Abstract:
A safety restraint system (10) for a vehicle (12) includes a seat belt buckle (60) and a retractor (53) mounted approximately at or below a pelvic level of a vehicle occupant (98). A seat belt (52) extends over a side pelvic portion (97) of vehicle occupant (98) and directly prevents outward lateral displacement of the side pelvic portion (97) during a side collision event.
Abstract:
Feature access control is provided for soft-labeled keys (SLKs) of a wireless terminal or other type of terminal in a communication system. In an illustrative embodiment, a different set of SLK label identifiers are associated in a control table with each state in a set of states of the terminal. Each of the label identifiers specifies a label to be associated with a given one of the SLKs in a given one of the states. The label identifiers are used as pointers into a label table which specifies, for each of the label identifiers, a corresponding label for one of the SLKs. The control table and label table together implement a bidirectional mapping between single switch-based features and corresponding multiple state-based appearances of those features on the terminal. The control table and label table may be downloaded into the terminal from a switch of the system. The SLK labels of the terminal may be updated by, e.g., transmitting to the terminal a state identifier, an identifier of a most-recently activated feature, and a presentation attribute for that feature.
Abstract:
A method for fabricating a microelectronic layer. There is first provided a substrate. There is then formed over the substrate a target layer. There is then formed upon the target layer a patterned photoresist layer which defines a first aperture, where the first aperture has a first aperture width which exposes a first portion of the target layer. There is then reflowed thermally the patterned photoresist layer to form a reflowed patterned photoresist layer which defines a substantially straight sided second aperture. The second aperture has a second aperture width less than the first aperture width, and the second aperture thus exposes a second portion of the blanket target layer of areal dimension less than the first portion of the blanket target layer. Finally, there is then fabricated the target layer to form a fabricated target layer while employing the reflowed patterned photoresist layer as a mask layer. The method is useful insofar as it allows the target layer to be fabricated while avoiding the use of advanced microelectronic fabrication photolithographic tooling when forming the patterned photoresist layer.
Abstract:
A new method of maintaining good control of the dielectric thickness over a top capacitor plate during planarization by CMP by introducing a CMP stop layer under the topmost dielectric layer is described. Semiconductor device structures, including a node contact region, are provided in and on a semiconductor substrate. A bottom plate electrode is formed contacting the node contact region through an opening in a first insulating layer. A capacitor dielectric layer is deposited overlying the bottom plate electrode. A second conducting layer is deposited overlying the capacitor dielectric to form a top plate electrode of the capacitor. A second insulating layer is deposited overlying the second conducting layer. A silicon nitride polish stop layer is deposited overlying the second insulating layer. The polish stop layer, second insulating layer, second conducting layer, and capacitor dielectric layer are patterned to form the DRAM integrated circuit device. A third insulating layer is deposited overlying the first insulating layer and the polish stop layer of the DRAM integrated circuit device. The third insulating layer is planarized by chemical mechanical polishing stopping at the polish stop layer. The polish stop layer protects the top capacitor plate from damage.
Abstract:
A process for forming a crown shaped, polysilicon storage node structure, for a DRAM capacitor structure, has been developed. The process features the deposition of a polysilicon layer, on the top surface of a thick insulator layer, as well as on all surfaces of an opening, in the thick insulator layer. Removal of the regions of polysilicon, residing on the top surface of the thick insulator layer, results in a crown shaped, polysilicon storage node structure, in the opening, in the thick insulator layer. The crown shaped, polysilicon storage node structure, was protected from the polysilicon removal procedure, by a photoresist plug, formed overlying the polysilicon layer, in the opening, in the thick insulator layer. The photoresist plug was formed via photoresist application, exposure, and the development of exposed photoresist regions.
Abstract:
A process for forming a crown shaped storage node structure, for a DRAM capacitor structure, has been developed. The process features the patterning of a top portion, of a storage node contact plug structure, after patterning of the crown shaped storage node structure, and after removal of a silicon oxide layer, used for the definition of the crown shaped storage node structure. The sequence of patterning steps allows mis-alignment between the crown shaped storage node structure, and the underlying storage node contact hole, to occur without vulnerability to insulator layers used to passivate the transfer gate transistors, of the DRAM cell. This process also features the use of a photoresist plug, used to protect a bottom shape, of the crown shaped storage node structure during the crown shaped storage node, and the storage node contact plug structure, patterning procedures.