All The Claims

1. A manufacturing method of a MOS transistor, comprising:
providing a substrate; wherein a transistor is disposed in the substrate, the transistor comprises a gate dielectric layer, a gate on the gate dielectric layer and a sourcedrain region in the substrate at two sides of the gate;
forming a sacrificial layer on the substrate to cover the transistor;
removing a part of the sacrificial layer to expose the sourcedrain region; and
forming a silicide layer on the exposed sourcedrain region.
2. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, wherein when forming the silicide layer, the sacrificial layer levels with the gate.
3. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, wherein when forming the silicide layer, the sacrificial layer levels with the sourcedrain region.
4. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, wherein when forming the silicide layer, there is no sacrificial layer on the substrate.
5. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, further comprising forming at least a contact hole in the sacrificial layer to expose the sourcedrain region.
6. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, further comprising forming a dielectric layer on the sacrificial layer and forming at least a contact hole in the sacrificial layer and the dielectric layer to expose the sourcedrain region.
7. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises SOG, BARC, APF or photoresist.
8. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, wherein the step of forming the sourcedrain region comprises forming an epitaxial layer.
9. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, wherein the step of forming the silicide layer comprises:
performing a cleaning step;
forming a metal layer to at least cover the sourcedrain region;
performing an annealing process to make the metal layer react with the sourcedrain region; and
removing the metal layer not reacted with the sourcedrain region.
10. The manufacturing method of a MOS transistor as in claim 1, wherein the step of forming the transistor comprises:
forming a dummy gate on the substrate;
removing the dummy gate;
forming a high-k dielectric layer on the substrate;
performing an annealing process toward the high-k dielectric layer;
forming a low resistance layer on the high-k dielectric layer; and
forming a protective layer on the surface of the low resistance 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 charging device for charging a main capacitor by rectifying an output voltage, which is boosted by a self-excited DC-DC converter, with a diode,
wherein a control circuit of the self-excited DC-DC converter is configured to terminate an excitation period and to enter a charging period for charging the main capacitor by transmitting energy from a primary side to a secondary side of an oscillation transformer when a current value flowing in the primary side of the oscillation transformer reaches a first predetermined value, and to resume the excitation period in a delay time after detecting that a value of current flowing in the secondary side of the oscillation transformer is lower than a second predetermined value,
and the delay time is set to be longer than a sum of a time from a time point when the value of current flowing in the secondary side of the oscillation transformer is lower than the second predetermined value to a time point when the current reaches zero and a reverse recovery time of the diode.
2. An application-specific integrated circuit used as a control circuit of the charging device according to claim 1,
wherein an excitation period is terminated when a voltage of a first external connection terminal reaches a first predetermined value, and
the excitation period is resumed in a delay time after detecting that a voltage of a second external connection terminal is lower than a second predetermined value.
3. An application-specific integrated circuit according to claim 2,
further comprising a time delay circuit for changing the delay time depending on voltage of the second external connection terminal, wherein a voltage is inputted in said terminal depending on the boosted output voltage of the charging device.
4. An application-specific integrated circuit according to claim 2, further comprising a time delay circuit for changing the delay time to a range of 300 ns to 450 ns when a voltage of the second external connection terminal is 100 volts, or more where a fully charged voltage is 300 volts, in the main capacitor of the charging device.

1. An automated self-diagnostic method for a device having data connectivity to a remote network-based search engine, the method comprising:
determining that the device requires a solution to a problem, wherein the determining step is performed by the device;
generating a search query intended to find information related to the solution, wherein the generating is performed by the device in response to the determining step, and wherein the search query is generated in compliance with a format supported by the network-based search engine;
sending the search query to the remote network-based search engine, wherein the sending is performed by the device;
after sending the search query, receiving a response that originates from the remote network-based search engine, wherein the response includes response data having a contextual association with the solution, the problem, or both, and wherein the receiving is performed by the device;
processing at least some of the response data to determine a course of action, wherein the processing is performed by the device; and
initiating the course of action at the device to thereby solve the problem.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a digital picture file corresponding to an image of an object, wherein:
the device obtains the digital picture file;
the generating appends the digital picture file to the search query; and
the search query includes a request to identify the object.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the response data includes one or more descriptors of the object.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a digital audio file, wherein:
the device obtains the digital audio file;
the generating appends the digital audio file to the search query; and
the search query includes a request to identify at least one characteristic of sound conveyed by the digital audio file.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the response data includes at least one potential source of the sound conveyed by the digital audio file.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a digital video file, wherein:
the device obtains the digital video file;
the generating appends the digital video file to the search query; and
the search query includes a request for information related to subject matter conveyed by the digital video file.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the response data includes one or more descriptors of the subject matter.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the determining acquires a self-diagnostic error code associated with the problem;
the generating appends the error code to the search query; and
the response data includes instructions that, when executed by the device, address the error code.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the remote network-based search engine has a uniform resource identifier (URI) associated therewith; and
the search query includes the URI of the remote network-based search engine.
10. An automated self-diagnostic method for a device having data connectivity to a remote network-based search engine, the method comprising:
receiving a search query at the remote network-based search engine, the search query intended to find information necessary for the device to address a self-diagnosed problem that requires a solution, wherein the search query is automatically generated by the device without any human involvement, and wherein the search query is arranged in compliance with a format supported by the remote network-based search engine;
processing the search query to identify search parameters, wherein the processing is performed by the remote network-based search engine;
searching for information using the search parameters, wherein the searching is performed by the remote network-based search engine;
generating a response that includes response data related to the solution, wherein the generating is performed by the remote network-based search engine; and
sending the response to the device.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining at least one solution database that includes solution data for supporting the device, wherein the maintaining is performed by the remote network-based search engine.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising acquiring at least some of the solution data from a manufacturer, vendor, or provider of the device.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein:
the search query includes a digital picture file corresponding to an image of an object as observed by the device; and
the response data includes one or more descriptors of the object.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein:
the search query includes a digital audio file that conveys sound captured by the device; and
the response data includes at least one potential source of the sound conveyed by the digital audio file.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein:
the search query includes a digital video file that conveys video content captured by the device; and
the response data includes one or more descriptors of the video content.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein:
the search query includes an error code associated with the problem, the error code being automatically generated by the device; and
the response data includes instructions that, when executed by the device, address the error code.
17. An automated diagnostic system comprising:
a network-enabled device;
a remote network-based search engine; and
a data communication network to facilitate data communication between the network-enabled device and the remote network-based search engine; wherein:
the network-enabled device automatically detects an issue associated with its operation, and automatically sends a corresponding search query to the remote network-based search engine, the search query intended to find information related to a solution to the issue;
the remote network-based search engine receives the search query and, in response to the search query, searches for relevant information pertaining to the issue, and sends a corresponding response to the network-enabled device, the response including response data associated with the solution; and
the network-enabled device receives the response, processes at least some of the response data to determine a course of action, and initiates the course of action.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein:
the network-enabled device generates the search query in accordance with a protocol used by the remote network-based search engine; and
the remote network-based search engine generates the response in accordance with the protocol.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein the network-enabled device processes the response data to identify relevant information to be used with the course of action, and to identify irrelevant information that can be disregarded.
20. The system of claim 17, wherein the remote network-based search engine processes the search query to extract search parameters.

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. An apparatus for forming a beam of electromagnetic radiation, the apparatus comprising:
a plasma radiation source;
a foil trap provided with a plurality of thin foils that extend substantially parallel to the direction of radiation from the plasma source;
a grid disposed between the plasma radiation source and the foil trap, wherein a space is located between the grid and the foil trap; and
an electrical potential application circuit constructed and arranged to apply an electrical potential to the grid so that the grid repels electrons emitted by the plasma radiation source and creates a positive space charge between the grid and the foil trap to deflect ions emitted by the plasma radiation source to the foil trap,
wherein a distance between the grid and the foil trap is at least equal to one-half of a radius of the foil trap.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical potential application circuit comprises a voltage source configured to apply a voltage difference between the grid and at least a surface of the plasma radiation source that faces the grid with a polarity so that the grid is at a negative electrical potential relative to a electrical potential at the surface of the plasma radiation source.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical potential application circuit is configured to apply the same electrical potential to the grid and a surface of the plasma radiation source that faces the grid.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the grid has a curved shape conforming to a segment of a sphere, or a plurality of plane segments at angles relative to one another distributed according to a virtual sphere segment.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one separation that divides the space between the grid and the foil trap into compartments, each compartment having a size larger than a space between foils of the foil trap, the compartments extending from the grid towards the foil trap.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one separation is an extension of one of the foils of the foil trap.
7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the compartments have a diameter between about one-half and two times the distance between the grid and the foil trap.
8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one separation comprises a plurality of separations extending at mutual angles from a plurality of lines radiating from the plasma radiation source.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the grid comprises elongated grid elements that extend further in a first direction from the plasma source to the foil trap than in a second direction transverse to the first direction.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein grid openings of the grid have a size less than or equal to a Debye length of a plasma that is be generated during operation by the plasma source on a plasma source side of the grid, multiplied by the square root of one minus a ratio of a electrical potential of the grid divided by a electrical potential difference between the plasma on a plasma source side of the grid and the electrical potential of the plasma source.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second grid between the grid and the plasma source, and a second electrical potential application circuit configured to apply a further electrical potential to the second grid that is higher than an electrical potential applied to the grid by the electrical potential application circuit.
12. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a beam apparatus configured to form a beam of electromagnetic radiation, the beam apparatus comprising:
a plasma radiation source,
a foil trap provided with a plurality of thin foils that extend substantially parallel to the direction of radiation from the plasma source,
a grid disposed between the plasma radiation source and the foil trap, wherein a space is located between the grid and the foil trap, and
an electrical potential application circuit constructed and arranged to apply an electrical potential to the grid so that the grid repels electrons emitted by the plasma radiation source and creates a positive space charge between the grid and the foil trap to deflect ions emitted by the plasma radiation source to the foil trap,
wherein a distance between the grid and the foil trap is at least equal to one-half of a radius of the foil trap;

a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device constructed and arranged to pattern the beam of electromagnetic radiation; and
a projection system constructed and arranged to project the patterned beam of electromagnetic radiation onto a substrate.
13. A method of forming a beam of radiation, the method comprising
generating radiation from a plasma radiation source;
transmitting the radiation through a foil trap; and
generating a net space charge of positively charged ions in a space between the foil trap and the plasma source by applying an electrical potential to a grid located between the plasma source and said space, a level of the electrical potential being such that grid repels electrons emitted by the plasma radiation source, wherein a distance between the grid and the foil trap is at least equal to one-half of a radius of the foil trap.
14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising applying a negative electrical potential to the grid relative to an electrical potential of a surface of the plasma source that faces the grid.
15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising applying the same electrical potential to the grid and a surface of the plasma source that faces the grid.
16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising separating space charge between the grid and the foil trap into separate space charges in a plurality of separated compartments, each compartment having a size larger than a space between foils of the foil trap, the compartments extending from the grid towards the foil trap.
17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising collecting electrons with a second grid between the grid and the plasma source.