Abstract: A layered secret sharing scheme in which a trust set of each of the parties receiving a share of the secret is received and used to generate an authorized set and an adversary set for reconstruction of a secret. In this regard, an access structure defining an authorized subset of participants may be based, at least in part, on the encoded trust subsets of the shares. The secret sharing scheme includes a secret generator that generates the shares distributed to the parties. In turn, an authorized subset of participants as defined by the access structure may provide shares to a dealer for reconstruction of the secret. However, if the participants requesting secret reconstruction are not an authorized subset of participants or if participants define an adversary subset, the secret reconstruction fails. In this regard, even if an authorized subset is present, if an adversary subset is present, the reconstruction may be “killed.

Abstract: A secret sharing scheme in which a trust structure of the parties receiving a share of the secret is encoded in the shares. In this regard, an access structure defining an authorized set of participants may be based, at least in part, on the encoded trust structures. The secret sharing scheme includes a secret generator that generates the shares distributed to the parties. In turn, an authorized set of participants as defined by the access structure may provide shares to a dealer for reconstruction of the secret. However, if the participants requesting secret reconstruction are not an authorized set of participants, the secret reconstruction fails. In this regard, secret sharing with asymmetrical trust structures may be provided in which the trust structures are not known by other parties in the scheme.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for private information retrieval from a database, wherein the retrieval includes providing a covering vector for a plurality of database entries of the database. The covering vector is defined such that an inner product of the covering vector is zero with more than one member of a covering vector family that includes the covering vector. The retrieval includes generating database queries based on the covering vector and transmitting the database queries to at least two servers. An identical copy of the database may be stored on each of the at least two servers. Shares are received in response to the query, and these shares are aggregated, and a reconstruction algorithm executes to reconstruct the query results.

Abstract: A layered secret sharing scheme in which a trust set of each of the parties receiving a share of the secret is received and used to generate an authorized set and an adversary set for reconstruction of a secret. In this regard, an access structure defining an authorized subset of participants may be based, at least in part, on the encoded trust subsets of the shares. The secret sharing scheme includes a secret generator that generates the shares distributed to the parties. In turn, an authorized subset of participants as defined by the access structure may provide shares to a dealer for reconstruction of the secret. However, if the participants requesting secret reconstruction are not an authorized subset of participants or if participants define an adversary subset, the secret reconstruction fails. In this regard, even if an authorized subset is present, if an adversary subset is present, the reconstruction may be “killed.

Abstract: A secret sharing scheme in which a trust structure of the parties receiving a share of the secret is encoded in the shares. In this regard, an access structure defining an authorized set of participants may be based, at least in part, on the encoded trust structures. The secret sharing scheme includes a secret generator that generates the shares distributed to the parties. In turn, an authorized set of participants as defined by the access structure may provide shares to a dealer for reconstruction of the secret. However, if the participants requesting secret reconstruction are not an authorized set of participants, the secret reconstruction fails. In this regard, secret sharing with asymmetrical trust structures may be provided in which the trust structures are not known by other parties in the scheme.

Abstract: A process for forming a strained channel region for a MOSFET device via formation of adjacent silicon-germanium source/drain regions, has been developed. The process features either blanket deposition of a silicon-germanium layer, or selective growth of a silicon-germanium layer on exposed portions of a source/drain extension region. A laser anneal procedure results in formation of a silicon-germanium source/drain region via consumption of a bottom portion of the silicon-germanium layer and a top portion of the underlying source/drain region. Optimization of the formation of the silicon-germanium source/drain region via laser annealing can be achieved via a pre-amorphization implantation (PAI) procedure applied to exposed portions of the source/drain region prior to deposition of the silicon-germanium layer. Un-reacted top portions of the silicon-germanium layer are selectively removed after the laser anneal procedure.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device provides a semiconductor substrate with a gate and a number of source/drain regions on the semiconductor substrate. A layer containing a strain-inducing element is provided over the number of source/drain regions. The strain-inducing element is driven from the layer containing a strain-inducing element into the number of source/drain regions. A number of source/drains is formed in the number of source/drain regions.