1. A method for coding an image or a sequence of images generating a data stream comprising data representative of at least one group of pixels in one of said images, said method comprising the steps of:
selecting, for a group of pixels to be coded, an initial partition of predetermined linear form,
splitting said group of pixels to be coded according to said selected initial partition,
propagating said initial partition selected in said group of pixels to be coded, until said group is split in its entirety into a plurality of partitions of predetermined form,
selecting, for said split group of pixels, a predetermined order of traversal of said partitions, and
predicting and coding said partitions one after the other, according to said selected order of traversal.
2. The coding method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prediction and coding of a current partition in said group of pixels is performed with respect to at least one reference partition, said reference partition being a partition which was propagated previously to the current partition and having already been coded, and then decoded.
3. The coding method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selected order of traversal of the partitions is the same as the order in which they were propagated.
4. The coding method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selected order of traversal of the partitions allows the prediction and coding of at least one current partition with respect to two reference partitions which immediately neighbor it.
5. The coding method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selected order of traversal of the partitions is of dichotomic type.
6. The coding method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data stream comprises information relating to the form of said selected partition and to the order of traversal which was selected.
7. A method for decoding a data stream representative of an image or of a sequence of images, said stream comprising data representative of at least one group of pixels in one of said images, comprising the steps of:
determining, in said stream to be decoded, an initial partition of predetermined linear form,
splitting said group of pixels to be decoded according to said determined initial partition,
propagating said initial partition determined in said group of pixels to be decoded, until said group is split in its entirety into a plurality of partitions of predetermined form,
determining, in said stream to be decoded, an order of traversal of said partitions, and
decoding said partitions one after the other, according to said determined order of traversal.
8. The decoding method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the decoding of a current partition in said group of pixels is performed with respect to at least one reference partition, said reference partition being a partition which was propagated previously to the current partition and which has already been decoded.
9. The decoding method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the order of traversal of the partitions is the same as the order in which they were propagated.
10. The decoding method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the order of traversal of the partitions allows the decoding of at least one current partition with respect to two reference partitions which immediately neighbor it.
11. The decoding method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the order of traversal of the partitions is of dichotomic type.
12. A system for producing a carrier signal bearing a data stream representative of an image or of a sequence of images, said stream comprising data representative of at least one group of pixels in one of said images, wherein:
some of said representative data relate to a predetermined linear form of an initial partition which was selected at the moment of the prediction and coding of said group of pixels,
and some others of said representative data relate to an order of traversal of the partitions forming said group of pixels and resulting from the propagation of said selected initial partition, with a view to the prediction and coding of said partitions.
13. A device for coding an image or a sequence of images generating a data stream comprising data representative of at least one group of pixels in one of said images, said device comprising means for:
selecting, for a group of pixels to be coded, an initial partition of predetermined linear form,
splitting said group of pixels to be coded according to said selected initial partition,
propagating said initial partition selected in said group of pixels to be coded, until said group is split in its entirety into a plurality of partitions of predetermined form,
selecting, for said split group of pixels, a predetermined order of traversal of said partitions, and
predicting and coding said partitions one after the other, according to said selected order of traversal.
14. A device for decoding a data stream representative of an image or of a sequence of images, said stream comprising data representative of at least one group of pixels in one of said images, said device comprising means for:
determining, in said stream to be decoded, an initial partition of predetermined linear form,
splitting said group of pixels to be decoded according to said determined initial partition,
propagating said initial partition determined in said group of pixels to be decoded, until said group is split in its entirety into a plurality of partitions of predetermined form,
determining, in said stream to be decoded, an order of traversal of said partitions, and
decoding said partitions one after the other, according to said determined order of traversal.
15. A non-transitory computer program product comprising instructions for implementing the method as claimed in claim 1, when it is executed on a computer.
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 of forming a semiconductor structure comprising:
forming a substrate comprising a crystalline portion and an amorphous portion;
depositing a semiconductor film non-selectively above said substrate, wherein said semiconductor film comprises an epitaxial region above said crystalline portion and an amorphous region above said amorphous portion; and
etching said semiconductor film with a selective four-component wet etch mixture, wherein said amorphous region is removed from said amorphous portion of said substrate and said epitaxial region is retained above said crystalline portion of said substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said selective four-component wet etch mixture comprises an oxidizing agent, an etchant, a buffer and a diluent.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said oxidizing agent comprises nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide or di-tert-butylperoxide.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said selective four-component wet etch mixture etches said amorphous region of said semiconductor film at least 20-fold faster than said epitaxial region.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said crystalline portion of said substrate is comprised of silicon and said semiconductor film is comprised of carbon-doped silicon.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said semiconductor film is comprised of 0.1-2% carbon-doped silicon and said selective four-component wet etch mixture is comprised of 100 parts per volume nitric acid (70% aqueous solution), 1 part per volume hydrofluoric acid (49% aqueous solution), 200 parts per volume acetic acid (100%, glacial) and 50 additional parts per volume water.
7. A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprising:
forming a substrate comprising a crystalline portion and an amorphous portion;
forming an etched-out region in said crystalline portion of said substrate;
depositing a semiconductor film non-selectively above said substrate, wherein said semiconductor film comprises an epitaxial region above said crystalline portion and above said etched-out region and an amorphous region above said amorphous portion, and wherein said epitaxial region and said crystalline portion are lattice mismatched; and
etching said semiconductor film with a selective four-component wet etch mixture, wherein said amorphous region is removed from said amorphous portion of said substrate and said epitaxial region is retained above said crystalline portion and said etched-out region of said substrate.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said selective four-component wet etch mixture comprises an oxidizing agent, an etchant, a buffer and a diluent.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said oxidizing agent comprises nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide or di-tert-butylperoxide.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein said selective four-component wet etch mixture etches said amorphous region of said semiconductor film at least 20-fold faster than said epitaxial region.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein said crystalline portion of said substrate is comprised of silicon and said semiconductor film is comprised of carbon-doped silicon.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said semiconductor film is comprised of 0.1-2% carbon-doped silicon and said selective four-component wet etch mixture is comprised of 100 parts per volume nitric acid (70% aqueous solution), 1 part per volume hydrofluoric acid (49% aqueous solution), 200 parts per volume acetic acid (100%, glacial) and 50 additional parts per volume water.
13. A method of forming a semiconductor device comprising:
forming a gate dielectric layer above a channel region in a crystalline substrate;
forming a gate electrode above said gate dielectric layer;
forming an amorphous gate protecting layer above said gate electrode;
forming an amorphous gate isolation spacer adjacent the sidewalls of said gate electrode and said gate dielectric layer;
forming a sourcedrain region in said crystalline substrate;
removing a portion of said crystalline substrate, including said sourcedrain region, to form an etched-out region in said crystalline substrate;
depositing a semiconductor film non-selectively above said etched-out region, above said amorphous gate protecting layer and above said amorphous gate isolation spacer, wherein said semiconductor film comprises an epitaxial region above said etched-out region, an amorphous region above said amorphous gate protecting layer and an amorphous region above said amorphous gate isolation spacer; and
etching said semiconductor film with a selective four-component wet etch mixture, wherein said amorphous region is removed from said amorphous gate protecting layer and from said amorphous gate isolation spacer, while said epitaxial region is retained above said etched-out region of said crystalline substrate.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said epitaxial region of said semiconductor film and said crystalline substrate are lattice mismatched.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said crystalline substrate is comprised of silicon and said semiconductor film is comprised of carbon-doped silicon.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein said semiconductor film is comprised of 0.1-2% carbon-doped silicon and said selective four-component wet etch mixture is comprised of 100 parts per volume nitric acid (70% aqueous solution), 1 part per volume hydrofluoric acid (49% aqueous solution), 200 parts per volume acetic acid (100%, glacial) and 50 additional parts per volume water.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein said selective four-component wet etch mixture comprises an oxidizing agent, an etchant, a buffer and a diluent.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said oxidizing agent comprises nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide or di-tert-butylperoxide.
19. The method of claim 13 wherein said selective four-component wet etch mixture etches said amorphous region above said amorphous gate protecting layer and said amorphous region above said amorphous gate isolation spacer at least 20-fold faster than said epitaxial region above said etched-out region.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein said epitaxial region and said crystalline substrate are lattice mismatched.