Author: claimsbot

1. A method for precoding, comprising:
using a processor to select a codeword for precoding data from a codebook, wherein the codebook comprises
1
2

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1
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1
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1
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and
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1
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.
2. The method for precoding of claim 1, wherein the data is uplink data.
3. The method for precoding of claim 1, wherein the method is applied in a Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) system.
4. A computer program product for storing instructions operable in a base station, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for selecting a codeword for precoding data from a codebook, wherein the codebook comprises
1
2

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and
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1
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.
5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the base station is applied in a Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) system.
6. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the data is uplink data.
7. A computer program product for storing instructions operable in a user equipment, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for precoding data using a codeword from a codebook, wherein the codebook comprises
1
2

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and
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.
8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the user equipment is applied in a Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) system.
9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the data is uplink data.

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

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing schedules for processing a wafer in a multichamber semiconductor wafer processing tool comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a trace defining a series of chambers that are visited by a wafer as the wafer is processed by the tool;
(b) initializing a sequence generator with an initial value of a variable defining an initial wafer positioning with the tool; and
(c) generating values of said variable that represent all valid successor wafer positions related to the initial value, where said values of said variable, taken together, form a partial schedule for processing a wafer.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of computing a total number of variable values generated from a given variable value.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
(d) backtracking through said series of variable values in said partial schedule and applying step (c) to each value in said partial schedule to produce further values of said variable representing additional series of values that represent additional partial schedules; and
(e) stopping said backtracking when all possible variable value combinations are produced that represent all possible valid schedules for said trace.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein a value of said variable is a letter and a plurality of letters forms a word.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein a valid schedule is defined by a word having no more than one repeated letter.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein each letter contains a n-tuple, where n represents a total number of wafer positions within said trace.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein n represents a total number of wafer positions within said trace plus a transport robot position.
8. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of:
(f) identifying at least one schedule in all possible valid schedules that provides an optimal throughput for the trace.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said identifying step (f) further comprises the step of computing the throughput for each and every schedule of said all possible schedules and selecting an optimum schedule for the trace which produces the highest throughput.
10. The method of claim 3 wherein said backtracking step (d) further comprises the steps of:
(a) initializing a schedule to an n-string of zeros having a length of one;
(b) identifying all unused successors of a last letter in a partial schedule;
(c) appending an unused successor to said partial schedule;
(d) increasing the length of the partial schedule by one and decreasing a number of unused successors by one;
(e) querying whether the last letter of the partial schedule is the same as a previous letter in the partial schedule and, if not, repeat steps (b), (c), (d) and (e) until the last letter of the partial schedule is the same as a previous letter in the partial schedule;
(f) storing the partial schedule as a full schedule and storing the length of the full schedule;
(g) removing the last letter of the full schedule to produce a new partial schedule and decreasing the length of the full schedule by one;
(h) querying whether the length of the new partial schedule is one and, if the length is one, stopping; otherwise, proceeding to step (i);
(i) querying whether there is an unused successor of the last letter and, if there are no unused successors of the last letter, repeating steps (g), (h) and (i) until there is an unused successor of the last letter;
(j) appending the unused successor to the new partial schedule, marking the successor as used and decreasing the number of successors by one; and
(k) returning to step (b).
11. The method of claim 1 wherein successor variables values are defined by successor generation rules that are prescribed by wafer processing parameters.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein successor variable values are generated with regard to transport robot positioning.
13. Apparatus for producing schedules for processing a wafer in a multichamber semiconductor wafer processing tool, having a trace defining a series of chambers that are visited by a wafer as the wafer is processed by the tool, said apparatus comprising:
a sequence generator, being initialized with an initial value of a variable defining an initial wafer positioning within the tool, for generating values of said variable that represent all valid successor wafer positions related to the initial value, where said values of said variable, taken together, form a partial schedule for processing a wafer.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising means for computing a total number of successor variable values generated from a given variable value.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
means for backtracking through said series of variable values in said partial sequence and selecting each value in said partial schedule as an input to said sequence generator which produces further values of said variable representing additional series of values that represent additional partial schedules, whereby all possible schedules for said trace are generated.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a throughput model, coupled to said sequence generator, for computing a throughput value for each possible schedule in said all possible schedules.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for identifying at least one schedule that has the largest throughput value.
18. A schedule data structure, stored in a computer readable storage medium, of a schedule for processing a wafer in a multichamber semiconductor wafer processing tool comprising:
a plurality of n-tuples, where n is a total number of possible wafer positions, and the plurality of n-tuples contains only one duplicate n-tuple.
19. The schedule data structure of claim 18 wherein n is a total number of possible wafer positions plus a position of transport robot position.
20. The schedule data structure of claim 18 wherein the n-tuple has a form (x1,x2,x3, . . . ,xn), where x defines the contents of a particular chamber at a particular point in a schedule and x has a value 0 when a wafer is not positioned in the chamber and a value of 1 when a wafer is positioned in the chamber.

1. A cable retention mechanism for locking an external connector with an inputoutput connector of an electronic device, comprising:
a retention housing configured to couple to the electronic device, the retention housing having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the second surface being adjacent to the device housing when the retention mechanism and the electronic device are coupled to one another; and
a retainer disposed at least partially within the retention housing and including:
a mounting arrangement defining a channel configured to receive a cable of the external connector, the mounting arrangement being biased to apply a first retaining force to the cable; and
a biasing member coupled to the mounting arrangement, the biasing member compressing a portion of the mounting arrangement adjacent to the channel such that a width of the channel decreases as the channel approaches the second surface, the biasing member applying a second retaining force to the mounting arrangement to increase the first retaining force, the biasing member having ends angled towards each other in a converging V-shape to apply an asymmetric force across a length of the mounting arrangement,
wherein, when a longitudinal tension is applied to the cable, the biasing member increases the second retaining force.
2. The cable retention mechanism of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is a spring wire that is U-shaped when viewed from a first side and C-shaped when viewed from a second side.
3. The cable retention mechanism of claim 2, wherein the first portion is disposed at least partially in the retention housing, the first portion configured to engage a second portion of the locking arrangement that is disposed at least partially in the device housing of the electronic device.
4. The cable retention mechanism of claim 1, wherein the mounting arrangement includes gripping features configured to increase the first retaining force.
5. The cable retention mechanism of claim 4, wherein the gripping features are rounded extensions extending into the channel.
6. The cable retention mechanism of claim 1, wherein the biasing member has a substantial U-shape corresponding to a substantial M-shape of the mounting arrangement.
7. The cable retention mechanism of claim 6, wherein the mounting arrangement has a shape configured to engage the biasing member, the substantial U-shape of the biasing member including a loop portion and end portions extending from the loop portion.
8. The cable retention mechanism of claim 7, wherein the end portions of the biasing member converge toward each other such that the channel is caused to converge.
9. The cable retention mechanism of claim 1, wherein the second retaining force is increased from the channel being caused to converge further.

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 pad conditioning head for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, comprising:
a rotatable member;
an end effector adapted to receive and retain a conditioning disk;
a sealing element comprising a flexible lip disposed around the rotatable member, the flexible lip being adapted to:
seal against the rotatable member when the rotatable member is not rotating, and
retract, in response to a pressure force from a gaseous media, away from the rotatable member, when the rotatable member is rotating so as to permit the gaseous media to flow past the flexible lip, along the rotatable member; and

an elastic device disposed between the rotatable member and the end effector, the elastic device being:
adapted to rotate the end effector via a torque from the rotatable member, and
flexibly extensible so as to impart a force to the end effector while permitting the end effector to deviate from a perpendicular alignment with the rotatable member in order for a conditioning surface of the conditioning disk to conform to an irregular polishing surface of a pad being conditioned.
2. The pad conditioning head of claim 1 wherein the elastic device is a bellows.
3. The pad conditioning head of claim 2 wherein the rotatable member includes a duct for providing a vacuum or pressure to the bellows.
4. The pad conditioning head of claim 1 wherein the elastic device is further adapted to move the end effector along an axis of rotation of the rotatable member.
5. The pad conditioning head of claim 1 wherein the rotatable member includes a flanged portion coupled to the elastic device; and
wherein the elastic device is adapted to move the end effector relative to the flanged portion.
6. The pad conditioning head of claim 1 further comprising a boot disposed around the elastic device and coupled to the rotatable member and the end effector, thereby deterring a polishing slurry from contacting the elastic device.
7. The pad conditioning head of claim 6 wherein the boot forms a first seal with the rotatable member and a second seal with the end effector.
8. The pad conditioning head of claim 7 further comprising a duct, coupled to a volume defined by the boot, the elastic device, the rotatable member and the end effector, for reducing a pressure within the volume.
9. A pad conditioning head for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, comprising:
a rotatable member; and
a sealing element comprising a flexible lip disposed around the rotatable member, the flexible lip being adapted to:
seal against the rotatable member when the rotatable member is not rotating, and
retract, in response to a pressure force from a gaseous media, away from the rotatable member, when the rotatable member is rotating so as to permit the gaseous media to flow past the flexible lip, along the rotatable member.
10. The pad conditioning head of claim 9 wherein the rotatable member is disposed within a housing; and
further comprising a duct in the housing adapted to introduce the gaseous media within the pad conditioning head.
11. The pad conditioning head of claim 9 wherein the flexible lip is further adapted to retract, in response to a pressure force from a gaseous media, away from the rotatable member, when the rotatable member is rotating so as to permit the gaseous media to flow past the flexible lip, thereby purging polishing slurry from the pad conditioning head.
12. A pad conditioning head for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, comprising:
a rotatable member; and
a sealing element comprising a flexible lip disposed around the rotatable member, the flexible lip being adapted to:
seal against the rotatable member when the rotatable member is not rotating; and
retract away from the rotatable member when the rotatable member is rotating.
13. The pad conditioning head of claim 12 wherein the rotatable member is disposed within a housing so as to define a path adapted to permit a flow of cleaning fluid into and from the pad conditioning head when the rotatable member is not rotating; and
wherein the flexible lip is adapted to enhance a seal between the sealing element and the rotatable member when the cleaning fluid contacts a first side of the flexible lip.
14. A pad conditioning head, comprising:
a housing;
an end effector coupled to the housing, the end effector being adapted to:
receive and retain a conditioning disk;
move away from the housing so as to position the conditioning disk in contact with a polishing pad;
urge a conditioning disk against a polishing pad and rotate relative to the housing for polishing pad conditioning; and
pivot relative to the housing during polishing pad conditioning so as to conform to an irregular polishing surface of a polishing pad;

a rotatable member adapted to rotate the end effector; and
a sealing element comprising a flexible lip disposed around the rotatable member, the flexible lip being adapted to:
seal against the rotatable member when the rotatable member is not rotating, and
retract, in response to a pressure force from a gaseous media, away from the rotatable member, when the rotatable member is rotating so as to permit the gaseous media to flow past the flexible lip, along the rotatable member.
15. The pad conditioning head of claim 14 further comprising a rotatable member disposed within the housing; and
wherein the end effector is adapted to deviate from a perpendicular orientation with respect to an axis of the rotatable member.
16. A pad conditioning head, comprising:
a housing;
a rotatable member rotatably disposed within the housing, the housing and the rotatable member together defining a gap susceptible to exposure of migrating polishing slurry during pad conditioning;
a sealing element comprising a flexible lip disposed around the rotatable member, the flexible lip being adapted to:
seal against the rotatable member when the rotatable member is not rotating, and
retract, in response to a pressure force from a gaseous media, away from the rotatable member, when the rotatable member is rotating so as to permit the gaseous media to if low past the flexible lip, along the rotatable member; and

a duct within the housing adapted to selectively direct a flow of cleaning fluid to the gap so that the cleaning fluid flow passes along the gap, carrying polishing slurry therefrom.
17. The pad conditioning head of claim 16 further comprising another duct within the housing adapted to permit the cleaning fluid to flow from the pad conditioning head, thereby carrying polishing slurry therefrom.
18. A method of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), comprising:
providing a pad conditioning head for a CMP process, having:
a rotatable member;
a sealing element comprising a flexible lip disposed around the rotatable member, the flexible lip being adapted to:
seal against the rotatable member when the rotatable member is not rotating, and
retract, in response to a pressure force from a gaseous media, away from the rotatable member, when the rotatable member is rotating so as to permit the gaseous media to flow past the flexible lip, along the rotatable member; and
an end effector coupled to the rotatable member and adapted to receive and retain a conditioning disk; imparting a force to the end effector; and

permitting the end effector to deviate from a perpendicular alignment with the rotatable member, and conform to an irregular polishing surface of a pad being conditioned.