Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates an integrated chip including a substrate. A conductive interconnect feature is arranged over the substrate. The conductive interconnect feature has a base feature portion with a base feature width and an upper feature portion with an upper feature width. The upper feature width is narrower than the base feature width such that the conductive interconnect feature has tapered outer feature sidewalls. An interconnect via is arranged over the conductive interconnect feature. The interconnect via has a base via portion with a base via width and an upper via portion with an upper via width. The upper via width is wider than the base via width such that the interconnect via has tapered outer via sidewalls.

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor structure includes: providing a substrate with a contact feature thereon; forming a dielectric layer on the substrate; etching the dielectric layer to form an interconnect opening exposing the contact feature; forming a metal layer on the dielectric layer and outside of the contact feature; and forming a graphene conductive structure on the metal layer, the graphene conductive structure filling the interconnect opening, being electrically connected to the contact feature, and having at least one graphene layer that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate.

Abstract: A method of decoding a bitstream by an electronic device is provided. A block unit is determined from an image frame received from the bitstream. An intra prediction mode index corresponding to one of wide-angle candidate modes is determined for the block unit. The electronic device determines whether the intra prediction mode index is different from predefined indices each corresponding to one of predefined wide-angle modes in the wide-angle candidate modes. Filtered samples are generated based on reference samples neighboring the block unit. The filtered samples are generated by an interpolation filter when the intra prediction mode index is different from the predefined indices. The filtered samples are generated by a reference filter when the intra prediction mode index is equal to at least one of the predefined indices. The block unit is reconstructed based on the filtered samples along a mode direction of the intra prediction mode index.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming tungsten features in semiconductor devices is provided. The method includes exposing a top opening of a feature formed in a substrate to a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process to deposit a tungsten liner layer within the feature. The PVD process is performed in a first processing region of a first processing chamber and the tungsten liner layer forms an overhang portion, which partially obstructs the top opening of the feature. The substrate is transferred from the first processing region of the first processing chamber to a second processing region of a second processing chamber without breaking vacuum. The overhang portion is exposed to nitrogen-containing radicals in the second processing region to inhibit subsequent growth of tungsten along the overhang portion. The feature is exposed to a tungsten-containing precursor gas to form a tungsten fill layer over the tungsten liner layer within the feature.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining symbol timing in a communication system is provided. The apparatus includes a memory communicatively coupled to at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to receive a first signal that includes a preamble sent at a first sampling rate with a first modulation through a channel and a data frame sent at a second sampling rate with a second modulation through the channel. The preamble includes a received code sequence, and the data frame includes a plurality of data symbols. The at least one processor is configured to compute a second signal that represents an estimate of an equivalent channel response using at least one of a known code sequence and the received first signal, down-sample the second signal and compute signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios at a plurality of candidate timing offsets, and determine a symbol timing based on a particular timing offset associated with one of the computed signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios.

Abstract: There is provided a communication system including a transmitting section and a receiving section which includes a plurality of receivers. The transmitting section includes a communication unit which receives a plurality of signals respectively from the plurality of receivers, and stores a plurality of time-reversed signals corresponding to the received plurality of signals with respect to the plurality of receivers, and a first conversion unit which converts, by a first factor, a plurality of information sequences to be respectively transmitted to the plurality of receivers and forward the plurality of converted information sequences to the communication unit. The communication unit generates, based on the plurality of converted information sequences, a plurality of output signals to be respectively transmitted to the plurality of receivers, each of the plurality of the output signals including a location-specific signature unique to the corresponding receiver.

Abstract: A transmitter receives channel impulse response signals derived from impulse signals sent from two or more receivers, each impulse signal being sent from one of the receivers to the transmitter through multiple propagation paths. Downlink waveforms for the two or more receivers are calculated in a way so as to increase a weighted sum-rate under a total power constraint, the downlink waveforms being determined based on time-reversed channel impulse response signals and initial virtual uplink power allocation coefficients. Updated virtual uplink power allocation coefficients are determined based on the downlink waveforms, and downlink power allocation coefficients are determined based on the downlink waveforms and the virtual uplink power allocation coefficients.

Abstract: Time-reversal wireless communication includes: at a base station, receiving a probe signal from a terminal device; generating a signature waveform that is based on a time-reversed signal of a channel response signal derived from the probe signal; performing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on a transmit signal to generate a quadrature amplitude modulated signal; and generating a transmission signal based on the quadrature amplitude modulated signal and the signature waveform.

Abstract: Systems and methods pertain to a receiver configured to receive and detect convolutionally coded Gaussian frequency-shift keying (GFSK) signals comprising a trellis of branches. The receiver implements a Per-Survivor Processing (PSP) algorithm to generate frequency estimate, phase estimate, and branch metric increment for each branch of a trellis. A Viterbi Algorithm is applied to the trellis for Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation (MLSE) of information bits. The receiver includes a PSP block comprising a number of blocks equal to the number of branches of the trellis. Each block includes a Phase Corrector, Decision Feedback Demodulator (DFD), and a Frequency Tracking Loop (FTL) to update the PSP variables.

Abstract: A base station having an input module for receiving a probe signal sent from a terminal device, and a data processor for generating a signature waveform that is based on channel information derived from the probe signal, identifying data symbols intended to be transmitted to the terminal device, and modifying the data symbols based on the channel information. The modification of the data symbols is designed to reduce inter-symbol interference when the data symbols are received by the terminal device. The data processor generates a downlink signal based on the modified data symbols and the signature waveform. The base station generates a wide-band a radio frequency signal based on the downlink signal and transmits the radio frequency signal to the terminal device through a multipath channel such that a portion of the radio frequency signal intended for the terminal device focuses at the terminal device.

Abstract: A method for wireless communication is described. The method includes receiving a signal that is pattern-mapped and Gaussian frequency-shift keying (GFSK) modulated. The method also includes performing a joint demapping and demodulation of the received signal based on a stored accumulated phase. The method may further include updating the stored accumulated phase based on the joint demapping and demodulation.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is provided that includes a base station receiving a plurality of input signals that are selectively provided to a plurality of precoders. The precoders perform precoding operations on the input signals and output a first signal. The base station includes an algorithm that minimizes total transmit power per antenna under signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) target constraints or maximizes the SINR under a sum of power constraint so as to determine power allocation and obtain efficient precoders. A number of mobile receiver units receive the first signal and performs their respective operations to extrapolate the linear estimate of the input signals.

Abstract: Time-reversal wireless communication includes: at a base station, receiving a probe signal from a terminal device; generating a signature waveform that is based on a time-reversed signal of a channel response signal derived from the probe signal; performing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on a transmit signal to generate a quadrature amplitude modulated signal; and generating a transmission signal based on the quadrature amplitude modulated signal and the signature waveform.

Abstract: Time-reversal wireless communication includes: at a base station, receiving a probe signal from a terminal device; generating a signature waveform that is based on a time-reversed signal of a channel response signal derived from the probe signal; performing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on a transmit signal to generate a quadrature amplitude modulated signal; and generating a transmission signal based on the quadrature amplitude modulated signal and the signature waveform.

Abstract: A base station having an input module for receiving a probe signal sent from a terminal device, and a data processor for generating a signature waveform that is based on channel information derived from the probe signal, identifying data symbols intended to be transmitted to the terminal device, and modifying the data symbols based on the channel information. The modification of the data symbols is designed to reduce inter-symbol interference when the data symbols are received by the terminal device. The data processor generates a downlink signal based on the modified data symbols and the signature waveform. The base station generates a wide-band a radio frequency signal based on the downlink signal and transmits the radio frequency signal to the terminal device through a multipath channel such that a portion of the radio frequency signal intended for the terminal device focuses at the terminal device.

Abstract: Time-reversal wireless communication includes: at a base station, receiving a probe signal from a terminal device; generating a signature waveform that is based on a time-reversed signal of a channel response signal derived from the probe signal; performing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on a transmit signal to generate a quadrature amplitude modulated signal; and generating a transmission signal based on the quadrature amplitude modulated signal and the signature waveform.

Abstract: A phonetic symbol based Chinese input method for computer and apparatus thereof is provided. The method includes pressing keys to enter a numeric string corresponding to a set of phonetic symbols wherein each key represents one of 0 to 9; activating a piece of software to assign the set of phonetic symbols to a corresponding numeric string wherein the piece of software divides the string into a symbol zone and a tone zone; wherein the symbol zone includes one or two consonants, zero, one or two rhymes or zero, one or two compound rhymes; activating a Chinese characters output module to receive the string by using word prediction based on frequently used Chinese characters wherein the numeric string has numerals corresponding to the set of phonetic symbols; searching a Chinese characters database to find matched Chinese character(s); outputting the matched Chinese character(s); and returning to beginning.

Abstract: There is provided a communication system including a transmitting section and a receiving section which includes a plurality of receivers. The transmitting section includes a communication unit which receives a plurality of signals respectively from the plurality of receivers, and stores a plurality of time-reversed signals corresponding to the received plurality of signals with respect to the plurality of receivers, and a first conversion unit which converts, by a first factor, a plurality of information sequences to be respectively transmitted to the plurality of receivers and forward the plurality of converted information sequences to the communication unit. The communication unit generates, based on the plurality of converted information sequences, a plurality of output signals to be respectively transmitted to the plurality of receivers, each of the plurality of the output signals including a location-specific signature unique to the corresponding receiver.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is provided that includes a base station receiving a plurality of input signals that are selectively provided to a plurality of precoders. The precoders perform precoding operations on the input signals and output a first signal. The base station includes an algorithm that minimizes total transmit power per antenna under signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) target constraints or maximizes the SINR under a sum of power constraint so as to determine power allocation and obtain efficient precoders. A number of mobile receiver units receive the first signal and performs their respective operations to extrapolate the linear estimate of the input signals.