Abstract: Cold flow-reduced polymers having good processing characteristics have, at the ends of the polymer chains, a silane-containing carboxyl group of the formula (I) where R1 and R2 are the same or different and are each an H, alkyl, alkoxy, cycloalkyl, cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, alkaryl, alkaryloxy, aralkyl or aralkoxy; R3 and R4 are the same or different and are each an H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl radical; A is a divalent organic radical.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region disposed in a semiconductor substrate and an uppermost metal level including metal lines, where the uppermost metal level is disposed over the semiconductor substrate. Contact pads are disposed at a major surface of the semiconductor device, where the contact pads are coupled to the metal lines in the uppermost metal level. An isolation region separates the contact pads disposed at the major surface. Adjacent contact pads are electrically isolated from one another by a portion of the isolation region. Reflective structures are disposed between the upper metal level and the contact pads, where each of the reflective structures that is directly over the active region completely overlaps an associated portion of the isolation region separating the contact pad.

Abstract: Polymers are functionalized at chain ends thereof with silane-containing carboxyl groups of the formula (I) where R1 and R2 are the same or different and are each an H, alkyl, alkoxy, cycloalkyl, cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, alkaryl, alkaryloxy, aralkyl or aralkoxy radical; R3 and R4 are the same or different and are each an H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl radical; and A is a divalent organic radical.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a method may include: forming a first layer on a surface using a first lift-off process; forming a second layer over the first layer using a second lift-off process; wherein the second lift-off process is configured such that the second layer covers at least one sidewall of the first layer at least partially.

Abstract: Technologies are described for facilitating querying a data set formed from a version of primary data and secondary data. First and second versions of primary data are stored in a primary data version store. Secondary data is received. The secondary data is stored in a secondary data store. A query language statement is received. The query language statement is executed by selecting query results from a data set that includes the secondary data and elements of the first version of primary data not inconsistent with the secondary data.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for achieving a step increase in the Mooney viscosity in production of high-molecular-weight polybutadiene having >95% by weight content of cis-1,4 units and <1% by weight 1,2-vinyl content, characterized in that 1) at least one monomer selected from butadiene and/or isoprene is polymerized at temperatures of from ?20° C. to 150° C. in the presence of at least one inert, organic solvent and in the presence of at least one catalyst based on neodymium carboxylate, 2) the polymerization is then terminated by addition of protic compounds and 3) then sulphur chlorides are added to the polymer, and prior to addition these sulphur chlorides are treated with a carboxylic acid, fatty acid and/or fatty acid ester.

Abstract: A method is provided for foaming a ballast bed of a railway track wherein the railway track comprises sleepers positioned on the ballast bed and rails positioned on the sleepers, wherein the rails are covered at least in a partial area along a region of the ballast bed to be foamed, and a foaming agent is introduced into the ballast bed while the rails are covered, wherein the ballast bed has in a sleeper bay defined by two successive sleepers an upper side facing against the gravitational direction, and the ballast bed is heaped up so that the upper side of the ballast bed reaches at least up to an underneath side of the sleeper facing in the gravitational direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region disposed in a semiconductor substrate and an uppermost metal level including metal lines, where the uppermost metal level is disposed over the semiconductor substrate. Contact pads are disposed at a major surface of the semiconductor device, where the contact pads are coupled to the metal lines in the uppermost metal level. An isolation region separates the contact pads disposed at the major surface. Adjacent contact pads are electrically isolated from one another by a portion of the isolation region. Reflective structures are disposed between the upper metal level and the contact pads, where each of the reflective structures that is directly over the active region completely overlaps an associated portion of the isolation region separating the contact pad.

Abstract: The invention relates to an NdBR wet masterbatch comprising —neodymium-catalyzed polybutadienes having a high proportion of cis-1,4 units of >95% and a low proportion of 1,2-vinyl content of <1%, with narrow polydispersity of less than 3, with a Mooney viscosity (ML1+4 100° C.) between 30 and 90 MU, with a high linearity index (ratio of solution viscosity to Mooney viscosity) of 3 to 10 m Pas/MU and with a Mooney relaxation after 30 seconds of 2 to 12%, the latter being prepared by means of solution polymerization, —at least one carbon black, the carbon black having an iodine absorption number (ION) between 85 and 210 mg/g, measured to ASTM D1510-1304, and an oil absorption number (OAN) between 75 and 150 ml/100 g, measured to ASTM D2414, and —an oil.

Abstract: The present invention relates to diene polymers or diene copolymers, wherein the diene polymers or diene copolymers have, at the start of the polymer chains, tertiary amino groups of the formula (Ia), (Ib), (IIa) or (IIb) where R1, R2 are the same or different and are each alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl radicals which may contain heteroatoms such as O, N, S and/or Si, Z is a divalent organic radical which, as well as C and H, may contain heteroatoms such as O, N, S and/or Si, and, at the end of the polymer chains, silane-containing carbinol groups of the formula (III) or metal salts thereof or semimetal salts thereof, where R3, R4, R5, R6 are the same or different and are each an H or alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl radicals which may contain heteroatoms such as O, N, S and/or Si, A is a divalent organic radical which, as well as C and H, may contain heteroatoms such as O, N, S and/or Si.

Abstract: The present invention relates to diene polymers, wherein the diene polymers have, at the start of the polymer chains, tertiary amino groups of the formula (I) or (II) where R1, R2 are the same or different and are each alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl radicals which may contain heteroatoms such as O, N, S and/or Si, Z is a divalent organic radical which, as well as C and H, may contain heteroatoms such as O, N, S and/or Si, and, at the end of the polymer chains, silane-containing carbinol groups of the formula (III) or metal salts thereof or semimetal salts thereof, where R3, R4, R5, R6 are the same or different and are each an H or alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl radicals which may contain heteroatoms such as O, N, S and/or Si, A is a divalent organic radical which, as well as C and H, may contain heteroatoms such as O, N, S and/or Si.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region disposed in a semiconductor substrate and an uppermost metal level including metal lines, where the uppermost metal level is disposed over the semiconductor substrate. Contact pads are disposed at a major surface of the semiconductor device, where the contact pads are coupled to the metal lines in the uppermost metal level. An isolation region separates the contact pads disposed at the major surface. Adjacent contact pads are electrically isolated from one another by a portion of the isolation region. Reflective structures are disposed between the upper metal level and the contact pads, where each of the reflective structures that is directly over the active region completely overlaps an associated portion of the isolation region separating the contact pad.

Abstract: A method for producing a polysilicon resistor device may include: forming a polysilicon layer; implanting first dopant atoms into at least a portion of the polysilicon layer, wherein the first dopant atoms include deep energy level donors; implanting second dopant atoms into said at least a portion of said polysilicon layer; and annealing said at least a portion of said polysilicon layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region disposed in a semiconductor substrate and an uppermost metal level including metal lines, where the uppermost metal level is disposed over the semiconductor substrate. Contact pads are disposed at a major surface of the semiconductor device, where the contact pads are coupled to the metal lines in the uppermost metal level. An isolation region separates the contact pads disposed at the major surface. Adjacent contact pads are electrically isolated from one another by a portion of the isolation region. Reflective structures are disposed between the upper metal level and the contact pads, where each of the reflective structures that is directly over the active region completely overlaps an associated portion of the isolation region separating the contact pad.

Abstract: A method for producing a polysilicon resistor device may include: forming a polysilicon layer; implanting first dopant atoms into at least a portion of the polysilicon layer, wherein the first dopant atoms include deep energy level donors; implanting second dopant atoms into said at least a portion of said polysilicon layer; and annealing said at least a portion of said polysilicon layer.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a method may include: forming a first layer on a surface using a first lift-off process; forming a second layer over the first layer using a second lift-off process; wherein the second lift-off process is configured such that the second layer covers at least one sidewall of the first layer at least partially.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing load transferring regions in a ballast body of a track superstructure by introducing curable liquid plastics or reactive plastic mixtures from a mixing unit by means of at least two distributor pipes with outlets into the load transferring regions and allowing the plastic or the reactive plastic mixture to cure in said load transferring regions. The two distributor pipes with outlets are positioned on the left or on the right from the outside of the rails into the region between the two rails such that the outlets are located adjacent to each other and are laterally spaced from the front face (3) of the tie (2) that has the load transferring region to be reinforced. The two outlets are opened in order to allow the plastic or the reactive plastic mixture to exit at a controlled rate.

Abstract: A cloud-based system and method for provisioning IT infrastructure systems is disclosed. The system and method provided constructs an infrastructure generally comprised of a processing component supplying the computational capacity for a platform element, comprising one or more processing elements, memory and I/O subsystems, a storage component utilizing commodity disk drives and comprised of one or more physical storage devices, and a network component providing a high speed connection among processing elements and the processing component to storage components. In addition, the system and method provide all features required for a complete, immediately usable infrastructure system including registration of IP addresses and domain names so that the user may have the system completely up and running without the aid of an administrator.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a method may include: forming a first layer on a surface using a first lift-off process; forming a second layer over the first layer using a second lift-off process; wherein the second lift-off process is configured such that the second layer covers at least one sidewall of the first layer at least partially.

Abstract: Methods for content-aware image compression are disclosed. One method comprises the steps of non-uniformly downscaling an original input image according to a saliency map, creating a residual image, encoding the residual image and downscaled input image, and transmitting the residual image and downscaled input image. The encoded image components are transmitted to a receiver. Downscaling may be performed using an aspect ratio that is automatically calculated from the saliency map. The saliency map may be based on an algorithm specified at an encoder or on regions of interest selected by a plurality of users of receivers that receive the transmitted encoded image components.