Disclosed is a composition for forming a polyurethane film with improved reaction stability, comprising an OH group-containing polymer; an isocyanate-based compound as a curing agent; and an alicyclic urea diol compound having two urea groups and an OH group at two terminals, and a polyurethane film with improved self-healable property from tear, derived from the composition.

Polyurethane is a typical compound used in a film/coating for automotive exterior components. The urethane bonds of the polyurethane may be formed by bonds between a hydroxyl (OH) group and an isocyanate (NCO) group.
The polyurethane may be classified into a linear polyurethane and a crosslinked polyurethane. One method for preparing the linear polyurethane includes condensation reaction between a polyol having two hydroxyl groups and a diisocyanate compound. Additionally, an exemplary method for preparing the crosslinked polyurethane includes condensation reaction between a polyol having two or more hydroxyl groups and an isocyanate compound including three or more NCO groups, or condensation reaction between a polyol having three or more hydroxyl groups and a diisocyanate compound, but is not limited thereto.
A composition for forming the polyurethane, i.e., a composition for forming a polyurethane film is suitable for forming a coating film used in automotive exterior components in terms of fabrication cost, low temperature cure and adhesion to a substrate.
However, a polyurethane with elastic recovery (for example, Scratch Shield® from Nissan Paint, Japan) is well known as the conventional composition for forming a polyurethane film and a polyurethane film obtained therefrom, but the polyurethane elastic recovery has a self-healable property due to the elasticity, but lacks a self-healable property from tear. To solve this disadvantage, suggestion has been made to introduce an amine compound to the conventional composition for forming a polyurethane film to improve the self-healable property, but an unintentional reaction occurs in the composition for forming a polyurethane film with the amine compound due to the strong reactivity of amine, failing to obtain an intended polyurethane film.

Composition for forming polyurethane film, polyurethane-film derived therefrom and article comprising the same

Korea Institute of Industrial Technology


A method for producing a metal ingot by using an electron-beam melting furnace having an electron gun and a hearth that accumulates a molten metal of a metal raw material, wherein the metal raw material is supplied to the position on a supply line disposed along a second side wall of the hearth that accumulates the molten metal of the metal raw material. A first electron beam is radiated along a first irradiation line that is disposed along the supply line and is closer to a central part of the hearth relative to the supply line on the surface of the molten metal, wherein a surface temperature (T2) of the molten metal at the first irradiation line is made higher than an average surface temperature (T0) of the entire surface of the molten metal in the hearth.

An ingot of commercially pure titanium or a titanium alloy or the like is produced by melting a titanium raw material such as titanium sponge or scrap. Examples of techniques for melting a metal raw material (hereunder, may be referred to simply as "raw material") such as a titanium raw material include a vacuum arc remelting process, a plasma arc melting process, and an electron beam melting process. Among these, in the electron beam melting process, the raw material is melted by radiating an electron beam onto a solid raw material in an electron-beam melting furnace (hereunder, also referred to as "EB furnace"). To prevent dissipation of the energy of the electron beam, melting of the raw material by radiation of the electron beam in the EB furnace is performed inside a vacuum chamber. Molten titanium (hereunder, may also be referred to as "molten metal") that is the melted raw material is refined in a hearth, and thereafter is solidified in a mold to form a titanium ingot. According to the electron beam melting process, because the radiation position of the electron beam that is the heat source can be accurately controlled by an electromagnetic force, heat can also be sufficiently supplied to molten metal in the vicinity of the mold. Therefore, it is possible to produce an ingot without deteriorating the surface quality thereof.
An EB furnace generally includes a raw material supplying portion that supplies a raw material such as titanium sponge, one or a plurality of electron guns for melting the supplied raw material, a hearth (for example, a water-cooled copper hearth) for accumulating the melted raw material, and a mold for forming an ingot by cooling molten titanium that was poured therein from the hearth. EB furnaces are broadly classified into two types according to differences between the configurations of the hearths. Specifically, for example, an EB furnace 1A that includes a melting hearth 31 and a refining hearth 33 as illustrated in FIG. 1, and an EB furnace 1B that includes only a refining hearth 30 as illustrated in FIG. 2 are available as two types of EB furnace.
The EB furnace 1A illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a raw material supplying portion 10, electron guns 20a to 20e, a melting hearth 31 and refining hearth 33, and a mold 40. The solid raw material 5 that is introduced into the melting hearth 31 from the raw material supplying portion 10 is irradiated with electron beams by the electron guns 20a and 20b to thereby melt the raw material 5 to obtain a molten metal 5c. The melted raw material (molten metal 5c) in the melting hearth 31 flows into the refining hearth 33 that communicates with the melting hearth 31. In the refining hearth 33, the temperature of the molten metal 5c is maintained or increased by radiation of electron beams onto the molten metal 5c by the electron guns 20c and 20d. By this means, impurities contained in the molten metal 5c are removed or the like, and the molten metal 5c is refined. Thereafter, the refined molten metal 5c flows into the mold 40 from a lip portion 33a provided at an end portion of the refining hearth 33. The molten metal 5c solidifies inside the mold 40, thereby producing an ingot 50. A hearth composed of the melting hearth 31 and the refining hearth 33 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is also referred to as a "long hearth".
On the other hand, the EB furnace 1B shown in FIG. 2 includes raw material supplying portions 10A and 10B, electron guns 20A to 20D, a refining hearth 30 and a mold 40. A hearth that is composed of only the refining hearth 30 in this way is also referred to as a "short hearth", relative to the "long hearth" illustrated in FIG. 1. In the EB furnace 1B that uses the short hearth, the solid raw material 5 that is placed on the raw material supplying portions 10A and 10B is melted by electron beams that are directly radiated from the electron guns 20A and 20B, and the melted raw material 5 is dripped into the molten metal 5c in the refining hearth 30 from the raw material supplying portions 10A and 10B. Thus, the melting hearth 31 illustrated in FIG. 1 can be omitted from the EB furnace 1B illustrated in FIG. 2. In addition, in the refining hearth 30, the temperature of the molten metal 5c is maintained or increased by radiating electron beams from the electron gun 20C over a wide range on the entire surface of the molten metal 5c. By this means, impurities contained in the molten metal 5c are removed or the like, and thus the molten metal 5c is refined. Thereafter, the refined molten metal 5c flows into the mold 40 from a lip portion 36 provided at an end portion of the refining hearth 30, and an ingot 50 is produced.
In the case of producing an ingot using a hearth and a mold by means of an electron beam melting process as described above, if impurities are mixed in with the ingot, the impurities will be the cause of cracks in the ingot. Therefore, there is a need for the development of electron beam melting technology that can ensure that impurities do not become mixed into molten metal that flows into a mold from a hearth. Impurities are mainly included in the raw material, and are classified into two kinds, namely, a HDI (High Density Inclusion) and a LDI (Low Density Inclusion). A HDI is, for example, an impurity in which tungsten is the principal component, and the density of the HDI is larger than the density of molten titanium. On the other hand, a LDI is an impurity in which the principal component is nitrided titanium or the like. The inside of the LDI is in a porous state, and therefore the density of the LDI is less than the relative density of molten titanium.
On the inner surface of a water-cooled copper hearth, a solidified layer is formed at which molten titanium that came in contact with the hearth solidified. The solidified layer is referred to as a "skull". Among the aforementioned impurities, because the HDIs have a high relative density, the HDIs settle in the molten metal (molten titanium) in the hearth, and adhere to the surface of the skull and are thereby trapped, and hence the possibility of HDIs becoming mixed into the ingot is low. On the other hand, because the density of the LDIs is less than the density of molten titanium, a major portion of the LDIs float on the molten metal surface within the hearth. While the LDIs are floating on the molten metal surface, the nitrogen diffuses and is dissolved into the molten metal. In the case of using the long hearth illustrated in FIG. 1, because the residence time of the molten metal in the long hearth can be prolonged, it is easier to cause impurities such as LDIs to dissolve into the molten metal in comparison to a case of using a short hearth. On the other hand, in the case of using a short hearth as illustrated in FIG. 2, because the residence time of the molten metal in the short hearth is short compared to the long hearth, the possibility that impurities will not dissolve into the molten metal is high compared to when using the long hearth. Further, in the case of LDIs that have a high nitrogen content, because the dissolving point thereof is high, the possibility of the LDIs dissolving into the molten metal during the residence time of normal operations is extremely low.
Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of electron beam melting for metallic titanium in which the surface of molten metal in a hearth is scanned with an electron beam in the opposite direction to the direction in which the molten metal flows into a mold, and the average temperature of molten metal in a region adjacent to a molten metal discharging opening in the hearth is made equal to or higher than the melting point of impurities. According to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, by scanning an electron beam in a zig-zag manner in the opposite direction to the flow direction of the molten metal, it is attempted to push back impurities that float on the molten metal surface to the upstream side so that the impurities do not flow into a mold on the downstream side.


An embodiment of a graphene device includes a layered structure, first and second electrodes, and a dopant island. The layered structure includes a conductive layer, an insulating layer, and a graphene layer. The electrodes are coupled to the graphene layer. The dopant island is coupled to an exposed surface of the graphene layer between the electrodes. An embodiment of a method of using a graphene device includes providing the graphene device. A voltage is applied to the conductive layer of the graphene device. Another embodiment of a method of using a graphene device includes providing the graphene device without the dopant island. A dopant island is placed on an exposed surface of the graphene layer between the electrodes. A voltage is applied to the conductive layer of the graphene device. A response of the dopant island to the voltage is observed.

The present invention relates to the field of graphene and, more particularly, to the field of graphene devices.
Phase transitions are a dramatic example of macroscopic order arising from the microscopic interactions in a physical system. Small changes in the coupling strength of the microscopic interaction can produce distinctly different orderings. This coupling can depend on a variety of external factors such as temperature, magnetic field, or pressure. However, in any electronic phase transition, the coupling strength invariably depends on one essential factor, the density of electrons between interacting elements.
Need
Using the electric field-effect to tune the conductivity of semiconductors forms the physical basis of the consumer electronics industry. However, the ability to tune other electronic properties such as superconductivity and ferromagnetism (see, Ahn, C. H. et al., Rev. Mod. Phys. 78, 1185-1212 (2006) and Ahn, C. H., et al., Nature 424, 1015-1018 (2003).) has met with relatively limited success despite significant applications. The major obstacle to this end has been finding materials which not only have the requisite electronic properties but that can also be gated.

Graphene device and method of using graphene device

The Regents of the University of California


A power driven rotary apparatus is disclosed for winding wire onto reels. A power driven turret has four stations, each adapted for receiving and supporting a reel about which wire is to be wound. Each station has a spindle for mounting a reel at a first location corresponding to a predetermined rotational position of the turret. The turret is rotated sequentially and continuously to each position. Means is provided for directing wire to be wound adjacent the reel when it is located at the wire winding positions located at twelve o'clock and nine o'clock respectively. Means is provided for rotating the reel at the second position in a direction adapted for winding the wire thereabout, and means is provided for stopping rotation of the reel after a predetermined amount of wire is wound thereabout. The reel is removed after the predetermined amount of wire is completely wound thereabout. The apparatus is adapted for sequential mounting of reels onto the turret for winding wire thereabout to provide a substantially continuous and sequential wire winding procedure. A method for rapidly winding wire onto these reels is also disclosed.

Wire winding machines for continuously and successively winding wire about reels or spools are known in the art. Such devices are standard equipment for storing and delivering wire and depending upon their size, they are referred to as either "spools" or "reels". For example, spools are generally sized about 6-10 inches in diameter and above this size they are normally referred to as "reels". Both reels and spools are contemplated herein. However, for convenience of illustration, they will generally be referred to herein as "reels".
In general, the wire and the reel are separately supplied to the machine and the winding is accomplished by the machine after which the fully wound reel is removed at the output of the machine. Some machines provide a pair of winders so that when one reel is fully wound the wire may be cut and transferred to an adjacent reel for winding. During the winding process of a given reel, the fully wound reel is discharged automatically or manually and an empty reel is supplied for winding. The cycle is continuously and sequentially repeated.
Wire winding machines of the type described usually operate at extremely high speeds and subject the components to substantial stresses and substantial resulting wear. In particular, the objective of fully winding a plurality of reels with industrial wire with minimum loss of time between reels will necessarily involve substantial load factors due particularly to the repeated action and changes of direction of the components during the loading, winding, transfer and unloading processes.
In a typical machine, empty reels are normally supplied to the machine and positioned and grasped for wire winding. After the wire winding has been completed, the reels are sequentially released and discharged from the machine. In some cases, the fully wound reels are discharged automatically by the output section of the machine. In other cases, the fully wound reels are removed by an operator.
One example of a continuous wire winding machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,564. This patent relates to a dual reel continuous wire winding machine with a robotic reel loading mechanism. The continuous wire winding machine has a pair of flanges connected by a central core and a conveyor for supplying empty reels to and removing wound reels from the machine. Two pairs of arbors are provided for gripping and rotating the reels for winding wire thereabout. One of each of the pairs of arbors is driven. A transfer mechanism is provided for transferring empty reels from the conveyor and fully wound reels to the conveyor and includes a pair of robotic arm assemblies. A shaft is provided to mount each robotic arm assembly for oscillation through an arc of 180.degree.. A first gripper is provided for grasping an empty reel at one end of the assembly and a second gripper is provided for grabbing the wound reel at the other end of the assembly. Driving means mounts the grippers for moving them between an outwardly extending position and an inwardly retracted position relative to the assembly and the shaft.
Other examples of such machines are known in the art for winding wire onto reels on a regular basis. None of these devices, however, are capable of providing wound reels of wire at speeds which meet commercial high speed requirements. I have invented an apparatus and method whereby high speed winding is achieved by dividing each reel winding operation into separate steps on a rotating turret mechanism which divides the high speed reel loading and winding process into convenient stations.
A power driven rotary apparatus is disclosed for winding wire onto reels which comprises a power driven turret having at least two stations, each station receiving and supporting a reel about which wire is to be wound. The turret has a generally circular configuration and is mounted for rotation. A reel to be loaded is mounted on a first station in a first position of the turret. The turret is then rotated such that the reel is moved to a second position. The wire to be wound is directed onto the reel when located at the second position, which is rotated to wind the wire onto the reel. Rotation of the reel stops after a predetermined amount of wire has been wound thereon. Reels are sequentially mounted onto the turret to provide a substantially continuous and sequential wire winding procedure.
The turret preferably includes at least four stations, which upon rotation of the turret pass successively through a reel loading position, a wire winding commencement position, a wire winding completion position, and a reel unloading position. Typically, the reel loading position is at three o'clock as viewed from the front of the turret, and the wire winding commencement position is at twelve o'clock. The wire winding completion position is at nine o'clock, and the reel unloading position is at six o'clock.
A motor driven pulley and belt system selectively rotates the reels at the positions for appropriately winding the wire around the reels. The motor driven pulley and belt system comprises two motors, each driving a separate system of pulleys via toothed belts. Each station comprises a rotatable shaft carrying two pulleys, one of which is engaged to the shaft so that it drives the shaft when it is rotated, and the other of which freewheels on the shaft so that it does not drive the shaft when it is rotated. The freewheeling pulleys act as idlers, keeping proper tension on the belt. Each pulley of each pair engages only one motor and belt system as the station at which it is carried moves from position to position. Therefore each separate shaft is driven throughout its movement by a particular motor and belt system. The pulleys on adjacent shafts are arranged so that adjacent shafts are driven by different motor and belt system. The pulleys may be engaged by the belts at the winding commencement and completion positions, and additionally over all or part of the path the pulleys follow when moving between those positions, so that the belts are tensioned at all times and the reels are driven continuously.

Multiple station turret winding apparatus and method for winding wire onto reels


An apparatus includes a plurality of first driving signal driving units, and generates a first driving signal by driving an input signal, a plurality of second driving signal driving units, each of which drives an input signal and generates a second driving signal, a timing control unit that controls each of the first driving signal driving units such that a predetermined time difference is generated between an enable timing of the first driving signal and an enable timing of the second driving signal, a plurality of sense amplifier driving units, each of which generates a first driving level and a second driving level according to the first driving signal and the second driving signal, and a plurality of sense amplifiers that are provided for respective bit line pairs, and each include first type switching elements operating according to the first driving level and second type switching elements operating according to the second driving level.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit, and more particularly, to an apparatus for sensing data of a semiconductor integrated circuit.
2. Related Art
Among semiconductor integrated circuits, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) devices sense and amplify data, which is stored in memory cells, using sense amplifiers. The sense amplifiers are connected to bit lines of the memory cells respectively, and determine memory cell data by comparing a voltage level at which a charge is shared between the bit lines and a precharge voltage level of a bit line. A sense amplifier block may be connected to one memory block and sense data stored in memory cells within the memory block. The sense amplifier block may also be connected to two memory blocks and selectively sense data stored in memory cells within one of the two memory blocks.
A conventional apparatus for sensing data of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes sense amplifiers. Each of the sense amplifiers includes first and second CMOS inverters that are connected to each other with a latch structure.
There may be a difference between a threshold voltage of the MOS transistor in the first CMOS inverter and a threshold voltage of the MOS transistor in the second CMOS inverter may be. More specifically, as an integration density of the semiconductor integrated circuits increases, channel lengths of the MOS transistors may be slightly changed during a process of manufacturing the MOS transistors. This small change in the channel lengths may cause the difference in threshold voltage between the MOS transistors.
FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating simulation results of threshold voltage offset between right CMOS transistors and between left CMOS transistors (that is, NMOS transistors and PMOS transistors) that constitute a sense amplifier according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, the difference in threshold voltage offset between the PMOS transistors is larger than the difference in threshold voltage offset between the NMOS transistors.
The difference in threshold voltage between the PMOS transistors causes a difference in sense amplifier driving signals for driving the sense amplifier. That is, each of the PMOS transistors comprising the sense amplifier has a drain to which an RTO signal is input, and each of the NMOS transistors comprising the sense amplifier has a source to which an SB signal is input. The amount of time required for the RTO signal to become a VDD level is shorter than the amount of time required for the SB signal to become a VSS level, due to the variation of the PMOS transistor. Therefore, even when the NMOS transistors need to be turned on, the PMOS transistors are turned on first, which causes an error in the sense amplifier.
According to another method of the related art, referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the technique has been proposed, in which a signal for driving NMOS transistors (for example, SAN) of a CMOS latch is generated, and then, a signal for driving PMOS transistors (for example, SAP) is generated. Therefore, in theory, it is designed so that the NMOS transistors configuring the CMOS latch are turned on earlier than the PMOS transistors.
However, when the semiconductor integrated circuit operates at a high VDD condition, a time difference between the signal for driving the NMOS transistors and the signal for driving the PMOS transistors is reduced. Therefore, in fact, the PMOS transistors are still turned on first, which causes a sensing error.

Apparatus for sensing data of semiconductor integrated circuit


A stabilization device for stabilizing an attachment component relative to movements of a basic component which occur outside a permitted plane of movement. The attachment component and the basic component are connected via a stabilization arrangement that includes:                a first compensation arrangement for compensating rotational movements of the basic component with respect to an intermediate component, about rotational axes lying in the plane of movement, including a first compensation device which can be actuated actively,        a second compensation arrangement for compensating residual linear movements of the intermediate component in a compensation direction, perpendicular to the plane of movement, in relation to the attachment component, having a second compensation device which can be actuated actively,        a plurality of inertial sensors assigned to the first and/or second compensation arrangement, and        a control device for actuating the compensation devices for movement compensation as a function of sensor data of the inertial sensors.

The invention relates to a stabilization device for stabilizing an attachment component with respect to movements of a basic component which occur outside of a predetermined plane of movement, wherein the attachment component and the basic component are connected via a stabilization arrangement. In addition, the invention also relates to a method for stabilizing an attachment component.
In many applications, it is expedient for a use device which can be attached to an attachment component to be mounted in a way which is as free of vibrations as possible. It is frequently desired in this context that movement components which are present within a predetermined plane of movement, usually the horizontal plane, are permitted, that is to say for example the use device can move randomly in a horizontal plane. Examples of such use devices comprise in the first instance cameras which are used, for example, for recording films and the like. Such cameras have to be kept as stable as possible as far as vibrations and the like are concerned, for which purpose a multiplicity of approaches for stabilization have already been proposed. For example, camera stabilization devices which are to be carried by a person or in some other way are known as described, in DE 10 2015 107 483 A1. Such camera stabilization devices (also referred to as camera balance devices) are extremely complex and expensive equipment.
Another example of use devices are also sensor devices, for example in an application for autonomous driving and/or in applications for the most precise possible measurement of target objects, in particular buildings, where a corresponding measuring device is moved, for example, by means of a crane. In this respect, computational movement component algorithms which evaluate recorded sensor data are already known, but they are extremely costly to implement and are at least to a certain extent not sufficiently robust and/or precise.
Problems occur in the stabilization of use devices whenever ground-based platforms are to be used for the movement of the use device. In this context, typical vibrations occur owing to the ground being driven over, which vibrations have to be reduced for the desired frictionless functioning of the use device. Such undesired movements, originating for example from uneven areas of the ground, constitute a main type of the movements which have to be compensated and which occur outside the then, in particular, horizontal, predetermined plane of movement.

Stabilization device and method for stabilizing an attachment component


A spray can attachable actuator and brush assembly includes an actuator assembly attachable overtop a valve stem of an existing aerosol canister and a brush assembly attachable to the actuator assembly. A lower portion of a seating member frictionally engages to the aerosol canister when an attachment collar is rotationally engaged thereabouts. A head member is connectable into a seating connect disposed in a top surface of the seating member whereby an interior channel engages overtop the valve stem. A brush attachment base secures into the head member to position an elongate nozzle in open communication with an outlet terminating the interior channel. A brush body is securable to the elongate nozzle, and depression of the head member thereby enables selective release of fluid depressurized from the aerosol canister for delivery into the brush body for subsequent application to an object by manual action directing the brush body.

Actuators for selective depressurization and controlled discharge of aerosol canisters are well known in the art. Most are generally cylindrical or cuboid bodies disposed overtop a valve stem to direct fluid depressurized when the valve stem is depressed by manual action effected upon the actuator. Most enable control of a depressurized fluid only generally in a expansive direction somewhat perpendicular to an outlet of the actuator. Application of fluid is thereby rendered by expansion in a general direction towards a targeted object. When the fluid released is a foam, colloid, gel, or other such fluid for example, discharge must be contained. Thus, for example, when applying shaving foam released from a canister, a user necessarily must use both hands—one to effect release of the foam from the aerosol canister and the other to collect the foam for subsequent application to the body. This presents numerous inefficiencies, including a need to wash the hands before commencing shaving, potential for uneven distribution of the foam to the body, or employment of an additional implement, such as a separate brush, to the body as is typical in traditional shaving arts.
What is needed is a spray can attachable actuator and brush assembly that is attachable directly overtop a valve stem of an aerosol canister in place of an existing actuator, whereby depressurized fluid released from the can is dischargeable into a brush body for application to a targeted surface or object by manual action used to direct the brush body in contact therewith, and thereby control application of the fluid released. Thus a user may apply controlled quantities of fluid to the body with a single hand without having to directly contact the fluid, for example, with the other hand.

Spray can attachable actuator and brush assembly


To improve conversion efficiency at a DC-DC conversion time by providing driving units respectively for a plurality of switches and controlling the switches corresponding to a load current, an input voltage, an output voltage and an input/output voltage difference. When synchronously rectifying a plurality of first switches and a plurality of second switches by setting the first switches and the second switches alternately in an ON-state, the plurality of first switches are driven repeatedly in the ON- or OFF-state corresponding to a required output, the plurality of second switches are driven in the ON- or OFF-state in synchronization with the first switches, the driving of part of the plurality of first switches and part or all of the plurality of second switches is stopped corresponding to a load current value, an input voltage value, an output voltage value or an input/output voltage difference value.

The invention relates to a technology for conducting synchronous rectification type DC-to-DC conversion or AC-to-DC conversion.
A synchronous rectification type DC-DC converter has hitherto been employed for a variety of electronic devices. The synchronous rectification type DC-DC converter has a function of reducing DC power obtained through conversion by, e.g., an AC adapter from a commercial power source, DC power obtained from a battery and so on down to a voltage suited to an operation of an internal circuit. This synchronous rectification type DC-DC converter has an advantage that efficiency is high while a loss is small.
A synchronous rectification type DC-DC converter is considered to have, for example, a configuration shown in FIG. 13. The DC-DC converter includes an FET 111 serving as a main switch connected to an input terminal 101, an FET 112 serving as a synchronous rectification switch connected between a source terminal of the FET 111 and the ground, an output coil 113, an output capacitor 114, an input capacitor 115, and an FET driver unit 116 for alternately driving the FET 111 and the FET 112.
In the DC-DC converter in FIG. 13, an oscillation control unit 120 controls the FET driver unit 116 in accordance with outputs of an output voltage detection unit 117, an output current detection unit 118 and an operating state control unit 119, and controls an output voltage by changing a duty ratio of the FET 111.
A conceivable configuration of the DC-DC converter is that in the case of requiring a large load current, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of output control FETs 91, 92 are provided and driven by a driver circuit 93, and a plurality of synchronous rectification FETs 94, 95 are provided and driven by a driver circuit 96.
Further, a known configuration is that a multiplicity of driver circuits (circuits of controlling the FETs) is prepared to selectively operate the FETs, thus giving flexibility to fluctuations in load. It is, for instance, a DC-DC converter (ADP3205 (Analog Devices IC) etc.) flexible to multiphase.
This type of flexible-to-multiphase DC-DC converter includes the FET and a coil for every phase. Namely, this DC-DC converter includes n-pieces of output control FETs, n-pieces of synchronous rectification FETs and n-pieces of coils for n-phases.
In this system, if the load current is small, circuit efficiency is improved by stopping the driver for driving the phase on a phase-by-phase basis.
Further, the prior arts related to the invention of the application are the following technologies disclosed in Patent documents 1 and 2.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-284333
[Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-319649


Openings are formed by lithography and subsequent dry etching at the portions of a first protective film which correspond to connecting holes of second plugs which will be described later, namely at the portions thereof which align with first plugs, wherein the openings have a diameter greater than that of connecting holes by about 0.4 μm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a capacitor construction consisting of a lower electrode, an upper electrode and a dielectric film interposed therebetween and a fabricating method of such a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are known flash memories and ferro-electric random access memories (FeRAMs) as nonvolatile memories which do not erase stored information even when the power supply is turned off.
A flash memory includes a floating gate embedded in the gate insulating film of an insulated gate field effect transistor (IGFET) and stores information by accumulating, at the floating gate, electric charge indicative of information to be stored. In order to write and erase information, it is necessary to pass tunnel currents through the insulating film, thus requiring relatively high voltages.
An FeRAM stores information utilizing the hysteresis characteristic of a ferroelectric. A ferroelectric capacitor construction including a ferroelectric film interposed between a pair of electrodes induces polarization according to the voltage applied between the electrodes and also has spontaneous polarization even when the applied voltage is removed. When the polarity of the applied voltage is reversed, the polarity of spontaneous polarization is also reversed. By detecting the spontaneous polarization, information can be read out therefrom. An FeRAM can operate with a lower voltage as compared with a flash memory, thereby having an advantage of being capable of rapidly writing with low electric power. There have been studied SOCs (System On Chip) utilizing such FeRAMs in combination with conventional logic techniques, for applications such as IC cards.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-303993    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-12617
An FeRAM is configured to have a plurality of intricately-laminated layers including transistor constructions and a first insulating film covering them, capacitor constructions and a protective film covering them for suppressing degradations in the characteristics of the capacitor constructions, a second insulating film, additionally multi-layer wirings thereon and an insulating film covering them, etc. Therefore, it is difficult to form connecting holes for establishing electric contact with lower layers to be desired shapes. For example, there is such problem that connecting holes are formed to be shapes having narrowed bottom portions, thus preventing the establishment of reliable electric connections.
Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses an FeRAM configuration which is fabricated by previously forming openings in a protective film directly covering capacitor constructions for suppressing degradations in the characteristics thereof at the portions corresponding to the portions of connecting holes, and forming respective layers thereon, thus requiring no etching of the protective film when forming the connecting holes extending to the source/drain.
However, when the technique of Patent Document 1 is employed, openings are formed in the protective film provided for suppressing degradations in the characteristics, which will necessarily degrade the blocking function of the protective film against hydrogen or process damages, making it difficult to sufficiently suppress degradations in the characteristics of the capacitor constructions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Semiconductor device and fabricating method of the same


An ultrasonic unit manufacturing system and process are based on a universal ultrasonic generator unit that operates interchangeably with either one of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive ultrasonic devices, and optionally as well as with either on-off or power level control footswitches. The ultrasonic units use a generator unit having a detector that determines whether the connected device is piezoelectric or magnetostrictive, and activates the generator for the appropriate piezoelectric or magnetostrictive operating mode. The ultrasonic units so made and methods of using them are also disclosed.

Currently, there are two types of ultrasonic dental systems widely available: magnetostrictive, sometimes simply referred to as "magneto", in which an alternating magnetic field is induced around a magnetostrictive stack at a resonant frequency to induce ultrasonic vibration; and piezoelectric, sometimes simply referred to as "piezo", in which an alternating electrical potential is applied to a stack of piezoelectric crystals to induce ultrasonic vibration. Practitioners generally prefer one system or the other, sometimes depending on the type of dental system being used and/or the type of operation being performed. Separate operating systems are used for the two different types of systems, each with its own generator or power supply, handpieces, inserts, etc. which are specific to the particular device and not interchangeable or useful with other devices or types of devices.
There are also two types of footswitches available for operating ultrasonic dental systems: on-off, wherein the system generator is equipped with a power level controller, e.g., a potentiometer, and the footswitch operates as an on-off controller; and a power level control footswitch, wherein the footswitch operates a potentiometer to adjust the power level to the ultrasonic tool. My earlier patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,843, which is hereby incorporated fully in its entirety by reference, discloses a system which can be used with either a power level control footswitch or an on-off footswitch.
Further, the power level control footswitch may be either of the "spring return" type, wherein removal of the operator's foot automatically returns the footswitch to the off position or to a lower power setting, or the "maintain" type, where the footswitch may be depressed to the desired setting (on or off, or a particular power level) and held there until released, e.g., by quickly fully depressing and then releasing the pedal of the footswitch.
The different types of operating units, as well as accessories, can complicate manufacturing since separate lines and facilities are needed for production of the different units. Also the variety of available units can require dental practitioners to keep, store, move, and maintain, different types of equipment that may need to be changed between procedures or between dental practitioners and/or patients. This generally requires additional office area, recordkeeping, expense, etc., compared to a single unit.
There is a need in general for improvements in ultrasonic dental equipment, and specifically for more interchangeability and adaptability between magnetostrictive and piezo ultrasonic medical and dental equipment as well as different types of footswitches. Further, there is a need to simplify manufacturing and operation of different types of ultrasonic dental equipment.

Universal piezo-magneto ultrasonic systems and methods


Disclosed is a polymer-modified asphalt composition which comprises a mixture of (a) a blend of from about 10 to 75 weight-percent of one or more of a thermoplastic rubber polymer and from about 90 to 25 weight-percent of one or more of a fatty dialkyl amide, and (b) an asphalt cement. Also disclosed is a method of preparing such compositions, which requires gentle stirring only.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of polymer-modified asphalts and asphalt emulsions for use in road construction and repair.
The use of polymer-modified asphalt has received considerable attention in the past few years. Almost everyone in the road building and maintenance industry, including state highway departments, asphalt suppliers, and polymer suppliers, has performed some type of research and development activity or built a trial road with polymer-modified asphalts. The reason for such intense interest in the field is that polymers have been shown to substantially change certain of the physical properties of the asphalt and therefore produce better and longer lasting roads. Some of the properties of asphalt which are affected by the addition of polymers are viscosity, flow, temperature susceptibility, flexibility, and adhesion of aggregates.
Viscosity, flow, and temperature susceptibility are related properties. In general, the addition of polymers to asphalt increases viscosity and flow, and decreases temperature susceptibility. In hot climates, this serves to minimize rutting and deformation of the road surface. Most of these polymers contain butadiene-type monomers imparting "rubber band"-like properties of flexibility and recovery after stretching. This is extremely beneficial in cold climates where cracking presents a problem. In addition, the adhesion of aggregates in chip seals is greatly improved.
Virtually all asphalts used in the United States are products of the distillation of crude petroleum. Asphalt is produced in a variety of types and grades ranging from hard and brittle solids to almost water-thin liquids. Asphalt cement is the basis of all of these products. It can be made fluid for construction uses by heating, by adding a solvent, or by emulsifying it. Hot mix asphalts are used extensively on main highway construction where greater durability is required. When a petroleum solvent, such as naphtha or kerosene, is added to the base asphalt to make it fluid, the product is called a cutback. When asphalt is broken into minute particles and dispersed in water with an emulsifier, it becomes an asphalt emulsion. The tiny droplets of asphalt remain uniformly suspended until the emulsion is used for its intended purpose.
When combined with an appropriate hydrocarbon solvent, the asphalt cement in a cutback is in solution. In an emulsion, the chemical emulsifier is oriented in and around droplets of asphalt cement, thus influencing their dispersion and stable suspension in water. When either a cutback or an emulsion is used in the field, evaporation of the asphalt carrier (i.e., the cutback hydroccarbon solvent or the emulsion water) causes the cutback or emulsion to revert to asphalt cement. In the case of the emulsion, the chemical emulsifier is retained with the deposited asphalt. Because environmental considerations militate against the use of cutback asphalts, due to the necessary solvent expulsion from these applied asphaltic compositions, asphalt emulsions are greatly preferred. These may be divided into three general categories: cationic, anionic, and nonionic emulsions.
Cationic and anionic emulsions are those more commonly used in roadway construction and maintenance. As their names imply, such emulsions utilize anionic or cationic emulsifiers to form an oil-in-water emulsion which can be used alone or combined with aggregate for use in the road construction and maintenance industry.
Emulsions are further classified on the basis of how quickly the asphalt will coalesce, i.e., revert to asphalt cement. The terms RS, MS, and SS have been adopted to simplyfy and standardize this classification. They are relative terms only and mean rapid-setting, medium-setting, and slow-setting, in reference to anionic emulsions. Corresponding rapid-, medium, and slow-setting cationic emulsions are termed CRS, CMS and CSS, respectively. The tendency to coalesce is closely related to the mixing of an emulsion. An RS/CRS emulsion has little or no ability to mix with an aggregate, an MS/CMS emulsion is expected to mix with coarse but not fine aggregate, and an SS/CSS emulsion is designed to mix with fine aggregate.
Chemically, asphalts are complex aggregations of rather large aliphatic and cyclic hydrocarbon molecules. Besides the obvious hydrocarbon content, additional constituents in asphalts may include oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen (often in substantial quantities) and iron, nickel, and vanadium (present usually in trace quantities). Asphaltic mixtures composed of mineral aggregate and bituminous constituents are used widely in the road construction industry.
Aggregate used in road construction can be hydrophilic or hydrophobic depending upon the nature of the material. While the aggregate can include various mineral materials such as cinders or slags, typically the aggregate is of natural origin such as sand, rock, or the like, typically to the localities where the roads are being built. For example, limestone, dolomite, silica, sedimentary, metamorphic, or igneous rocks of various other kinds are regularly used in road building.
There are three general types of polymers that are currently being used in the asphalt and road building industries, viz., latex polymers, solid polymers, and ground-up automobile tire rubber. The most commonly used latex polymers are neoprene, SBR (styrene-butadiene-rubber), and natural rubber. The most commonly used solid polymers are SBR, EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate), SBS (syrene-butadiene-styrene), and SIS (styrene-isoprene-styrene).
One of two methods is commonly employed to incorporate polymers into asphalt. One method involves adding latex polymer to an asphalt emulsion either by addition to the emulsifier solution prior to emulsification or to the emulsion following emulsification. Either way, this method is relatively easy and trouble-free. The second method involves adding solid polymer to the asphalt. This method normally requires substantial mixing and shearing in order to uniformly disperse the polymers, particularly when SBS or SIS block copolymers are used.
Two other methods are utilized less frequently to incorporate polymers into asphalt.
Two other methods are utilized less frequently to incorporate polymers into asphalt. One method involves addition of a latex polymer to hot asphalt, whereby the latex is slowly added and the water flashed off. The other method involves addition of solid polymers to asphalt with heating, stirring, and addition of monomers such as styrene or methyl methacrylate. This mixture reacts to yield a chemically crosslinked polymer which is also chemically attached to the asphalt molecules. Thereafter the asphalt is either emulsified or used "as is" in hot applications.
The addition of polymers to asphalt using latex addition either to the emulsifier solution or post emulsification has been used successfully for many years. Initial problems with latex "creaming," floating to the top of the emulsion, and a severe loss in emulsion viscosity have essentially been solved.
The addition of solid polymers to asphalt has not been as successful as latex addition to emulsions. The major reason for this lack of success has been the extreme difficulty encountered in uniformly dispersing the neat polymers in asphalt. Furher, the emulsions produced from the modified asphalt very often possess lower viscosities.
Styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene, and styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers are being investigated by many asphalt emulsion manufacturers because of the desirable physical properties they impart to asphalt. The very high tensile strength of these block copolymers is caused by the physical crosslinking that occurs when the blocks of styrene orient themselves in rigid domains forming network similar to chemical crosslinking. The rubber mid-block (butadiene, ethylene/butylene, isoprene) gives the polymers their elasticity. Heat, shear and/or solvent will soften the styrene domains and allow flow which facilitates dispersion in asphalt. However, uniform dispersion of the polymers in asphalt requires high-speed, high-shear mixers.
In an attempt to overcome the difficulties of dispersion, manufacturers of the SBS and SIS block copolymers have begun to plasticize various grades of the polymers with aliphatic, aromatic, or naphthenic oils. These oils are intended to separate or pre-dissolve or pre-disperse the styrene domains in order that the resulting mixture of polymer and oil might disperse readily in the asphalt. However, it has been the experience of those skilled in the art that vigorous stirring is nevertheless nearly always required in order to achieve uniform dispersion. Oil-extended blends are now being used in an attempt to alleviate the necessity for such stirring, but have in general resulted in a deterioration of emulsion quality: storage stability is often unacceptable, and emulsion viscosity can be extremely low (i.e., less than 100 SSF at residues as high as 71+%).
Accordingly, there exists a need for a polymer-modified asphalt which can be conveniently and economically prepared without high-speed, high-shear mixing equipment, and for asphalt emulsions prepared from the same polymer-modified asphalt which possess both excellent viscosity and storage stability.

Process for the production of polymer-modified asphalts and asphalts emulsions


Provided are apparatus and systems having a rotary valve assembly and swing adsorption separation techniques related thereto. The methods utilize a rotary valve assembly to perform swing adsorption processes. The rotary valve assembly includes a feed stator having at least two annular tracks. Each of the annular tracks has an opening to permit fluid flow therethrough. A feed rotor is connected to the feed stator. The feed rotor has at least two annular tracks. Each of the annular tracks has an opening to permit gas to flow therethrough. A bed of adsorbent material may be connected to the feed rotor.

Gas separation is important in many industries and can typically be accomplished by flowing a mixture of gases over an adsorbent that preferentially adsorbs one or more gas components while not adsorbing one or more other gas components. The non-adsorbed components are then recovered as a separate product.
An important type of gas separation technology is swing adsorption, such as temperature swing adsorption (TSA) or pressure swing adsorption (PSA). PSA processes rely on the phenomenon of gases being more readily adsorbed within the pore structure or free volume of an adsorbent material when the gas is under pressure, i.e., the higher the gas pressure, the greater the amount readily-adsorbed gas adsorbed. When the pressure is reduced, the adsorbed component is released, or desorbed.
PSA processes may be used to separate gases of a gas mixture because different gases tend to fill the micropore of the adsorbent to different extents. If a gas mixture, such as natural gas, is passed under pressure through a vessel containing a polymeric or microporous adsorbent that is more selective towards carbon dioxide than it is for methane, at least a portion of the carbon dioxide is selectively adsorbed by the adsorbent, and the gas exiting the vessel is enriched in methane. When the adsorbent reaches the end of its capacity to adsorb carbon dioxide, it is regenerated by reducing the pressure, thereby releasing the adsorbed carbon dioxide. The adsorbent is then typically purged and repressurized and ready for another adsorption cycle.
TSA processes rely on the phenomenon that gases at lower temperatures are more readily adsorbed within the pore structure or free volume of an adsorbent material compared to higher temperatures, i.e., when the temperature of the adsorbent is increased, the adsorbed gas is released, or desorbed. By cyclically swinging the temperature of an adsorbent bed, TSA processes can be used to separate gases in a mixture when used with an adsorbent that is selective for one or more of the components of a gas mixture.
There remains a need in the industry for apparatus, methods, and systems are more efficient and that can be constructed and employed on a smaller footprint than conventional equipment. Compact designs are critical when the swing adsorption apparatus is to be deployed in remote locations, such as off-shore production platforms, arctic environments, or desert environments.

Apparatus and systems having a rotary valve assembly and swing adsorption processes related thereto


A method for addressing cells in devices via an I2C bus is suggested, in which the common addressing scheme is supplemented by a ‘Data Transfer Mode’ byte. The ‘Data Transfer Mode’ byte specifies the number of the address and data bytes to follow the device addressing and thereby allows for orthogonal and scalable addressing of cells inside a device connected to the bus. The method is fully compatible to the existing I2C standard for writing to the slave device. Setting up and terminating a connection between a master and a slave as well as acknowledging receipt of a byte follows the standard.

The I2C bus is a bi-directional 2-wire bus used for inter-IC communication. A master device controls the data transfer with one single slave device out of a maximum of 1024 slave devices at a time. The limitation of the maximum number or slave devices is a consequence of the size of the address field (10 bits) defined by the I2C bus standard. The individual device addresses are stipulated in the I2C bus standard and provide a means to unambiguously identify the devices.
EEPROMs (acronym for: Electric Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) are widely used to store programs or data in appliances and devices, where the information stored must be retained even when no power is available. A number of EEPROM devices are readily available which use the I2C bus interface for reading and writing data. Access to the EEPROM content following the I2C bus standard has to be sequential. Some EEPROM manufacturers use proprietary mechanisms that let the master device randomly access up to one memory page (128 bytes) of an EEPROM. However, the size of embedded EEPROM memory, e.g., in ASICs (acronym for: Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and FPGAs (acronym for: Field Programmable Gate Array) has increased significantly and randomly accessing the contents of this memory through the I2C bus is difficult to handle due to the address space limitation stipulated in the standard.
The physical layer of the I2C bus generally consists of two wires interconnecting all devices in a parallel manner. The serial data line (SDA) carries the data to be transmitted in a serial manner, and the serial clock (SCL) provides the clock signals and determines the data rate. Each clock cycle allows for one single bit to be transferred. The START and STOP condition of a connection is established by predetermined logic levels on both lines. A master device is the device which initiates a data transfer on the bus, generates the clock signals for the current connection and terminates the transfer. A slave device is the device addressed by a master. Each device is recognized by a unique address and may operate as either a transmitter or a receiver. A transmitter is the device which sends data to the bus. A receiver is the device which receives data from the bus. In the following description, the logic levels on the I2C bus are referred to as 'high' and 'low' or '1' and '0', respectively. The absolute levels of the I2C bus signals may vary depending on the application. Due to the bi-directional nature of the I2C bus, the input and output ports of the devices must be tri-state ports. Tri-state ports may actively assume high or low levels at a low impedance for transmitting, or represent a high impedance to the bus for receiving data. In standby or unused state, the clock and data lines are pulled to a predetermined level by appropriate biasing means and all devices connected to the bus represent a high impedance to the bus. A START condition is established by a high-to-low transition of the data line (SDA) while the clock line (SCL) remains in a high state. A START condition must always precede any command for data transfer. A STOP condition is established by a low-to-high transition of the data line (SDA) while the clock line (SCL) remains high. A STOP condition terminates the communication between the bus master and the slave. A successful data transfer is indicated by an acknowledge signal (ACK) generated by the receiving device. In order to do so, the transmitting device, either master or slave, depending on the direction of data transfer, releases the SDA line after transmitting 8 bits of data, i.e., the device port assumes a high impedance. During the 9th clock pulse the receiver actively pulls the SDA wire low to acknowledge the receipt of 8 bits of data. Any further error correction is to be implemented separately in the devices and is not part of the I2C bus protocol. The receiving device samples the SDA line on the rising edge of the clock SCL signal. The SDA signal must be stable during the low to high transition of the clock SCL and the data on the SDA line must change only when the SCL line is low. A master device can initiate data transfer with a slave device by establishing a START condition.
In the following the general addressing scheme of an I2C device according to the standard for 7-bit addressing is presented. The 10-bit addressing also available is more complex but essentially similar and will therefore not be referred to in detail. After the START condition is established, the master sends a slave address on the SDA line. The slave address is composed of 8 bits: the 7 most significant make up the slave address, as stipulated in the I2C bus standard, the 8th bit or least significant bit LSB is the read or write bit (R/ W), which is set to '1' for a read operation and to '0' for a write operation. If the slave device identifies a match between the address sent on the SDA line and its own assigned address, it generates an acknowledge signal on the SDA wire during the 9th bit cycle.
The data transfer of a general write operation follows the scheme shown in FIG. 1. In the figure, the transmission from master to slave is indicated by a shaded background, and the transmission from slave to master is indicated by a white background. A master device generates the START condition S, subsequently transmits a slave address with the R/ Wbit set to '0', 'n' bytes of data, and finally generates the STOP condition P. The slave device generates an acknowledge signal A during the 9th clock pulse after each received byte of data.
The data transfer for a general read operation follows the scheme shown in FIG. 2. Again, a master device generates a START condition S. Then the master device transmits the slave address with the R/ W bit set to '1' and puts its SDA port in high impedance state for receiving. The addressed slave now sends 'n' bytes of data. While the master is transmitter, the slave device generates an acknowledge signal A during the 9th clock pulse after each received byte of data. While the slave is transmitter, the master generates an acknowledge signal A during the 9th clock pulse after each received byte of data. The transfer is terminated when the master generates a STOP condition P.
However, the I2C protocol as stipulated in the standard is limited to sequential read and write operations, and random access is not possible. When addressing a memory, e.g., an EEPROM, the memory needs not only to identify that it was selected, but it also needs information about which memory cell is to be read or written. This may in the current standard be accomplished by a combined read/write operation, wherein during the write operation the EEPROM receives the address to be read and in a subsequent read operation, the memory cell is read. However, this procedure requires the bus master to issue a first START condition, to address the slave for writing, transfer the cell address, then to issue a second START condition, and finally re-address the device for reading. Every single byte has to be addressed individually. This reduces the actual transfer speed of the I2C bus compared to the theoretical value, since some overhead of addressing operations is necessary. If several devices are connected to the bus, bus arbitration may additionally interfere with the need for fast transfer. Arbitration is a procedure to ensure that, if more than one master simultaneously try to control the bus, only one is allowed to do so, thereby ensuring that messages are not corrupted. Some EEPROM manufacturers use a proprietary combination of write and read operations in order to render random access to an EEPROM possible, but these schemes are limited to small address spaces, e.g. 128 bytes.
Application Note AN736 of Microchip Technology Inc. discloses an I2C network protocol which is used for environmental monitoring. The network protocol suggests using a single data length byte, indicating the number of data bytes to be written or read, and a single address offset byte, indicating the slave's memory address to be read or written.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a method for addressing cells inside a slave device, which allows for true random access.

Method and data structure for random access via a bus connection


Described embodiments provide a lookup engine that receives lookup requests including a requested key and a speculative add requestor. Iteratively, for each one of the lookup requests, the lookup engine searches each entry of a lookup table for an entry having a key matching the requested key of the lookup request. If the lookup table does not include an entry having a key matching the requested key, the lookup engine sends a miss indication corresponding to the lookup request to the control processor. If the speculative add requestor is set, the lookup engine speculatively adds the requested key to a free entry in the lookup table. Speculatively added keys are searchable in the lookup table for subsequent lookup requests to maintain coherency of the lookup table without creating duplicate key entries, comparing missed keys with each other or stalling the lookup engine to insert missed keys.

A lookup engine having a lookup table data structure, usually an array or associative array, is often used to replace a runtime computation with an array indexing operation. A lookup table typically matches an input request against a list of a plurality of entries in the array, each entry associated with a "key". A given key might match one or more entries in the look up table. The lookup engine might typically process requests to access the lookup table by receiving a key, searching the lookup table, and returning either a miss (the key is not in the table) or a hit (the key is in the table) along with the index of the table entry that hit and possibly some associated data. A content-addressable memory (CAM) (either binary or ternary) is an example of such a lookup engine. A CAM might often be employed, for example, in network routers to determine a route corresponding to a received data packet by looking up a destination network address in a network routing table stored in the CAM.
Increased performance of a lookup engine might be achieved by allowing multiple lookup requests to be "in-flight" or pending at a time. However, when multiple lookup requests are pending at a time, maintaining coherency between the pending lookup requests could introduce significant processing delays, erroneous duplicate keys, or erroneous misses being returned.

Lookup engine with pipelined access, speculative add and lock-in-hit function


A compressor casing in a gas turbine engine includes an inner jacket formed by two half-shells connected by coupling flanges having cylindrical bellows fitted therebetween and arranged to expand and contract to control the inner diameter of the casing depending on the pressure within the bellows as provided by a supply of air taken from the downstream end of the compressor. The two half-shells are also interconnected by an additional flexible connection.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a gas turbine engine compressor casing fitted with means for controlling its inner diameter so as to ensure a minimum objective radial clearance between the rotor and the stator of the compressor.
2. Summary of the prior art
Various solutions have been proposed for maintaining a radial clearance which is as small as possible between the rotor and the associated stator of a gas turbine engine compressor, and in particular between the tips of the movable blades and the inner wall of a casing surrounding the array of the blades, in order to ensure satisfactory performance of the engine in providing a good output and a low specific fuel consumption, while at the same time maintaining sufficient clearance to prevent any damaging mechanical interference between the stationary and rotating parts, particularly during transient acceleration or deceleration conditions and in whatever order they may occur. For example, the adjustment of clearances during operation may be achieved by making use of thermal means, particularly hot or cold air flows having adjustable flow rates depending upon specific operating parameters of the engine or upon direct measurements, these air flows usually being used to control the expansions or contractions of mechanical parts. Examples of such solutions are disclosed in French Pat. Nos. 2 534 982, 2 535 795 and 2 540 560.
In other solutions, mechanical means are used to vary the diameter of casings or stationary parts situated facing the rotors or rotating parts of a gas turbine engine. Examples of such arrangements are disclosed in French Pat. Nos. 2 577 282 and 2 591 674.
However, these known solutions are not entirely satisfactory in all applications. The taking of air, often in relatively substantial amounts, required by implementing solutions using thermal means causes the engine performance to lose a not insignificant part of the contribution made by these arrangements. The mechanical means envisaged have the drawback of increasing the mass of the engine, which is particularly disadvantageous for aeronautical applications, and of requiring complicated assemblies. In particular, the implementation of the known solutions is found to be delicate and difficult to achieve in the application to gas turbine engine compressors with casings formed by two half-shells joined together by flanges.

Gas turbine engine compressor casing with internal diameter control

Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation"S.N.E.C.M.A."


The present invention relates to a synergistic extract of Palmaria palmata and of jasmine flower heads, obtained after aqueous extraction of Palmaria palmata, in which maceration of the jasmine flower heads is then carried out, the ratio of the dry weight of Palmaria palmata to the dry weight of the flower heads being between 40/60 and 95/5.

Aging corresponds to the set of processes, notably physiological, that alter the structure and functions of the body over time. A distinction is made between two types of aging, namely intrinsic aging on the one hand, and extrinsic aging on the other hand. Intrinsic aging is due to genetic factors, to biochemical changes that take place during states of fatigue, stress, hormonal changes such as during pregnancy, etc. Extrinsic aging is, for its part, due to environmental factors to which the body is subjected throughout life, such as pollution, sunlight, diseases etc. It is a slow, progressive process that affects all the cells of the body by various means and is manifested in various ways. For example, at the level of the skin, the latter's appearance is altered by the various types of internal or external aggression and we then see the development of wrinkles and lines, hyper- or hypo-pigmentation spots, dryness or even dehydration of the skin, thinning of the epidermis, elastosis, imperfections, and age spots.
The skin is a covering organ mainly made up of three cellular layers: epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The epidermis, which constitutes the surface of the skin, is anchored to the dermis by a matrix of various proteins called the dermoepidermal junction.
The epidermis consists of several layers of cells called keratinocytes, which are regenerated by the stem cells of the epidermis located in the basal membrane of the epidermis.
The dermis is the supporting tissue of the skin and consists predominantly of fibroblasts, elastin fibers and collagen fibers (70% of the dermal fibers), enveloped in an interstitial extracellular matrix of proteoglycans. Collagen and elastin fibers are synthesized in the fibroblasts. The neo-synthesis of tropoelastin fibers, firstly in the form of proelastin, is a process that is linked to the activity of the fibroblasts, which secrete these fibers in the extracellular space. After maturation, elastin, associated with fibrillin, represents the major component of the elastic fibers that endow the dermis with its elastic properties. Moreover, the fibroblasts make it possible to regenerate the connective tissue and contribute to repair of the skin after a wound. The fibroblasts, which are involved in many functions at the level of the skin, are thus essential for keeping the skin healthy and in good condition.
The activities of renewal, or repair of the skin structures when damaged, for example by UV radiation or wounds, imply the existence of adult dermal stem cells (Skin Derived Precursors or SKPs), notably located in the tissues such as the prepuce and hair follicles (Toma et al., 2005, Stem cells 23:727-737). The SKP cells are the main progenitors of dermal cells, in that they ensure renewal of the fibroblasts. They are involved in particular in the repair of skin wounds.
The SKP cells possess characteristics typical of stem cells in general; they have considerable capacity for self-renewal and differentiation (Li et al., 2010, J Cell Sci. 123:853-60) and are defined as cells expressing a set of molecular markers such as:                Nestin+: intermediate-filament protein expressed by many cells during development and in particular the cells of the neural crest. Its expression is transient and does not persist into adulthood.        OCT4+ (octamer-binding transcription factor 4): multipotency marker involved in the self-renewal of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells.        SOX2+ (sex determining region Y-box 2): transcription factor essential for maintaining self-renewal of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells.
Research for identifying active agents capable of combating skin aging has led to the marketing of numerous active agents, of varying efficacy. However, there is still a need to identify new compounds capable of delaying the appearance or of combating the signs of skin aging more effectively. The problem more particularly intended to be solved by the invention is to identify novel active agents capable of combating the main signs of skin aging occurring at the level of the extracellular matrix, most of the constituent proteins of which are produced by the fibroblasts.
Algae are widely used in cosmetics applications. Their potential for preventing aging and for improving the appearance and protection of human skin is known. The use of extracts of algae may improve the nutrition of the skin and the hair, while maintaining a good level of hydration.
Certain species of micro-algae are marketed for skin care. For example, extracts of Arthrospira and of Chlorella are well known in antiaging creams, anti-irritant products and refreshing or regenerating care products.
Furthermore, the species of the genus of alga Palmaria, in particular the species Palmaria palmata, are known to be effective in skin care. The alga Palmaria palmata is also called Dulce or Dulse. This seaweed is rich in minerals, especially fluoride, phosphorus, potassium, in vitamins, in proteins and in polysaccharides (xylans). FR2826575 describes the cosmetic use of xylans extracted from Palmaria palmata, more particularly for increasing the hydration of the stratum corneum, but also regeneration of the skin and hair by synthesis of fibronectin and fibroblast proliferation.
An aqueous extract of jasmine flowers, especially of the species Jasminum officinale, is a known source of flavonoids with antioxidant properties. The essential oil of jasmine is used in aromatherapy (antioxidant) and in dermatology (antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties).
However, none of the known uses of an extract of Jasminum officinale, on the one hand, and of an extract of Palmaria palmata, on the other hand, suggests that these two extracts have, independently of one another, or in combination with one another, properties i) of increasing gene and/or protein expression of collagen, and/or ii) of increasing the stem character of the dermal stem cells.
A trend in modern cosmetics is the development of active products of natural origin, having not only effects as antiwrinkle or antiaging agents, but also combining several properties and thus providing a wider spectrum of improvement of the signs of aging.
Now, the inventors have demonstrated that a new extract obtained from Palmaria palmata and from Jasminum officinale is of considerable interest for skin care, in that it has a synergistic effect on the dermal stem cells. This extract in fact makes it possible to increase the reserve of dermal stem cells and improves their function, which makes it possible to preserve and even restore the structure of the connective tissue of the dermis. This extract makes it possible to improve the mechanical properties of the skin, in particular its elasticity, as has been demonstrated in a ballistometry test, and thus combat certain signs of skin aging.
Surprisingly, the inventors discovered that the synergistic extract of Palmaria palmata and of jasmine flower heads used according to the invention notably offers the following advantages:                it increases the amount of biochemical markers associated with the "stem" character of the dermal stem cells (SKPs) and in particular Nestin+, OCT4+, SOX2+ in the dermal cells;        it increases skin elasticity, skin flexibility and/or skin firmness,        it increases renewal of the skin;        it increases synthesis of proteins of the dermal extracellular matrix, for example collagen, in particular collagen I, III or V; procollagen, in particular procollagen I, III or V; and tropoelastin;        it consequently makes it possible to combat the cutaneous signs associated with skin aging.
"Stem character of the dermal stem cells" means the expression profile of biochemical markers associated with the phenotype of the SKP or SKP-like cells, in particular Nestin+, OCT4+, SOX2+ expression.
The invention and the advantages resulting therefrom will be better understood on reading the description.

Abstract: The present invention also relates to a method for obtaining said synergistic extract and cosmetic compositions comprising said extract as an active agent.

Abstract: The invention finally relates to the cosmetic use of said composition for combating the signs of aging and for improving the elasticity of the skin, by favoring maintenance of the “stem” character of the adult dermal stem cells (SKPs).


A management server is coupled to a plurality of rig systems by a network, each of the rig systems having a plurality of sensors, a rig and a rig node. The management server stores data received from at least one of the plurality of rig systems, the data including values associated with one or more attributes of the rig. The management server derives a model signature for at least one phase from a timeline for at least one rig system based on analytics of information stored in the database and the data, where the model signature includes a set of attributes for the at least one of the plurality of rig systems. In addition, the management server generates a recommendation including one or more actions for planning rig system management operations corresponding to at least one attribute of the set of attributes.

Field
The example implementations relate to oil and gas rig systems, and more particularly to systems and apparatuses for data aggregation involving a plurality of rigs to facilitate recommendations for rig management.
Related Art
In the related art, oil and gas rigs utilize computerized systems to assist the operators of the rigs throughout the different phases of the oil or gas rigs. Such computer systems are deployed for the development of energy sources such as shale gas, oil sands, and deep water resources. In the related art, attention has shifted to the development of shale gas for supplying future energy needs. Related art advances in horizontal directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies have unlocked the potential for recovering natural gas from shale to become a viable energy source.
However, the problem of maximizing output from an oil and gas reservoir, particularly shale gas reservoirs, is not well understood, even with the assistance from present computer systems. The process of making production decisions and sizing top-side facilities is mostly a manual process that depends on the judgment of the rig operator. Furthermore, operators often struggle with real time performance of support for down-hole gauges, semi-submersible pumps, and other equipment. Non-Productive Time (NPT) for a rig may constitute over 30% of the cost of drilling operations.

Oil and gas rig data aggregation and modeling system


A charge elimination needle is set at a predetermined position (first position) when a recording material is separated by utilizing the curvature of a separation stretching roller without using a separation assist roller, and at a position (second position) higher than the first position when the recording material is separated by using the separation assist roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a laser printer, which transfers a toner image carried on an image bearing member onto a recording material by electrophotography. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a transfer belt that transfers and conveys a recording material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electrophotographic apparatus in which a recording material is held and conveyed by a transfer belt stretched by a plurality of rollers, the recording material on the transfer belt is electrostatically attracted to the transfer belt when passing through a transfer nip.
However, if the stiffness of the recording material is low, it is difficult to separate the recording material from the transfer belt by utilizing only the stiffness of the recording material and the curvature of a separation roller serving as a separation stretching member that stretches the transfer belt. That is, the recording material remains attached to the transfer belt at the position of the separation roller, and this causes separation failure. Accordingly, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-15987 discloses a structure for separating a recording material by uniformly forming projections on a surface of a separation roller for stretching a transfer belt so as to undulate the transfer belt at a separating position. While this structure allows the transfer belt to be undulated at the separating position, great tension constantly and locally acts on the transfer belt. As a result, the transfer belt locally wears, and the resistance becomes nonuniform. This makes transfer performance unstable.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-119636 discloses a method for deforming a transfer sheet bearing a recording material for separation of the recording material while reducing wear due to deformation. In the method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-119636, a roller is provided as a raising member that is movable between a position so as to raise the transfer sheet from an inner side and a position so as not to raise the transfer sheet. In this method, the recording material is separated by raising the transfer sheet by the roller. The transfer sheet is not raised while the recording material is not separated. To separate recording materials of various thicknesses without deforming the transfer sheet more than necessary, a thin recording material is raised by a large raising amount, and a thick recording material is raised by a small raising amount.


A disc filter includes a filtrate holding tank disposed below a series of disc-shaped filter members supported on a drum. Filtrate from the holding tank is used to backwash filter media on the disc-shaped filter members. Filtrate is discharged from the holding tank via a filtrate conduit. Bypass water is directed through a bypass conduit in the disc filter and mixed with the filtrate downstream of the filtrate holding tank. This assures that the filtrate used to backwash the filter media does not include bypass water.

Rotary disc filters are used to remove suspended solids from water. Influent water flows into a drum and from the drum into a series of disc-shaped filter members secured around the drum. From the disc-shaped filter members, the water flows outwardly through filter media disposed on opposite sides of the disc-shaped filter members. Suspended solids in the water are captured on the interior surfaces of the filter media. From time-to-time, the suspended solids are removed from the interior surfaces of the filter media. This is achieved by rotating the filter media to an upper cleaning position and backwashing the filter media. A pressurized backwash is sprayed onto the exterior surfaces of the filter media, discharging the suspended solids into a trough disposed in the drum. The suspended solids are then discharged from the trough and the disc filter.
To control head pressure in the disc filter, some of the influent water may be diverted from the drum and the disc-shaped filter members. This diverted water is referred to as bypass water. In most cases, the bypass water is directly discharged from the disc filter separately from the disc filter outlet. That is, the bypass water is separately discharged from the disc filter without combining the bypass water with the filtrate in the disc filter itself. This is often a costly solution that is disfavored by end users. In order to implement this solution, one must provide a separate pipe or another concrete channel outside of the disc filter in order to channel the bypass downstream of the disc filter where the bypass water can be mixed with the disc filter effluent or filtered water. A more economical solution is to mix the bypass water with the filtered water in the disc filter, thus bypassing the filtration step itself. However, this presents a backwash problem. Filtered water in the disc filter is typically used for the backwash. Now by mixing the bypass water with the filtered water, there are suspended solids in the filtered water attributable to the bypass water and the suspended solids tend to clog the backwash nozzles and any upstream strainers that are employed to protect the nozzles.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for a rotary disc filter that, in a practical and cost effective way, handles bypass water without suspended solids from the bypass water interfering with the backwash system of the disc filter.

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support


Provided is a semiconductor device having a structure suitable for higher integration. The semiconductor device includes a transistor that includes a gate section, a first diffusion layer, and a second diffusion layer. The semiconductor device further includes a first electrically-conductive section a second electrically-conductive section that is electrically insulated from the first electrically-conductive section, a first storage element that is located between the first diffusion layer and the first electrically-conductive section and is electrically coupled to each of the first diffusion layer and the first electrically-conductive section, and a second storage element that is located between the second diffusion layer and the second electrically-conductive section and is electrically coupled to each of the second diffusion layer and the second electrically-conductive section.

For a semiconductor integrated circuit including a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistor, higher integration and higher operating speed thereof have been studied. In recent years, from a viewpoint of lower power consumption, switching from a volatile memory to a non-volatile memory has been studied and, for example, the development of an MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory) has been promoted (see, for example, PTL 1).

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation