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eb Links [Tag : airport]
KisMAC is an opensource and free stumbler/scanner application for Mac OS X. It has an advantage over MacStumbler/iStumbler/NetStumbler in that it uses monitor mode and passive scanning.
KisMAC supports several third party PCMCIA cards - Orinoco, PrismII, Cisco Aironet, Atheros and PrismGT. USB Prism2 is supported as well, and USB Ralink support is in development. All of the internal AirPort hardware is supported as well.
Please note: This program is not intended for novices, but for professional users. Take this as a warning
- Category: Software > Monitoring/Scanning
- Date Added: May 31, 2008
- Hits: 654
- Rating: 3.00
- Votes: 1
AirRadar - Advanced Wireless Network Scanner
Scanning for wireless networks is now easier and more personalized! AirRadar allows you to scan for open networks and tag them as favourites or filter them out. View detailed network information, graph network signal strength, and automatically join the best open network in range.
- Category: Software > Monitoring/Scanning
- Date Added: Jul 16, 2008
- Hits: 1055
- Rating: 0.00
- Votes: 0
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text:
Detours Coffee Bag
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The Coffee Bag is a tribute to Seattle's favorite brewed beverage. Made out of food-grade, waterproof TPU fabric, the Coffee Bag is a versatile dry bag that can be used for anything you want! Throw in your lunch and use the two-point attach system to secure the bag just about anywhere on the bike – under the seat, on top of your your rack, or even in your water bottle cage! Or just use it as a dry bag to toss in a pannier. Just like there are a million ways to order your favorite coffee drink, there are a million ways to use your favorite Coffee Bag!
We've made five finely crafted blends, each dedicated to riding in a state we love:
- The Evergreen Blend: ride through the forests and around Mt. Rainier in our home state of Washington.
- The Mile High Blend: ride through the alpine wonderland of Colorado.
- The Highway 1 Blend: ride down the Pacific Coast Highway in California.
- The 10,000 Lakes Blend: ride through the 10,000 lakes and Twin Cities in Minnesota.
- The Lighthouse Blend: ride along the rocky coast in Maine.
Outside Magazine loves the Coffee Bag too – check it out in their Holiday Gift Guide!
- Two-point attach system
- Waterproof roll-top closure
Volume: 100 cubic inches
Dimensions: 4 x 2.5 x 12 inches
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
What to do in Annapolis
Bay Bridge Brawl
The Bay Bridge Brawl is a boys and girls lacrosse tournament and will be held July 5-6 at several parks located in the Kent Island area on the Eastern Shore. This event involves approximately 180 teams, 4,000 players and draws over 10,000 guests to our area.
For further information about these tournaments, click here


text:
Methods of producing an electromechanical circuit element are described. A lower structure having lower support structures and a lower electrically conductive element is provided. A nanotube ribbon (or other electromechanically responsive element) is formed on an upper surface of the lower structure so as to contact the lower support structures. An upper structure is provided over the nanotube ribbon. The upper structure includes upper support structures and an upper electrically conductive element. In some arrangements, the upper and lower electrically conductive elements are in vertical alignment, but in some arrangements they are not.
1. A method of producing an electromechanical circuit element, the method comprising:
providing a lower structure having lower support structures and a lower electrically conductive element;
forming an electromechanically responsive element on an upper surface of the lower structure so as to contact the lower support structures;
forming an upper structure over the nanotube ribbon, the upper structure including upper support structures and an upper electrically conductive element;
wherein the electromechanically responsive element is a nanotube.
2. A method of producing an electromechanical circuit element, the method comprising:
providing a lower structure;
forming a nanotube ribbon on an upper surface of the lower structure;
after the nanotube ribbon is formed on the lower structure, forming an upper structure over the nanotube ribbon.
3. A method of producing an electromechanical circuit element, the method comprising:
providing a lower structure;
forming a nanotube ribbon on an upper surface of the lower structure;
forming an upper structure over the nanotube ribbon;
wherein at least one of the lower and upper structures includes a region having sacrificial material in contact with the nanotube ribbon and wherein the method includes the removal of such sacrificial material;
further wherein the lower and upper structures are formed to have recesses in at least one of their surfaces and wherein the nanotube ribbon is made to suspend between the recesses of the lower and upper structures.
4. The method of
5. A method of producing an electromechanical circuit element, the method comprising:
providing a generally planar, periodic structure having an alternating array of nonconductive supports and electrical traces, the nonconductive supports having upper surfaces disposed in a plane higher than the electrical traces;
wherein each member of the alternating array extends substantially in the same direction as one another;
forming an array of nanotube ribbons across the nonconductive supports so as to contact the upper surfaces of the nonconductive supports; and
forming an upper periodic structure having an alternating array of nonconductive supports and electrical traces over the nanotube ribbon array, the alternating array of the upper structure extending in substantially the same direction as the alternating array of the generally planar, periodic structure.
6. A method of producing an electromechanical circuit element, the method comprising:
providing a first nonconductive support having an upper surface and extending in a first direction;
providing a second nonconductive surface having an upper surface and generally extending in the first direction;
wherein the upper surfaces of the first and second nonconductive supports form a plane;
providing an electrical trace generally extending in the first direction, the electrical trace disposed between the first and second nonconductive supports and a non-zero distance away from the plane;
forming an array of nanotube ribbons across the nonconductive supports so as to contact the upper surfaces of the nonconductive supports; and
forming an upper structure over the array of nanotube ribbons, the upper structure including upper support structure generally extending in the first direction and an upper electrically conductive element.
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. The method of
10. The method of
11. The method of
12. The method of
13. The method of
14. The method of
15. The method of
16. The method of
17. A method of producing an electromechanical circuit element, the method comprising:
providing a structure having a first electrically conductive element;
forming a defined pattern of non-woven nanotube fabric spaced relative to the first electrically conductive element; and
providing a structure having a second electrically conductive element spaced relative to the defined pattern of non-woven nanotube fabric and disposed on the opposite side of the non-woven nanotube fabric from the first electrically conductive element.
18. The method of
19. A method of producing an electromechanical circuit element, the method comprising:
providing a first structure having a first electrically conductive element having a longitudinal axis;
forming a defined pattern of non-woven nanotube fabric in spaced relation to the first electrically conductive element; and
forming a second structure having a second electrically conductive element having a longitudinal axis, the second electrically conductive element in spaced relation to the defined pattern of non-woven nanotube fabric;
wherein, the second electrically conductive element is disposed on the opposite side of the non-woven nanotube fabric from the first electrically conductive element;
further wherein, the longitudinal axes of the first and second electrically conductive elements are generally parallel.
20. A method of producing an electromechanical circuit element, the method comprising:
providing a lower structure having lower support structures and a lower electrically conductive element;
forming a defined pattern of non-woven nanotube fabric on an upper surface of the lower structure so as to contact the lower support structures;
forming an upper structure over the defined pattern of non-woven nanotube fabric, the upper structure including upper support structures and an upper electrically conductive element.
21. The method of
22. The method of
23. The method of
24. The method of
25. The method of
26. The method of
27. The method of
28. The method of
29. The method of
This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/033,032 filed on Dec. 28, 2001 now Pat. No. 6,784,028, entitled METHODS OF MAKING ELECTROMECHANICAL THREE-TRACE JUNCTION DEVICES, which is related and claims priority to the following applications, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference:
1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to nonvolatile memory devices and, in particular, to nonvolatile memory arrays that use electromechanical nanotube technology.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Typical memory devices involve single-bit memory cells that have either an "on" state or an "off" state. One bit of memory storage is determined by either the "on" or "off" condition. The number of bits is dependent directly upon the number of memory cells in a particular memory array. For example, a device, which stores n bits, must have n memory cells. In order to increase the number of memory cells either the overall size of the memory array must increase or the size of each memory element must decrease. Increases in memory cell density have been achieved by improving lithographic techniques that have allowed progress from the production of micron-sized elements to the delineation of nanometer-sized features.
Important characteristics for a memory cell in an electronic device are low cost, high density, low power, high speed and nonvolatility. Conventional memory solutions include Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable Read only Memory (PROM), Electrically Programmable Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM).
ROM is relatively low cost but cannot be rewritten. PROM can be electrically programmed but with only a single write cycle. EPROM has read cycles that are fast relative to ROM and PROM read cycles, but has relatively long erase times and reliability only over a few iterative read/write cycles. EEPROM (or "Flash") is inexpensive, and has low power consumption but has long (millisecond) write cycles and low relative speed in comparison to DRAM or SRAM. Flash also has a finite number of read/write cycles leading to low long-term reliability. ROM, PROM, EPROM and EEPROM are all nonvolatile, meaning that if power to the memory is interrupted the memory will retain the information stored in the memory cells.
DRAM stores charges on transistor gates that act as capacitors, but its need to be electrically refreshed every few milliseconds complicates system design by requiring separate circuitry to "refresh" the memory contents before the capacitors discharge. SRAM does not need to be refreshed and is fast relative to DRAM, but has lower density and is more expensive relative to DRAM. Both SRAM and DRAM are volatile, meaning that if power to the memory is interrupted the memory will lose the information stored in the memory cells.
As the discussion above indicates, conventional memory solutions fail to possess all the desired characteristics. Existing technologies that are nonvolatile are not randomly accessible and have low density, high cost, and limited ability to allow multiple writes with high reliability of circuit function. Meanwhile, existing technologies that are volatile complicate system design or have low density. Some emerging technologies have attempted to address these shortcomings.
For example, magnetic RAM (MRAM) or ferromagnetic RAM (FRAM) utilizes the orientation of magnetization or a ferroelectric region to generate a nonvolatile memory cell. To obtain nonvolatility, MRAM utilizes magnetoresistive memory elements involving the anisotropic magnetoresistance or giant magnetoresistance of magnetic multilayer structures. However, both of these types of memory cells have relatively high resistance and low density. A different MRAM memory cell based upon magnetic tunnel junctions has also been examined but has not led to large-scale commercialized devices.
FRAM uses a similar circuit architecture but stores information not in magnetic cells but in thin-film ferroelectric devices. These devices are purported to yield a nonvolatile memory by retaining their electrical polarization after an externally applied electric switching field is removed. However, FRAM suffers from a large memory cell size, and material incompatibility with standard semiconductor CMOS fabrication processes that makes it difficult to manufacture large-scale integrated components. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,853,893; 4,888,630; 5,198,994
Another technology having nonvolatile memory is phase change memory. This technology stores information via a structural phase change in thin-film alloys incorporating elements such as selenium or tellurium. These alloys are purported to remain stable in both crystalline and amorphous states, and the fact that these states are electrically distinct allows the formation of bistable switches. Nonetheless, while the nonvolatility condition is met, this technology appears to suffer from slow operations, difficulty of manufacture and reliability problems, and has not reached a state of commercialization. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,448,302; 4,845,533; 4,876,667; 6,044,008.
Wire crossbar memory (MWCM) has also been proposed. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,128,214; 6,159,620; 6,198,655. These memory proposals envision molecules as bi-stable switches. Two wires (either a metal or semiconducting type) have a layer of molecules or molecule compounds sandwiched in between. Chemical assembly and electrochemical oxidation or reduction are used to generate an "on" or "off" state. This form of memory requires highly specialized wire junctions and may not retain nonvolatility owing to the inherent instability found in redox processes.
Recently, memory devices have been proposed which use nanoscopic wires, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes, to form crossbar junctions to serve as memory cells. See WO 01/03208 ("Nanoscopic Wire-Based Devices, Arrays, and Methods of Their Manufacture"), and Thomas Rueckes et al., "Carbon Nanotube-Based Nonvolatile Random Access Memory for Molecular Computing," Science, vol. 289, pp. 94-97 (2000). Hereinafter these devices are called nanotube wire crossbar memories (NTWCMs). Under these proposals, individual single-walled nanotube wires suspended over other wires define memory cells. Electrical signals are written to one or both wires to cause them to physically attract or repel relative to one another. Each physical state (i.e., attracted or repelled wires) corresponds to an electrical state. Repelled wires are an open circuit junction. Attracted wires are a closed state forming a rectifying junction. When electrical power is removed from the junction, the wires retain their physical (and thus electrical) state thereby forming a nonvolatile memory cell.
The NTWCM proposals to date rely on directed growth or chemical self-assembly techniques to grow the individual nanotubes needed for the memory cells. These techniques are now believed to be difficult to employ at commercial scales using modern technology. Moreover, they may contain inherent limitations such as the length of the nanotubes that may be grown reliably using these techniques, and it may be difficult to control the statistical variance of geometries of nanotube wires so grown.
Methods of producing an electromechanical circuit element are provided.
According to one aspect of the invention, a lower structure having lower support structures and a lower electrically conductive element is provided. A nanotube ribbon (or other electromechanically responsive element) is formed on an upper surface of the lower structure so as to contact the lower support structures. An upper structure is provided over the nanotube ribbon. The upper structure includes upper support structures and an upper electrically conductive element.
Under another aspect of the invention, the upper and lower electrically conductive elements are in vertical alignment.
Under another aspect of the invention, the upper and lower electrically conductive elements are not in alignment.
In the accompanying drawings,
Preferred embodiments of the invention provide new electromechanical circuit elements and methods of making the same. In particular, three trace nanotube-technology devices are shown and methods of making same are described. As will be explained below, the use of three traces (1) facilitates tristable logic that may achieve higher memory storage and/or information densities, (2) improves reliability and speed of switching a given element or cell, and (3) improves fault tolerance of an element or cell. Moreover, certain embodiments effectively enclose the three-trace junctions, facilitating their use, fabrication, and distribution, especially in the case of hybrid circuits.
In short, preferred embodiments of the present invention include electromechanical circuit junctions formed from at least three crossing junctions, only one of which needs to be an electromechanically responsive trace. Though the electromechanically responsive trace may be formed from a carbon nanotube, nanotube rope, or a belt or wire made of another appropriate material, certain preferred embodiments form such a trace as a nanotube ribbon disposed between the other two traces. (The term "trace" is not intended to be limiting to any particular geometry or fabrication technique and instead is intended to broadly cover an electrically conductive path.)
As will be explained below, three trace devices facilitate tristable logic that may achieve higher memory storage and/or information densities. By having more than two states, a given electromechanical element may be used to represent more than binary information. For example, in a tristable arrangement, one state may represent 0, another 1, and the other 2.
The three trace device may also be used to improve the reliability and speed of switching a given element. For example, by positioning an electromechanically responsive trace between two other traces, the two other traces may be stimulated to act in concert upon the electromechanically responsive trace. One trace may be stimulated to repulse the electromechanically responsive trace, and the other may be stimulated to attract the electromechanically responsive trace.
The three trace device may also be used to improve the fault tolerance of an element or cell. For example, if one of the traces becomes inoperative, the other may be used in its place. Alternatively, two traces may be used to operate in concert, but the circuit may be designed in such a way that if one of the traces fails, the circuit continues to operate as long as the other traces remain operative.
Certain preferred embodiments use nanotube ribbons to implement electromechanically responsive traces. Consequently, these embodiments constitute a new set of nanotube ribbon crossbar memory (NTRCM) devices. NTRCM versions of the invention enjoy the same advantages over nanotube wire crossbar memory (NTWCM) versions that NTRCM two-trace junction devices enjoyed over their NTWCM counterparts. See U.S. Apl. Ser. Nos. 09/915,093, entitled "Electromechanical Memory Array Using Nanotube Ribbons and Method for Making Same;" U.S. Apl. Ser. No. 09/915,173 entitled "Electromechanical Memory Having Cell Selection Circuitry Constructed with Nanotube Technology;" and U.S. Apl. Ser. No. 09/915,095 all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The belt structures of NTRCM devices are believed to be easier to build at the desired levels of integration and scale (in number of devices made), and their geometries are more easily controlled. Furthermore, large-scale integration of these nanotube ribbons is straightforward in a way that allows for a large degree of redundancy in architecture, and thus increased reliability.
The lower structure 103 includes a plurality of generally parallel electrically conductive traces 104, disposed between generally parallel and upwardly-protruding supports 105. The traces 104 and supports 105 are generally perpendicular to the ribbons 101. The traces and supports are arranged over a gate oxide layer 109 and silicon substrate 110.
The upper structure 102 is similar to the lower structure. The upper structure 102 includes a plurality of generally parallel electrically conductive traces 114, disposed between generally parallel and downwardly-protruding supports 115. The traces 114 and supports 115 are generally perpendicular to the ribbons 101. The traces and supports are arranged over a gate oxide layer 119 and silicon substrate 120.
For both the upper and lower structures 102, 103, the electromechanically responsive elements 101 are nanotube ribbons. However, other materials, including nanotubes, may be used. Under certain preferred embodiments, a nanotube ribbon 101 has a width of about 180 nm and is pinned to insulating supports 102 (more below).
For both the upper and lower structures 102, 103, the traces 104, 114 may be made of any suitable electrically conductive material and may be arranged in any of a variety of suitable geometries. Certain preferred embodiments utilize n-doped silicon to form such traces, preferably no wider than the nanotube belt 101, e.g., about 180 nm.
For both the upper and lower structures 102, 103, the supports 102 and 112, likewise, may be made of a variety of materials and geometries, but certain preferred embodiments utilize insulating material, such as spin-on-glass (SOG). The preferred thickness (height) must equal or exceed the height of the electrodes preferably from 100 nm to 1 micron.
As will be explained below, under certain embodiments, the ribbons 101 are held between the contacting supports by friction. In other embodiments, the ribbon may be held by other means, such as by anchoring the ribbons to the supports using any of a variety of techniques. The nanotube ribbons 101 are also pinned to the upper surfaces of lower supports 102 by the upper supports being deposited on top of the lower supports. Evaporated or spin-coated material such as metals, semiconductors or insulators—especially silicon, titanium, silicon oxide or polyimide—may be used to increase the pinning strength. The friction interaction can be increased through the use of chemical interactions, including covalent bonding through the use of carbon compounds such as pyrenes or other chemically reactive species. See R. J. Chen et al., "Noncovalent Sidewall Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Protein Immobilization," J. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 123, pp. 3838-39 (2001), and Dai et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 77, pp. 3015-17 (2000), for exemplary techniques for pinning and coating nanotubes by metals. See also WO 01/03208 for techniques.
Each instance where a ribbon crosses corresponding, oppositely-disposed traces defines a memory or logic cell. The actual number of such cells is immaterial to understanding the invention, but the technology may support devices having information storage capacities at least on the order of modem nonvolatile circuit devices.
When the device is in state 106, the ribbon 101 is separated from both electrically conductive traces 104 and 114 by a distance 110. (The figure may suggest that the distances 110 between the ribbon and a corresponding trace is equal, but they need not be.) This state may be electrically detected in any of a variety of ways described in the foregoing references incorporated by reference. When the cell is in state 107, shown in
Under certain embodiments in which the lateral spacing between the supports 102 is about 180 nm, the relative separation 110 from the top of an insulating support 102 to the deflected position where the belt 101 attaches to electrode 104 or 114 should be approximately 5-50 nm. The magnitude of the separation 110 is designed to be compatible with electromechanical switching capabilities of the memory device. The 5-50 nm separation is preferred for certain embodiments utilizing ribbons 101 made from carbon nanotubes, and reflects the specific interplay between strain energy and adhesion energy for the deflected nanotubes. Other separations may be preferable for other materials.
Switching between these states is accomplished by the application of specific voltages across the nanotube belt or wire 101 and one or more of its associated conductive traces 104,114. Switching forces are based on the interplay of electrostatic attraction and repulsion between the nanotube ribbon and the electrodes.
In certain embodiments, there is a high ratio between resistances in the "off" and the two "on" states. The differences between resistances in the "off" and "on" states provides a means to read which state a junction is in. In one approach, a "readout current" is applied to the nanotube belt or electrode and the voltage across the junction is determined with a "sense amplifier" on the traces. Reads are non-destructive, meaning that the cell retains its state, and no write-back operations are needed as is required with semiconductor DRAMs.
As alluded to above, the three-trace junctions of preferred embodiments bring their own advantages. By allowing for use of tristable memory cells, more information may be stored or represented by a given cell. Moreover, even if only one of the "on" states were used, three-trace junctions may increase switching speeds from the ability to use both conductive traces in concert to apply forces to move an electromechanically responsive trace 101. Furthermore, advantages in increased reliability and defect tolerance can come from the redundancy permitted, by the presence of two conductive traces in each cell. Each of the two conductive traces may be separately used to apply forces to move an electromechanically responsive trace, and each of the two conductive traces may serve as the "contact" for one of two alternative "on" states. Thus, the failure of one conductive trace may not be fatal to junction performance. In addition, by disposing the ribbons 101 between upper and lower structures 102, 103, the ribbons are effectively sealed and protected. Among other things this facilitates packaging and distribution, and it allows the nanotube-technology arrays to be more easily incorporated into other circuit and systems such as hybrid circuits. The lateral nature of the electrical architecture can also facilitate the production of stackable memory layers and the simplification of various interconnects.
Conductive traces 510 extend between supports 508. These conductive electrodes can be fabricated from a single material such as n-doped silicon or from a combination of material layers including metal and silicon layers. Acceptable materials for the conductive electrodes include copper, titanium, tungsten, and platinum, or other metals or semiconductors, such as silicon, compatible with standard fabrication lines. In this instance, the traces 510 are shown as essentially contacting the supports 508, but other arrangements are possible, as are other geometries, such as ones characterized by non-rectangular transverse cross-sections (e.g., triangular or trapezoidal).
Sacrificial layers 518 are disposed above the conductive traces 510 so as to define one planar surface 520 with the upper surface of the supports 508. This planar surface, as has been explained previously in the incorporated applications, facilitates growth of a non-woven fabric of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) which is primarily one nanotube thick.
Under certain embodiments, a nanotube film is first grown on surface 520 and then patterned, e.g., by photolithography and etching, to define a layer of ribbons 522 (see also 101 in FIG. 1). The ribbons of non-woven nanotube fabric lie on the planar surface 520 and cross (for example, perpendicularly) the underlying traces 510. The resulting intermediate structure 524 is the lower structure 102 referred to above, with the exception that structure 524 includes the sacrificial layer 518.
The lower intermediate structure 524 may be formed in many ways. Several such ways are described in the incorporated patent applications, cited above. In addition, various ways are implicitly suggested through the description below of different ways of constructing analogous structures sitting on top of the lower array.
An upper intermediate structure 526 may be formed separately, and it may be placed on top of the patterned carbon nanotube film layer 522 to yield intermediate structure 540. Like the lower intermediate structure 524, the upper intermediate structure 526 includes an insulating support layer 528 (e.g., SOG) that contains a plurality of supports 530. In the pictured embodiment, the supports 530 consist of rows of patterned insulating material, but, as with the lower structure, many arrangements are possible, such as ones containing a plurality of columns. Moreover, the insulating supports may be made from a variety of materials.
Conductive traces 532, separated from the nanotubes by a second set of sacrificial layers 534, extend between supports 530. The conductive traces 532 are shown as essentially contacting the supports 530, but other arrangements and geometries are possible, as described for the conductive traces 510 in intermediate 500. A gate dielectric layer 536 and a conductive ground layer 538 are deposited on top of the supports 530 and traces 532.
To generate the target structure 542 featuring suspended, tristable nanotube junctions 544, the lower and upper sacrificial layers 518 and 534, respectively, have to be removed from intermediate structure 540, as by using wet or dry chemical etchants including acids or bases.
Before describing methods for producing the upper array 526 in greater detail, a few aspects regarding the fabrication process and its product are worth pointing out. The first is that the various growth, patterning, and etching operations may be performed using conventional techniques, such as lithographic patterning. Currently, these techniques can lead to feature sizes (e.g., the width of ribbon 101) of about 180 nm to as low as 130 nm, but the physical characteristics of the components are amenable to even smaller feature sizes that may be accessible to future manufacturing processes.
A second point is that, because the nanotube ribbons are in place before construction of the upper array begins, there is some more flexibility in the choice of materials for the upper array. In particular, while the choice of materials for the lower electrodes is limited to those substances that will survive the high temperature of the nanotube growth process, the choice of materials for the upper electrodes is not so constrained.
The final point is that interconnect fabrication can be applied using standard metallization and CMOS logic or using nanoelectromechanical addressing as previously explained in the incorporated patent applications, cited above. Such addressing can also be done utilizing a tristable nanoelectromechanical addressing logic scheme.
Three possible methods for generating the upper intermediate structure 526 are described in connection with
To generate the conductive traces 610, a photoresist layer may be spin-coated on layer 604 and subsequently exposed and developed to create cavities which lie directly over the underlying supports 508.
Reactive ion etching (RIE) or the like may then be used to etch the electrode and sacrificial layers 604 and 602 to form cavities 608 and to define upper-layer electrodes 610 that are positioned directly above the underlying electrodes 510. As shown in
The resulting intermediate structure 540 is then processed so that the lower and upper sacrificial layers 518 and 534, respectively, are removed to result in structure 542, as discussed above in connection with FIG. 5.
As illustrated by
The resulting intermediate structure 540 is then processed so that the lower and upper sacrificial layers 518 and 534, respectively, are removed to result in structure 542, as discussed above in connection with FIG. 5.
As illustrated in
The resulting intermediate structure 540 is then processed so that the lower and upper sacrificial layers 518 and 534, respectively, are removed to result in structure 542, as discussed above in connection with FIG. 5.
Under other embodiments of the invention, from those described above, the upper electrodes are not located directly over the lower electrodes but, instead, are shifted (e.g., displaced by half their width) relative to the lower electrodes. This approach, among other things, facilitates the use of certain techniques for removing sacrificial layers.
Conductive traces 908 of n-type silicon electrodes, or some other suitable material or material combination, are provided on top of the flat surface 906 so that they run parallel to the lower conductive traces 510 and so that at least a portion of the traces 908 (but not their entirety) are aligned with the traces 510. The completed upper array 910 of the resulting intermediate 900 includes upper supports 902, upper sacrificial layers 904, and upper electrodes 908. The upper conductive traces 908 in intermediate 900 are not directly located above the lower electrode traces 510, but are shifted by a certain amount (e.g., by half their width) relative to the lower traces 510.
To generate the freely suspended tristable nanotube junctions 914 of the target structure 912, the lower sacrificial layer 518 and upper sacrificial layer 904 are removed using wet or dry chemical etchants including acids or bases.
The upper traces 908 are shown as having rectangular cross-sections and widths similar to those of the lower supports 508 and lower electrodes 510, but neither the shapes nor the widths of the upper traces 908 is limited to these parameters. Narrower or wider traces of different cross-sections, e.g., trapezoidal or triangular, can be envisioned. Furthermore, while the choice of material for the lower array 524 is somewhat limited so that the materials are compatible with the growth conditions for the carbon nanotubes or nanotube fabrics (e.g., relatively high temperature), the upper array 910 is fabricated after nanotube growth so that a wider variety of materials can be used for the upper supports 902, upper sacrificial layers 904, and upper electrodes 908. For example, materials that are only stable up to relatively low temperatures, such as polyimides, other polymers or low melting point metals (e.g. aluminum), can be used for the upper array 910.
The cavities 1306 are filled with a planar sacrificial layer which is then backetched by RIE or some other etching technique until the sacrificial layer 904 has the same height as the upper supports 902 and a planar surface 906 is formed. The intermediate structure 1310 so formed then has a layer of electrode material, such as n-type silicon, deposited on top of surface 906, which is then patterned by photolithography and etching techniques, such as RIE, to define conductive electrode traces 908 and to form intermediate structure 900.
The upper and lower sacrificial layers 904 and 518 are then removed, as explained in conjunction with
The cavities 1408 are then filled by a flat layer of support material which is backetched to the same height as the sacrificial layer lines 904 to form a flat surface 906 and to form intermediate structure 1310. Intermediate 1310 is converted into intermediate 900 as explained in conjunction with FIG. 13B. The upper and lower sacrificial layers 904 and 518 are removed to form the target structure 912 containing freely suspended, tristable nanotube junctions 914.
To form freely suspended, tristable junctions, the part 1712 of the sacrificial material remaining directly above the lower electrodes 510 is removed. This can be accomplished by utilizing the faster differential solubility of this sacrificial material 1712 compared to the sacrificial material 1714 remaining directly above the lower insulating supports 508. The sacrificial material 1712 directly above the lower electrodes dissolves faster because it is more accessible to the etchant than the part 1714 of the remaining sacrificial layer directly above the lower supports 508. As a result, by applying etchant and then stopping the etching process at the appropriate time, the target structure 1716 featuring freely suspended, tristable nanotube junctions 914 can be fabricated.
The electrode material layer 1702 is patterned to form the electrode lines 908 of intermediate 1804. Subsequently, the exposed region of the sacrificial layer 1802 in between electrodes 908 is removed by RIE to form intermediate 1806 of FIG. 18B. Then the lower sacrificial layer 518 is removed by etching to form intermediate 1808. The remaining portions 1810 of the upper sacrificial layers directly above the lower electrodes 510 are removed by utilizing their higher differential solubility compared to the portions 1812 of sacrificial material directly above the lower supports 508. Because sacrificial material 1810 directly above the lower electrodes is much more easily accessed than sacrificial material 1812 directly above the lower supports, the material directly above the lower electrodes etches faster. Thus, by applying etchant but stopping the etching process at the appropriate time, the freely suspended, tristable junctions 914 of the target structure 1814 can be generated.
Additional Embodiments
In general, it should be noted that the feature sizes described above are suggested in view of modern manufacturing techniques. Other embodiments may be made with much smaller (or larger) sizes that reflect manufacturing capabilities.
The target structures and processes described above do not exhaust the range of embodiments of the present invention. Subsequent metallization may be used to add addressing electrodes to an array of tristable junctions such as that pictured in FIG. 1. Other embodiments could use nanotube technology, whether in individual wire or belt form, to implement addressing of memory cells instead of using metallized electrodes and CMOS addressing logic (not shown). Such potential use of nanotube technology to select memory cells for reading or writing operations would further integrate nanotubes into system design and might add beneficial functionality to higher-level system design. For example, under this approach of using nanotube technology for both memory and addressing, the memory architecture could inherently store the last memory address as well as memory contents in a nonvolatile manner.
Another set of embodiments would use different materials in place of the nanotube ribbons described above. Of course, individual nanotubes could be used instead of ribbons, albeit with the disadvantages relative to ribbons discussed above. In addition, other materials with electronic and mechanical properties suitable for electromechanical switching could be envisioned. These materials would have properties similar to carbon nanotubes but with different and likely reduced tensile strength. For a material to qualify, its tensile strain and adhesion energies would need to fall within a range that allowed for bistability or tristability, and that ensured that required electromechanical switching properties exist within acceptable tolerances.
Other embodiments could feature additional electrodes consisting of n-doped silicon on top of some metal or semiconductor conductive traces. The additional electrodes would provide rectifying junctions in the ON state so that no multiple current pathways exist.
Embodiments could also feature any of various other widely accepted and used methods to prevent the occurrence of electrical crosstalk (i.e., multiple current pathways) in crossbar arrays. Tunnel barriers could be added on top of the static, lithographically fabricated electrodes to prevent the formation of ohmic ON states. In such embodiments, no leakage currents would occur at zero bias voltage, and a small bias voltage would have to be applied for any significant number of charge carriers to overcome the barrier and tunnel between crossing traces.
Additional embodiments could make use of methods to increase adhesion energies through the use of ionic, covalent or other forces to alter the interactions between the electromechanical switching elements and the electrode surfaces. Such methods can be used to extend the range of bistability and tristability within the junctions.
Further embodiments could be produced by functionalizing nanotubes with planar conjugated hydrocarbons such as pyrenes. These hydrocarbons could enhance the internal adhesion between nanotubes within the ribbons.
Moreover, many of the above benefits may be achieved by embodiments that do not utilize the "sandwich-type" of architecture of having the electromechanically-responsive element disposed between two electrodes. For example, two generally parallel traces disposed on one side of the electromechanically-responsive element may improve fault tolerance and the like.
In addition, certain embodiments used a shifted upper trace to define an opening to the sacrificial layers to facilitate the removal of the sacrificial layers. Other approaches may be used to define such openings, for example, by shaping the upper trace appropriately to define such an opening.
It will be further appreciated that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but rather is defined by the appended claims, and that these claims will encompass modifications of and improvements to what has been described.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
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text:
Feb. 24, 2006
WORCESTER, Mass.- Sacred Heart's Pierre-Luc O'Brien scored with four seconds left in sudden-death overtime as the Holy Cross men's hockey team fell to Sacred Heart, 4-3, in Atlantic Hockey action this evening at the Hart Center. With the loss, the Crusaders fall to 21-8-2 overall (17-6-2 AHA), while the Pioneers improve to 19-10-2 overall (16-7-2 AHA). With Mercyhurst's 6-2 win over Army tonight, Holy Cross (36 points) holds a one point lead over the Lakers (35 points) and a two-point lead over Sacred Heart (34 points) at the top of the Atlantic Hockey standings with three games left in the regular season. These two teams will meet again on Saturday night at the Milford Ice Pavilion at 7:00 p.m.
Sacred Heart got out to a fast start as it scored three unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes of the first period. Rocco Molinaro scored his 11th goal of the season at the 6:09 mark when he knocked in a rebound on the power play. The Pioneers increased their lead to 2-0, when Bernie Chmiel scored a power play goal at the 8:26 mark. Kyle Tyll scored his second goal of the season at the 9:47 mark to give Sacred Heart a 3-0 lead.
Holy Cross junior Jon Landry (Lexington, Mass.) scored the only goal of the period for the Crusaders, when he fired a shot from the blue line for a power play goal at the 17:45 mark. The goal was Landry's sixth of the season. Holy Cross had nine shots and went 1-3 on the power play, while the Pioneers had 15 shots and went 2-2.
The second period went scoreless as Sacred Heart outshot Holy Cross, 11-6. The Crusaders went 0-1 on the man-advantage and the Pioneers went 0-4.
The Crusaders scored two straight goals to tie the game in the third period. Sophomore Matt Burke (Milton, Mass.) scored a power play goal for his third goal of the season at the 7:05 mark to cut the deficit in half. Junior Sean Nappo (Northville, Mich.) was in perfect position as he screened Sacred Heart goalie Jason Smith, while Burke sent a shot past Smith into the net. Sophomore Dale Reinhardt (Livingston, N.J.) tied the game just over a minute later when he netted his ninth goal of the season.
The game remained tied until O'Brien scored the game-winner with just four seconds remaining in overtime. Senior goaltender Tony Quesada (South Freeport, Maine) made 31 saves and is now 16-4-2 on the season, while Smith stopped 24 shots to improve to 16-9-1. Both teams went 2-6 on the power play, while Sacred Heart outshot Holy Cross, 35-27.
Quesada now holds the Holy Cross all-time records for games played in goal (97) and minutes played in goal (5553:57).


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The Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti GPU is Out Now, Great for 720p S3D
Nvidia continues to introduce new graphics chips Ñ?rom its Kepler lineup and after the top models are all already on the market it is time to also fill up the middle and lower range of products, and here comes the GeForce GTX 650 Ti. Not too long ago the company has introduced the 660 Ti and it instantly became my minimum must have GPU for gaming in stereo 3D mode at Full HD resolution, so the big question now is where the 650 Ti should be situated. Nvidia positions the GTX 650 Ti as a card for gamers with more limited budget that want to be able to play at 1920Ã?1080 or 1920Ã?1200 resolution with medium to high graphics details, but without pushing for the maximum ultra details and going for high AA settings. And if that is true for 2D gaming, then you should not expect the card to be able to perform great at Full HD resolution in stereoscopic 3D mode, sure you should still be able to play in that resolution, but you'll have to go for lower detail levels. So instead of trying to push the GTX 650 Ti to the limits at 1080p resolution in stereo 3D mode I've decided to test how good the card will perform in 720p resolution in stereo 3D mode. I have the feeling this graphic processor would be a great choice for stereoscopic 3D gamers that are using 3D projectors or 3D HDTVs to play games in 3D mode and there 720p is the typical resolution. Of course the goal would be 720p resolution with some AA and the maximum detail levels, so that the player would not be bothered by the lower resolution being used. But before doing some tests let us see what are the specifications of the GeForce GTX 650 Tiâ?¦
Specifications of GeForce GTX 650 Ti:
CUDA Cores ' 768 +576* The numbers in red and green represent the upgrade or downgrade of the specific parameter in the GTX 550 Ti as compared to the GTX 550 1GB!
So the GeForce GTX 650 Ti is in overall a good successor for the GTX 550 Ti in terms of specifications and it should be offering a good performance increase as well, though according to Nvidia the people that should upgrade their GPU to the 650 Ti are probably the ones that are still using cards such as GeForce 9600 GT. And when talking about the competition, the GTX 650 Ti should be fighting with AMD's Radeon HD 7770, but this goes as far as playing games in 2D, so what about stereoscopic 3D gaming?
The benchmark results above were achieved on a mid-range computer ' MSI P55 motherboard, Intel Core i5 750 processor, 4GB RAM and Windows 7 64-bit, together with a reference GTX 650 Ti graphics card all of which were not overclocked. They games were ran at 1280�720 resolution in stereoscopic 3D mode with no AA, but the good thing about usиng AA filtering at 720p resolution is that it is really not as taxing as on 1080p resolution in terms of performance. So activating 4xAA in most games like the ones listed in the table only brings down the average FPS with something like 3-5 frames, and using 2xAA or 4xAA can really help in improving the visual quality at that resolution. So as expected, the GeForce GTX 650 Ti is a great card for more budget oriented stereoscopic 3D gamers that want to be able to play in stereo 3D mode on their 3D HDTV or 3D-capable projector at 720p resolution. If you want to be able to enjoy games in stereoscopic 3D mode on a 3D monitor at 1080p resolution you should consider going at least for GeForce GTX 660 Ti in order to get a good experience. On the other hand the GeForce GTX 650 Ti does perform quite well in Full HD resolution in most games if you don't want to play them in stereoscopic 3D mode, and you can do that as well on a 3D HDTV, though with a 3D projector not all models that support 720p 3D mode do support 1080p in 2D as well.
So in the end the GeForce GTX 650 Ti is a nice card that you can get for $159 USD and be able to get good experience playing in 1080p in 2D mode or 720p in stereoscopic 3D mode. The card is small, does not consume a lot of energy, the cooling is silent and at the same time you get good performance out of it ' a perfect combination for the not so demanding gamers or the ones with a more limited budget that cannot afford or just don't need to buy the top models. Well done Nvidia.
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text: • St. Tikhon's Orthodox Church, 511 W. Perkins Ave., Sandusky, will celebrate Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. Celebrant will be the Rev. Ilia Marzev. St. Tikhon's is a mission parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and welcomes Orthodox Christians of all traditions. Refreshments will follow the worship. Entry and parking are in the back of the building. For information call 440-743-0609 or 419-626-2486 or e-mail to sttikhonoc. com.


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Peter Thiel is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist; he was a founder and CEO of PayPal and early investor in Facebook. He has suggested that students in college who want to be entrepreneurs may do better by dropping out. Here's a short clip on his search for young tech visionaries from CNBC. The program will air on August 13 and 14.
" On September 29, 2010, Thiel said he had created a new fellowship called the Thiel Fellowship, which will award $100,000 each to 20 people under 20 years old, in order to spur them to quit college and create their own ventures…Thiel has argued that although education is definitely useful for some career paths and people do learn many valuable things in college, there are many career paths, such as entrepreneurship, for which higher education is not useful and it simply leads them to waste years when they may have been doing something more productive." – Wikipedia article on Peter Thiel
We applaud Peter Thiel's fellowship program. But we also understand that this is for a very select few.
Everyone knows that Steve Jobs didn't complete college, but he was very influenced by what he learned there. And it took a lot of college-educated people to turn his dreams into reality. Michael Dell got his business going from his dorm room and then left college. Peter Thiel himself has a philosophy degree and a JD (law doctorate) from Stanford University, and he teaches a course in entrepreneurship there.
In technology, most start-ups have engineers with bachelor's and master's degrees as core founders, and in biotech, founders typically have PhD or MD degrees. These entrepreneurs usually spend some years working in larger companies before starting their own; this allows them to gain valuable business contacts and experience. A lot of the potential success of the Thiel Fellowships will come from providing these young entrepreneurs the right set of mentors and contacts.
Dropping out of college may give someone a faster start in business, but it will narrow their options. There will always be new start-up possibilities in the future. And few people of college age will be able to attract start-up capital unless they have some unique connections, or are one of the extremely fortunate ones to receive something like a Thiel fellowship.
Entrepreneurship in the presently booming areas of social media and cloud and big data is possible from the business side and perhaps from the technical (software development) side without necessarily going to or completing college. Software development is an interesting area, because it is both a technical skill and an art. It certainly requires good skills in math and logical thinking. It is also possible to become an expert coder in a self-taught fashion.
Some occupations absolutely demand a college degree and an advanced degree as well, including doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, scientist and engineer.
In comparison to social media start-ups, it's harder to imagine chip design, genetic medicine and nanotechnology developments coming from non-college graduates and indeed from non-advanced degree holders because of the sheer technical difficulty of these fields, requiring years of study and research to reach the cutting edge.
Net-net, if you drop out, you may or may not succeed in that first start-up business, but you could have the option to go back to school later. If you complete your degree, you have more employment options available to you. But, two years in the right major could also be worth more than four years in one with few job prospects.
There are an increasing number of free and open resources for accelerating, supplementing or continuing one's education. These include edX, Udacity and Coursera at the college and university level. These open courses broaden the options for those not able to attend college, including the ability to earn credits for some courses.
At Curriki our focus is on K12 and providing thousands upon thousands of curated free open source curricular resources to anyone in the world, whether educator, student, or parent, or life-long learner. These can increase a student's capability to attend college and be successful there and on into their working life. There are also college-level resources available through the Curriki site.


text:
Monday, 23 November 2009
Christopher Ruud, President, Ruud Lighting Inc.
We actually admire Christopher's bravery in going out looking like that. We'd be terrified of getting kicked in walking to the local shop in that jacket, never mind teaming it with that sort of hair and an unfortunately smug smile.
9 comments:
- Trilby said...
- 23 November 2009 at 10:39
- Anonymous said...
He's been Rickrolled. Permanently.
- 23 November 2009 at 13:44
- Anonymous said...
why is it that those lucky enough to keep their hair never do anything that makes them worthy of actually having it.
I feel that justifies me calling him " a fat asshole"
- 23 November 2009 at 15:10
- Anonymous said...
oh yeah, and,
best exec update ever.
- 23 November 2009 at 15:13
- Anonymous said...
Ok it's a bit 80's, but still infinitely better than those irritating 'Jedward' mutants and their haircuts, don't you think?
- 23 November 2009 at 17:04
- The CEO said...
I sit on my own on the internet in a room where I can't hear the TV on Saturday nights. The only good thing to come out of it is the Cheryl Kerl Twitter.
- 23 November 2009 at 18:37
- pingus said...
Ruud Lighting?
- 23 November 2009 at 19:38
- Ahmed said...
Welcome to 1985.
- 5 December 2009 at 23:30
- Lawerence B. Vestal said...
The capitalist checking account is usually from time to time any guaranteeing or even a bank account. just embody to the proceed a spree with all of your proof of money flow, your individual hottest typical commonplace bank declaration and you merely latest refer photograph DETECTION or even passport. the particular Pay day advance additionally to Size auto title loans in richmond loan can be an excellent product and services that may makes it come-at-able for quite few men and ladies daily. Anytime emergencies occur, glimpse observe individuals.
- 6 July 2014 at 12:15


text:
Celebrity Buzz
Your daily dose of hot news & gossip.
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Scarlett Johannson asks us all to respect her privacy. From People.com: In a new interview with CNN, the actress addresses those naked pictures that were allegedly hacked from a private cell phone and leaked online on Sept. 15. "Just because you're an actor or make films or whatever doesn't mean you're not entitled to your […] [Read More]


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Kingpin Approaches to Fighting Crime and Community Violence: Evidence from Mexico's Drug War
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text:
It's really easy to do, doesn't require any pattern, and can be made in under an hour.
Step 1: What You Need
One large chunk of fleece, about 3 feet by a little over 1 foot (It was a scrap I found around the house)
One shoelace (I'm sure you can find something to do with the other one on Instructables somewhere)
A sewing machine
Step 2: Trim
Step 3: Pin
On the right side, pin about one foot up the side, then start arching deeper into the fabric, until you're 5 or so inches in. You want to do this in a curve.
Just pin the string through the end (or next to a knot), and push the pin through the 'tunnel'. It drags the string through after it.


text:
5 Reasons Why People Rent Multifamily Apartments
Many believe the only reason people rent multifamily apartments is because of housing affordability, meaning; people only rent because they cannot afford to be home owners. This is simply not true. There are a myriad of reasons why people rent apartments. Following are just a few of those reasons.
Convenience. Apartments homes can provide varying types of convenience; close to work; easy commute to the city center, proximity to parks, etc. People define convenience in many ways. Convenience can be as simple as having the ability to make only a short-term commitment (one year lease versus owning forever). Convenience can be keeping one's options open to other opportunities by being mobile.
When traveling by myself I have a preference for full service hotels. When traveling with my family I prefer extended stay hotels. Each offers a certain type of "convenience" With full service I can order in and keep working. At extended stay if the kids want popcorn with the late night movie the microwave is right there next to the frig. Each type of property offers certain conveniences depending on my needs. The same argument can apply to renting versus owning.
Location. What's in an address? Do you live in Laguna Niguel or Anaheim? Queens or in the City? Oakland or Palo Alto? Is one place better than another? It depends on who you ask, right? Regardless of where we call work, many people are willing to commute to live in a place that meets their desired standard of living. Schools come in to play, crime rates, public places, sure. But in the mix is finding a place that makes them feel good about themselves, their accomplishments, where they find themselves in life and comfort.
Lifestyle. Your perception is your reality. And with apartment homes these perceptions create a persona that generates differentiation based on amenities, size, style. In luxury properties it is not uncommon to see fresh flowers in the lobby every day. Do people place fresh flowers in their home each day? Some do but most do not. Yet a lifestyle property provides this amenity as part of your rental experience. We come to expect it and note it's absence. Lifestyle.
Price. There can be significant differentials between the price of renting versus buying in a certain place. Yet even if the price were equal there are many people that prefer to rent rather than own. Why? Some recognize the costs of ownership is a commitment beyond the initial purchase price. Taxes can increase, things break, neighborhoods change. Thus, price is only one of many reasons why a family may choose to rent rather than own the roof over their head in a particular place.
Financial flexibility. In every price range there are home owners that have a mortgage with a balance higher than the property value. And sometimes prices go down (gasp- really?). So whereas home ownership, historically, was a great inflation hedge and potentially sound financial investment most people are now firmly aware that equity is a gift and not a right (we are using the word gift very loosely).
Look at this short list without your "business brain" for just minute. Notice that three of the five reasons people rent housing rather than buy housing is non-financial. Sure, I could have skewed this to be all about the numbers (rent per square foot, rental vs own, , etc). Consider that individuals and family's rent for reasons other than just dollars and cents. Consider this more deeply when implementing your leasing and marketing plan.
Please comment on the following questions:
Question: What are some additional reasons why people rent?
Question: What do you think is the single biggest reason people rent versus own?
About This Blog
Multifamily Insight is dedicated to assisting current and future multifamily property owners, operators and investors in executing specific tasks that allow multifamily assets to operate at their highest level of efficiency. We discuss real world issues in multifamily property management and acquisitions. This blog is intended to be informational only and does not provide legal, financial or accounting advice. Seek professional counsel. http://www.MultifamilyInsight.com
Comments (2)
These points are very true and well-stated. Homeowner-types often make assumptions about apartment-dwellers that are not fully true. Money is usually a factor, but maybe not the biggest factor. Another reason includes the reduction of time that one would need to dedicate to household tasks such as landscaping, repairs, and maintenance. Some people don't enjoy these tasks and enjoy the fact that they don't have to even think about them. Another positive reason included the sense of community that many people crave. With common areas in many apartment buildings and many people living in close proximity to one another, they feel more connection to other people. As an elementary school principal, every day new families enter the school who reside in the surrounding apartments. They often choose the apartments because they are available for their lifestyle transitions. Many families change communities for a variety of reasons and they need a quick, available place to hang their hats. Investors in multi-family can be confident that there are many reasons for their units to be in demand.
And... for many they see apartment living as having a more predictable costs. Sure rents go up, but there are no $2,000 bills coming at them like if the roof starts leaking or if a water heater goes out in the middle of winter. Life style, convenience, predictable costs...
To leave a comment, sign in or create a free account on BiggerPockets today!


text:
Summering in Alaska
The headlines may be cheesy, but the article by The Huffington Post lists several great examples of why you should summer in Alaska.
"Whenever Alaska is brought up in conversation, it's most likely linked with some Sarah Palin quip or a remark about how much your current city 'feels like Alaska.' Well, you might not know this, but it actually gets warm in Alaska. Yep -- WARM.
"Sure, there might a little snow on the mountain caps, but just keep Alaska in mind the next time you're planning a summer getaway. Cruise ship prices are always reasonable and a great way to escape those big crowds in the Caribbean.
"Check out the tiny towns (with awesome temps and cheesy headlines) that you should spend time in this summer": http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/summer-in-alaska_n_5191652.html


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With so many businesses still trying to figure out how to leverage social media in the workplace, email continues to be the primary method of communication among employees. Whether they are communicating with co-workers, managers, customers or distributors email still reigns supreme. In fact, 94 percent of all American Internet users send or read email every day according to the Pew Research Center. In the workplace it is estimated that workers spend 41 percent of their day handling email according to the Radicati Group.
While email is still a primary means of communication among people in the workplace, many businesses fail to put in place a policy that governs how employees use email while they are on the clock. Business owners or IT managers tend to overlook laws and regulations that dictate how email should be used and stored. In small-medium sized businesses there is less of a perceived need for a email policy because employers sometimes don't see the need to regulate things such as email and Internet use. Unfortunately this can land them in legal trouble.
Current laws state that employers can be held legally liable for the content of email sent from computers owned by the company. Furthermore, failing to retain emails sent by employees can also put businesses out of compliance for Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulations.
To protect your business from legal troubles you can either abolish email altogether, or govern how your employees use this tool in the workplace with a documented policy on email usage.
Since the latter is much more practical, let's look at five things that your email policy needs to address:
- Personal use of the email system. Some businesses allow employees to use company email for personal communication. Some strictly forbid it. Others take a hybrid approach, allowing personal use to take place during non-work hours granted the emails sent and received abide by other policies. Whichever route you take, make sure that it is clearly spelled out in your policy in a way that cannot be misconstrued.
- Rules governing what can and cannot be sent over the company email system. Email can be used to share files, multimedia, pictures, etc. While any IT department would most certainly want to keep large attachments to a minimum to conserve bandwidth and storage space, this usually isn't what causes most of the problems. Obviously it is necessary for your email policy should explain what is inappropriate to send using the company email system. Make sure to cover the distribution of any offensive, or disruptive messages, including messages containing offensive comments about race, gender, age, sexual orientation, pornography, religious or political beliefs, national origin or disability.
- Email retention policies. If your company is required to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley then you have an obligation to make sure that records, including emails, are retained for a certain period of time. You also have an obligation to inform employees that emails will be archived and how long they will be retained for. Even if you are not required by law, keeping an archive of emails can help your company fight a lawsuit or investigate issues dealing with employees. Make sure this is a part of your email policy and follow up with your IT staff with a records audit from time to time.
- Email monitoring. As the owner of your email system you have the right to monitor employee email messages at any time but you do need to inform your employees of this. Explain to them that any messages sent, or received, using company equipment are subject to being viewed even if the employee considers them to be of personal nature. Having this policy in place protects you should a situation ever arise where you need to monitor an employee's email and it helps curb inappropriate use of the email system but it is rather sensitive so you should check with your company's lawyer on how to word this properly.
- Best practices for email usage. You should also use this section to explain expectations for email protocol when it comes to writing and addressing messages. An email sent out can be the first impression a potential client or partner gets of your company and you want it to look professional. For example, some basic email etiquette rules include not writing emails in all capitals, enabling spell checking, including a signature that conforms to your company format, using proper grammar and punctuation.
Once you have drafted your email policy it is important to understand that if a policy is put in place but then not enforced cannot be later relied upon to discipline an employee who violates the policy. So while creating a reasonable email policy is important, enforcing it is necessary as well. Don't put anything in writing that you do not plan on enforcing later.


text:
MONROE -- 'A Very Merry Commander Christmas' is sure to be one of the hottest events of the Winter season. The Downtown Monroe Alliance, Duck Commander, Friends of the RiverMarket and other organizations are making it all happen to support the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana.
It will be a full day of events on December 14th, including a Duck Commander Look-A-Like contest, Christmas Flotilla, and a laser show. The Duck Derby will take place at 3pm. Ducks are on sale now for the race. You can buy them at all Community Trust Bank branches, the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana, or by clicking here. Ducks are $5 each, but you can get a Quacker Pack for $25. That includes six ducks. Or you could be 'Happy, happy, happy' with The Big Quacker. That includes 100 ducks for $400.
Christie Messenger with the Friends of the RiverMarket says they hope to have 30-thousand ducks in the derby.
First prize wins a private tour of Duck Commander. Second prize is a meet & greet with country star Luke Bryan in May 2014.
Community Trust Bank is the title sponsor for this event.
Copyright 2013 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


text:
Discover how to use Edge Animate to create interactive designs and animated motion graphics for websites, mobile apps, digital magazines, and ebooks.
Discover how to use the complete Edge Animate toolset to lay out and animate motion graphics for your website, mobile devices, digital magazine, iBooks, and more.
Learn how to let your users control your HTML5 animation with their scroll wheel, trackpad, or even the browser's scroll bar.
Tell a more compelling story in Edge Animate with an animated infographic.
Use Edge Animate and HTML5, jQuery, and CSS to create a custom, interactive homepage marquee.
Create a randomized animation with just a few lines of JavaScript and Edge Animate.
"I often watch the lynda.com videos on my laptop while working out on a stationary bicycle. The short length of the video segments helps to keep me motivated: "I'll quit at the end of this chapter." So far I have lost 25 pounds!" —Gail P.
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Bridges the gap between site administration and customization by developing Joomla! components, plug-ins, modules, and other extensions.
Use Joomla! to build a website from scratch with no programming at all, from installation to launch.
"Words cannot express how much you people at lynda.com have changed my life. I have learned more than I could have from reading books." —Joseph A.
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Contrasting mouldings elevate this look.
To define this room's focal point, designer Frank Stüve daringly painted the arched window's trim in black. To anchor the room under the soaring barrel vaulted ceiling, Stüve chose ebony accents, clean profiles and graphic prints — making the overall look dramatic but not overwhelming.
See more interiors from Celerie Kemble's book Black & White in our photo gallery.
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1937 Flood playing afternoon show in Ashland for Clean Start
ASHLAND — From 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28 The 1937 Flood will once again invade Ashland, but in a good way.
West Virginia's most eclectic string band will immerse Judd Plaza with harmony and merriment, ballads and blues tunes, fiddle and folk favorites in support of Clean Start, a mission of the Ashland Area Presbyterian Ministries. Community Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church will serve as hosts.
Because of the rain the event will be held at the Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church, 1600 Winchester Ave., Ashland.
The band, which also features Doug Chaffin of Ashland, Sam St. Clair, Michelle Walker and Randy Hamilton, plays everything from folk classics of John Prine and Bob Dylan to the blues of Mississippi John Hurt.
Picnic on the Plaza proceeds will benefit Clean Start. Clean Start, a mission of Ashland Area Presbyterian Ministries, will be located in the Neighborhood, a onestop shop for helping people in need. Clean Start will provide showers, haircuts, grooming opportunities and mailboxes for people who are homeless.
Tickets for tables of eight (8) are $150 (or $18.75 per person), tickets for tables of four (4) will be sold for $100. decorate your tables, wear costumes if you like and bring your own picnic basket or preparations to prepare your feast.
The food you bring will make the chef or chefs eligible for the Food Tasting/Cooking Contest. The culinary creations will be judged by Rocco Muriale, head chef of Rocco's Restarante and Rocco's Little Italy. Rocco's restaurants are located in Ceredo and Huntington respectively.
Likewise, a Table Decorating/Costume Contest will be held with Michael Mussetter as judge.
Children's Activities will be hosted and provided as a service by Missio Dei.
It is fitting that the 1937 Flood was chosen to entertain those in attendance. This year marks the 75th anniversary of that devastating flood. The Kentucky Highlands Museum will display photographs, mementos and documents relating to that time in our history.
Go online at www.1937flood.com for more info.


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Fremd's Jamie Drost earned medalist honors at Monday's Ivanhoe Classic, shooting 75 on the par-72 layout to beat his nearest competitors by 3 strokes.
Barrington junior Joey Batliner and Stevenson junior Luke Feder were next at 78, followed by Kamaren Sandhu of Stevenson and Ryan Magee and Bret Cigelnik of Mundelein at 79.
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Stevenson took top honors in the team competition by shooting 321. Mundelein (326), Barrington (329), Fremd (338), Libertyville (344) and Carmel (345) rounded out the top six team finishers.
Other area individuals cracking the top 10 were Jerry Pan of Stevenson and Tom Calbi of Barrington at 80, John Goehrke of Vernon Hills (82) and Tyler White of Mundelein (83).


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Linda Laser Cut Clutch
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Volunteer of the week
B.J. Boyarsky
Senior PharmAssist
Volunteer for 2 years
B.J. Boyarsky volunteers with Senior PharmAssist as a Medicare insurance counselor. She helps seniors and people with disabilities understand their insurance benefits, the choices they have and the timing of those choices. Boyarsky takes a very complicated subject and makes it understandable to folks coming from all walks of life.
Boyarsky is a retired educator, and her teaching skills are "special and extremely important". In the seven weeks of Medicare's annual election period, they were able to help over 800 people review their Medicare drug and health insurance. During this short period, Boyarsky's "concern for making sure people get clear and objective information about their choices is demonstrated by her generosity of time", says Dyana Morgan, community services director.
Thank you, B.J. Boyarsky, for serving the senior and disabled community of Durham in such a caring way!


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MMA News
Luke Rockhold vs Lorenz Larkin Slated for Nov 3 | Strikeforce News
Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold has his next challenger scheduled, and it isn't Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza like most expected. Rockhold and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had publicly discussed the rematch. Gilberto Faria, Jacare's manager was unsure why the rematch was ultimately dismissed, informing MMAFighting.com that "Jacare" was 100% healthy and only needed 8-to-10 weeks for a training camp.
Rockhold will defend his belt opposite Lorenz Larkin on a November 3 Strikeforce card. Seeming to be a co-main event to a heavyweight battle between Daniel Cormier and Frank Mir. This fight card is shaping up.
Read more: MMA(News), Strikeforce(News)
11 Responses to "Luke Rockhold vs Lorenz Larkin Slated for Nov 3 | Strikeforce News"
Suprised, Very suprised.
Yeah they don't want any part of Jacare. Especially after what he did in his last fight. Rockhold is the star right now. He's the new Jake Shields.
Both losers, not watching
Guess its one of those things when you are a loser yourself you can call others loser?
CAN'T WAIT! Sarcasm
Luke Douchehold … more like who gives a fuck…. This dude was a loser to begin with and then when he started running his mouth about Anderson thats when i was just like what a tool bag. Anderson Silva's name doesnt even deserve to come out of this Cans mouth. Dude is such a chump of a champion.
Took the fucking words outa my mouth this guy is the essence of queef. nobody gives a mad fuck about him but himself its sad as fuck. Someone tell Luke Cockhold to take his bitchass back to the gaybars closet he walked out of with that pussyass schoolboy parted slickback dick in the booty haircut
Jacare true champ he deserves the rematch
T.R.U- funniest comment I've ever read on this site ! Seriously ! Lmfao !
ill be watching! ok im kidding ill more likely be masturbating or something else more exciting
Leave a Reply
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Genesis PURE™ Fusion contains juice from goji berries, açai berries, noni fruit, and mangosteen fruit. When you consume Fusion, you'll receive a wonderful mix of all four fruits. Fusion is a superfruit option for those short on time.*
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Take 1 serving in the morning and in the afternoon, or as directed by your health care provider. Additional servings may be taken throughout the day if desired. May be taken alone or mixed with other fruit juices. Refrigerate after opening.
Do not use if safety seal is broken or missing. Keep out of reach of children.


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Youth Ministry
The youth ministry team ministers to the lives of middle school and high school youth through youth group meetings Sunday mornings, mid-week youth gatherings, and special events. Leaders reach out to establish solid relationships with the youth in order to share the love of Christ for them.
For more information on joining the youth ministry team, contact Pastor of Youth Wille Herath at firstname.lastname@example.com or e-mail email@example.com
Visit the Vineyard Youth Website to find out more!
©2011 VCF Westside. All Rights Reserved.


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As of Thursday, August 16, 2012
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
3315 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 1, Lawrenceville
On the menu
• Chicken salad sandwich — Roasted chicken breast with pecans and grapes served on a Vidalia onion roll. Served with sweet potato chips or a side, $6.50
• Vegetable plate — Your choice of three or four vegetables, which includes two corn muffins, $5.50 for 3, $7 for 4
• Baked turkey wings — Two turkey wings seasoned with celery, onion, garlic and house spices, then baked. Served with one side and a corn muffin, $7.50
• Family meal deal — Eight pieces of baked chicken, barbecue chicken or veggie loaf slices with three large vegetable sides, five corn muffins and dessert of the day. Serves four people, $24.50
Southern's Best Cafe
Open since: May 15
Owners: James and Sylvia Prater
Location: Southern's Best Cafe is located at the intersection of Sugarloaf Parkway and Five Forks Trickum Road, behind AutoZone.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 8 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays
Atmosphere: The restaurant is located at the left end of The Markets shopping center next to the Hair MD Salon. Inside, there are apricot walls, wooden chairs and tables, and artwork throughout the eatery -- most of which was created by owner Sylvia Prater.
There is a bar that is used by the staff as a storage station and to run the register, not to serve alcoholic drinks. On the mirror, there is a message that reads, "Family: A journey to forever."
"The whole idea was to have the space comforting where people feel at home when they come through," Sylvia Prater said.
All of the tables have a live plant on them and table games for families to play while waiting on their meals. The games range from tic-tac-toe to Uno to Go Fish to mancala.
"It's supposed to be a place to come after work and not think about work anymore," Prater said. "A place that your family can come and feel comfortable."
Menu: The menu is strictly Southern, but with a healthier twist.
"The idea was to be a little more healthy than traditional Southern food. There is no meat in our vegetables, which makes our menu vegetarian friendly," Prater said. "We made sure to make these plates because my sister is vegetarian and she also has vegans in her family. We wanted them to be able to eat here."
Prater also makes a vegetable loaf, which has been a hit with herbivores. It's made with a soy-based product that is elevated with onions, mushrooms and bell peppers.
The establishment doesn't serve only veggies though. Southern's Best is known for its chicken, turkey and fish. On Sundays, the kitchen creates a "Sunday speciality" that changes week to week. Recently, guests were fed country fried chicken steak, turkey and dressing, and turkey meatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes. This fall, the restaurant will offer chicken pot pie, chicken and dumplings and chicken noodle soup -- everything to keep you warm on a chilly Sunday.
One thing that Prater loves on her menu is the corn muffins.
"The corn muffins are a specialty. I don't always eat corn bread, so I had to make mine different," she said. "But I can't tell you the secret. You have to just eat one."
The staff also makes its desserts in house, including red velvet cake, lemon pound cake and chocolate pecan brownies. Prater is working on creating a selection of gluten-free desserts in the future.
Things you might not know: Sylvia Prater was formerly a high school art teacher in DeKalb County before opening Southern's Best.
More like this story
- THE DISH: Grayson Olde Post Cafe ( November 3, 2011 )
- THE DISH: Cafe 313 ( October 18, 2012 )
- THE DISH: Brown Bag Deli and Cafe ( November 13, 2014 )
- THE DISH: Main Street Cafe ( August 28, 2014 )
- THE DISH: 45 on Main ( August 22, 2013 )


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text: ALTADENA, CA - JULY 25: A foreclosed home is up for sale July 25, 2008 in Altadena, California. Foreclosure filings skyrocketed, for their eighth consecutive quarterly climb, with 121 percent from last year and the number of homeowners faced with foreclosure more than doubling in the second quarter compared to a year ago, according to the latest reports from RealtyTrac. Hardest hit are cities in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Florida. In Stockton, California, one in every 25 homes were foreclosed upon, nearly seven times the national average. In the second quarter, U.S. banks took back 222,000 properties. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) [ What Exactly Is "The American Dream?" By Tom Egelhoff October 14, 2014 We've all heard of it growing up. People travel across the world to realize it. Often experiencing great hardship. But what is it? Read More|Comment Category: Advice, AM 1450 Exclusive, Business, Commentary, Consumer Advice, Daily Distraction, Economy, Just For Fun, Lifestyle, Money, Opinion, Tom's Opinion Tags: AM 1450 KMMS, american dream, bozeman, lifestyle, montana, Poor, rich, tom egelhoff, Wealth Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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Kyle Lovern
Sports Editor
GOODY, Ky. – The pairings for the 15th Regional baseball and softball tournaments will be drawn and released on today (Sunday).
The pairings were to be released on Friday, but rain delays and graduations kept the 57th District tourney from being completed, according to Todd Cassell of Belfry High School. Cassell will serve as director of the baseball and softball regional tournaments being hosted by Belfry High School.
The tournaments will start on Monday and run through Thursday, weather permitting.
Representing the 57th district in baseball will be either Paintsville or Lawrence County, along with Sheldon Clark. The Cardinals were scheduled to play the winner of the Paintsville - Lawrence County game for the district title.
The 58th district will be represented by the champion Prestonsburg Blackcats, while Allen Central was the runner-up.
Pikeville was the winner of the 59th district tourney and will be representing that district along with Allen Central.
Belfry will be hosting and representing the 60th district as the tourney champs, while Pike County Central comes in as the runner-up.
On the softball side of the regionals, the 57th district will be represented by Johnson Central and Magoffin County. They were scheduled to play the district championship on Saturday. Regardless of the outcome, both teams will move on to the 15th regional tourney at Belfry.
From the 58th district, South Floyd was the winner, while Betsy Layne finished as the runner up.
The 59th will have perennial softball power Pikeville coming in as the district tourney champs, while East Ridge comes in as the runner-up.
The Lady Pirates of Belfry won the 60th District and comes is representing as tourney champs, while the runner-up was Pike County Central.


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Helms' proposal stirs old foes, old criticisms
Even after death, Sen. Jesse Helms is controversial.
Last week, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) introduced a bill that would rename Raleigh's historic Century Post Office for the five-term senator.
News of the proposition traveled fast. To some, Helms was a Conservative icon, uncompromising in his political and social ideals. He was unafraid to be the only voice opposing an issue. He reveled in the moniker, Senator No, given to him by the media and his critics. He was remarkably effective in Washington, D.C., able to delay or halt national and international matters he opposed.
To others, naming a federal building for Helms in Raleigh would be sign that North Carolina is moving backwards.
In Helms' hometown of Monroe, he is still seen as a positive force for the state and the nation.
Monroe native Estelle Snyder worked for Helms and helped the former senator write his memoirs. She said most people have a skewed image of Helms based on exaggerated media portrayal.
Over the years, Snyder has read thousands of pages of Helms' writings and held numerous conversations with Helms and his family. Many of the negative quotes attributed to Helms are taken out of context or fabricated, she said.
"A lot of that is characterization and a lot of it is about language and how it changes over time," Snyder said. "One of the things that's changed is statements that are very racist in 2012 were not considered racist in the 1960 when he said them."
A phrase often attributed to Helms was his reference to the University of North Carolina as the "University of Negros and Communists." Snyder said that after nearly two days of poring over Helms' notes, editorials and news stories about him, she could not verify he ever truly made that statement.
"He never said it," Snyder said. "I would swear to it under oath in court."
Resistance to Ellmers' bill has been loud if not widespread. Progress North Carolina began an online petition opposing the renaming. As of Friday, more than 4,300 people had signed the petition. More than a few accompanying comments decried Helms' record of voting against issues of civil rights, environmental protection, racial and gender equality, ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, help for the disabled and food stamps for poor children.
"You don't honor a monster," an anonymous petitioner from Oxford wrote.
Others condemned Helms' statements as inflammatory, and criticized his pride over not changing his views according to the times.
"Otherwise, he chose — deliberately and with forethought — to put himself forth as the champion of a narrow-minded, mean-spirited Southern racist spirit with direct ties to a violent past. He engaged in rhetoric that was rightly considered hate speech and embraced it as his trademark. He liked the publicity his outrageous positions brought him and he reveled in the controversy they created," Progress NC contributor Katy Munger wrote on the group's website.
Snyder said Helms opposed certain laws because they inflated an already large government and cost taxpayer money. He voted against things like establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday because it was costly. He favored a holiday recognizing all civil rights leaders.
A Washington Post story from Oct. 24, 1983, said Helms blocked legislation, calling King an "extremist" and focusing on King's ties to people Helms' said were members of the Communist Party. He later said there was "no question" that King was a Marxist.
Snyder said Helms' critics assumed but never stopped to ask if Helms' comments were racially motivated.
"If there was a fault in Sen. Helms, it was a naiveté to just how bad people could be," Snyder said.
Proponents of the bill to rename Century Post Office have focused on Helms' success during his five Senate terms.
"Jesse Helms was a transformative figure in our state's history who placed service to his constituents above all other priorities in his public life," Sen. Richard Burr said in a statement Thursday. "Whether they agreed with him on political issues or not, North Carolinians had a dedicated advocate in Washington in Jesse Helms, and this bill will help to commemorate his legacy and his service to our state."
Helms was a Conservative who did not back down from fights to keep government spending low and promote free enterprise, Snyder said.
"I'll never forget, one day he said to me, 'Lots of people say they're Conservatives and some of them actually are,'" she said.
The senator's widow, Dorothy Helms, released a statement about Ellmer's bill.
"The entire Helms family was deeply touched that Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) introduced a House Resolution which will name the historic Century Post Office in Raleigh after Jesse," Mrs. Helms wrote. "His office was located in that very building for most of his Senate career. He was very proud to have his Senate office in that building on Fayetteville Street — Raleigh's 'Main Street.' Jesse was a letter writer throughout his entire life so it's especially meaningful that the building to be named in his honor contains a post office. We are most humbled by Congress' consideration of this resolution."