1461188943-e67b682e-b222-476d-9e98-aac0dbab3204

1. An optical cross-connect comprising:
a plurality of input ports each operable to receive an optical input signal, each input signal comprising a plurality of channels that are each operable to carry optical traffic;
a plurality of output ports each operable to output an optical output signal;
a distributing amplifier associated with each input port, each distributing amplifier operable to generate a plurality of copies of the input signal received at the associated input port;
a plurality of filter units each operable to:
receive a copy of one or more of the input signals from one or more of the distributing amplifiers;
forward traffic in selected channels of one or more of the copies;

a combining amplifier associated with each output port, each combining amplifier operable to:
receive the traffic in one or more channels forwarded by one or more of the filter units; and
combine the received traffic into an output signal to be output from the associated output port; and

one or more regeneration modules each operable to regenerate the traffic in one or more channels of one or more of the input signals.
2. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein the regeneration modules each comprise:
one or more transponders each operable to regenerate traffic in one or more channels; and
one or more combining amplifiers operable to combine regenerated traffic received from the one or more transponders.
3. The optical cross-connect of claim 2, wherein the regeneration modules each further comprise:
one or more distributing amplifiers each operable to generate multiple copies of a received signal; and
one or more filter units each operable to forward traffic in selected channels of one or more of the copies to one or more of the transponders.
4. The optical cross-connect of claim 2, wherein the regeneration modules each further comprise one or more demultiplexers each operable to:
separate a received signal into traffic in one or more constituent channels of the received signal; and
forward the traffic in one or more of the channels to one or more of the transponders.
5. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein one or more of the regeneration modules are further operable to convert the wavelength of the traffic in one or more channels of one or more of the input signals.
6. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein one or more of the regeneration modules are each positioned between an associated combining amplifier and an associated output port.
7. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein one or more of the regeneration modules are each positioned between an associated distributing amplifier and an associated input port.
8. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein one or more of the regeneration modules are positioned in a regeneration loop such that only traffic in one or more selected channels of one or more input signals is forwarded to the one or more regeneration modules for regeneration.
9. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein the distributing amplifiers each comprise a plurality of passive optical couplers operable to generate the plurality of copies of the associated input signal.
10. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein the combining amplifiers each comprise a plurality of passive optical couplers operable to combine the received traffic into the associated output signal.
11. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein the filter units are each operable to forward traffic in one or more selected channels by passing the traffic in selected channels and terminating the traffic in the remaining channels.
12. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein each filter unit comprises one or more filters, each filter operable to receive a copy of an input signal and to pass the traffic in selected channels and to terminate the traffic in the remaining channels of the particular input signal.
13. The optical cross-connect of claim 12, wherein the filters comprise tunable filters.
14. An optical cross-connect comprising:
a plurality of input ports each operable to receive an optical input signal, each input signal comprising a plurality of channels that are each operable to carry optical traffic;
a plurality of output ports each operable to output an optical output signal;
a multicasting switch operable to forward one or more of the input signals to one or more filters;
one or more filters each operable to:
receive an input signal from the multicasting switch; and
forward traffic in selected channels of the input signal;

a combining switch operable to:
receive the traffic in one or more channels forwarded by one or more of the filters; and
forward the traffic to one or more regeneration modules; and

one or more regeneration modules each operable to regenerate the traffic in one or more channels forwarded by the combining switch.
15. The optical cross-connect of claim 14, wherein the multicasting switch is operable to forward at least one of the input signals to a plurality of the filters.
16. The optical cross-connect of claim 14, wherein the combining switch is operable to forward traffic received from a plurality of the filters to a single regeneration module.
17. The optical cross-connect of claim 14, wherein the regeneration modules each comprise:
one or more transponders each operable to regenerate traffic in one or more channels; and
one or more combining amplifiers operable to combine regenerated traffic received from the one or more transponders.
18. The optical cross-connect of claim 17, wherein the regeneration modules each further comprise:
one or more distributing amplifiers each operable to generate multiple copies of the traffic received from the combining switch; and
one or more filter units each operable to forward traffic in selected channels of one or more of the copies to one or more of the transponders.
19. The optical cross-connect of claim 17, wherein the regeneration modules each further comprise one or more demultiplexers each operable to:
separate the traffic received from the combining switch into one or more constituent channels; and
forward the traffic in one or more of the channels to one or more of the transponders.
20. The optical cross-connect of claim 14, wherein one or more of the regeneration modules are further operable to convert the wavelength of the traffic in one or more channels of the traffic received from the combining switch.
21. The optical cross-connect of claim 14, wherein one or more of the regeneration modules are positioned in a regeneration loop such that only traffic in one or more selected channels of one or more input signals is forwarded to the one or more regeneration modules for regeneration.
22. The optical cross-connect of claim 14, wherein the filters are each operable to forward traffic in one or more selected channels by passing the traffic in selected channels and terminating the traffic in the remaining channels.
23. The optical cross-connect of claim 14, wherein the filters comprise tunable filters.
24. A method for cross-connecting optical signals, comprising:
receiving an optical input signal at each of a plurality of input ports, each input signal comprising a plurality of channels that are each operable to carry optical traffic;
generating a plurality of copies of one or more of the input signals;
receiving a copy of one or more of the input signals at one or more filter units;
forwarding traffic in selected channels of one or more of the copies received at each filter unit;
combining the traffic received from two or more of the filter units;
forwarding the combined traffic to one or more regeneration modules;
regenerating the traffic received at the regeneration modules; and
forwarding the regenerated traffic to one or more output ports to be output from the output ports.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising converting the wavelength of the traffic received at the regeneration modules.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of copies of one or more of the input signals are generated using a plurality of passive optical couplers.
27. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of copies of one or more of the input signals are generated using a multiplexing switch.
28. The method of claim 24, wherein the traffic is combined using a plurality of passive optical couplers.
29. The method of claim 24, wherein the traffic is combined using a combining switch.
30. The method of claim 24, wherein forwarding the traffic in one or more selected channels of a copy of an input optical signal comprises passing the traffic in selected channels of the signal and terminating the traffic in the remaining channels of the signal.
31. An optical cross-connect, comprising:
means for receiving a plurality of optical input signals, each input signal comprising a plurality of channels that are each operable to carry optical traffic;
means for generating a plurality of copies of each input signal;
means for forwarding traffic in selected channels of one or more of the copies to one or more output ports;
means for combining the traffic received at each output port into an optical output signal to be output from the output port; and
means for regenerating the traffic in one or more channels of one or more of the input signals.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A semiconductor processing assembly, comprising:
a reaction chamber configured to house at least one semiconductor substrate;
a heater located at least partially within the reaction chamber;
at least one temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature and transmit a signal in response to a sensed temperature; and
a temperature regulator in communication with the heater and the at least one temperature sensor and configured to continuously vary a thermal output of the heater and a temperature of at least a portion of the at least one semiconductor substrate responsive to the signal.
2. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, comprising a plurality of temperature sensors for sensing temperatures at a corresponding plurality of locations.
3. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is configured to sense a temperature within the reaction chamber.
4. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is configured to sense a temperature of at least an area of the at least one semiconductor substrate.
5. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein the temperature regulator is configured to vary the thermal output of the heater over a span of time.
6. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber comprises at least one of a hot wall furnace and a cold wall furnace.
7. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber comprises at least one of a vertical furnace and a horizontal furnace.
8. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein said the reaction chamber is configured to house only a single semiconductor substrate at a time.
9. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber comprises a plasma enhanced chamber.
10. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber comprises at least one of a high-pressure chamber, a low-pressure chamber, and an atmospheric-pressure chamber.
11. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber comprises at least one of a furnace and a rapid thermal processing chamber.
12. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a rotator within the reaction chamber.
13. The semiconductor processing assembly of claim 12, wherein the rotator is configured to rotate the at least one semiconductor substrate.
14. A supplement to a fabrication chamber configured to perform a deposition process on a substrate, the supplement comprising:
a variable substrate temperature generation system configured to operate in cooperation with initiation of the deposition process, the variable substrate temperature generation system comprising a feedback control system in communication with at least one temperature sensor and a heating element of the fabrication chamber, the feedback control system configured to cause the heating element of the fabrication chamber to continuously alter a thermal output within the fabrication chamber and a temperature of at least a portion of the substrate in response to transmission of a signal from the at least one temperature sensor.
15. The supplement of claim 14, wherein the feedback control system is configured to receive the signal and to alter power provided to the heating element in response to the signal.