Author: claimsbot

1. A method for manufacturing a thin-film photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
providing a substrate;
forming a imprinted surface on the substrate; and
depositing one or more thin-film photovoltaic layers on the imprinted surface.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes polyimide.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a non-imprintable portion and an imprintable portion.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the non-imprintable portion includes glass.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the imprintable portion includes polyimide.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein forming an imprinted surface on the substrate includes hot embossing.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein forming an imprinted surface on the substrate includes soft lithography.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein forming an imprinted surface on the substrate includes micro-contact imprinting.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein forming an imprinted surface on the substrate includes ultraviolet lithographical imprinting.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing a filler layer on the one or more thin-film photovoltaic layers.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the filler layer is substantially transparent to a wavelength of interest.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more thin-film photovoltaic layers include a hole conductor layer, an active layer and an electron conductor layer.
13. A method for manufacturing a thin-film photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
providing an imprintable substrate;
imprinting the substrate to define a rough surface on the substrate;
providing one or more thin-film photovoltaic layer on the rough surface; and
providing a filler layer on the one or more thin-film photovoltaic layers to form a substantially planar top surface.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the imprintable substrate includes polyimide.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the imprintable substrate includes a glass layer with an imprintable polyimide layer disposed on the glass layer.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein imprinting the substrate includes hot embossing, soft lithography, micro-contact imprinting, or ultraviolet lithographical imprinting.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the filler layer is substantially transparent to a wavelength of interest.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more thin-film photovoltaic layers include a hole conductor layer, an active layer and an electron conductor layer.
19. A thin-film photovoltaic cell, comprising:
a substrate layer having an imprinted surface;
one or more thin-film photovoltaic layers disposed above the imprinted surface; and
a filler layer disposed above the one or more thin-film photovoltaic layers, wherein the filler layer has a substantially planar top surface.
20. The thin-film photovoltaic cell of claim 19, wherein the substrate includes a glass layer with an imprintable polyimide layer disposed on the glass layer.

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 providing a charge device model (CDM) damage protection for a semiconductor circuit, the method comprising:
coupling a CDM immunity module to a substrate of at least one device to be protected from the CDM damage; and
coupling the CDM immunity module to a ground pad,
wherein the CDM immunity module and the ground pad dissipate CDM charges to avoid damage to an oxide layer of the device.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the CDM immunity module is a diode.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the device is a NMOS transistor and its substrate is connected to the diode’s anode.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the device is a PMOS transistor and its substrate is connected to the diode’s cathode.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the CDM immunity module is a diode coupled parallel with at least one capacitor.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the ground pad is connected to at least one metalization layer of the device.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the ground pad is connected to one or more metalization layers of the device as they are processed sequentially for forming the device.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the CDM immunity module is placed in one or more corner regions of the semiconductor circuit.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor circuit further comprises at least one electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection module in conjunction with the CDM immunity module.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the ESD protection module is coupled between the ground pad and a regular pad of the semiconductor circuit.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the ESD protection module is a NMOS transistor with its gate and source connected to the ground pad, and its drain connected to the regular pad.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the ESD protection module further comprises a diode connected between the gate and source thereof.
13. A semiconductor circuit with charge device model (CDM) damage protection, the circuit comprising:
a CDM immunity module coupled to a substrate of at least one device in a core circuit; and
a CDM ground pad coupled to the CDM immunity module,
wherein the CDM immunity module and the CDM ground pad dissipate CDM charges to avoid damage to an oxide layer of the device.
14. The circuit of claim 13 wherein the CDM immunity module is a diode.
15. The circuit of claim 14 wherein the device is a NMOS transistor and its substrate is connected to the diode’s anode.
16. The circuit of claim 14 wherein the device is a PMOS transistor and its substrate is connected to the diode’s cathode.
17. The circuit of claim 13 wherein the CDM immunity module is a diode coupled parallel with at least one capacitor.
18. The circuit of claim 13 wherein the CDM ground pad is connected to one or more metalization layers of the device as they are processed for forming the device.
19. The circuit of claim 13 wherein the CDM immunity module is placed in one or more corner regions of the semiconductor circuit.
20. The circuit of claim 13 further comprising at least one electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection module in conjunction with the CDM immunity module, wherein the ESD protection module is coupled between the CDM ground pad and a regular pad of the semiconductor circuit.
21. The circuit of claim 20 wherein the ESD protection module is a NMOS transistor with its gate and source connected to the CDM ground pad, and its drain connected to the regular pad.
22. A charge device model (CDM) immunity module used in a semiconductor circuit for CDM damage protection, the CDM immunity module comprising:
a CDM ground pad; and
a diode coupled between the CDM ground pad and a substrate of at least one device in a core circuit,
wherein the diode and the CDM ground pad dissipate CDM charges to avoid damage to an oxide layer of the device.
23. The module of claim 22 wherein the device is an NMOS transistor and its substrate is connected to the diode’s anode.
24. The module of claim 22 wherein the device is a PMOS transistor and its substrate is connected to the diode’s cathode.
25. The module of claim 22 further comprising at least one capacitor coupled parallel with the diode.
26. The module of claim 22 wherein the CDM ground pad is connected to one or more metalization layers of the device as they are processed for forming the device.
27. The module of claim 22 wherein the CDM ground pad is a regular ground pad of the semiconductor circuit.

1. A computer-readable medium encoded with a program debugger, for use in a programming environment, comprising:
means for extracting, from an initial conditional breakpoint within a program loop, a first Boolean expression that is at least partially invariant within the loop;
means for removing said initial conditional breakpoint;
means for setting, at a pre-initial conditional breakpoint program position, a special conditional breakpoint that includes said first Boolean expression; and
means for reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint if said special conditional breakpoint is satisfied.
2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said first Boolean expression is completely invariant within the loop.
3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:
means for setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
means for removing said initial conditional breakpoint if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied.
4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, further comprising:
means for removing said first reset breakpoint if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied.
5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, further comprising:
means for setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
means for removing said initial conditional breakpoint if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising:
means for removing said first and second reset breakpoints if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied.
7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:
means for extracting, from program code within the loop, a second Boolean expression that is invariant within the loop,
wherein said special conditional breakpoint disjunctively includes the complement of said second Boolean expression, and said first Boolean expression is invariant within the loop when said second Boolean expression is satisfied.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:
means for setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
means for removing said initial conditional breakpoint if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied.
9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:
means for removing said first reset breakpoint if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied.
10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:
means for setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
means for removing said initial conditional breakpoint if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied.
11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:
means for removing said first and second reset breakpoints if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the initial conditional breakpoint occurs at a program statement in the loop that has been designated by an operator of the program debugger.
13. A method of reducing debugger impact through conditional breakpoint motion, comprising:
extracting, from an initial conditional breakpoint within a program loop, a first Boolean expression that is at least partially invariant within the loop;
removing said initial conditional breakpoint;
setting, at a pre-initial conditional breakpoint program position, a special conditional breakpoint that includes said first Boolean expression; and
if said special conditional breakpoint is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first Boolean expression is completely invariant within the loop.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said first reset breakpoint.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said first and second reset breakpoints.
19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
extracting, from program code within the loop, a second Boolean expression that is invariant within the loop,
wherein said special conditional breakpoint disjunctively includes the complement of said second Boolean expression, and said first Boolean expression is invariant within the loop when said second Boolean expression is satisfied.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said first reset breakpoint.
22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:
setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said first and second reset breakpoints.
24. The method of claim 13, wherein the initial conditional breakpoint occurs at a program statement in the loop that has been designated by an operator of the program debugger.
25. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of reducing debugger impact through conditional breakpoint motion, the method comprising:
extracting, from an initial conditional breakpoint within a program loop, a first Boolean expression that is at least partially invariant within the loop;
removing said initial conditional breakpoint;
setting, at a pre-initial conditional breakpoint program position, a special conditional breakpoint that includes said first Boolean expression; and
if said special conditional breakpoint is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the first Boolean expression is completely invariant within the loop.
27. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:
setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises:
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said first reset breakpoint.
29. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises:
setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises:
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said first and second reset breakpoints.
31. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein said first Boolean expression is partially invariant within the loop, and the method further comprises:
extracting, from program code within the loop, a second Boolean expression that is invariant within the loop,
wherein said special conditional breakpoint disjunctively includes the complement of said second Boolean expression, and said first Boolean expression is invariant within the loop when said second Boolean expression is satisfied.
32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises:
setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
33. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises:
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said first reset breakpoint.
34. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises:
setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
35. The article of manufacture of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises:
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said first and second reset breakpoints.
36. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the initial conditional breakpoint occurs at a program statement in the loop that has been designated by an operator of the program debugger.
37. A computer-readable medium encoded with a program debugger, for use in a programming environment, comprising:
means for extracting, from an initial conditional breakpoint within a program loop, a first Boolean expression that is at least partially invariant within the loop;
means for setting, at a pre-initial conditional breakpoint program position, a special conditional breakpoint that includes the complement of said first Boolean expression; and
means for removing said initial conditional breakpoint if said special conditional breakpoint is satisfied.
38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said first Boolean expression is completely invariant within the loop.
39. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising:
means for setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
means for reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied.
40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, further comprising:
means for removing said first reset breakpoint if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied.
41. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, further comprising:
means for setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
means for reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied.
42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising:
means for removing said first and second reset breakpoints if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied.
43. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said first Boolean expression is partially invariant within the loop, and said program debugger further comprises:
means for extracting, from program code within the loop, a second Boolean expression that is invariant within the loop,
wherein said special conditional breakpoint conjunctively includes said second Boolean expression, and said first Boolean expression is invariant within the loop when said second Boolean expression is satisfied.
44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, further comprising:
means for setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
means for reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied.
45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, further comprising:
means for removing said first reset breakpoint if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied.
46. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, further comprising:
means for setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
means for reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied.
47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, further comprising:
means for removing said first and second reset breakpoints if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied.
48. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the initial conditional breakpoint occurs at a program statement in the loop that has been designated by an operator of the program debugger.
49. A method of reducing debugger impact through conditional breakpoint motion, comprising:
extracting, from an initial conditional breakpoint within a program loop, a first Boolean expression that is at least partially invariant within the loop;
setting, at a pre-initial conditional breakpoint program position, a special conditional breakpoint that includes the complement of said first Boolean expression; and
if said special conditional breakpoint is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
50. The method of claim 49, wherein said first Boolean expression is completely invariant within the loop.
51. The method of claim 49, further comprising:
setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
52. The method of claim 51, further comprising:
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said first reset breakpoint.
53. The method of claim 51, further comprising:
setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
54. The method of claim 53, further comprising:
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said first and second reset breakpoints.
55. The method of claim 49, further comprising:
extracting, from the program code within the loop, a second Boolean expression that is invariant within the loop,
wherein said special conditional breakpoint conjunctively includes said second Boolean expression, and said first Boolean expression is invariant within the loop when said second Boolean expression is satisfied.
56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:
setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
57. The method of claim 56, further comprising:
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said first reset breakpoint.
58. The method of claim 56, further comprising:
setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
59. The method of claim 58, further comprising:
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said first and second reset breakpoints.
60. The method of claim 49, wherein the initial conditional breakpoint occurs at a program statement in the loop that has been designated by an operator of the program debugger.
61. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of reducing debugger impact through conditional breakpoint motion, the method comprising:
extracting, from an initial conditional breakpoint within a program loop, a first Boolean expression that is at least partially invariant within the loop;
setting, at a pre-initial conditional breakpoint program position, a special conditional breakpoint that includes the complement of said first Boolean expression; and
if said special conditional breakpoint is satisfied, removing said initial conditional breakpoint.
62. The article of manufacture of claim 61, wherein said first Boolean expression is completely invariant within the loop.
63. The article of manufacture of claim 61, wherein the method further comprises:
setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
64. The article of manufacture of claim 63, wherein the method further comprises:
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said first reset breakpoint.
65. The article of manufacture of claim 63, wherein the method further comprises:
setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
66. The article of manufacture of claim 65, wherein the method further comprises:
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said first and second reset breakpoints.
67. The article of manufacture of claim 61, wherein the method further comprises:
extracting, from the program code within the loop, a second Boolean expression that is invariant within the loop,
wherein said special conditional breakpoint conjunctively includes said second Boolean expression, and said first Boolean expression is invariant within the loop when said second Boolean expression is satisfied.
68. The article of manufacture of claim 57, wherein the method further comprises:
setting, at a first loop exit program position, a first reset breakpoint; and
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
69. The article of manufacture of claim 68, wherein the method further comprises:
if said first reset breakpoint is satisfied, removing said first reset breakpoint.
70. The article of manufacture of claim 68, wherein the method further comprises:
setting, at a second loop exit program position, a second reset breakpoint; and
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, reestablishing said initial conditional breakpoint.
71. The article of manufacture of claim 70, wherein the method further comprises:
if one of said first and second reset breakpoints is satisfied, removing said first and second reset breakpoints.
72. The article of manufacture of claim 61, wherein the initial conditional breakpoint occurs at a program statement in the loop that has been designated by an operator of the program debugger.

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 device for transferring patterns, especially micro- or nanostructures, to at least two faces of a substrate, wherein the device comprises:
a first stamping plate having a patterned area provided thereon for forming a first pattern on a first face of said substrate,
a second stamping plate having a patterned area provided thereon for forming a second pattern on a second face of said substrate, and
a contacting means for contacting the respective patterned areas of the two stamping plates with the respective faces of said substrate,
the first and the second stamping plates being aligned with each other and being secured to each other at respective holding areas of the stamping plates located at a distance from the patterned areas, such that the patterned areas face each other.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the stamping plates is elastically bendable in the direction of the other stamping plate.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein both stamping plates are elastically bendable towards each other.
4. A device according to claim 1, wherein a holding means for holding the stamping plates firmly together comprises a spacer which is located between the two stamping plates for holding them at a distance from each other.
5. A device according to claim 4, wherein a thickness of the spacer is substantially the same as a thickness of the substrate.
6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the contacting means comprises at least one chamber being adapted to cooperate with one of the stamping plates at the face of said plate facing away from said substrate and to provide a compressive force by means of fluid pressure acting on the stamping plate for contacting it with the substrate.
7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the contacting means comprises:
a first chamber being adapted to cooperate with the first stamping plate at the face of said first plate facing away from said substrate and to provide a compressive force by means of fluid pressure acting on the first stamping plate for contacting it with the first face of the substrate, and
a second chamber being adapted to cooperate with the second stamping plate at the face of said second plate facing away from said substrate and to provide a compressive force by means of fluid pressure acting on the second stamping plate for contacting it with the second face of the substrate simultaneously with the first stamping plate contacting the first face of the substrate.
8. A device according to claim 6 wherein each chamber is provided with means for providing a suction force within the chamber such that the stamping plate, cooperating therewith, by means of suction force is moved away from said substrate after having formed a pattern thereon.
9. A device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the stamping plates comprises:
a fluid channel adapted to be connected to a fluid supply means for supplying fluid to said channel, and
at least one nozzle connected to said fluid channel and adapted to eject said fluid in the direction of the substrate in order to facilitate removal of the substrate from the device after said forming of a pattern.
10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the patterned area of at least one of the stamping plates is formed on a separate mould being detachably fixed to at least one stamping plate.
11. A method of transferring patterns, especially micro- or nanostructures, to at least two faces of a substrates, comprising the step of:
providing a first patterned area on a first stamping plate,
providing a second patterned area on a second stamping plate,
positioning the two stamping plates such that the patterned areas face each other,
securing the two stamping plates to each other at a position thereon located at a distance from said patterned-areas,
placing a substrate between the patterned areas, and
contacting the substrate with the first and the second patterned areas.
12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of contacting the substrate with the first and the second patterned areas further comprises providing a fluid pressure on at least one of the stamping plates at the face of said stamping plate facing away from said substrate.
13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of directing a flow of fluid from openings in the stamping plates towards the substrate to facilitate removal of said substrate after transferring the pattern.
14. A substrate having patterns, especially micro- or nanostructures, on at least two faces thereof, wherein the substrate has been manufactured using:
a first stamping plate having a patterned area provided thereon for forming a first pattern on a first face of said substrate,
a second stamping plate having a patterned area provided thereon for forming a second pattern on a second face of said substrate, and
a contacting means for contacting the respective patterned areas of the two stamping plates with the respective faces of said substrate,
the first and the second stamping plates being aligned with each other and being secured to each other at respective holding areas of the stamping plates located at a distance from the patterned areas, such that the patterned areas face each other.