Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) on a substrate, a spacer adjacent to the MTJ, a liner adjacent to the spacer, and a first metal interconnection on the MTJ. Preferably, the first metal interconnection includes protrusions adjacent to two sides of the MTJ and a bottom surface of the protrusions contact the liner directly.

Abstract: An optical lens includes a first lens group and a second lens group. The first lens group has at least two lenses that include at least one aspheric lens, the second lens group has at least four lenses that includes at least one aspheric lens, and a total number of lenses with refractive powers in the optical lens is smaller than nine. The first and the second lens groups include a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens and a sixth lens in order from the magnified side to the minified side. The first lens to the sixth lens have respective refractive powers of negative, negative, positive, positive, negative and positive.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) on a substrate, a first spacer on one side of the of the MTJ, a second spacer on another side of the MTJ, a first metal interconnection on the MTJ, and a liner adjacent to the first spacer, the second spacer, and the first metal interconnection. Preferably, each of a top surface of the MTJ and a bottom surface of the first metal interconnection includes a planar surface and two sidewalls of the first metal interconnection are aligned with two sidewalls of the MTJ.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) on a substrate, a first spacer on one side of the of the MTJ, a second spacer on another side of the MTJ, a first metal interconnection on the MTJ, and a liner adjacent to the first spacer, the second spacer, and the first metal interconnection. Preferably, each of a top surface of the MTJ and a bottom surface of the first metal interconnection includes a planar surface and two sidewalls of the first metal interconnection are aligned with two sidewalls of the MTJ.

Abstract: A laminate including a substrate, an antibacterial agent-containing layer on a surface of the substrate, and a moisture triggering layer on the antibacterial agent-containing layer is provided, wherein the antibacterial agent-containing layer contains a volatile antibacterial agent, and the moisture triggering layer contains a hydrophilic polymer such as polyvinylpyrrolidone. The laminate releases a relatively larger amount of anti-bacterial agent in vapor form in a humid environment in comparison with a dry environment.

Abstract: A laminate including a substrate, an antibacterial agent-containing layer on a surface of the substrate, and a moisture triggering layer on the antibacterial agent-containing layer is provided, wherein the antibacterial agent-containing layer contains a volatile antibacterial agent, and the moisture triggering layer contains a hydrophilic polymer such as polyvinylpyrrolidone. The laminate releases a relatively larger amount of anti-bacterial agent in vapor form in a humid environment in comparison with a dry environment.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a hybrid beamforming architecture are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a beamforming architecture including a baseband unit and a processor. The beamforming architecture is configured to determine a steering matrix based on at least the baseband unit and the processor; and wherein the beamforming architecture is configured to simultaneously support a plurality of beamformee client devices, each beamformee client device beamformed by a beamformer with at least one of a beamformer hardware mode and a beamformer software mode and with at least one of a beamformer explicit mode and a beamformer implicit mode.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a hybrid beamforming architecture are described. According to one embodiment, a first wireless device includes a transmitter and a baseband beamforming processing unit. The baseband beamforming processing unit includes a steering matrix calculation unit and a steering matrix cache. The steering matrix calculation unit is configured to derive a steering matrix from channel related information in a first packet received from a second wireless device. The steering matrix includes weights. The steering matrix cache is configured to (i) store the steering matrix derived from the channel related information, and (ii) provide the weights from the steering matrix to the transmitter. The transmitter is configured to, based on the weights from the steering matrix, perform transmit beamforming on a second packet being transmitted to the second wireless device from the first wireless device.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with beamforming with steering submatrix selection are described. According to one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet for transmit beamforming and identifying a first steering matrix. The first steering matrix includes weights, set forth in n rows and c columns, that are applicable to be applied to the packet in transmit beamforming of the packet. The method includes generating a second steering matrix having weights set forth in less than n rows or less than c columns. The weights of the second steering matrix are selected from the weights of the first steering matrix. The method includes providing the weights from the second steering matrix to a transmitter transmitting the packet for transmit beamforming of the packet.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a hybrid beamforming architecture are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a beamforming mode detection logic configured to select a beamforming mode based, at least in part, on a packet received from a wireless device. The apparatus also includes a beamformee unit and a beamformer unit. The beamformee unit is configured to derive steering information from channel related information in the packet. The beamformer unit is configured to provide weights from a steering matrix to a transmitter performing transmit beamforming on a subsequent packet being transmitted to the wireless device. The beamforming mode detection logic routes at least part of the packet to one or both of the beamformee unit and the beamformer unit based, at least in part, on the selected beamforming mode.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with beamforming with steering submatrix selection are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a steering matrix cache unit configured to store a steering matrix. The apparatus also includes a read control unit configured to select a steering submatrix from the steering matrix based, at least in part, on packet transmission instructions associated with a packet being processed for transmission. The read control unit is also configured to provide weights from the selected steering submatrix to a transmitter transmitting the packet.

Abstract: An add-compare-select (ACS) unit generates first path metrics having a first bit-pair and a most significant bit-pair (MSB) each including a high bit and a low bit. A first ACS circuit produces the first bit-pair and a first carry. A limiting circuit generates the MSB based on the first carry, and limits the MSB to a first predetermined value. A MSB maximum select (MS) unit receives an MSB of second path metrics from another ACS unit, and compares the MSBs of the first and the second path metrics to determine MSB decision signals based on maximum likelihood selection. A MSB storage unit stores the MSB of the first path metrics. A reset unit resets the high bit of the MSB of the first path metrics to a second predetermined value when the high bits of the MSBs of the first and the second path metrics reach the first predetermined value.

Abstract: An add-compare-select (ACS) unit generates first path metrics having a first bit-pair and a most significant bit-pair (MSB), where each bit-pair is in represented in redundant numbers comprising a high bit and a low bit, and comprises a first ACS circuit and an MSB ACS circuit. The first ACS circuit produces the first bit-pair of the first path metrics and a first carry. The MSB ACS circuit comprises a limiting circuit, an MSB maximum select unit, an MSB storage unit, and a reset unit. The limiting circuit, coupled to the first ACS circuit, generates the MSB of the first path metrics based on the first carry, and limits the MSB of the first path metrics to a first predetermined value. The MSB maximum select (MS) unit, coupled to the limiting circuit and another ACS unit, receives an MSB of second path metrics from the other ACS unit, and compares the MSBs of the first and the second path metrics to determine MSB decision signals based on maximum likelihood selection.