The Interior Market of Dehenhams in 2014 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Interior Market of Dehenhams in 2014 - Essay Example Some of the notable designers include Ted Baker, Jane Packer, Erickson Beamon, Janet Reger, Matthew Williamson and Ashley Thomas among others. Based on its high investment in British design for the last 20 years, Debenhams has benefited from a stable financial position that has assisted the company in expanding to other countries. This paper discusses the direction that Debenhams interiors market is heading for 2014 with reference to its customers, products, and the retailer. The consumer In efforts to increase its sales, Debenhams has embarked on increasing the number of customers who purchases its products. Debenhams customers are individual consumers who cut across the whole family regardless of gender, age, and social status as well as foreign customers. Its main business is in clothing though they have adopted various strategies in order to successfully tap footwear industry (Data monitor, 2011). Majority of the customers are women who spend few minutes to almost the whole day i n the stores. The time spent by the customers in the store varies from one store to another depending on their purchasing power. For example, most customers who visit White rose store are middle class earners and spend less time compared to the other store in the city center. They have customer who visit their store on weekly and monthly basis but on average a customer visits the store every quarter and spends about half a day in different sections shopping. More to that, the store boost itself based on increased number of online shoppers through its website as well as their iphone application for the smart phone users and a video facility that offer online display of products, well known designers interviews and photo shoots. (Data monitor, 2011). The company controls 17 percent market share in the clothing industry in United Kingdom. (Data Monitor, 2011). However, many customers visit the stores to compare prices and may end up visiting the store several times without making a pur chase and when they does it, most probably it will be an impulse buying of another product rather that what they needed in the first place. In UK, most shoppers have changed from using traditional shopping method to the internet based shopping. Debenhams has opted to use different channels to reach its target consumers; it has convectional stores as well as online kiosks (Neolane, 2013). It also allows its customers to order products that are not available on their shelves for the same day delivery. Clients adopt shopping methods that suits them. Debenhams customers who adopt new channels are frequent and valuable than then store shoppers (Data Monitor, 2011). Most customers are embracing these changes because online channels offer convenience and are slightly cheaper. This is especially so for Debenhams since most of their customers are women who are busy with family and tight working schedule. Customers are also given ample opportunities to compare the prices of the three products that include furniture, outdoor and lighting brands. In line with this, the company has enhanced its online shop, reduced the delivery period and increased its range of products.

CO 2520 Prejudice Quiz Essay Example for Free

CO 2520 Prejudice Quiz Essay 1. Punishing those who behave in prejudiced ways is: A- the quickest solution to ending the problems of prejudiced behavior. B a response that is impossible since most prejudiced behavior is difficult to observe or prove. C unlikely to make a major difference since those who are the most prejudiced tend to have already received more punishment than most of us have received. D Both B and C. 2. If one thinks prejudiced thoughts, one should suppress them or avoid thinking them. A Yes, Thoughts are very close to actions and one should avoid thinking negative thoughts about other groups of people. B No. One should not suppress the thoughts, but should actively replace them with more positive images of the group members. C No. Prejudiced thoughts are normal and harmless; they are part of being in a group. D Yes. If we dont start on a personal level to reduce prejudiced thinking, then the problems simply grow. 3. Prejudices dont cost our society and therefore are really only a problem to those who are the victims of prejudiced behavior. A To discuss the monetary cost of prejudiced behavior is impossible. B The cost of prejudiced behavior is a human cost and is not a national economic issue. C The cost of sexism and racism alone have been estimated at over one-half trillion dollars per year. D Both A and B are true. 4. Most people are not prejudiced. A Surveys show that well over 75 percent of people in the U. S. do not consider themselves to be racist. B Those who discriminate represent a very small proportion of the U. S. population. C Research has shown that those who identify themselves as low in prejudiced beliefs still discriminate. D Both A and C are true. 5. There are no inexpensive methods of managing prejudiced behavior. A This is true because prejudiced behavior is so widespread, but we still need to try. B There are ways of managing prejudiced behavior that cost next to nothing. C While the training might be expensive the long term savings are worth the investment. 6. Those who risked their own lives to save Jewish people in Western Europe during the period that the Nazis were practicing genocide were more religious than those who did not try to save Jewish people. A True. B – False 7. Those who saved Jewish people from Hitlers genocide had more resources than those who did not. A – True, they had larger attics or larger basements. B False, they had no more resources. 8. Those who are in positions of authority can do a great deal to manage prejudice within the ranks of an organization. A True B – False 9. Being strongly prejudiced has little to do with a persons intellectual functioning or ability to make other types of judgments. A True B – False 10. The motivation of a strongly prejudiced person who is committing an overtly prejudiced act is basically the same as that of a person with lower levels of prejudiced behavior who is functioning out of a stereotyped perception. A True B – False 11. When a person who does not hold prejudiced beliefs behaves in a prejudiced way he or she often feels a personal sense of discomfort. A True B – False 12. Those who are most strongly prejudiced toward a target group generally know no more negative stereotypes about those they are prejudiced toward than those who are low in prejudiced behavior toward the same group. A True. B – False 13. When the leading scientists of the world look at the issues that threaten our future they look at environmental concerns not prejudiced behavior. A Scientists have little agreement about the things that threaten our future and there is nothing that even looks like a consensus. B There is clear consensus among the majority of leading scientists in the world about what threatens our future and it includes concerns about prejudiced behavior. C There is clear consensus among the majority of the leading scientists in the world about what threatens our future and it includes concerns about prejudiced behavior, specifically sexism. 14. Sexism, racism, ageism, xenophobia, homophobia and prejudices toward those with disabilities all have basically the same dynamics. A They are all basically the same except for homophobia which functions very differently from the others. B Each is different and has its own set of dynamics. C They are all basically the same except for prejudices toward those with disabilities, which function very differently from the others. D They are all basically the same.

Money Laundering Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework Essays

Money Laundering In a recent movie Mickey Blue Eyes, there is a comical scene in which an unknown artist’s painting is sold to a buyer for $50,000. It seems as though a restaurant owner owed the mafia a large sum of money and he paid them by bidding an absurd amount of money for a horrid painting. The movie made this scene seem quite innocent and funny (See Appendix 1 for more examples). Unfortunately money laundering is a serious crime that is still prevalent in the United States and other countries. Money laundering is the routing of illegal profits from bank to bank to disguise its existence. The illegal profits are usually made through activities such as drug trafficking, prostitution rings, illegal arms sales, and various other things. The Russian mafia, the Triad (otherwise known as the Chinese mafia), and the Columbian drug cartel are just a few of the groups that partake in money laundering (FATF). No one knows exactly how much money is launder yearly but it is estimated to be about $100 billion in the United States (CCANB). Although there are hundreds of ways in which to launder money, some are more lucrative than others. The Black Market Peso exchange, gold, and digital cash are some of the more common ways to launder money. Making it harder to crack down on money laundering is the fact that many countries do not have money-laundering laws in place like the United States does. These other countries make it possible for this illegal activity to carry on. These countries are only hurting themselves because money laundering creates a direct negative effect on their economy. If these nations want to fight money laundering they will need to implement laws against it. Banks could be one of the most useful tools in stopping the laundering of money. WHAT IS MONEY LAUNDERING? As mentioned earlier money laundering is the process of hiding profits from illegal criminal activities. The major goal of these criminal activities is to make as large of a profit as possible. The money laundering process is very important to these criminals because it allows them to enjoy their profits without revealing the source. When one of these activities generates large profits, the group involved must find away to disguise the funds without attracting attention towards themselves. The way they accomplish this is by moving the funds to an indiscrete place wh... ...Feb 1996. 7 Nov 2001. http://members.tripod.com/~orgcrime/genmluk.htm â€Å"Money Laundering: A Banker’s Guide to Avoiding Problems.† Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks. 29 Jun. 2000. 2 Nov 2001. http://www.occ.treas.gov â€Å"Money Laundering: Black Market Peso Exchange.† U.S. Customs Service 3 Nov 2001 http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/enforcem/pesos.htm â€Å"Money Laundering: Financial Crimes Investigation.† U.S. Customs Service 4 Nov 2001 http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/enforcem/mone.htm â€Å"Money Laundering: A Changing Scenario.† U.S. Department of State 4 Nov 2001 http://usis.usemb.se/drugs/money/scenario.htm Preston, Staff Sergeant R.D. â€Å"Financial Investigations and Money Laundering: Investigator Manual.† United Nations International Drug Control Programme Rider, B A K. â€Å" The financial world at risk: The money dangers of organized crime, money laundering and corruption.† Managerial Auditing Journal v8n7, (1993): p3-14. ABI_INFORM_FT 6 Nov 2001 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org â€Å"U.S. Wants CPAs to Help Fight Money Laundering.† The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants May 2000. 19 Sep. 2001 http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/may2000/news1/htm

Chinese Food: Potstickers :: History Culinary Cooking Essays

Chinese Food: Potstickers I was flipping through the â€Å"Food† section of the San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday, November 5th, 2003, and came across an enormous picture of a potsticker. The article about â€Å"Potstickers† caught my attention. I thought, so what? Is there really a history behind the famous dumpling? Surprisingly, yes. The article began with an introduction of how Amy Tan, the famous author of The Joy Luck Club, makes potstickers with her sisters in remembrance of their mother. They gradually linked into the history of the potsticker with a legend that many culinary chefs know today: A chef to a royal household left a pot of dumplings on the stove too long and discovered the bottoms had burned. The chef thought this would mean his head, but his smart son decided to present the dumplings to the emperor himself. When the emperor asked why the dumplings were burned, the son quickly explained it was a new recipe for something called potstickers. The emperor liked the cr unchiness of the browned bottoms and a new dish was born. The article then continues on to the significance of the potsticker. Martin Yan, cooking show host, says â€Å"The potstickers are special because of the succulent filling inside and a crispy bottom outside. People also like the play of the dumpling with its dipping sauce.† The article ties back to the introduction of Amy Tan and her connections with the potsticker. She also states the potsticker is an equalizer to all; people rich or poor can eat the most glorious pot sticker for â€Å"they transcend class and money.† Tan continues to make potstickers in her mother’s memory. The pot stickers are great for entertaining a party and culinary schools are now teaching how to make the dumplings. The article also provides a recipe and illustrations in addition to seven columns on how to prepare them. On the Bottom of that article was another article by Olivia Wu, titled, â€Å"A Family That Rolls, Fills and Crimps Together Creates More Than Just Dumplings.â₠¬  This article talks about the significance of one family and how making potstickers brings them together like playing a board game would. The article was captivating because my family and I do the same thing! I was reminded of how the potsticker relates to me.

Golf Industry Competition

Case #3: â€Å"COMPETITION IN THE GOLF EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY† From its earliest beginnings in the 1450’s, golf was a peculiar game that tested the individual skill of each person who played. It is a game that takes a player on a journey through a number of â€Å"greens. † The player must try to get the small, hard golf ball into the â€Å"green† or â€Å"putting green† which contains a hole in the ground. The player can only hit the ball with a golf club. Golf equipment, such as golf clubs, golf balls, and the like are the subject of this report.There are five competitive forces: â€Å"competitive pressures stemming from buyer bargaining power and seller-buyer collaboration; competitive pressures coming from companies in other industries to win buyers over to substitute products; competitive pressures stemming from supplier bargaining power and supplier-seller collaboration; competitive pressures associated with the threat of new entrants into the mar ket; and competitive pressures associated with rivalry among competing sellers to attract customers.This is usually the strongest force)† (Gamble & Thompson, 2011). There are a handful of rival competitors in the golf equipment industry. The leading manufacturers and marketers of Golf Equipment were Callaway Golf Company, TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, Titleist/cobra Golf, Ping Golf and Nike Golf. Innovation in regards to new technology â€Å"as allowed by the USGA and R&A, product performance, brand image, tour exposure, and price were the competitive forces that had the greatest effect on the industry.In 2009, most golf club manufacturers had met dimension, volume, CT, and MOI limits and were attempting to achieve differentiation in drivers by either lowering the center of gravity to increase launch angle or by offering clubs with adjustable features† (Gamble & Thompson, 2011). The pace of rivalry is not becoming more intense since the industry services a limited amount of p layers and must work within the industry’s guidelines and regulations. Drivers of industry and competitive change include â€Å"changes in an industry’s ong-term growth rate; increasing globalization; emerging new internet capabilities and applications; changes in who buys the product and how they use it; product innovation technological change and manufacturing process innovation; marketing innovation; entry or exit of major firms; diffusion of technical know-how across more companies and more countries; changes in cost and efficiency; growing buyer preferences for differentiated products instead of a standardized commodity product; regulatory influences and government policy changes; and changing societal concerns, attitudes, and lifestyles† (Gamble & Thompson, 2011, p 61).Differentiation of product, quality control, and touring professional golfers’ endorsements and their design preferences, along with other industry forces continue to shape the golf e quipment industry. A charismatic professional touring golfer with perfected golf skills can bring a lot of positive changes to the golf industry. This might lead to increased awareness and viewership, an increased number of new golfers and returning golfers, and innovative design of products.Key success factors (KSFs) may include â€Å"particular strategy elements, product attributes, resources, competitive capabilities, or intangible assets†¦and answers these questions: on what basis do buyers of the industry’s product choose between the competing brands of sellers? That is, what product attributes are crucial? ; given the nature of the competitive forces prevailing in the marketplace, what resources and competitive capabilities does a company need to have to be competitively successful? and What shortcomings are almost certain to put a company at a significant competitive disadvantage? † (Gamble & Thompson, 2011, pg 67, 69). Common key success factors include â €Å"technology-related; manufacturing-related; distribution-related; marketing-related; skills- and capability-related; and other types of KSFs† (Gamble & Thompson, 2011, p 68). Technology, innovative design, and cost control are the key factors that determine success of companies competing in the golf equipment industry. Callaway Golf, Ping Golf, and Taylor-Made Golf utilized the innovations in club head design the best.Important factors in evaluating industry and competitive environment include: the industry’s growth potential; whether powerful competitive forces are squeezing industry profitability and whether competition appears destines to grow stronger or weaker; whether industry profitability will be favorably or unfavorably affected by the prevailing driving forces; the company’s competitive position in the industry vis-a-vis rivals; and how competently the company performs industry key success factors (Gamble & Thompson, 2011, p 69).Net sales for Callaw ay Golf is: $1,117,204,000 in 2008 up from $934,564,000 in 2004; TaylorMade-Adidas Golf is: â‚ ¬812,000,000 in 2008 (when the exchange rate was 2. 008 US dollars for every â‚ ¬1) up from â‚ ¬633,000,000 in 2004; Fortune Brands’ Golf is: $1,369,000,000 in 2008 up from $1,212,000,000 in 2004. Operating income for Callaway Golf is: $84,188,000 in 2008 up from ($24,702,000) in 2004; operating profit for TaylorMade-Adidas Golf is: â‚ ¬78,000,000 in 2008 (when the exchange rate was 2. 008 US dollars for every â‚ ¬1) up from â‚ ¬60,000,000 in 2004; Fortune Brands’ Golf is: $125,000,000 in 2008 up from $154,000,000 in 2004.TaylorMade-Adidas Golf is doing extremely well. TaylorMade-Adidas Golf seem to have a strategy that copes strategically well with the competitive forces prevailing in the industry. The recession of 2008-2009 was very telling in the financial performance of the industry’s major sellers. Some increased financially while others decrease d. Callaway Golf ‘s net sales decreased $7,387,000 in 2008 from 2007; TaylorMade-Adidas Golf’s sales increased by â‚ ¬8,000,000 in 2008 (when the exchange rate was 2. 08 US dollars for every â‚ ¬1) from 2007 numbers; Fortune Brands’ Golf decreased $31,000,000 in 2008 from 2007. I would recommend more research and development to Callaway Golf. I would also recommend that their employees play golf with their clubs, balls, and other equipment and suggest product design to an unbiased top management. Perhaps Callaway Golf could make a few high-end specialty items that cater to player preferences including players with disabilities. Buyer access to its product line could also be streamlined and revamped to include low or no-cost shipping and handling.To Fortune Brands, I would recommend selling the golf division. It seems like Fortune is in the golf business to make money and although this is an essential trait, the golf business requires the company to be all i n it to win it. I would recommend buyer seminars, classes, instruction offered to TaylorMade-Adidas Golf customers and business clientele. I would suggest that notification of these instructional seminars be marketed through high-end retailers and office pools in locations where golf is an accessible sport.Maybe a golf celebrity or other celebrity could show up at the seminars to increase the enthusiasm of TaylorMade-Adidas Golf product line. I would suggest that TaylorMade-Adidas Golf research the options of wider distribution points such as the internet and other outlets. If the issue is the instructional experience of the buyer, perhaps TaylorMade-Adidas Golf could offer some quick internet video access instruction or live instructional seminars (as mentioned above) to the internet buyer as well.Essentially, a company is to perform at its best capacity: â€Å"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men† (Colossians 3:23) and â€Å"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God† (Romans 13:1) REFERENCES Gamble, J. E. & Thompson, Jr. , A. A. (2011). Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: 2nd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Holy Bible (KJV). Public Domain.

Love Metaphors From Literature and Pop Culture

Love Metaphors From Literature and Pop Culture In literature, music, and popular culture, love is often used as a metaphor, a  trope  or  figure of speech  in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something in common. For example, when Neil Young sings, Love is a rose, the word rose is the vehicle for the term love, the tenor. Or as Milan Kundera wrote in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I have said before that metaphors are dangerous. Love begins with a metaphor. He might have added that love sometimes ends with a metaphor as well. Like the experience of love itself, metaphors make connections. So its no surprise that love has been imagined, examined, and remembered through a wide variety of figurative comparisons, as the quotes below show. Love as a Fruit or Plant As the collection of passages in this and the below sections demonstrate, love has been compared to everything from a plant to a truck. The metaphors in this collection are anything but conventional. Love is a fruit, in season at all times and within the reach of every hand. Anyone may gather it and no limit is set.– Mother Teresa, No Greater Love I look at you and wham, Im head over heels.I guess that love is a banana peel.I feel so bad and yet Im feeling so well.I slipped, I stumbled, I fell– Ben Weisman and Fred Wise, I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell, sung by Elvis Presley in the film Wild in the Country Love is a spice with many tastes- a dizzying array of textures and moments.– Wayne Knight as Newman in the final episode of Seinfeld Now that youre gone I can seeThat love is a garden if you let it go.It fades away before you know,And love is a garden- it needs help to grow.– Jewel and Shaye Smith, Love Is a Garden Love is a plant of the most tender kind,That shrinks and shakes with every ruffling wind– George Granville, The British Enchanters As a Phenomenon of Nature Washington Irving  compared love to the rosy cloud in the morning of life, but many others have likened love to various phenomena of nature from lightning to stars and fire, as the quotes in this section demonstrate. Oh, love is a journey with water and stars,with drowning air and storms of flour;love is a clash of lightnings,two bodies subdued by one honey.– Pablo Neruda, Sonnet 12 [Love] is an ever-fixed markThat looks on tempests and is never shaken;It is the star to every wandering bark,Whose worths unknown, although his height be taken.– William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116 Love is a fire.It burns everyone.It disfigures everyone.It is the worlds excusefor being ugly.– Leonard Cohen, The Energy of Slaves Loves fire, if it once goes out, is hard to kindle.– German proverb An Animal Kurt Vonnegut called love a hawk with velvet claws, but many singers, writers, authors, and figures in popular culture have compared love to various animals, including dogs, birds, and even a crocodile. Love is a dog from hell.– Charles Bukowski, Love Is a Dog From Hell Loves wing  moults  when caged and captured,Only free he soars enraptured.– Thomas Campbell, Loves Philosophy Love is a crocodile in the river of desire.– Bhartá ¹â€ºhari, Ã…Å¡atakatraya Happiness is the china shop; love is the bull.–  H.L. Mencken, A Little Book in C Major And Even a Disease Love has been compared to many things, but surprisingly, some have likened it to a disease, as the eclectic mix of quotes shows in this final section. They say it is better to travel than to arrive. Its not been my experience, at least. The journey of love has been rather a lacerating, if well-worth-it, journey.– D.H. Lawrence, Fantasia of the Unconscious Love is a truck and an open road,Somewhere to start and a place to go.– Mojave 3, Truck Driving Man They say love is a two-way street. But I dont believe it, because the one Ive been on for the last two years was a dirt road.– Terry McMillan, Waiting to Exhale Love is the master key that unlocks the gates of happiness, of hatred, of jealousy, and most easily of all, the gate of fear.– Oliver Wendell Holmes, A Moral Antipathy Love is a beggar, most importunate,Uncalled he comes and makes his dear demands– Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, Love Is a Beggar I thought love would be my cureBut now its my disease.– Alicia Keyes, Love Is My Disease Is it natural for a man to fall in love? Love is a disease and disease knows no laws.– Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

Process data shows Essay Example

Process data shows Essay Example Process data shows Essay Process data shows Essay A 0. 60 um film of silicon dioxide is to be etched with a buffered oxide etchant of etch rate 750 A min-1. Process data shows that the thickness may vary up to 10% and the etch rate may vary up to 15%. The maximum possible thickness of the silicon dioxide film is therefore 110% of its nominal value. Therefore, the maximum possible thickness of the silicon dioxide film can be determined through the following calculation: where zmax is the maximum possible thickness of the silicon dioxide film and znominal is the nominal thickness of the silicon dioxide film. Therefore, znominal = 0.  60 um. Any number expressed as a percentage can alternatively be expressed as a decimal. For example, 110% can be expressed as 1. 1. Using this decimal format, the above formula can be rewritten in the following manner: Substituting our previously determined value for znominal into the above formula yields: with significant figures applied Similarly, the minimum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant is 85% of its nominal value. Therefore, the minimum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant can be determined through the following calculation: Where rmin is the minimum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant and rnominal is the minimum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant. Therefore, rnominal = 750 A min-1. Using the conversion factors 1 A = 10-10 m and 1 um = 10-6 m, rnominal can be converted to um min-1 in the following manner: with significant figures applied As was demonstrated above, this percentage value can alternatively be expressed as a decimal. Therefore, 85% can be expressed as 0. 85. Using this decimal format, the above formula can be rewritten in the following manner: Substituting our previously determined value for rnominal into the above formula yields: with significant figures applied I have completed this question with the assumption that the etching process is perfect, with no overetching or underetching. This implies that the time required to complete the etching process is exactly the time required for the buffered oxide etchant to etch to the interface between the silicon dioxide layer and the substrate. I have also completed this question with the assumption that the buffered oxide etchant is a wet etchant, and that it etches isotropically. The slide entitled Isotropic Wet Etching and Feature Size in section 5 of the notes states the time required for a perfect etch using a wet etchant, with no overetching or underetching. This time is given in the following formula: where z is the thickness of the film, r is the etch rate of the etchant and ? is the time required for a perfect etch, with no overetching or underetching. The thickness of our silicon dioxide film may vary up to 10% and the etch rate of our buffered oxide etchant may vary up to 15%. Therefore, the time required to complete the etching process may also vary. From the above equation for ? , we can see that the maximum possible time required to complete the etching process occurs when z is maximized and r is minimized. Therefore, we can slightly modify the above equation for ? to represent the maximum possible time required to complete the etching process: where ? max is the maximum possible time required to complete the etching process, with no overetching or underetching. Substituting our previously determined values for zmax and rmin into the above formula yields: with significant figures applied Therefore. Max represents the maximum possible time required to complete the etching process, with no overetching or underetching. b). I have completed this question with the assumption that the buffered oxide etchant is a wet etchant, and that it etches isotropically. For an isotropic wet etching process, undercutting will occur at the top of the silicon dioxide layer. The slide entitled Isotropic Wet Etching and Feature Size in section 5 of the notes states the amount of undercutting that would occur at the top of the silicon dioxide layer for a perfect etch, with no overetching or underetching. Since the etchant is isotropic, it must etch equally in all directions. Additionally, the etchant is always in contact with the top of the silicon dioxide layer during the etching process. Therefore, it etches horizontally along the top of the silicon dioxide layer for the entire time for which the etching process occurs. Therefore, the length of the undercut that is generated at the top of the silicon dioxide layer is simply equal to the etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant multiplied by the time of the etching process. Mathematically, Where xundercut is the length of the undercut that is generated at the top of the silicon dioxide layer. I have completed question 6-1-a with the assumption that we are etching for the maximum possible time required to complete the etching process. As a result, whatever variations in film thickness or etch rate may occur, the film of silicon dioxide will be fully etched through. The maximum undercut will be generated if the buffered oxide etchant etches at its maximum possible rate. The maximum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant is 115% of its nominal value. Therefore, the maximum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant can be determined through the following calculation: where rmax is the maximum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant and rnominal is the nominal etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant. Therefore, rnominal = 750 A min-1. Using the conversion factors 1 A = 10-10 m and 1 um = 10-6 m, rnominal can be converted to um min-1 in the following manner: with significant figures applied As was demonstrated above, this percentage value can alternatively be expressed as a decimal. Therefore, 115% can be expressed as 1. 15. Using this decimal format, the above formula can be rewritten in the following manner: Substituting our previously determined value for rnominal into the above formula yields: with significant figures applied the above equation for xundercut can be modified slightly to yield the length of the undercut that is generated at the top of the silicon dioxide layer after the maximum possible etch time and with the maximum possible etch rate. Mathematically, where xundercut_max is the length of the undercut that is generated at the top of the silicon dioxide layer after the maximum possible etch time and with the maximum possible etch rate. Substituting our previously determined values for rmax and ? max into the above equation yields: with significant figures applied The minimum undercut will be generated if the buffered oxide etchant etches at its minimum possible rate. The minimum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant is 85% of its nominal value. Therefore, the minimum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant can be determined through the following calculation: where rmin is the minimum possible etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant and rnominal is the nominal etch rate of the buffered oxide etchant.