International Business Machines Corporation

Nikon Corporation

International Business Corporation

James D Rockrohr

Huihao Xu

Louis L Hsu

Joseph Natonio

Michael S Gordon

Michael Anthony Sorna

Steven John Zier

Paul F Petric

Hayden C Cranford, Jr

Louis C Hsu

Karl David Selander

Kevin G Kramer

Hibourahima Camara

Chris Robinson

Louis Lu-Chen Hsu

David P Stumbo

David R Hanson

Rodney A Kendall

Christopher Frederick Robinson

Steven D Golladay

Maris A Sturans

John George Hartley

Samuel Kay Doran

William A Enichen

Edward R Pillai

Timothy R Groves

Harry I Linzer

Henri A Khoury

Michael Stuart Gordon

Paul W Bond

Donald F Haire

Richard D Moore

Scott Messick

A design structure embodied in a machine-readable medium used in a design process provides a transmitter having a frequency response controllable in accordance with an operational parameter, and may include a storage operable to store operational parameters for controlling a frequency response of the transmitter under each of a plurality of corresponding operating conditions. A sensor can be used to detect an operating condition. In response to a change in the detected operating condition, a stored operational parameter corresponding to the detected operating condition can be used to control the frequency response of the transmitter.

Design structure for transmitter bandwidth optimization circuit

A method is provided for operating a transmitter integrated in a microelectronic element. In a calibration phase, a plurality of operational parameters are stored for controlling a frequency response of the transmitter under each of a plurality of corresponding operating conditions. Upon detecting an operating condition such as a temperature or power supply voltage level, the corresponding stored operational parameter is applied to the transmitter to control the frequency response.

Transmitter bandwidth optimization circuit

A design structure is provided for a microelectronic serial driver. The serial driver is operable to transmit a differential pattern signal during a burst interval and a predetermined common mode voltage level during a second interval between adjacent burst intervals, the serial driver including at least one pre-driver and a driver coupled to an output of the pre-driver for transmitting the differential communication signal. A switching circuit is operable to switch the serial driver between a first power supply voltage level for the burst interval and the predetermined common mode voltage level, wherein the predetermined common mode voltage level is independent of variations in power supply voltage conditions and temperature conditions.

Structure for out of band signaling enhancement for high speed serial driver

An integrated microelectronic serial driver is provided which is operable to transmit a differential pattern signal during a burst interval and a predetermined common mode voltage level during a second interval between adjacent burst intervals, the serial driver including at least one pre-driver and a driver coupled to an output of the pre-driver for transmitting the differential communication signal. A switching circuit is operable to switch the serial driver between a first power supply voltage level for the burst interval and the predetermined common mode voltage level, wherein the predetermined common mode voltage level is independent of variations in power supply voltage conditions and temperature conditions.

Out of band signaling enhancement for high speed serial driver

A design structure embodied in a machine-readable medium used in a design process may include a system for detecting a fault in a signal transmission path. Such system may include, for example, a hysteresis comparator including a latch having n-type field effect transistor ('NFET') storage elements. The hysteresis comparator may be operable to detect a crossing of a reference voltage level by an input signal arriving from the signal transmission path such that when the comparator does not detect an expected crossing of the reference voltage level by the input signal, the fault is determined to be detected in the signal transmission path.

Structure for robust cable connectivity test receiver for high-speed data receiver

A system is provided for detecting a fault in a signal transmission path. In one embodiment, the system can include a variable amplitude signal attenuator which is operable to modify an input signal by variably attenuating a signal voltage swing of the input signal. Desirably, the input signal is attenuated only when transitioning from a high signal voltage level towards a low signal voltage level d variably, such that a larger high-to-low signal voltage swing is attenuated more than a smaller high-to-low signal voltage swing. Desirably, a comparator, which may apply hysteresis to the output signals, may detect a crossing of a reference voltage level by the modified input signal. In this way, when the comparator does not detect an expected crossing of the reference voltage level by the modified input signal, a determination can be made that a fault exists in the signal transmission path.

Robust cable connectivity test receiver for high-speed data receiver

A system for protecting a weak device operating in micro-electronic circuit and a design structure including the system embodied in a machine readable medium are disclosed. The system includes a high voltage power supply from high voltage overstressing prevents the weak device from failing during power-up, power-down, and when a low voltage power supply in a multiple power supply system is absent. The system further includes a low voltage power supply detection circuit configured to detect circuit power-up, circuit power-down, and when the low voltage power supply is absent, and generate a control signal upon detection. The system further includes a controlled current mirror device configured to provide a trickle current to maintain a conduction channel in the weak device in response to the control signal received from the low voltage power supply detection circuit during circuit power-up, circuit power-down, and when the low voltage power supply is absent.

Avoiding device stressing

A universal leakage monitoring system (ULMS) to measure a plurality of leakage macros during the development of a manufacturing process or a normal operation period. The ULMS characterizes the leakage of both n-type and p-type CMOS devices on the gate dielectric leakage, the sub-threshold leakage, and the reverse biased junction leakage, and the like. Testing is performed sequentially from the first test macro up to the last test macro using an on-chip algorithm. When the last test macro is tested, it scans the leakage data out.

Monitoring system for detecting and characterizing classes of leakage in CMOS devices

A system and method of detecting a fault in a transmission link are provided which includes providing a selectable reference level according to one of a direct current (DC) mode threshold and an alternating current (AC) mode threshold, wherein the DC mode threshold is a fixed potential and the AC mode threshold varies with time. An input signal arriving from the transmission link is compared to one of the DC mode threshold and the AC mode threshold to determine whether a fault is present in the transmission link.

System and method for detecting cable faults for high-speed transmission link

A system for protecting a weak device operating in micro-electronic circuit that includes a high voltage power supply from high voltage over stressing prevents the weak device from failing during power-up, power-down, and when a low voltage power supply in a multiple power supply system is absent. The system includes a low voltage power supply detection circuit configured to detect circuit power-up, circuit power-down, and when the low voltage power supply is absent, and generate a control signal upon detection. The system further includes a controlled current mirror device configured to provide a trickle current to maintain a conduction channel in the weak device in response to the control signal received from the low voltage power supply detection circuit during circuit power-up, circuit power-down, and when the low voltage power supply is absent.

Method to avoid device stressing

A common deflection signal is provided, simultaneously, to individual yokes in an electron beam (e-beam) deflection apparatus of an electron beam projection lithography system. A single digital-to-analog converter (DAC) generates the common deflection signal. The common deflection signal is provided to individual programmable attenuators to adjust the signal for each individual yoke. The adjusted individual signal is amplified and passed to one of the individual yokes. The yokes are controlled to provide a curvilinear variable axis lens (CVAL) deflection that is adjusted to attenuate most of the noise from the common deflection signal that would have been present in a typical CVAL e-beam system.

Deflection noise reduction in charged particle beam lithography

Motion of a block carrying a grid for backscattering portions of a pattern of charged particles incident on the grid is moved generally axially of a charged particle beam tool while the position of the block is measured, preferably to optically, with a grazing incidence laser beam or interferometer, in the axial direction for any or all of the degrees of freedom of the block. Backscatter is correlated with known grid position to correct the backscatter measurement to compensate for lateral components of motion parallel to the target plane in measurement of actual beam position at different axial locations. Telecentricity and landing angle can thus be observed to an accuracy of 0.003 milliradians in substantially real time; permitting substantially real time adjustment thereof. The basic principles of this process and apparatus can be extended to measurement of numerical aperture and are equally applicable to probe-forming and beam projection lithography tools.

Accurate real-time landing angle and telecentricity measurement in lithographic systems

Keyhole shaped slit apertures, sized and oriented to define a desired deflected beam trajectory, such as a planar curvilinear trajectory, are provided for respective deflectors of a charged particle beam system. The beam is statically deflected to a maximum deflection using all deflectors above/prior to a particular slit aperture along the path of the charged particle beam and then scanned in directions orthogonal and parallel to the direction of static deflection while recording current of the charged particle beam intercepted by edges of each slit aperture, in sequence. Correction of deflector alignment and/or driver current (or voltage) is made based on recorded intercepted beam current. The sequence of correction is repeated for calibration, deflection/axis compensation, beam centering and deflection gain and axis compensation parameter adjustment.

Curvilinear axis set-up for charged particle lithography

A small pinhole aperture and a scintillator are used to observe resolution in a charged particle beam system which is particularly applicable to electron beam projection devices in which the beam is several orders of magnitude larger than the desired resolution and minimum feature size to be produced. A pattern having a feature which is of comparable size to the desired resolution to be observed is scanned across the aperture in two dimensions and a synchronized display of measured light output from the scintillator allows real-time observation of the effects of correction adjustments on the resolution of the system. In this manner, a rough adjustment to near optimum corrections can be obtained over the deflection field in a much reduced number of iterations.

On-line dynamic corrections adjustment method

Temperature dependency on magnetic field strength of an electron optical element in an electron beam system due to variation of permeability with temperature of a ferromagnetic pole piece subject to radiant heating from another electron optical element is corrected by measurement of pole piece temperature and closed loop control of excitation current of a correction element which may be provided as a portion of a lens, stigmator, deflector or the like. A correction function may be computed to extrapolate correction values from empirically determined correction values or correction values may be retrieved from a memory such as a look-up table. Performance of the electron beam system is improved and constraints on choice of pole piece materials, mounting geometry, relative positioning of electron optical column elements and electron optical column length are relaxed since temperature dependencies of many electron optical elements can be corrected.

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Hopewell Junction, NY, United States of America

James D Rockrohr