Abstract: The invention includes semiconductor assemblies having two or more dies. An exemplary assembly has circuitry associated with a first die front side electrically connected to circuitry associated with a second die front side. The front side of the second die is adjacent a back side of the first die, and a through wafer interconnect extends through the first die. The through wafer interconnect includes a conductive liner within a via extending through the first die. The conductive liner narrows the via, and the narrowed via is filled with insulative material. The invention also includes methods of forming semiconductor assemblies having two or more dies; and includes electronic systems containing assemblies with two or more dies.

Abstract: The invention includes methods of determining x-y spatial orientation of a semiconductor substrate comprising an integrated circuit, methods of positioning a semiconductor substrate comprising an integrated circuit, methods of processing a semiconductor substrate, and semiconductor devices. In one implementation, a method of determining x-y spatial orientation of a semiconductor substrate comprising an integrated circuit includes providing a semiconductor substrate comprising at least one integrated circuit die. The semiconductor substrate comprises a circuit side, a backside, and a plurality of conductive vias extending from the circuit side to the backside. The plurality of conductive vias on the semiconductor substrate backside is examined to determine location of portions of at least two of the plurality of conductive vias on the semiconductor substrate backside. From the determined location, x-y spatial orientation of the semiconductor substrate is determined.

Abstract: Methods for forming conductive vias include forming one or more via holes in a substrate. The via holes may be formed with a single mask, with the protective layers, bond pads, or other features of the substrate acting as hard masks in the event that a photomask is removed during etching processes. The via holes may be configured to facilitate adhesion of a dielectric coating that includes a low-K dielectric material to the surfaces thereof. A barrier layer may be formed over surfaces of each via hole. A base layer, which may comprise a seed material, may be formed to facilitate the subsequent, selective deposition of conductive material over the surfaces of the via hole. The resulting semiconductor devices, intermediate structures, and assemblies and electronic devices that include the semiconductor devices that result from these methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing power consumption in a roaming portable communication device is described. Various embodiments include optimizing a channel acquisition scan, or pre-scan, and a background scan in order to delay the reaction to a suspected loss of coverage to prevent unnecessary roaming and the associated power consumption. A list of received signal strengths is generated for a number of possible channels. Only those channels with a received signal strength above a threshold level are retained. The received signal strength of the remaining possible channels is retested. The selected channel is determined from the remaining possible channels by comparing the received signal strength of the last channel used, the last channel attempted (if available), and a best channel having the highest received signal strength.

Abstract: A telephone instrument is disclosed which includes a swivel visual display module overcome by employing a telephone base having upper and lower housings. A swivel visual display module is pivotally mounted and supported by pivot points in both the upper and lower base housings. At least one cantilever snap member is molded into one of the base housings, for example, the upper base housing, and is employed to engage indents molded into an outer convex surface of the visual display module to hold the visual display module in several angular positions. Additionally, the at least one cantilever snap member is employed to engage a lower edge of the visual display module and in conjunction with stop members on the visual display module to secure the visual display module in a full upright position.

Abstract: A telephone base includes a base module and a rotatable base stand module. The base module may be elevated to a plurality of inclined positions by employing in the base stand modules the plurality of cantilever snap members each of which has a protruding locking member. The telephone base module includes a plurality of locking apertures which correspond to the locking members on the cantilever snap members. The desired inclined positions are obtained by rotating the base module around pivot elements in the base stand module and inserting the locking members on the cantilever snap members into appropriate ones of the locking apertures in the base module. Additionally, the base stand module may be rotated and locked in place to the base module by additional locking members to orient the telephone base for wall mounting. Advantageously all the elements required for the above features are integrally molded into the base module and the base stand module.