Novellus Systems Incorporated

Hewlett-packard Company

Stanford Research Institute

John R Kelly

Bruce McLoughlin

John Stephen Drewery

Jeffrey C Benzing

Wayne C Haase

Ivor Brodie

Bernard M Oliver

Wilbert G H Van Den Hoek

Jack D Foster

Huei P Kuo

The present invention pertains to apparatus and methods for electroplanarization of metal surfaces having both recessed and raised features, over a large range of feature sizes. The invention accomplishes this by use of a flexible planar cathode and a spacing pad thereon. Methods of the invention are electropolishing methods. During electroplanarization, the flexible planar cathode conforms to the global contour of the work piece (e.g. a wafer) while the spacing pad conforms to local topography of the metal layer being planarized. In this way, dishing is reduced in the final planarized metal layer.

Apparatus for electrically planarizing semiconductor wafers

A random number generator seeding method and apparatus which includes the provision of an RNG seed register and means for capturing a current count number from one or more fast running counters contained within the apparatus upon the occurrence of an act or acts by an apparatus operator as he performs the normal set-up and initialization function. In the preferred embodiment means are provided for sensing particular acts of the operator, and upon detection of each such &ldquo;event&rdquo;, one or more of the counters within the system are read and the count value is appended to previously captured counter values until the desired seed length is obtained. At this time, the RNG is said to be seeded, the initialization phase is completed and the apparatus may be made available to players to commence game play or other use of the apparatus.

Random number generator seeding method and apparatus

The present invention relates to porous materials, typically xerogels or aerogels, having a low dielectric constant but relatively poor mechanical strength. The present invention relates to polymeric coatings, preferably parylene, coated on inorganic xerogels or aerogels so as to increase the mechanical strength while not substantially degrading the dielectric properties of the resulting coated material. Silica xerogel conformally coated with parylene AF-4 is described.

Low dielectric constant porous materials having improved mechanical strength

A cryptographically secure random number generating system includes a random number generator for generating random numbers, an encryption engine, and a modulus offset unit. The random number generator has a valid output set consisting of M&minus;1 random numbers, and an invalid output set including one invalid output value. The encryption engine is responsive to the random number and to the invalid output value, and operative to encrypt the random number to provide an encrypted random number, and further operative to encrypt the invalid output value to provide an encrypted invalid output value. The modulus offset unit includes: a sub-modulo for adding, in modulo M, the invalid output value to the encrypted random number to determine a sum; and a sub-modulo for subtracting, in modulo M, the encrypted invalid output value from the sum to determine a cryptographically secure random number.

Cryptographically secure pseudo random number generator

An electron beam blanker for use in electron beam lithography systems is disclosed which is capable of providing exposure rates on the order of 300MHz at beam currents of approximately 600nA. A condensing lens and a stigmator are provided to bring the electron beam to a small image in a plane perpendicular to the beam direction. An etched silicon knife-edge, coated with gold, is located in this image plane in close proximity to the beam, to provide a sharp cut-off as the beam is swept past its edge. In accordance with aspects of the invention, a deflector plate structure provides an electromagnetic field whose geometry ensures that the velocity of a beam electron, as it exits the field, is substantially directly proportional to the undeflected beam electron's position vector relative to the beam cross-over in the image plane of the condenser lens. Since the image plane of the condensing lens becomes the object plane for a final lens which forms the spot on a point on the resist, the above geometry substantially eliminates spot motion during the blanker rise time.

Electron beam blanker

A mass data storage arrangement such as for books, is provided, by recording the data in the form of one micron pits in radial rows within spiral grooves of a disc. A reading element comprises a CRT providing a light beam output, which is focused down to one micron in size. The spot output of the CRT is scanned across each row having the presence or absence of pits. The light reflected from the disc is modulated by the presence or absence of pits and is reflected to a photomultiplier. The output of the photomultiplier is decoded and then displayed in human language form.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

John R Kelly