uses the spreading code corresponding to the selected signature sequence (104) in the data part (102) of the random access signal.

Abstract: A switching method for a wireless telecommunication system which comprises at least one first station and at least one second station, includes the following steps. At a first station the power level of a signal received from a second station is determined, said first and second stations being in communication. A first value for the power level of the signal to be transmitted from the first station to the second station is provided based on the determined power level of the signal received from the second station. At the second station the power level of the signal received from said first station is determined. A second value for the power level of the signal to be transmitted from the first station to the second station is provided based on said determined power level of the signal received from the first station. The first and second values are compared and based on said comparison it is determined, if said second station is to be switched.

Abstract: Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating use of an antenna assembly forming a portion of a communication station, such as a node of a wireless mesh network. Antenna information is determined and stored at a routing table of the node. The antenna information is combined with an IP address or other identifier of another node to which a data packet is to be communicated. The antenna information is utilized to define characteristics to be exhibited by the antenna assembly to best facilitate communication of the data packet between the nodes.

Abstract: A method of implementing a packet-form data connection, in which a bit stream is generated at a transmitting end, data packets are formed from the bit stream, the data packets formed are sent through a packet network to a receiving end, at least the bits of the data packets belonging to the payload are conducted to a receiving buffer at the receiving end, and the data stored in the receiving buffer is read out. To eliminate any problems caused by packaging delay, the fullness degree of the packets is temporarily reduced at the beginning of a connection, so as to reduce perceptive effect of the packaging delay.