Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system comprises a tubular furnace, at least one BTBAS supply piping line connected to a base portion of the tubular furnace, an exhaust piping line connected to an upper portion of the tubular furnace, a bypass line connecting the BTBAS supply piping line with the exhaust piping line, and a vacuum pump connected to the exhaust piping line, wherein the bypass line is initially interrupted. A batch of wafers is placed into a tube of the tubular furnace. Nitrogen-containing gas and carrier gas are flowed into the tube. BTBAS is flowed into the tube through the BTBAS supply piping line. A silicon nitride deposition process is then carried out in the tube to deposit a BTBAS-based silicon nitride film on the wafers. Upon completion of the silicon nitride deposition process, the BTBAS supply piping line is blocked and the initially interrupted bypass line is opened.

Abstract: A continuously variable screening tool is used to generate a unique texture pattern for every color in a multicolor image. The continuously variable screening tool allows a single colorant version of the image to be generated with less information loss than typically suffered in the multicolor to single color transformation process. The continuously variable screening tool is generated by blending patterns from a set of reference screens. The reference screens are associated with selected reference colors in, for example, a machine independent color space. A calculated screen is generated through a weighted blend of reference screens located near the arbitrary color in the machine independent color space. Typically, the weights depend on the distance the arbitrary color is from each of the reference colors. The screens consist of arrays of threshold values. Each threshold value is associated with a dot position and an image pixel.

Abstract: A watermarked image generator includes a watermark data source that inputs watermark data to a watermark embedding device. The watermark embedding device halftones the input image to generate the output image made of 2×2 binary patterns, the 2×2 binary patterns forming the watermarks embedded in the output image. The watermark embedding device includes a tri-level error diffusion generator that performs tri-level error diffusion on the input image by halftoning the input image into black, white and 50% gray. A plurality of halftoning circuits successively replace each pixel of the halftoned input image with one of a plurality of the 2×2 binary patterns. The one of the plurality of 2×2 binary patterns corresponds to at least one respective bit of the watermark data when a pixel of the halftoned image data is 50% gray. The watermark data can be segmentation map data of the input image.

Abstract: A method for version recording and tracking. First, a file is stored into a data directory. Thereafter, the checksum of the file is calculated. Then, the version information, the filename, the size, and the checksum of the file are stored into the data directory. When a file needs to track its version information, the checksum of the file is calculated. Then, a data directory is searched to obtain the version information according to the checksum, the filename, and the size of the file.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor transistor device having ultra-shallow source/drain extensions is provided. A silicon substrate having thereon a poly gate structure is prepared. The poly gate structure has sidewalls and a top surface. An offset spacer is formed on its sidewall. An ion implantation process is carried out to form an ultra-shallow junction doping region in the silicon substrate next to the offset spacer. An oxide liner is deposited on the offset spacer and on the top surface of the poly gate structure. A tensile nitride spacer layer is then deposited on the oxide liner. A stress modification implantation process is performed to turn the tensile nitride spacer layer into a more compressive status. A dry etching process is then carried out to etch the nitride spacer layer so as to form a spacer.

Abstract: A method and system for image processing, in conjunction with classification of images between natural pictures and synthetic graphics, using SGLD texture (e.g., variance, bias, skewness, and fitness), color discreteness (e.g., R—L, R—U, and R—V normalized histograms), or edge features (e.g., pixels per detected edge, horizontal edges, and vertical edges) is provided. In another embodiment, a picture/graphics classifier using combinations of SGLD texture, color discreteness, and edge features is provided. In still another embodiment, a “soft” image classifier using combinations of two (2) or more SGLD texture, color discreteness, and edge features is provided. The “soft” classifier uses image features to classify areas of an input image in picture, graphics, or fuzzy classes.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for applying magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) technology to enable the embedding of coded information within text characters of a document.

Abstract: A system and method for classifying an image block of a printed image into contone, halftone, or error diffusion classes, includes scanning the printed image; selecting an n by n block of pixels from the scanned image in a luminance channel; calculating an array of DCT coefficients of the pixel block, wherein the calculated DCT coefficients are representative of spatial frequency and spatial orientation of the pixel block; comparing the array of DCT coefficients with an array of predetermined values, wherein the array of predetermined values are indicative of contone, halftone and error diffusion classes; and determining the image classification of the pixel block based on the comparison of the DCT coefficients with the array of predetermined values. If the image is determined to be halftone, then the method further evaluates the DCT coefficients to determine the frequency of the halftone screen.

Abstract: A method and system for image processing, in conjunction with classification of images between natural pictures and synthetic graphics, using SGLD texture (e.g., variance, bias, skewness, and fitness), color discreteness (e.g., R_L, R_U, and R_V normalized histograms), or edge features (e.g., pixels per detected edge, horizontal edges, and vertical edges) is provided. In another embodiment, a picture/graphics classifier using combinations of SGLD texture, color discreteness, and edge features is provided. In still another embodiment, a “soft” image classifier using combinations of two (2) or more SGLD texture, color discreteness, and edge features is provided. The “soft” classifier uses image features to classify areas of an input image in picture, graphics, or fuzzy classes.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for segmenting an image using a combination of image segmentation techniques. More particularly, the invention is directed to an improved image segmentation technique for use in an image processing system that performs at least two distinct image segmentation processes on an image and combines the results to obtain a combined multi-layer representation of the image that can be suitably processed. In a specific example, a block based segmentation technique is performed on an image to generate a MRC (mixed raster content) representation—having foreground, background and selector layers. A pixel based segmentation technique is also performed on the image to generate rendering hints. The MRC representation and the rendering hints are then combined to obtain a four (4) layer representation of the image. The four layer representation is subsequently processed as required by the image processing system, e.g. compressed and stored.

Abstract: An adaptive filtering method and apparatus for descreening a scanned halftoned image representation is disclosed. The apparatus includes an image input subsystem; a processing subsystem for processing halftoned image data provided by the image input subsystem; and software/firmware means operative on the processing subsystem for a) low-pass filtering a halftoned input pixel value provided by the image input subsystem to produce a low-pass filtered pixel value; b) notch-filtering the halftoned input pixel value to produce a notch-filtered pixel value; c) determining a local contrast value for the halftoned input pixel value; and d) producing a descreened output pixel value based on the low-pass filtered pixel value, the notch-filtered pixel value, or a combination of the low-pass filtered pixel value and the notch-filtered pixel value depending on the local contrast value.

Abstract: An adaptive image enhancement filter includes a template matching module for comparing an observed pixel pattern comprising a target pixel and one or more neighboring pixels to a set of templates to determine if the observed pixel pattern matches any of the templates. The template matching module generates a match identifier signal indicating which of the templates, if any, the observed pixel pattern is found to match. Based on this match identifier, a signal generation module provides an enhanced output signal for the target pixel. The template matching and/or the signal generation modules can be independently modified to adapt to changing conditions as identified by signals identifying image attributes and marking process attributes.

Abstract: A method is provided for profiling regulatory factor binding sites. A complete gene is located on genome for mapping gene regulatory regions. Genomic sequences of gene regulatory regions are defined and retrieved. DNA sequence information of each retrieved gene regulatory region is screened for identifying putative regulatory factor binding sites. The putative regulatory factor binding sites are profiled.

Abstract: The invention concerns the statistical analysis of regulatory factor binding sites of differentially expressed genes. More particularly, the invention concerns methods for identifying and characterizing regulatory factor, e.g. transcription factor binding sites in differentially expressed genes in order to develop therapeutic strategies for the treatment of diseases which are accompanied by differential gene expression, or to study biological processes.

Abstract: A method to detect frequency and angle of a binary halftone pattern. The method employs an exclusive-or operation which is applied locally to a region of a binary bit map and its spatially shifted version. The resulting bits from the exclusive-or operation are summed over the region. The exclusive-or operation is repeated for a range of shift values. In a halftone region, the shift at which the minimum sum occurs reflects the angle and the frequency of the halftone.

Abstract: A recipe comparison system having recipe management ability in both offline accessing and online operating modes. The recipe comparison system includes an equipment server, an analysis module, and a recipe management module. The equipment server receives an upload signal, and then sends a recipe to the analysis module based on the upload signal. Then, the analysis module parses the recipe into internal-format-data according to a parsing rule, and outputs the internal-format-data to the recipe management module. If the recipe comparison system is in offline accessing mode, the recipe management module checks whether the internal-format-data obeys a specification definition. If the recipe comparison system is in the online operating mode, the recipe management module compares the internal-format-data with a standard recipe stored in a storage module.

Abstract: A method for processing digital images to be displayed, stored, or printed, to eliminate blooming and other artifacts. The system utilizes morphological processes to isolate and modify image structures susceptible to marking process artifacts and then combines the modified image structures with the input image to produce a printable image that may be rendered on a given printer.

Abstract: A method and system which converts an electronic binary image to another electronic binary image by compensating for the differences between printer responses so that a target printer can print the image to emulate how the image would appear if printed by an originally-intended printer or another printer. A print-ready binary image is inputted into a print and scan simulation circuit which electronically simulates the printing and scanning of the image data. The print and scan simulation circuit converts the binary image data to gray scale image data. The gray scale image data is then processed by a tone response correction circuit. The tone response correction circuit alters the gray scale image data based on the difference between the tone reproduction curves of two printers, such as an originally-intended printer and a target printer.

Abstract: A method for neutral pixel detection using color space feature vectors wherein one color space coordinate represents lightness is provided. The method includes the following steps: a) receiving an input image represented in a first color space; b) converting the input image to a second color space wherein one coordinate represents lightness; c) selecting a pixel in the second color space representation to be classified; d) computing second color space feature vectors associated with the selected pixel; and e) classifying the selected pixel between neutral and color classes based on the values computed for the second color space feature vectors. Typically, the input image is processed using a smoothing filter to create a smoothed input image prior to the conversion to the second color space. The method can be adapted to page processing or strip processing schemes with respect to the input image.