1. A method for transmitting data, comprising:
automatically, for a period of time in which a broadband transmission path is available, activating the broadband transmission path and deactivating a previous transmission path; and
ascertaining, for a period of time in which a broadband transmission path is not available, a type of data to be transmitted, and ascertaining a transmission path suitable for the type of data, wherein individual transmission paths are successively used to ascertain the availability of a receiver, and wherein, upon a transmission path being found via which the receiver is available, data are transmitted via the found transmission path, and wherein, if the receiver is not available via any of the previously ascertained transmission paths, at least one new transmission path is ascertained and then the at least one new transmission path is used to ascertain the availability of the receiver.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the type of data to be transmitted is taken as a basis for stipulating a priority list for the order of the transmissions.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when one transmission path fails, another transmission path is automatically activated.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of transmission paths for which the availability of the receiver is successively ascertained is counted.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized wherein, when a prescribed number is reached, no further transmission attempt is made and an error message is sent.
6. (canceled)
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is for transmitting data between a rail vehicle and an operational control center.
8. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when one transmission path fails, another transmission path is automatically activated.
9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a number of transmission paths for which the availability of the receiver is successively ascertained is counted.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein, when a prescribed number is reached, no further transmission attempt is made and an error message is sent.
11. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein a number of transmission paths for which the availability of the receiver is successively ascertained is counted.
12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein, when a prescribed number is reached, no further transmission attempt is made and an error message is sent.
13. A method for transmitting data in a system in which, for a period of time in which a broadband transmission path is available, the broadband transmission path is activated and, for a period of time in which a broadband transmission path is not available, a type of data to be transmitted is used to ascertain a suitable transmission path, the method comprising:
successively using individual transmission paths to ascertain the availability of a receiver;
transmitting data, upon a transmission path being ascertained via which the receiver is available, via the ascertained transmission path; and
ascertaining, upon the receiver not being available via any of the previously ascertained transmission paths, at least one new transmission path and then using the at least one new transmission path to ascertain the availability of the receiver.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the type of data to be transmitted is taken as a basis for stipulating a priority list for the order of the transmissions.
15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, when one transmission path fails, another transmission path is automatically activated.
16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a number of transmission paths for which the availability of the receiver is successively ascertained is counted.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, when a prescribed number is reached, no further transmission attempt is made and an error message is sent.
18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the method is for transmitting data between a rail vehicle and an operational control center.
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 method for fabricating an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:
providing a substrate having a conductive feature;
forming a dielectric layer having an opening over the substrate, wherein the opening aligns with the conductive feature and exposes at least a portion of the conductive feature;
forming a tungsten (W) capping layer over the conductive feature in the opening without using fluorine-containing gases; and
depositing a bulk W layer over the W capping layer.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the W capping layer is formed by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with a W organic precursor.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the W capping layer is formed by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with a W chloride precursor.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive feature includes a semiconductor material.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein prior to forming the W capping layer, a pre-silicide layer is formed over the conductive feature.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the forming the pre-silicide layer includes depositing a titanium layer over the conductive feature in the opening.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein an anneal process is applied to the W capping layer and the conductive feature to form a silicide region in the conductive feature.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the anneal process is applied after the forming the W capping layer.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the anneal process is applied after the depositing the bulk W layer.
10. A method for fabricating an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:
providing a substrate having a conductive feature;
forming a dielectric layer having an opening over the substrate, wherein the opening aligns with the conductive feature and exposes at least a portion of the conductive feature;
depositing a pre-silicide metal layer over the conductive feature in the opening;
forming a non-fluorine-containing tungsten (W) capping layer over the pre-silicide metal layer in the opening;
depositing a bulk W layer over the W capping layer; and
after depositing the pre-silicide metal layer and the bulk W layer, annealing to form a silicide region in the conductive feature.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-fluorine-containing W capping layer is formed by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with a W organic precursor.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-fluorine-containing W capping layer is formed by MOCVD with metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with a W chloride precursor.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the forming the pre-silicide layer includes depositing a titanium layer over the conductive feature in the opening.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the anneal process is applied after the forming the non-fluorine-containing W capping layer.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the anneal process is applied after the depositing the bulk W layer.
16. An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:
a substrate;
a conductive feature over the substrate;
a dielectric layer over the substrate, having an opening to expose at least a portion of the conductive feature;
a tungsten (W) capping layer formed by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), over the conductive feature in the opening, including covering sidewalls of the opening; and
a bulk W layer over the W capping layer and filling in the opening, wherein a composition of W capping layer includes:
more than fifty atomic percent (50%) of W;
more than one atomic percent (1%) of carbon;
more than one atomic percent (1%) of oxygen;
more than one atomic percent (1%) of nitrogen; and
more than one atomic percent (1%) of hydrogen.
17. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
a substrate;
a conductive feature over the substrate;
a dielectric layer over the substrate, having an opening to expose at least a portion of the conductive feature;
a tungsten (W) capping layer formed by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), over the conductive feature in the opening, including covering sidewalls of the opening; and
a bulk W layer over the W capping layer and filling in the opening, wherein a composition of chloride in the W capping layer is more than one atomic percent (1%).
18. The IC of claim 17, further comprising:
a metal layer between the conductive feature and the W capping layer in the opening; and
a silicide region as a top portion of the conductive feature under the metal layer.
19. The IC of claim 18, wherein the metal layer includes one or more materials from the group consisting of titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), lanthanides and their mixing.
20. The IC of claim 16, further comprising a silicide feature disposed between the W capping layer and the conductive feature over the substrate.