Fabless-foundry partnership: models and analysis of coordinationissues

The fabless-foundry partnership for integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing business is expected to grow from 12% in 1995 to approximately 17% (i.e., $45B) of the total IC market in 2000. The growth of this market will be even more significant for subquarter micron technologies-whose growth is driven by the multimedia industry. The customer base will extend beyond traditional fabless IC companies into vertically integrated IC manufacturers and system vendors. Given the rate of growth and the high technology profile of products, substantial investments in capital, technology, and skilled workforce have to be dedicated and managed effectively for ensuring a successful partnership. In this paper, we outline the potential coordination problems that may arise in such partnerships, and propose a framework for analyzing issues related to yield information sharing and yield improvement. Our analysis indicates that fabless-foundry contracts that are based on a fixed number of good dies, and better yield information are more profitable     

In-line yield prediction methodologies using patterned waferinspection information

Due to the advances in in-line inspection technology it is now possible to obtain an early in-line prediction of yield. This paper introduces and compares two new in-line yield prediction methodologies: (1) multilayer critical area method and (2) defect-type-size kill-ratio method. These methods are more accurate than the past and other current approaches used in the semiconductor industry. The first method uses the design layout information along with the in-line defect data, whereas the second method uses the defect and yield data to empirically derive the kill-ratios. We demonstrate our methodologies using data collected in a real wafer fabrication facility at the polysilicon gate (Poly), and the first and second interconnect (Metal 1 and Metal 2) post etch inspection layers. We compare our in-line predictions with the actual yield     

In-line defect sampling methodology in yield management: anintegrated framework

In this paper we provide an integrated framework for designing the optimal defect sampling strategy for wafer inspection, which is crucial in yield management of state-of-the-art technologies. We present a comprehensive cost-based methodology which allows us to achieve the trade-off between the cost of inspection and the cost of yield impact of the undetected defects. We illustrate the effectiveness of our methodology using data from several leading fablines across the world. We demonstrate that this work has already caused a significant change in the sampling practices in these fablines especially in the area of defect data preprocessing (declustering), in-line defect based yield prediction, and optimization of wafer inspection equipment allocation     

Isolation and characterization of the mitochondrial ATP synthase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. cDNA sequence and deduced protein sequence of the alpha subunit

We have isolated the F0F1-ATP synthase complex from oligomycin-sensitive mitochondria of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. A pure and active ATP synthase was obtained by means of sonication, extraction with dodecyl maltoside and ion exchange and gel permeation chromatography in the presence of glycerol, DTT, ATP and PMSF [corrected]. The enzyme consists of 14 subunits as judged by SDS-PAGE. A cDNA clone encoding the ATP synthase alpha subunit has been sequenced. The deduced protein sequence contains a presequence of 45 amino acids which is not present in the mature protein. The mature protein is 58-70% identical to corresponding mitochondrial proteins from other organisms. In contrast to the ATP synthase beta subunit from C. reinhardtii (Franzen and Falk, Plant Mol Biol 19 (1992) 771-780), the protein does not have a C-terminal extension. However, the N-terminal domain of the mature protein is 15-18 residues longer than in ATP synthase alpha subunits from other organisms. Southern blot analysis indicates that the protein is encoded by a single-copy gene.     

Uptake of contraception during postpartum amenorrhoea: understandings and preferences of poor, urban women in Bangladesh

In urban Bangladesh, as in many other settings, an immediate postpartum family planning strategy prevails, where providers seek to promote and provide contraception at 40-45 days following birth to women regardless of their breastfeeding or menstrual status. Despite such practices, the majority of women choose to delay the initiation of contraception until menses resumes, often several months after birth. The present paper seeks to explain this discrepancy by describing poor, urban women's understandings regarding the chances of conception and the risks associated with contraceptive use in the postpartum period. Findings from in-depth interviews reveal that the majority of women perceive no personal risk of pregnancy during amenorrhoea, though most do not recognise an association between this diminished risk of conception and breastfeeding. In addition, the data illustrate that women are primarily concerned with their own and their newly born child's health and well-being in the period following childbirth, both of which are perceived to be extremely vulnerable. These perceptions, plus an understanding that modern methods of contraception are "strong" and potentially damaging to the health, mean that the majority of women are reluctant to adopt family planning methods soon after birth, particularly during postpartum amenorrhoea. The paper advocates that, since breastfeeding affords good protection against pregnancy for six to nine months following birth, efforts should be made to actively incorporate lactational amenorrhoea into postpartum family planning strategies in Bangladesh. Recommendations are also made for ways in which women may be encouraged to adopt contraception during amenorrhoea beyond the period of high natural protection. The paper highlights the importance of taking the client's perspective into consideration in attempts to improve the quality and effectiveness of family planning programmes.     

Entity linking across vision and language

Multimedia Tools and Applications - We propose a novel weakly supervised framework that jointly tackles entity analysis tasks in vision and language. Given a video with subtitles, we jointly...     

Effects of defect propagation/growth on in-line defect-based yieldprediction

This paper presents the importance of understanding defect propagation/growth and its impact on in-line yield prediction. In order to improve the prediction accuracy, impact of defect propagation and growth phenomena needs to be modeled and incorporated into yield prediction system. We developed a new yield prediction model by taking into account defect carryover. The empirical results of interlayer and intralayer defect propagation analysis using actual fabline data are presented