An improved reflection wave method was described for measurement of complex permittivity of low-loss materials over 100MHz-1GHz range. The residual impedance Zr and stray admittance Ys surrounding the test sample, which terminated the transmission line, were evaluated using sapphire as a reference material. The correction by the obtained Zr and Ys gave accurate values of complex permittivities of alumina and mullite ceramics as 100MHz-1GHz.

Recent developments and case studies regarding VLSI device chip failure analysis are reviewed. The key failure analysis techniques reviewed include EMMS (emission microscopy), OBIC (optical beam induced current), LCM (liquid crystal method), EBP (electron beam probing), and FIB (focused ion beam method). Further, future possibilities in failure analysis, and some promising new tools are introduced.

This article deals with the binary neural network with negative self-feedback connections as a method for solving combinational optimization problems. Although the binary neural network has a high convergence speed, it hardly searches out the optimum solution, because the neuron is selected randomly at each state update. In thie article, an improvement using the negative self-feedback is proposed. First it is shown that the negative self-feedback can make some local minimums be unstable. Second a selection rule is proposed and its property is analyzed in detail. In the binary neural network with negative self-feedback, this selection rule is effective to escape a local minimum. In order to comfirm the effectiveness of this selection rule, some computer simulations are carried out for the N-Queens problem. For N=256, the network is not caught in any local minimum and provides the optimum solution within 2654 steps (about 10 minutes).

Recently, the throughput performances of ARQ's have been analyzed over a Markov error channel. It has been shown that given a round-trip-delay, the throughput of the Stop-and-Wait ARQ is dependent only on the overall average packet-error probability. In this paper, we exactly analyze the Stop-and-Wait ARQ scheme under the condition that the channel is slotted and packet errors occur according to a two-state Markov chain which is characterized by the decay factor. The distribution of packet delay time and the channel usage factor are obtained. From the analytical results and numerical examples, it is shown that for a given round-trip-delay, the average packet delay time and the channel utilization factor depend on both the overall average packet-error probability and the decay factor characterizing the two-state Markov chain. Furthermore, the decay factor gives different influence on the average delay time and the channel usage factor depending on whether the round-trip-delay is even slots or not.

This paper studies the performance of a dialogue communication system which consists of two stations over a half-duplex line. When a station seizes the right to send its packets, it can consecutively transmits k packets. We analyze the transmission time of a message and the throughput performances of Stop-and-Wait, Go-back-N and Selective-Repeat protocols for the half-duplex line transmission system. Based on the analytical and numerical results, we clarify the influences of the switching and the thinking times, which exist in half-duplex line system, on the throughput performance, and give the optimal k which makes the throughput to become maximum. It is observed that the throughput performances are greatly influenced not only by the switching and thinking times but also by the average message length.

This paper describes the formation of ultra-thin tantalum oxide capacitors, using rapid thermal nitridation (RTN) of the storage-node polycrystalline-silicon surface prior to low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of tantalum oxide, using penta-ethoxy-tantalum [(Ta(OC2H5)5) and oxygen gas mixture. The films are annealed at 600-900 in dry O2 atmosphere. Densification of the as-deposited film by annealing in dry O2 is indispensable to the formation of highly reliable ultra-thin tantalum oxide capacitors. The RTN treatment reduces the SiO2 equivalent thickness and leakage current of the tantalum oxide film, and improves the time dependent dielectric breakdown characteristics of the film.

Upper bounds on the bit error probability and repeat request probability, and lower bounds on the throughput are derived for a Hybrid-ARQ scheme that employs trellis-coded modulation on a fading dispersive channel. The receiver employs a modified Viterbi algorithm to perform joint maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) equalization and decoding. Retransmissions are generated by using the approach suggested by Yamamoto and Itoh. The analytical bounds are extended to trellis-coded modulation on fading dispersive channels with code combining. Comparison of the analytical bounds with simulation results shows that the analytical bounds are quite loose when diversity reception is not employed. However, no other analytical bounds exist in the literature for the trellis-coded Hybrid ARQ system studied in this paper. Therefore, the results presented in this paper can provide the basis for comparison with more sophisticated analytical bounds that may be derived in the future.

Today, defect sources of LSI device mainly lie in the process equipments. The particles generating in these equipments are introduced onto the wafer, and form the defects resulting in functional failures of LSI device. Thus, reducing these particles is acquired for increasing production yield and higher productivity, and it is important to identify the particle source in the equipment. In this study, we discussed new two methods to identify this source in the equipment used in the production line. The important point of identifing is to estimate the particle generation with short time and high accuracy, and to minimize long time stop of the equipment requiring disassembly. First, we illustrated "particle distribution analysis method." In this method, we showed the procedure to express the particle distribution mathematically. We applied this method to our etching equipment, and could identify the particle source without stopping this etching equipment. Secondly, we illustrated the method of "in-situ particle monitoring method," and applied this method to our AP-CVD equipment. As a result, it was clear the main particle source of this equipment and the procedure for decreasing these particles. By using this method, we could estimate the particle generation at real time in process without stopping this equipment. Thus, both methods shown in this study could estimate the particle generation and identify the particle source with short time and high accuracy. Furthermore, they do not require long time stop of the process equipment and interrupting the production line. Therefore, these methods are concluded to be very useful and effective in LSI manufacturing process.

For a discrete Lyapunov matrix equation, we present another such equation that shares the solution to the original one. This renders some existing lower bounds for measures of the size of the solution meaningful, when they yield only trivial bounds. A generalization of this result is suggested.

A sequence of nonnegative integers S=(s1, s2, , sn) is graphical if there is a graph with vertices v1,v2, ,vn such that deg(vi)=si for each i=1, 2, , n. The graphical degree sequence problem is： Given a sequence of nonnegative integers, determine whether it is graphical or not. In this paper, we consider several variations of the graphical degree sequence problem and give efficient algorithms.

IC performance simulation for statistical purpose is usually very time-consuming since the scale and complexity of IC have increased greatly in recent years. A common approach for reduction of simulation cost is aimed at the nature of simple modeling instead of actual circuit performance simulations. In this paper,a stochastic interpolation model (SIM) scheme is proposed which overcomes the drawbacks of the existing polynomial-based approximation schemes. First,the dependence of the R2press statistic upon a parameter in SIM is taken into account and by maximizing R2press this enables SIM to achieve the best approximation accuracy in the given sample points without any assumption on the sample data. Next, a sequential sampling strategy based on variance analysis is described to effectively construct SIM during its update process. In each update step, a new sample point with a maximal value of variance is added to the former set of the sample points. The update process will be continued until the desired approximation accuracy is reached. This would eventually lead to the realization of SIM with a quite small number of sample points. Finally, the coefficient of variance is introduced as another criterion for approximation accuracy check other than the R2press statistic. The effectiveness of presented implementation scheme is demonstrated by several numerical examples as well as a statistical circuit analysis example.

A technique to realize a transconductance which is relatively insensitive over temperature variations is reported. Simulation results with MOS and bipolar transistors indicate substantial improvement in temperature insensitivity over a range exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. It should find useful applications in analog LSI/VLSI systems operating over a wide range of temperature.

Dislocation-free thin silicon layers are created on the three kinds of substrates such as oxide film, synthetic quartz glass and sapphire. They are bonded with silicon wafers using hydrogen bonding at room temperature but without any adhesive, and their bonding are changed into covalent bonding at elevated temperature. Thick (2 µm) silicon layers are first produced by surface grinding and polishing, and then thinned to 0.1 µm by plasma assisted chemical etching (PACE). A multiple repeated process of thinning the silicon layer and annealing the bonded silicon/quartz and silicon/sapphire interface is applied for tight bonding between a silicon wafer and a quartz wafer, and a silicon wafer and a sapphire wafer which have different thermal expansion coefficients. In case of bonding with sapphire, oxide with 200 in thickness plays an important role in the preventions of void formation and diffusion of interface contaminants into the silicon layer.

Using Ti self-aligned silicide (salicide) process, we fabricated subquarter-micron complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, and studied the mechanism of increasing resistivity of TiSi2 on poly-Si gates from 0.075 to 20 µm long and 10 µm wide. In the gates less than 0.1 µm long, we found that agglomeration of TiSi2 takes place during low temperature annealing at 675 for 30 seconds leading to discontinuous TiSi2 lines. The discontinuity of TiSi2 abruptly increases the gate resistance, and remarkably reduces the circuit speed of CMOS ring oscillators. On the other hand, Raman spectroscopy reveals that the phase transition from high-resistivity C49 to low-resistivity C54 occurs in plane TiSi2 by annealing at 800 for 30 seconds, while it does not occur in TiSi2 gates less than 5 µm long. From these results we found that the gate sheet resistance can not be reduced to less than 5 Ω/sq by conventional Ti salicide technology in gates shorter than 0.4 µm due to increase in gate resistance caused by agglomeration and lack of phase transition.

Plasma damage to gate oxide is studied using the test structures with various length antennas. It is shown that the plasma damage to gate oxide can be monitored quantitatively by measuring charge to breakdown (QBD). From the QBD measurements, it is confirmed that the degradation occurs in the duration of over-etching but not in the duration of main etching. The breakdown spots in gate oxide are detected by a photon emission method. The breakdown are caused by plasma damage at the LOCOS edge. A LOCOS structure plays an important role for the degradation by the plasma damage.

This paper describes a new free-space optical switch structure based on cascaded beam shifters (each consists of a liquid-crystal polarization controller array and a birefringent plate). This structure comprises 2-input, 2-output switching elements that are locally connected by links. It is applicable to a variety of switching networks, such as a Clos network. The switching network based on this structure is an analog switch that is transparent to signal format, bit rate, and modulation type, so it can handle various types of optical signals. Theoretical feasibility studies indicate that compact large-scale switches (i.e., 100-1000 ports) with relay lens systems can be implemented using beam shifters with a 0.4-dB insertion loss and a 30-dB extinction ratio. Experimental feasibility studies indicate that a 1024-cell beam shifter module with a 0.5-dB insertion loss and a 23-dB extinction ratio is possible at present. An alignment-free assembly technique using precise alignment guides is also confirmed. An experimental 8-stage, 1024-input 256-output concentrator shows low insertion loss characteristics (6.8dB on average) owing to the low-loss beam shifters and the alignment-free assembly technique. Practical switching networks mainly require the improvement of the extinction ratio of the beam shifter module and the development of a fiber pig-tailing technique. This switch structure is applicable to transparent switching networks such as subscriber line concentrators and inter-module connectors.

A new mobility model dependent upon electron concentration is presented for studying the screening effect on ionized impurity scattering. By coupling this model with the drift-diffusion and Hartree models, the effects of self-consistent and quasi-equilibrium screening on carrier transport in heavily doped systems are revealed for first time. The transport mechanism is found to be dominated by the electron-concentration-dependent mobility, and transconductance is shown to be determined by effective mobility and changes from degraded to enhanced characteristics with electron concentration modulation.

Among various photonic switching technologies, photonic frequency division multiplexing technology is most promising. In this paper a novel photonic FDM (Frequency Division Multiplexing) system is proposed. The proposed system consists of n (multiplicity of frequencies) independent subnetworks, each of which is identified by a specific frequency, and of which each network topology is identical. When a connection is required by a terminal, the network selects a subnetwork that can afford it, and assigns a frequency representing the selected subnetwork to the terminal. This system eliminates frequency converting devices and traffic concentration equipment, which will reduce the size and cost of the system. A very small sized switching system of very large capacity will be easily realized. In this paper, first we will address the basic concept of the proposed system, and then discuss some technical problems and their solutions concerning network configuration, switch matrix structure, subscriber network configuration, control scheme and frequency multiplicity. Some experimental results are also mentioned.

A unified model for frequency-dependent characteristics of transconductance and output resistance is presented that incorporates the dynamics of quasi-Fermi levels. Using this model, multiple-frequency dispersion and pulse-narrowing phenomena in GaAs MESFETs are demonstrated based on the drift-diffusion transport theory and a Schockley-Read-Hall-type deep trap model, where rate equations for multiple trapping processes are analyzed self-consistently. It is shown that the complex frequency dependence is due to both spatial and temporal effects of multiple traps.

An eye-contact technique using a blazed half-transparent mirror (BHM) is developed. This half-transparent mirror (HM) consists of an in-line array of many slanting micro-HMs. We fabricated a prototype system and confirmed the principle of this technique. The resolution of an image reflected by a BHM was simulated to determine how to improve the image quality and the factors degrading the resolution were clarified.