Electroless NiWP and NiReP films were investigated with the aim of application to barrier and capping layers in interconnect technology. These alloys containing a refractory metal with a high melting point were expected to have the ability to avoid diffusion of Cu into the interlevel dielectric. The composition and resistivity of these films were investigated first in order to know the relation between the composition and its thermal stability. The thermal stability was investigated by measuring the sheet resistance and the cross-sectional observation with field emission scanning electron microscope. Additionally, an electroless Ni alloy deposition on the SiO 2 layer without a sputtered seed layer was also examined by utilizing a self-assembled monolayer ͑SAM͒ as an adhesion and catalytic layer. Since an alkaline solution damaged the SiO 2 surface, a two-step process, which consists of a nucleation step performed in an acid electroless deposition bath and a barrier layer formation step carried out in an alkaline bath, is employed in order to fabricate a consistently uniform barrier film on the SAM/SiO 2 surface. It was found that the NiReP films formed on SAM/SiO 2 surfaces were stable up to 400°C, and are feasible for the barrier layer for the Cu interconnect technology.
Abstract-Colors of objects observed in underwater environments are different from those in air. This is because the light intensity decreases with the distance from objects in water by light attenuation. Robots on the ground or in air usually recognize surrounding environments by using images acquired with cameras. The same is / will be true of underwater robots. However, recognition methods in air based on image processing techniques may become invalid in water because of light attenuation. Therefore, we propose a color registration method of underwater images. The proposed method estimates underwater environments where images are acquired, in other words, parameters essential to color registration, by using more than two images. After estimating parameters, color registration is executed with consideration of light attenuation. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through experiments.
In this paper, we propose a shape reconstruction and image restoration method for paper documents with curved surfaces or fold lines by using a stereo vision system. Characters in images of thick book's pages acquired with an image scanner are difficult to recognize because they are deformed under the influence of curved surface. Therefore, 3-D shape reconstruction of the book's surface is executed from the result of the stereoscopic measurement by putting the book upward, and an image of a flat surface is recovered from the curved or folded surface. The validity of the proposed method is shown through experiments.
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