Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Other

Nec Corporation

Nec Electronics Corporation

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Mitsubishi Electric Company

Naoya Hayashi

Hiroshi Mohri

Masahiro Takahashi

Keisuke Nakazawa

Chiaki Hatsuta

Norihito Ito

Hiroyuki Miyashita

Toshiaki Motonaga

Toru Ogawa

Takahiro Matsuo

Toshio Onodera

Hiroyuki Nakamura

Junji Fujikawa

Makoto Sukegawa

In a data multiplexing apparatus, a single external memory stores different kinds of transfer data. A header cache memory stores the system header and the header data, and a plurality of data cache memories stores the transfer data. The cache memories are connected via an internal bus to the external memory. A data input circuit sequentially fetches the transfer data from the external memory on a time division basis, so that the transfer data is stored in one of the data cache memories. Also, a system clock signal generation circuit constantly generates a system clock signal indicating the current time. A selector circuit sequentially selects the cache memories and generates a system stream formed by the system header, the header data and the transfer data. In this case, the selector circuit further selects the system clock generation circuit to input the system clock signal to a predetermined position of the system header.

Data multiplexing apparatus having single external memory

In a halftone phase shifting photomask , having a pattern of halftone phase shifting film containing at least chromium and fluorine, the halftone phase shifting film is heat-treated at a temperature between 250&deg; C. and 500&deg; C. so that a change of the optical property of the film produced by the application of excimer laser for exposure to the film is decreased.

Halftone phase shifting photomask and blanks for halftone phase shifting photomask therefor and a method for forming pattern by using the halftone phase shifting photomask

The invention relates to a halftone phase shift photomask whose transmittance and phase angle remain unchanged even when irradiated with an excimer laser used for exposure over an extended period of time, and a blank therefor, and provides a halftone phase shift mask comprising a pattern of halftone phase shift film containing at least chromium and fluorine on a transparent substrate , wherein optical characteristic changes upon irradiation with an exposure excimer laser have been reduced by patterning a film irradiated with light having a wavelength substantially absorbed by halftone phase shift film

Halftone phase shift photomask and blanks for halftone phase shift photomask for it and pattern forming method using this

The object of the present invention is to realize a motion vector search apparatus and method that is able to perform highly accurate motion vector searching even in images containing discontinuous motion relative to encoded images immediately before. According to the present invention, global motion vector search unit searches for a global motion vector by evaluating differences between pixels at the same location of an input image and an NR reference image in the form of an input image input one frame earlier that is held in original image memory. CPU then determines the motion vector search area based on the results of this global motion vector search, and sets that range in motion vector search unit. Motion vector search unit then searches for and determines a motion vector from previously encoded reference images held in frame memory that are the same as the encoded image held in frame memory over the motion vector search area set by CPU.

Motion vector search apparatus and method

A halftone phase shift photomask having a sufficiently high transmittance for light of short wavelength and usable for high-resolution lithography effected by exposure using deep-ultraviolet+radiation, e.g., krypton fluoride excimer laser light. The halftone phase shift photomask has on a transparent substrate a halftone phase shift layer which includes at least one layer composed mainly of a chromium compound. The chromium compound contains at least fluorine atoms in addition to chromium atoms. A transmittance higher than a predetermined level can be obtained even in exposure carried out a relatively short wavelength. The photomask can be used for exposure using deep-ultraviolet+radiation, e.g., krypton fluoride excimer laser light (wavelength: 248 nm). Thus, high-resolution lithography can be realized. Since the photomask can be formed by approximately the same method as in the case of the conventional photomasks, it is possible to improve the yield and reduce the cost.

Halftone phase shift photomask, halftone phase shift photomask blank,

A halftone phase shift photomask having a sufficiently high transmittance for light of short wavelength and usable for high-resolution lithography effected by exposure using deep-ultraviolet+radiation, e.g., krypton fluoride excimer laser light. The halftone phase shift photomask has on a transparent substrate a halftone phase shift layer which includes at least one layer composed mainly of a chromium compound. The chromium compound contains at least fluorine atoms in addition to chromium atoms. A transmittance higher than a predetermined level can be obtained even in exposure carried out at a relatively short wavelength. The photomask can be used for exposure using deep-ultraviolet+radiation, e.g., krypton fluoride excimer laser light (wavelength: 248 nm). Thus, high-resolution lithography can be realized. Since the photomask can be formed by approximately the same method as in the case of the conventional photomasks, it is possible to improve the yield and reduce the cost.

A gradation mask having spatially stepped transmittance in at least three steps including substantially 0% and substantially 100%, the transmittance being regulated stepwise by varying the thickness of a homogeneous film of a chromium compound provided on a transparent substrate sheet. A process for producing a gradation mask having spatially stepped transmittance in at least three steps including substantially 0% and substantially 100%, including the steps of: forming on a transparent substrate sheet a homogeneous film of a chromium compound in a thickness enough to have a transmittance of at least 0%; removing the chromium compound film in predetermined areas by etching; and reducing the thickness of the remaining chromium compound film in predetermined areas by etching to such an extent that the transmittance is a predetermined intermediate value. A gradation mask having spatially stepped transmittance in at least three steps including substantially 0% and substantially 100%, wherein the area having a transmittance of at least substantially 0% has a predetermined transmittance other than 0% and 100% and includes a semitransparent film provided in a fine repeating pattern on a transparent substrate sheet. The semitransparent film in a fine repeating pattern is provided in such a manner that the phase difference is substantially the half-wavelength of a wavelength used or a value obtained by multiplying the half-wavelength by an odd number.

Gradation mask and process for producing the same

In the motion prediction processor outputting the encoding type designating the inter-frame or intra-frame prediction coding and the motion vector in case of performing the inter-frame prediction coding, the coordinate values of the currently processed block are outputted and an offset is supplied to the address for reading out the reference region from the reference frame memory. The evaluation data for estimating the coding quantity in case of performing the inter-frame prediction coding is also outputted. An n number of the motion prediction processors are arranged and respectively associated with reference frame memories. The reference regions different from the same block are supplied to the n motion prediction processors and the motion prediction processor with the least evaluation data is selected from among the motion prediction processors whose reference regions are comprised within the picture. The motion vector outputted by the thus selected processor is corrected and outputted.

Motion prediction processor and motion prediction apparatus including a

A motion compensation processor reads a small regions at the center portion of a forward reference region and a small region at the center portion of a backward reference region preliminarily assigned thereto and determines a coding type. Another motion compensation processor reads a small region at the left side of the forward reference region and a small region at the right side of the backward reference region and determines a coding type. A further motion compensation processor reads a small region at the left side of the forward reference region and a small region at the right side of the backward reference region and determines a coding type. By this parallel processing is enabled to obtain a prediction block having high similarity to a current block more efficiently than the prior art and facilitate realization of a bidirectional predicting system.

Method and system for bidirectional motion compensation for compression

A phase shift photomask for forming a fine-line pattern with high dimensional accuracy even at different focus positions. The phase shift photomask has a transparent substrate (1) of quartz, for example, and a light-shielding film (2) of chromium, for example, provided on the substrate (1). The light-shielding film (2) is partially removed to form a first opening pattern (4a) and a second opening pattern (4b) with a very small width which is annularly provided in a peripheral region adjacent to the first opening pattern (4a). The light-shielding film (2c) is left in each of the four corners of the second opening pattern (4b). In addition, a phase shifter layer 3 is provided over either of the first or second opening patterns (4a, 4b).

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Naoya Hayashi