Abstract:
A CMOS imaging device (120) formed of a plural CMOS photosensors arranged in a row and column formation, wherein a first (120D12) and second (120D22) CMOS photosensor adjacent with each other in a column direction and a third (120D13) and fourth (120D14) CMOS photosensor adjacent with the first and second CMOS photosensors in a row direction are formed in a single, continuous device region defined on a semiconductor substrate by a device isolation region (120PW,120I).
Abstract:
A probe card for testing a plurality of semiconductor devices on a wafer comprising: a flexible contact board; a plurality of contact electrodes provided on the contact board; at least one rigid base provided on at least one side of the contact board, said at least one rigid base having apertures corresponding to positions of the contact electrodes; and wiring connecting the contact electrodes to respective external connecting terminals; wherein the rigid base is formed by a single layer or multiple layers, having a first electrode connected to the wiring on a lower surface of the rigid base and a second electrode connected to the first electrode on an upper surface of the rigid base.
Abstract:
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) operates repetitively to perform a series of conversion cycles. A comparator (9) receives an analog input signal (V IN ) and compares it with an analog comparison signal produced by a digital-to-analog converter (5). A successive-approximation register circuit (22) holds a digital trial signal value and uses it to control the value of the analog comparison signal in each conversion cycle so as to perform up to two comparisons per cycle, thereby to produce digital data that has a first value ("+1") when the input signal value is greater than a first comparison value (V C 1 ) and that has a second value ("-1") when the input signal value is less than a second comparison value (V C2 ) and that in all other cases has a third value ("0"). The first comparison value (V C 1 ) is set higher than the trial signal value determined for use in the cycle concerned, and the second comparison value is set lower than that trial signal value. Each comparison value differs from the trial signal value by the same predetermined amount. The successive-approximation register circuit (22) adjusts the said trial signal value in each cycle in dependence upon the said digital data produced in the cycle concerned so as to tend to bring that value into closer correspondence with the input signal value. Such an ADC can employ the same analog circuits (5,7,9) as a conventional successive-approximation ADC but can operate at higher speeds because errors in the decisions made in one conversion cycle are, within reasonable limits, corrected automatically in subsequent conversion cycles.
Abstract:
The semiconductor device comprises: insulating films 40, 42 formed over a substrate 10; an interconnection 58 buried in at least a surface side of the insulating films 40, 42; insulating films 60, 62 formed on the insulating film 42 and including a hole-shaped via-hole 60 and a groove-shaped via-hole 66a having a pattern bent at a right angle; and buried conductors 70, 72a buried in the hole-shaped via-hole 60 and the groove-shaped via-hole 66a, wherein the groove-shaped via-hole 66a is formed to have a width which is smaller than a width of the hole-shaped via-hole 66. Whereby, the defective filling of the buried conductor is prevented, and the cracking of the inter-layer insulating film can be prevented. Steps on the conductor plug can be reduced, so that the step cannot be influential on the upper interconnection layers and insulating layers. Accordingly, defective contact with the upper interconnection layer and the problems taking place in forming films can be prevented, and resultantly the semiconductor device can have high water resistance and high interconnection reliability.
Abstract:
A phase shift mask, comprising a phase shifter film (302) formed on a transparent substrate (300), and a light shield film (314) formed in a scribe line region (312) on said transparent substrate (300). A region surrounded by said scribe line region (312) is constituted of an integrated circuit region (304) with which an integrated circuit part is to be formed and a peripheral edge region (306) with which a peripheral edge part in a periphery of said integrated circuit part is to be formed. The light shield film (314) is further formed at least in a part of said peripheral edge region (306) and said integrated circuit region (304).
Abstract:
The semiconductor device comprises: insulating films 40, 42 formed over a substrate 10; an interconnection 58 buried in at least a surface side of the insulating films 40, 42; insulating films 60, 62 formed on the insulating film 42 and including a hole-shaped via-hole 60 and a groove-shaped via-hole 66a having a pattern bent at a right angle; and buried conductors 70, 72a buried in the hole-shaped via-hole 60 and the groove-shaped via-hole 66a, wherein the groove-shaped via-hole 66a is formed to have a width which is smaller than a width of the hole-shaped via-hole 66. Whereby, the defective filling of the buried conductor is prevented, and the cracking of the inter-layer insulating film can be prevented. Steps on the conductor plug can be reduced, so that the step cannot be influential on the upper interconnection layers and insulating layers. Accordingly, defective contact with the upper interconnection layer and the problems taking place in forming films can be prevented, and resultantly the semiconductor device can have high water resistance and high interconnection reliability.
Abstract:
There is provided a semiconductor device which comprises a second insulating film (29) formed on a substantially flat surface, on which a surface of a first wiring (36) and a surface of a first insulating film (95) are continued, to cover the first wiring (36), a wiring trench (28a) formed in the second insulating film (29), connection holes (38a) formed in the second insulating film (29) to extend from the wiring trench (28a) to the first wiring (36), dummy connection holes (38b) formed in the second insulating film (29) to extend from the wiring trench (28a) to a non-forming region of the first wiring, and a second wiring (39) buried in the connection holes (38a) and the wiring trench (28a) to be connected electrically to the first wiring (36) and also buried in the dummy connection holes (38b), and formed such that a surface of the second wiring (39) and a surface of the second insulating film (29) constitute a substantially flat surface.
Abstract:
This invention relates to scheduling threads in a multicore processor. Executable transactions may scheduled using at least one distribution queue, which lists executable transactions in order of eligibility for execution, and multilevel scheduler which comprises a plurality of linked individual executable transaction schedulers. Each of these includes a scheduling algorithm for determining the most eligible executable transaction for execution. The most eligible executable transaction is outputted from the multilevel scheduler to the at least one distribution queue.