Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080308747 | RADIATION DETECTION SCHEMES, APPARATUS AND METHODS OF TRANSMITTING RADIATION DETECTION INFORMATION TO A NETWORK - Personal radiation detection devices, methods of obtaining radiation exposure data, and networks of personal radiation devices. The detection devices may include passive devices and active devices. The passive detection devices may have the same form factor as credit cards or be included in common types of credit card form factor sized cards. The active devices may be incorporated into common and widely distributed host devices. | 12-18-2008 |
20090039270 | LARGE-AREA ALPHA-PARTICLE DETECTOR AND METHOD FOR USE - A method and detector for detecting particle emissions from a test sample includes positioning a detector over the test sample, wherein the detector includes a plurality of detection units, wherein each detection unit includes a first silicon detector and a barrier layer removably disposed over the first silicon detector. The method includes generating a first current signal in the silicon detector in response to receiving a first particle emitted from an atom of the test sample by the silicon detector of the first detection unit, and responsive to a recoiling daughter nuclide of the atom striking the barrier layer of the first detection unit, the recoiling daughter nuclide resulting from emission of the first particle from the atom, absorbing the recoiling daughter nuclide by the barrier layer of the first detection unit. | 02-12-2009 |
20090059657 | CMOS STORAGE DEVICES CONFIGURABLE IN HIGH PERFORMANCE MODE OR RADIATION TOLERANT MODE - A radiation tolerant circuit, structure of the circuit and method of autonomic radiation event device protection. The circuit includes a charge storage node connected to a resistor, the resistor comprising a material having an amorphous state and a crystalline state, the amorphous state having a higher resistance than the crystalline state, the material reversibly convertible between the amorphous state and the crystalline state by application of heat; an optional resistive heating element proximate to the resistor; and means for writing data to the charge storage node and means for reading data from the charge storage node. | 03-05-2009 |
20090065955 | METHOD AND STRUCTURES FOR ACCELERATED SOFT-ERROR TESTING - An integrated circuit, method of forming the integrated circuit and a method of testing the integrated circuit for soft-error fails. The integrated circuit includes: a silicon substrate; a dielectric layer formed over the substrate; electrically conductive wires formed in the dielectric layer, the wires interconnecting semiconductor devices formed in the substrate into circuits; and an alpha particle emitting region in the integrated circuit chip proximate to one or more of the semiconductor devices. The method includes exposing the integrated circuit to an artificial flux of thermal neutrons to cause fission of atoms in the alpha particle emitting region into alpha particles and other atoms. | 03-12-2009 |
20090108212 | RADIATION DETECTION SCHEMES, APPARATUS AND METHODS OF TRANSMITTING RADIATION DETECTION INFORMATION TO A NETWORK - Personal radiation detection devices, methods of obtaining radiation exposure data, and networks of personal radiation devices. The detection devices may include passive devices and active devices. The passive detection devices may have the same form factor as credit cards or be included in common types of credit card form factor sized cards. | 04-30-2009 |
20090236699 | DISCREET PLACEMENT OF RADIATION SOURCES ON INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICES - An integrated circuit and methods of forming and using the integrated circuit. The circuit includes: a radiation-emitting layer over a selected region of a top surface of an integrated circuit chip, the radiation emitting layer comprising a first polymer or resin and a first radioactive material, the region smaller than a whole of the top surface of the integrated circuit chip, the region including a circuit that is liable to temporary failure when struck by radiation generated by the first radioactive material. | 09-24-2009 |
20090243053 | STRUCTURE FOR REDUCTION OF SOFT ERROR RATES IN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - A structure for reduction of soft error rates in integrated circuits. The structure including: a semiconductor substrate; and a stack of one or more wiring levels stacked from a lowermost wiring level to an uppermost wiring level, the lowermost wiring level nearer the semiconductor substrate than the uppermost wiring level; and an alpha particle blocking layer on a top surface of the uppermost wiring level of the one or more wiring levels, the blocking layer comprising metal wires and a dielectric material, the blocking layer having a combination of a thickness of the blocking layer and a volume percent of metal wires in the blocking layer sufficient to stop a predetermined percentage of alpha particles of a selected energy or less striking the blocking layer from penetrating into the stack of one or more wiring levels or the substrate. | 10-01-2009 |
20100084656 | PARTICLE EMISSION ANALYSIS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION STEPS - A structure and a method for operating the same. The method includes providing a detecting structure which includes N detectors. N is a positive integer. A fabrication step is simultaneously performed on the detecting structure and M product structures in a fabrication tool resulting in a particle-emitting layer on the detecting structure. The detecting structure is different than the M product structures. The M product structures are identical. M is a positive integer. An impact of emitting particles from the particle-emitting layer on the detecting structure is analyzed after said performing is performed. | 04-08-2010 |
20110127438 | Dosimeter Powered by Passive RF Absorption - A system for determining an amount of radiation includes a dosimeter configured to receive the amount of radiation, the dosimeter comprising a circuit having a resonant frequency, such that the resonant frequency of the circuit changes according to the amount of radiation received by the dosimeter, the dosimeter further configured to absorb RF energy at the resonant frequency of the circuit; a radio frequency (RF) transmitter configured to transmit the RF energy at the resonant frequency to the dosimeter; and a receiver configured to determine the resonant frequency of the dosimeter based on the absorbed RF energy, wherein the amount of radiation is determined based on the resonant frequency. | 06-02-2011 |
20110175211 | Method And Structure To Reduce Soft Error Rate Susceptibility In Semiconductor Structures - A method is disclosed that includes providing a semiconductor substrate having one or more device levels including a number of devices, and forming a number of wiring levels on a top surface of the one or more device levels, wherein one or more of the number of wiring levels includes one or more alpha particle blocking shields situated between at least one of the number of devices and a predetermined first location where a terminal pad will be formed in one of the wiring levels, the one or more alpha particle blocking shields placed at a second location, having one or more widths, and occupying a predetermined number of the wiring levels, sufficient to prevent a predetermined percentage of alpha particles of a selected energy or less expected to be emitted from an alpha particle emitting metallization to be formed adjacent and connected to the terminal pad from reaching the one device. | 07-21-2011 |
20120045853 | SER Testing for an IC Chip Using Hot Underfill - A method for detecting soft errors in an integrated circuit (IC) due to transient-particle emission, the IC comprising at least one chip and a substrate includes mixing an epoxy with a radioactive source to form a hot underfill (HUF); underfilling the chip with the HUF; sealing the underfilled chip; measuring a radioactivity of the HUF at an edge of the chip; measuring the radioactivity of the HUF on a test coupon; testing the IC for soft errors by determining a current radioactivity of the HUF at the time of testing based on the measured radioactivity; and after the expiration of a radioactive decay period of the radioactive source, using the IC in a computing device by a user. | 02-23-2012 |
20130026544 | FULLY DEPLETED SILICON ON INSULATOR NEUTRON DETECTOR - A method for forming a neutron detector comprises thinning a backside silicon substrate of a radiation detector; and forming a neutron converter layer on the thinned backside silicon substrate of the radiation detector to form the neutron detector. The neutron converter layer comprises one of boron-10 ( | 01-31-2013 |
20130062740 | TUNABLE RADIATION SOURCE - An energy distribution of soft error-inducing radiation likely to be encountered by an electronic circuit during operation is determined. A tuned radiation source having a source energy distribution similar to the determined energy distribution is prepared. The electronic circuit is tested using the tuned radiation source. | 03-14-2013 |
20140159227 | PATTERNING TRANSITION METALS IN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - Fabricating conductive lines in an integrated circuit includes patterning a layer of a transition metal to form the conductive lines and depositing a protective cap on at least some of the one or more conductive lines. Alternatively, fabricating conductive lines in an integrated circuit includes patterning a layer of a transition metal to form the conductive lines, wherein the conductive lines have sub-eighty nanometer pitches, and depositing a protective cap on at least some of the conductive lines, wherein the protective cap has a thickness between approximately five and fifteen nanometers. Alternatively, fabricating conductive lines in an integrated circuit includes patterning a layer of a transition metal to form the conductive lines, wherein the conductive lines have sub-eighty nanometer line widths, and depositing a protective cap on at least some of the conductive lines, wherein the protective cap has a thickness between approximately five and fifteen nanometers. | 06-12-2014 |
20140159242 | PATTERNING TRANSITION METALS IN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - An integrated circuit includes a plurality of semiconductor devices and a plurality of conductive lines connecting the semiconductor devices, wherein the conductive lines include a transition metal and a protective cap deposited on the transition metal. Alternatively, an integrated circuit includes a plurality of semiconductor devices and a plurality of conductive lines connecting the semiconductor devices and having sub-eighty nanometer pitches, wherein the conductive lines include a transition metal and a protective cap deposited on the transition metal, wherein the protective cap has a thickness between approximately five and fifteen nanometers. Alternatively, an integrated circuit includes a plurality of semiconductor devices and a plurality of conductive lines connecting the semiconductor devices and having sub-eighty nanometer line widths, wherein the conductive lines include a transition metal and a protective cap deposited on the transition metal, wherein the protective cap has a thickness between approximately five and fifteen nanometers. | 06-12-2014 |
20140203427 | LOW ALPHA PARTICLE EMISSION ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE COATING - An electrically conductive paste providing low alpha particle emission is provided. A resin and conductive particles are mixed, and a curing agent is added. A solvent is subsequently added. The electrically conductive paste including a resin compound is formed by mixing the mixture in a high shear mixer. The electrically conductive paste can be applied to a surface of an article to form a coating, or can be molded into an article. The solvent is evaporated, and the electrically conductive paste is cured to provide a graphite-containing resin compound. The graphite-containing resin compound is electrically conductive, and provides low alpha particle emission at a level suitable for a low alpha particle emissivity coating. | 07-24-2014 |
20140205780 | LOW ALPHA PARTICLE EMISSION ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE COATING - An electrically conductive paste providing low alpha particle emission is provided. A resin and conductive particles are mixed, and a curing agent is added. A solvent is subsequently added. The electrically conductive paste including a resin compound is formed by mixing the mixture in a high shear mixer. The electrically conductive paste can be applied to a surface of an article to form a coating, or can be molded into an article. The solvent is evaporated, and the electrically conductive paste is cured to provide a graphite-containing resin compound. The graphite-containing resin compound is electrically conductive, and provides low alpha particle emission at a level suitable for a low alpha particle emissivity coating. | 07-24-2014 |
20140329351 | FABRICATING A SMALL-SCALE RADIATION DETECTOR - A method for a constructing radiation detector includes fabricating a multi-layer structure upon a wafer, the multi-layer structure comprising a plurality of metal layers, a plurality of sacrificial layers, and a plurality of insulating layers, forming a cavity within the multi-layer structure, filling the cavity with a gas that ionizes in response to nuclear radiation, and sealing the gas within the cavity. | 11-06-2014 |
20140372597 | OPTIMIZING RESOURCE USAGE IN SYSTEMS WHICH INCLUDE HETEROGENEOUS DEVICES, INCLUDING SENSORS AND SMARTPHONES - Managing devices in a system may comprise receiving information associated with a first device in the system and a first set of capabilities provided in the first device; receiving information associated with a second device in the system and a second set of capabilities provided in the second device; determining one or more required capabilities that need to be activated for the system, the system comprising at least the first device and the second device; for each of the one or more required capabilities, selecting automatically by a processor based on the information received and one or more criteria, which capability in the first device and the second device to activate to satisfy the one or more required capabilities; and activating said selected capability in the first device or the second device. | 12-18-2014 |
20140372598 | OPTIMIZING RESOURCE USAGE IN SYSTEMS WHICH INCLUDE HETEROGENEOUS DEVICES, INCLUDING SENSORS AND SMARTPHONES - Managing devices in a system may comprise receiving information associated with a first device in the system and a first set of capabilities provided in the first device; receiving information associated with a second device in the system and a second set of capabilities provided in the second device; determining one or more required capabilities that need to be activated for the system, the system comprising at least the first device and the second device; for each of the one or more required capabilities, selecting automatically by a processor based on the information received and one or more criteria, which capability in the first device and the second device to activate to satisfy the one or more required capabilities; and activating said selected capability in the first device or the second device. | 12-18-2014 |
20150029424 | VARIABLE FOCAL LENGTH LENS - An adjustable focal length lens structure comprising a first adjustable focal length lens. The first adjustable focal length lens comprises an inner surface of a first side having a first curvature. The first adjustable focal length lens also comprises a first transparent conducting electrode on the first side. The first adjustable focal length lens also comprises an inner surface of a second side having a second curvature. The first adjustable focal length lens also comprises a second transparent conducting electrode on the second side. The first adjustable focal length lens also comprises one or more layers of a first liquid crystal material disposed between the inner surface of the first side and the inner surface of the second side, wherein the first liquid crystal material has two or more effective indices of refraction. | 01-29-2015 |
20150084776 | INTEGRATED CIRCUITS WITH RADIOACTIVE SOURCE MATERIAL AND RADIATION DETECTION - Radioactive integrated circuit (IC) devices with radioactive material embedded in the substrate of the IC itself, and including logic for “fingerprinting” (that is, determining characteristics that identify the source of the radioactive source material). Radioactive IC devices with embedded detector hardware that determine aspects of radioactivity such as total dose and/or ambient radiation. Radioactive IC devices that can determine an elapsed time based on radioactive decay rates. Radioactive smoke detector using man-made, relatively short half-life radioactive source material. | 03-26-2015 |