A thermal neutron detector and method employ Gd-containing nanoscintillators. Thermal neutron radiation is detected by observing scintillation events from the nanoscintillators.

Standard detectors of slow neutrons rely on the 10B(n,α), 6Li(n, α), or 3He(n,p) reactions. The thermal neutron cross section for the 10B(n,α) reaction is 3840 barns, and the natural abundance of 10B is 19.8%. The most common detector based on the boron reaction is a BF3 gas tube. Boron-loaded scintillators are also used, although they encounter the challenge of discriminating between gamma rays backgrounds and gamma rays due to neutrons. The thermal neutron cross section for the 6Li(n, α) reaction is 940 barns, and the natural abundance of 6Li is only 7.4%. This requires enrichment of 6Li isotope, and increases the cost of the scintillators in which 6Li is embedded. The thermal neutron cross section for the 3He(n,p) reaction is 5330 barns, but its natural abundance of only 0.0001% results in even higher cost than 6Li.
A dramatic illustration of the burning need for improved detectors and methods for neutron detection is the recent crisis with the interrupted deployment of 1,300-1,400 3He neutron detectors (each costing $800,000) by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) [Wald 2009]. After spending $230 million to develop those detectors, with the intent of installing them in ports around the world to monitor possible attempts to smuggle radioactive materials, DHS was forced to stop the deployment due to the shortage of 3He, with the demand exceeding the supply by a factor of 10.
Gadolinium has the highest thermal neutron absorption cross-section of any naturally occurring element. Two isotopes of Gd with very high thermal neutron absorption cross-sections are 157Gd (σn=253,000 barns with 24.8% natural abundance) and 155Gd (σn=60,700 barns with 14.8% natural abundance) [Sonzongi 2009]. Even without any isotopic enrichment, naturally occurring Gd has an average value of σn=49,000 barns [Barbalace 2009]. Gadolinium emits low-energy conversion electrons and atomic X-rays in over 50% of the neutron captures, which makes it a very attractive dopant for a variety of neutron detectors. In addition to low-energy (up to 80 keV) conversion electrons, capture of a thermal neutron produces a cascade of associated Auger electrons, X-rays, and gamma rays ranging in energy from few eV to several MeV. All these radiations are available to produce significant light output in a suitable efficient scintillating material.
Gd-containing organic liquid scintillators are commercially available [Banerjee 2007]. Like all liquid scintillators, however, they require very careful handling and must be stored and used in oxygen-free and water-free environment. Containers for these liquids must be sealed, and the liquids must be thoroughly bubbled with inert gas prior to sealing.
Very few literature references have been found for Gd-containing solid-state scintillators. They include gadolinium oxyorthosilicate Gd2O3S (GOS) [Schillinger 2001], GdF3 [Shestakova 2005], Gd2O3 [Shestakova 2007], Gd3:Ce [Glodo 2006], and Gd-loaded plastic scintillators [Ovechkina 2009].
Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted tremendous interest over the last few years for a wide range of biomedical, biochemical sensing, and optoelectronic applications. So far, however, their potential has largely eluded the nuclear detection community. In contrast to wide exploitation of quantum confinement effects in optoelectronic and electronic devices, the physics and technology of inorganic scintillators is still primarily limited to bulk materials.
Large single-crystal inorganic scintillators have high output efficiency, but are very fragile, expensive to grow, and the size of high-quality crystals is limited. Particulate scintillating semiconductors of micrometer size could bring scalability and robustness to the field of inorganic scintillators. Their use, however, is limited by their low solubility in organic and polymeric matrices, and when prepared in inorganic matrices, such as sol-gel, they produce an optically opaque gel, which significantly reduces scintillation output. The present invention envisons overcoming these limitations by using suspensions or composites of nanocrystalline materials. Due to their small size, NCs can have better solubility in organic and polymeric matrices, and cause much less scattering when loaded into inorganic sol-gel or porous host materials, which should result in higher efficiency of the scintillator. NCs of known and novel scintillation materials will allow for production of large robust nanocomposites with a variety of shapes and sizes.

Thermal neutron detectors based on gadolinium-containing nanoscintillators


A drinking straw has an outer straw member having a lower portion, an upper portion having a top, and a mixing element, the mixing element having radially expandable and retractable vane members defined by two longitudinal slits, an upper hinge attached to the upper portion and a lower hinge attached to the lower portion and an inner straw member located internal to said outer straw member, the inner straw member having a bottom and a top, wherein the lower portion of the outer straw member is attached to the inner straw member, the outer straw member movable between a retracted position and a deployed position where stop portions of both straw members engage with each other so that the mixing element vane members radially extend away from the inner straw member and wherein the vane members retract when the outer straw member is in its retracted position.

Drinking straws are well-known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 7,731,101 discloses a straw apparatus for mixing and drinking beverages. It discloses radially expandable vane members which when deployed allow for mixing a beverage in which the straw is immersed. This mixing apparatus comprises expandable vane members which can be deployed so as to act as a mixing apparatus. However, once deployed, the mixing apparatus can be brought back to its undeployed state only by manual manipulation of the vane apparatus from its bottommost portion which thereby requires physical handling of the vane members. This, of course, results in the vane member needing to be removed from the liquid in which it is immersed.
The present invention when in a deployed position allows for mixing a beverage and when in a retracted position allows for normal drinking of the beverage by a user.

Drinking straw for mixing and drinking beverages


A shaft for a steering system of a motor vehicle may comprise an outer tube and an inner tube that can be telescoped relative to the outer tube. The inner tube may be guided fixedly in the outer tube so as to rotate with the outer tube in order to transmit torque. An inner end of the inner tube may be received in the outer tube. The shaft may further include a pull-out protection mechanism for impeding the inner tube from being pulled out of the outer tube. The pull-out protection mechanism may be disposed at the inner end of the inner tube and may include at least one sprung blocking element for impeding the pulling of the inner tube out of the outer tube in a positively locking manner.

Telescopic steering shafts for motor vehicles are known, in which telescopic steering shafts an inner spindle and an outer spindle which is complementary with respect thereto and is arranged coaxially with respect to the inner spindle are provided, which spindles can be telescoped relative to one another. In this way, an adjustable-position steering column can be provided in motor vehicles, by means of which steering column the steering wheel position can be adapted at least in the axial direction of the steering shaft to the respective driver's position, in order correspondingly to improve the ergonomics for the driver of the motor vehicle and therefore driving safety. Furthermore, telescopic steering shafts are known for safety steering columns, in which, in the case of a crash, the shaft yields or shortens, for example by virtue of the fact that the driver comes into contact with the steering wheel and then pushes the steering wheel back together with the steering shaft.
Telescopic steering shafts are used in motor vehicles between the steering gear and the steering column and, in addition to setting the position and crash safety, are also intended to compensate for small changes in the spacing between the steering gear and the steering column which occur, for example, on account of dynamic loads during driving operation as a result of the corresponding twisting of the chassis, but also as a result of movements of the steering gear in a rubber mount. These slight changes in the spacing are also intended to be compensated for by way of the telescopic steering shaft with as little noise as possible and such that they are not discernible to the driver.
In addition to a smooth-running and jolt-free axial adjustment, the steering shaft with the telescopic mechanism is also intended to provide as symmetrical a transmission of the steering torque as possible between the inner spindle and the outer spindle, with the result that the driver firstly cannot determine any difference between a steering lock in one direction and a steering lock in the other direction, and secondly any possible play during the transmission of the torque between the inner spindle and the outer spindle is not perceived by the driver.
In order to prevent the two parts which can be telescoped with respect to one another from sliding apart, in particular, during transport of the shaft which is assembled but has not yet been installed in a motor vehicle and during the actual installation of the shaft into the motor vehicle, pull-out protection means are known for limiting the pulling of the two telescopic parts out from one another. For example, DE 100 2004 009 188 A1 has disclosed an axially adjustable steering spindle, in which an inner tube has an outer spline system which provides a stop of the inner tube with respect to a sleeve which is screwed into the outer tube. As a result, a pull-out protection means or pull-out limiting means is provided.
WO 2010/086269 A1 has disclosed a telescopic shaft, in which the outer tube is sealed with respect to the inner tube by way of a seal.


This disclosure provides an impedance cytometer which includes a carrier that can be attached to a living being, with a biosensor mounted thereto. The bio sensor includes a microfluidic flow channel, formed in the carrier, and an impedance circuit. The microfluidic flow channel accommodates passage of a particle therethrough. The impedance circuit, connected to the microfluidic flow channel, includes a signal generator that produces a high-frequency drive signal applied to the flow channel to produce a biosensor output signal having high-frequency variation resulting from the drive signal and low-frequency variation resulting from impedance variation within the flow channel during the particle's passage. A lock-in amplifier is disposed to (i) amplify the bio sensor output signal, (ii) mix the amplified signal with the drive signal, and (iii) frequency-filter the mixed, amplified signal to output an impedance signal representing the low-frequency impedance variation resulting from the passage of the particle. Embodiments enable wearable, personalized cytometry.

Generally, flow cytometry is a specialized technology whereby cells, biomarkers, and particles are quantified. Cell counting is an application of flow cytometry and can provide significant insight into a patient's health. A well-known example includes a complete blood count (CBC) test, which can yield information about low or high red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), or platelet levels amongst many other specific biomarker counts.
Common approaches for counting cells most commonly employ fluorescence or impedance-based measurements. Fluorescence-based cytometers require the labeling of biological cells with antibodies functionalized with fluorophores. Continuous cell counting has been demonstrated in vivo using fluorescence-based flow cytometers. Impedance cytometry, which utilizes electrical measurements, is an alternative technique that does not require the labeling procedure. Impedance cytometry can be used to detect cells, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Existing optical instrumentation required to analyze fluorescent particles is typically bulky and expensive, and the related labeling procedure that is required is tedious. Impedance cytometry does not require the labeling procedure and can be used to detect cells, proteins, and nucleic acids. The market offers powerful and versatile coulter counters, such as CytoFLEX™ (Beckman Coulter, Inc., Brea, Calif., USA). However, these benchtop instruments are relatively large in size and have yet to be made portable or wearable.
Modern coulter counting has been demonstrated using inexpensive circuitry with miniaturized footprints optimized for application-specific tasks, such as blood cell counting. However, these cytometry systems are not designed to be handled by a patient, as they rely on expensive external data acquisition hardware and are not packaged into a convenient, user-friendly product. Furthermore, existing prototypes of portable cytometry systems have been implemented on rigid circuit boards that cannot be worn or implanted and do not allow continuous and automated counting of blood cells or other particles.
Moving away from expensive data acquisition hardware has been a challenge because microfluidic impedance cytometry requires reading highly sensitive signals on the scale of nanovolts, which fall below the noise level of the environment. Furthermore, the signal's baseline may drift over an extended period, reducing the amount of post-gain amplification that can be applied to the signal and demanding the use of powerful data acquisition instrumentation with high-resolution (>16 bit) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Because of the small, sensitive signals, existing impedance cytometers typically use Faraday cages, which are often heavy and large, for isolation from electromagnetic waves.
Accordingly, there remains a pressing need for a new and improved impedance cytometers.

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey


A dual acting multi actuation gate valve is provided that includes a secondary actuation mechanism. The valve may include a body, a shaft, a movable portion disposed within the body and coupled to the shaft, wherein the movable portion is configured to allow fluid flow through the valve when in a first position and to prevent fluid flow through the valve when in a second position. The valve includes an actuator coupled to the shaft, wherein the actuator is configured to move the movable portion between the first position and the second position, a mechanical connection between the actuator and the shaft, wherein the mechanical connection is configured to fail in response to an internal pressure, wherein the failure of the mechanical connection maintains the movable portion in the second position. A method of operation and testing the valve are also provided.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
As will be appreciated, natural resources such as oil and natural gas have a profound effect on modern economies and societies. Indeed, devices and systems that depend on oil and natural gas are ubiquitous. For instance, oil and natural gas are used for fuel in a wide variety of vehicles, such as cars, airplanes, boats, and the like. Further, oil and natural gas are frequently used to heat homes during winter, to generate electricity, and to manufacture an astonishing array of everyday products.
In order to meet the demand for such natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in searching for and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Once the natural resource is extracted, it is generally transported to processing locations, such as refineries. The transportation of these resources is accomplished through a system of pipelines, which are controlled through various types of valves located at different points throughout the system.
Such extraction systems may include pipelines or other transportation infrastructure to transport the resource from a source, e.g., a well, to a destination such as further transportation systems or storage facilities. The pipelines or other transportation infrastructure may include pressure control, regulation, and safety devices, which may include valves, actuators, sensors, and electronic control modules. Such devices may be configured to relieve pressure or shut off flow of the resource if a high pressure condition is detected.
One such device or group of devices may be referred to as a high integrity pressure protection system (HIPPS). A HIPPS may be required to meet certain regulatory specifications, such as a minimum risk reduction level, referred to as a Safety Integrity Level (SIL). The HIPPS may be used to shut off fluid flow in response to a high pressure condition so that equipment downstream of the HIPPS is not damaged by the high pressure.
Conventional systems often provide an automatic response to a high pressure condition via a sensor, electronic control module, and an actuator that closes a valve in response to the high pressure condition. If the sensor, electronic control module, or actuator fails, the high pressure in the valve or other forces may force the valve to open. The high pressure fluid may damage equipment downstream of the HIPPS that is not capable of withstanding the high pressure condition. Additionally, testing is routinely performed on the HIPPS to meet or maintain regulatory approval. During testing, the HIPPS may be susceptible to the high pressure conditions discussed above, and failure of the HIPPS may result in undesirable high pressure downstream of the HIPPS.

Dual-acting multi-actuation mode gate valve


Query execution status may be tracked to selectively route queries to resources for execution. The completion of queries executing at computing resources obtained from a pool of computing resources configured to execute queries may be detected. Instead of returning the computing resources to the pool, the computing resources may be identified as available in resource management data. When another query is received, the resource management data may be evaluated to select an available computing resource. The query may then be routed to the selected computing resource for execution.

Computing systems for querying of large sets of data can be extremely difficult to implement and maintain. In many scenarios, for example, it is necessary to first create and configure the infrastructure (e.g. server computers, storage devices, networking devices, etc.) to be used for the querying operations. It might then be necessary to perform extract, transform, and load ("ETL") operations to obtain data from a source system and place the data in data storage. It can also be complex and time consuming to install, configure, and maintain the database management system ("DBMS") that performs the query operations. Moreover, many DBMS are not suitable for querying extremely large data sets in a performant manner.
Computing clusters can be utilized in some scenarios to query large data sets in a performant manner. For instance, a computing cluster can have many nodes that each execute a distributed query framework for performing distributed querying of a large data set. Such computing clusters and distributed query frameworks are, however, also difficult to implement, configure, and maintain. Moreover, incorrect configuration and/or use of computing clusters such as these can result in the non-optimal utilization of processor, storage, network and, potentially, other types of computing resources.
The disclosure made herein is presented with respect to these and other considerations.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.

Tracking query execution status for selectively routing queries


A method and resulting structure to provide an antifuse wherein the resistance of the programmed fuse and the line resistance and capacitance are materially reduced relative to the prior art and the procedures involved and the resulting structure of the fuse permit the use of materials not available in prior art antifuses. This is accomplished by providing the fuse on vertical sidewalls of the fuse electrode or beneath a sidewall oxide on the fuse electrode. Since the thickness of the electrode can be controlled to an extent not currently achievable by lithographic means, a much smaller area antifuse is provided using sidewall antifuse as opposed to a planar antifuse. The method of forming the antifuse structure comprises the steps of forming a pedestal having a sidewall comprising a first layer of electrically conductive material and a first electrically insulating layer thereon, forming a conformal layer of electrically conductive material on the pedestal and exposed substrate extending along the sidewall, forming a sidewall insulating layer along the sidewall portion of the layer of electrically conductive material, removing all of the exposed portion of the layer of electrically conductive material while retaining the portion of the layer of electrically conductive material between the pedestal and the sidewall insulating layer, forming a second layer of electrically insulating material over the structure, and forming a second layer of electrically conductive material over the second layer of electrically insulating material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to integrated circuit technology and, more specifically, to antifuse structures and methods of fabrication thereof which provide a connection in a permanent physical connection between two previously unconnected circuit locations.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Programmable integrated circuits have been developed which allow the user to program the integrated circuit to a specific need. A type of programmable device is a field programmable gate array (FPGA). These devices provide large arrays of fusible type structures on a substrate which allow the user to program the functional operation of the devices by altering the conductive state of these fusible devices. One such fusible device is called an antifuse. An antifuse operates in the opposite manner to that of a traditional fuse in that it is programmed by providing a voltage above a threshold determined by the characteristics of the device which causes a large current to pass between two conductive layers separated by a dielectric layer. After this threshold voltage has been reached, the dielectric breaks down and a conductive connection is established between the two conductive layers via a filament formed through an aperture in the dielectric layer.
Also, due to limitations presently inherent in the photolithographic procedures available, the dimensions of the fuse are not reducible to the extent desirable, hence leading to larger than desired capacitance in the fuse region. These capacitances result in large RC delays in high frequency applications, as is well known.

Low capacitance, low resistance sidewall antifuse structure and process


A method and system that provides an “atlas” on global adaptation providing mapping, analysis, and reporting for scientists and decision-makers, of the best-available science on climate impacts and up-to-date information on adaptation projects. The atlas may be web-based. A method of displaying climate change data includes: collecting existing climate data; consolidating the collected data by designed attribute categories; filtering the collected data by attribute(s); presenting climate data to a user based on selected attribute categories; and archiving climate data.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to global climate impact modeling and mapping and a global climate change adaptation atlas.
2. Description of Related Art
The Earth's climate has changed many times during the planet's history, with events ranging from ice ages to long periods of warmth. Historically, natural factors such as volcanic eruptions, changes in the Earth's orbit, and the amount of energy released from the Sun have been shown to affect the Earth's climate. Also, human activities associated with the Industrial Revolution beginning late in the 18th century have changed the composition of the Earth's atmosphere and are projected to further influence the Earth's climate in various ways.
The extent of climate change impacts upon different ecosystems, regions and sectors of the economy depend not only on the severity and certainty of specific changes, but also on the sensitivity of those systems to climate change and these systems' ability to adapt to climate change and to reduce the negative impacts of such changes on human activities and ecosystem functions.
Climate mitigation is any action taken to limit the emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere to reduce the potential long-term risk and hazards of climate change. Examples of mitigation include taking actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electric power plants, vehicles, and land management practices. Mitigation is a global issue, where emissions reductions anywhere provide benefits everywhere.
Climate adaptation is the process of adjusting to changing environmental conditions that will likely occur even with emissions mitigation efforts. Adaptive practices and outcomes encompass a broad set of activities designed to reduce human and ecosystem vulnerability to climate change. Because climate impacts are spatially diverse and could affect exposed populations and resources around the world very differently, adaptation is an inherently location-specific problem and thus must be targeted and site-specific to be effective. As a result, the geographic location of key impacts, populations, and resources—where, whom, and how hard droughts, storms, or floods will hit—are central to decision making and investment.
Adaptive interventions can range in scale and scope from small installations such as rainwater collection and drip irrigation systems to national investments in dikes and levees to respond to sea level rise.
Adaptation to environmental change is not a new concept. Human societies have shown throughout history a strong capacity for adapting to different climates and environmental changes. For example, farmers, foresters, civil engineers, and their supporting institutions have been forced to adapt to numerous challenges to overcome adversity or to remove important impediments to sustained productivity. An example of an adaptation strategy to prevent damage from climate change is shore protection (e.g., dikes, bulkheads, beach nourishment), which can prevent sea level rise from inundating low-lying coastal property, eroding beaches, or worsen flooding. If the costs or environmental impacts of shore protection are high compared with the property being protected, an alternative adaptation strategy would be a planned retreat, in which structures are relocated inland as shores retreat. Other examples of adaptation and coping strategies with current climate fluctuations include farmers planting different crops at different times of a season, and wildlife migrating to more suitable habitats as the seasons change.
Until recently, interventions like those discussed above were seen as either poverty alleviation development activities or solely as backstop measures in the event that mitigation efforts failed. Now there is growing recognition that reducing vulnerability and building resilience to climate impacts are complementary-not competing-objectives. Despite this shift in awareness, adaptation remains a daunting challenge, requiring coordination at unprecedented scales from the local to global level across nearly all sectors of the economy and all types of ecosystems. In many cases, the countries and regions in greatest need of adaptation measures are the least equipped to develop, manage, and coordinate large-scale programs.
Adaptation to climate change is emerging as a significant policy issue, and a variety of efforts are being advanced to help build resilience to climate impacts around the world. Although new funding mechanisms, such as the UN Adaptation Fund, are expected to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to the problem in the coming decade, there is a growing disconnect between science and policy, and the local impacts of climate change on our food, water, land, health, and livelihood systems are still poorly understood.
The global community is now slowly converging around international and national policy options for mitigation, and in parallel, a variety of large and small-scale funding mechanisms have emerged to spur investment in adaptation. However, the allocation of adaptation funding remains highly controversial, and limited lessons can be drawn from the decades of experience with mitigation policy design that are relevant for adaptation policy and investment. The primary reason for this disconnect is a single fundamental difference between the problems of mitigation and adaptation: location.
Adaptation policy design is a fundamentally spatial problem. Thus, adaptation mapping is a critical prerequisite to decision making, investment, and policy design at multiple scales from the local to the international. The geographic locations of populations, resources, and impacts are central to the decisions being made. Geography is one of the few common threads connecting the science on climate impacts to programs and policies designed to promote adaptation. Therefore, mapping can play a central role in building and maintaining the essential linkages between science, policy, and on-the-ground practice. Because adaptation is both a global and a local problem affecting populations and ecosystems around the world, it is natural that responses will be sector-, site-, and population-specific. Therefore, success depends on real-time coordination of impacts and adaptation activities intended to respond to those impacts.
Science and policy coordination is an essential element of effective adaptation. Without coordination, adaptation programs have the potential to duplicate or undermine one another. For example, rainwater collection projects in warming regions could increase the risk of mosquito breeding and undercut parallel malaria prevention efforts.
Current global climate models are not well suited to evaluate highly localized impacts or adaptation needs. Global assessments have typically been focused on macro-scale trends in natural systems, such as changes in global average temperature or precipitation, making it extremely challenging to assess local climate impacts, especially in developing nations, where there are large gaps in monitoring and baseline research.
The existing body of climate science on human system impacts is very coarse and limited. Scientists around the world, however, are making strides in creating finer-grained regional and local assessments of impacts and integrating these data across multiple sectors ranging from health to water.
Nonetheless, decision-makers at all levels of government have already begun to establish funding mechanisms for adaptation. The largest and most recent of these is the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund. It already holds approximately $50 million dollars (USD), a figure that is expected to grow into the billions over the coming decades. Yet significant disagreement exists about how to set allocation priorities and identify target areas for new investment.
This conflict is not unique: governments, donors, and development practitioners at all levels around the world are making similar decisions about how to address and prioritize climate change within ongoing projects and programs. To date, all of these efforts have largely been driven by current political concerns in the absence of a clear picture of future impacts. Without careful coordination, there is a risk of investing in adaptation measures in one sector that could duplicate or negate investments in another sector both in the short-term and the long-term. For example, new rainwater collection reservoirs in areas affected by climate change could create large pools of standing water in areas more susceptible to breeding of mosquitoes, which in turn could undercut public health interventions targeting outbreaks of malaria or dengue fever, by changing local exposure to mosquito-borne diseases. As a result, stakeholders not only require information on how the local climate is anticipated to change, but also information on what others in the region and around the world are doing in response. Right now, no central clearinghouse exists for this kind of data.
It would therefore be advantageous to compile and map climate impact and adaptation project data to define priorities for adaptation funding and early capacity building efforts, and to strengthen the links between science, policy, and practice.

Global adaptation atlas and method of creating same


Identifying a caller includes establishing, by a service provider, a connection over a computer network with a user device and accessing information enabling determination of a location of the user. A request to place a call to a call recipient is received from the user and a pool of temporary telephone numbers is accessed. Based on the location of the user, a temporary telephone number from the pool of temporary telephone numbers is selected. The temporary telephone number is associated with the call, the call is initiated to the call recipient, and information sufficient to identify the temporary telephone number is provided in call information sent to the call recipient.

The Emergency Services system (E9-1-1) in North America is currently, and for the foreseeable future a service that is closely connected to the existing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). New communications services (e.g., a cellular system or an internet protocol (IP) system) are being employed that differ from the PSTN and require the ability to communicate with Emergency Services. Techniques have been developed to enable new communication services to interface with the current Emergency Services system.


A system for controlling a gas turbine, includes a control system for providing control signals to a gas turbine; a tuning system for providing tuning signals, a modelling system for generating virtual measurement signals, the virtual measurement signals being based on the control signals and the tuning signals; a sensor diagnostics system for diagnosing at least one sensor measurement signal and outputting control system reconfiguration signals to the control system and tuner system reconfiguration signals to the tuning system, the tuning signals being based at least on the tuner system reconfiguration signals, the control signals being based on the at least one sensor measurement signal, the virtual measurement signals and the control system reconfiguration signals.

EP 1096122 A1 discloses control systems for the complex technical objects operating in wide range of modes and loads that can be used in the control systems of gas turbine engines, turbines of electrical power generating stations etc. According to the method the sensors are connected with state observers established on the base of engine model, one observer being connected with all sensors and each of remain observers with all sensors except one, the weighted sum of squared residuals of all observers is determined, the value of weighted sum of squared residuals of the first observer is compared with the values of weighted sums of squared residuals of the each observer from the remain ones, the maximum of received difference signal values is compared with threshold value and the failure signal is established for that sensor; indications of which are not used in observer for which this value exceeds the threshold, for each state observer is determined the region of possible residual locations, caused by the errors of predetermined parameters of object model, and it is defined that state observers the residuals of which are outside the limits of predetermined region.
EP 1312781 A2 discloses a method of detecting in-range engine sensor faults for a gas turbine engine associated with a helicopter including the steps of computing engine shaft horsepower for a plurality of engine sensor, computing a first mean horsepower from the plurality of engine sensors, computing the horsepower deviation from the first mean horsepower for each engine sensor, computing a horsepower deviation ratio for each engine sensor relative to all other engine sensors, disabling the engine sensor with the largest deviation from the first mean horsepower, computing a second mean horsepower, computing the horsepower deviation from the second mean horsepower for each engine sensor, re-computing the horsepower deviation ratio for each engine sensor relative to all other engine sensors, comparing the horsepower deviation ratios to predefined limits, and declaring a sensor fault if the horsepower deviation ratio for an engine sensor exceeds a predefined limit.
EP 1591951 A2 discloses a method for estimating a parameter based on signals received from redundant sensors, wherein at least a first sensed signal and a second sensed signal are received from at least corresponding first and second redundant sensors. The first sensed signal and the second sensed signal are indicative of the parameter, wherein the first sensed signal has associated therewith a first accuracy, wherein the second sensed signal has associated therewith a second accuracy. At least a reference signal indicative of the parameter is received, wherein the reference signal has associated therewith a reference accuracy, a weighting is determined based on at least the first sensed signal, the second sensed signal, and based on at least one of the first accuracy, the second accuracy, and the reference accuracy, and an estimate of the parameter is generated as a weighted average, according to the weighting, of at least a value of the first sensed signal, a value of the second sensed signal, and a value of the reference signal.
EP 1630635 A2 discloses a method and apparatus for detecting faults in power plant equipment using sensor confidence and an improved method of identifying the normal operating range of the power generation equipment as measured by those sensors, wherein a confidence is assigned to a sensor in proportion to the residue associated with that sensor. If the sensor has high residue, a small confidence is assigned to the sensor, if a sensor has a low residue, a high confidence is assigned to that sensor, and appropriate weighting of that sensor with other sensors is provided.
EP 2239441 A2 discloses an engine control system for a vehicle propulsion system including a plurality of engine model modules executing independently and programmed to receive engine operating condition values from a plurality of sensors positioned on an engine, each of the plurality of engine model modules programmed to determine an estimate of a process parameter of a location in the engine where at least one of a sensor for the process parameter is not available, a sensor for the process parameter is not present at the location, a sensor at the location has failed, and a sensor at the location is determined to be inaccurate, an estimate source selector configured to determine model blending factors, and a model blending module, configured to determine an estimated virtual sensor value using the determined estimates from at least two of the plurality of engine model modules and the model blending factors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,999,906 discloses a reconfiguration method designed to be implemented in a computer system, for compensating failures of a sensor system comprising at least one sensor for measuring system states of an application system and at least one system model for describing the application system, which together form at least one first observer for estimating system states in order to provide system states for an allocated data processing device. Failure states for a first observer are determined from deviations, which occur as a result of the comparison between a number of states measured by the sensor or sensors and a state estimated by the system model.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,775,124 discloses a method for generating a set of analytical redundancy relations representative of a system with which a plurality of sensors is associated for the observation of variables indicative of operating conditions and adapted to enable detection and discrimination of faults. A complete set of analytical redundancy relations of the system is built from a set of intermediate relations established between observable and non-observable variables of the system, wherein each intermediate relation is generated by combining two predetermined relations.
US 2007/118270 A1 discloses a method and system for identifying in-range sensor faults in a gas turbine engine, by observing the tracked component qualities in an embedded model and recognizing anomalous patterns of quality changes corresponding to sensor errors, wherein an embedded model of the engine is employed to estimate sensed parameters and sensor failures are detected by identifying anomalous patterns in component quality parameters.
Conventionally, a hardware sensor redundancy may be improved in a gas turbine monitoring system, to improve reliability of the control system of the gas turbine. Hardware redundancy results may be costly, heavier, less practical and less reliable than various analytical redundancy strategies in the prior art.
The conventional methods and systems not in all circumstances properly address the control of a gas turbine in case of one or more sensor failures.
Thus, there may be a need for a system for controlling a gas turbine and for a method for controlling a gas turbine, wherein in particular the controlling the gas turbine may be improved, even in the case of one or more sensor failures.

Controlling a gas turbine considering a sensor failure


A computer-based virtual assistant the behavior of which can be changed by the user, comprising a voice user interface for inputting information into and receiving information from the virtual assistant by speech, a communications network, a virtual assistant application running on a remote computer, the remote computer being electronically coupled to the user interface via the communications network, wherein the behavior of the virtual assistant changes responsive to user input. A computer-based virtual assistant that also automatically adapts its behavior is disclosed, comprising a voice user interface for inputting information into and receiving information from the virtual assistant by speech, a communications network, a virtual assistant application running on a remote computer, the remote computer being electronically coupled to the user interface via the communications network, wherein the remote computer is programmed to automatically change the behavior of the virtual assistant responsive to input received by the virtual assistant. As detailed below, the virtual assistant adapts to the user in many different ways based on the input the virtual assistant receives. Such input could be user information, such as information about the user""s experience, the time between user sessions, the amount of time a user pauses when recording a message, the user""s emotional state, whether the user uses words associated with polite discourse, and the amount of time since a user provided input to the virtual assistant during a session.

The present invention relates to a computer-based, personal virtual assistant for managing communications and information, whose behavior can be changed by the user and whose behavior automatically adapts to the user.
Mobile professionals, such as physicians, attorneys, sales representatives and other highly mobile professionals often find it difficult to communicate with clients, customers, colleagues and assistants. These mobile professionals travel frequently and are not accessible via a desk telephone or traditional, wired computer network. They typically employ human assistants to relay important information, maintain their schedules and filter out all unnecessary interruptions. The virtual assistant of the present invention allows the mobile professional to access personal, company, and public information, including contacts, schedules, and databases from any interactive device, such as telephone.
Electronic assistants with voice interfaces are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,789 to Miner, et al. discloses a method implemented by a computer-based electronic assistant to receive and manage incoming calls to a subscriber. The electronic assistant in Miner, however, does not disclose a virtual assistant whose underlying behavior can be changed by the user or who has any degree of automatic adaptivity.
Voice response systems (VRS) that automatically adapt to the user are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,608 to O""Sullivan discloses an interactive VRS that automatically adapts to suit the speed at which the caller interacts with the system. The VRS disclosed in O""Sullivan is programmed to measure the response times of the caller and adjust the playing speed of the application dialogue""s voice messages accordingly using an algorithm incorporated into the application software of the voice response system. Thus, if the caller is responding relatively fast and without error to the voice message prompts, the system will gradually speed up subsequent voice message prompts. If the caller is responding more slowly to the voice message prompts or is making errors in their responses, the system will slow down subsequent voice message prompts. The system disclosed in O""Sullivan, however, does not perform the actions of a virtual assistant, nor does it permit the user to control how the system adapts.
Another caller adaptive VRS is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,121 to Martin et al. Martin et al. discloses a system for varying the voice menus and segments presented to the user of a voice response system according to the competence of the user. The response time of a user to voice prompts is measured and an average response time is determined. It is assumed that the lower the average response time, the greater the competence of the user. The average response time is used as an index to a table of ranges of response times. Each range has respective voice segments associated therewith. The voice segments comprise oral instructions or queries for the user and vary according to the anticipated competence of the user. If the average response time changes such that the voice segments indexed are different to the current voice segments then a data base containing information relating to user competence is updated to reflect such a change. Accordingly, when the user next interacts with the voice response system a new set of voice segments more appropriate to the user""s competence will be played. The system in Martin et al. also discloses determining user competence by identifying individual callers using existing caller identification technology. The call identification code of a telephone call can be used as an index to data stored in a user database comprising information relating to the competence of a user. Alternatively, the user can be asked to enter a password before further access is allowed to the system. The password can then serve as an index to the stored data associated with the user. The stored data identifies which set of voice data is appropriate for use during an interaction with said user. Alternatively, determining the number of times per day that a user accesses the system or the length of time which a user has subscribed to such a system may also be indicative of their competence. Again, VRS disclosed in Martin does not perform the functions of a virtual assistant, nor does it permit the use to have any significant degree of control over the behavior of the system.
Further, while the prior art systems adapt automatically to the caller, the degree of adaptation is relatively limited. For example, the prior art systems do not disclose a virtual assistant that automatically uses words associated with polite discourse when the user""s input contains words associated with polite discourse. Prior art systems also do not disclose a virtual assistant that adapts to the user based on the user""s emotional state.
The present invention relates to a personal virtual assistant with many discrete features, each of which comprises a separate but related invention. Thus, one aspect of the present invention is a computer-based virtual assistant the behavior of which can be changed by the user, comprising a voice user interface for inputting information into and receiving information from the virtual assistant by speech, a communications network, a virtual assistant application running on a remote computer, the remote computer being electronically coupled to the user interface via the communications network, wherein the behavior of the virtual assistant changes responsive to user input.
Another aspect of the present invention is a computer-based virtual assistant that automatically adapts its behavior comprising a voice user interface for inputting information into and receiving information from the virtual assistant by speech, a communications network, a virtual assistant application running on a remote computer, the remote computer being electronically coupled to the user interface via the communications network, wherein the remote computer is programmed to automatically change the behavior of the virtual assistant responsive to input received by the virtual assistant. As detailed below, the virtual assistant adapts to the user in many different ways based on the input the virtual assistant receives. Such input could be user information, such as information about the user""s experience, the time between user sessions, the amount of time a user pauses when recording a message, the user""s emotional state, whether the user uses words associated with polite discourse, and the amount of time since a user provided input to the virtual assistant during a session.
Other features and advantages will become apparent based on the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the claims.


The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes an electrical-free dummy gate formed over a substrate. The dummy gate has an elongate shape and is oriented along a first direction. The semiconductor device includes a first functional gate formed over the substrate. The first functional gate has an elongate shape and is oriented along the first direction. The first functional gate is separated from the dummy gate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A first conductive contact is formed on the first functional gate. The semiconductor device includes a second functional gate formed over the substrate. The second functional gate has an elongate shape and is oriented along the first direction. The second functional gate is aligned with and physically separated from the dummy gate in the first direction. A second conductive contact is formed on the second functional gate.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. However, these advances have increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advances to be realized, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are needed. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased.
The scaling down process may lead to fabrication challenges. For example, in certain semiconductor applications, a dummy gate may be formed adjacent to a functional gate. As the semiconductor features continue to get scaled down, the distance between the dummy gate and the functional gate is reduced. Therefore, an electrical voltage applied to the dummy gate may create a leakage path through a gate oxide insulator to the adjacent functional gate, which can cause damage to the functional gate.
Therefore, while existing methods of forming functional gates and dummy gates have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in every aspect.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A method to facilitate the movement of heavy molds for use in an injection molding machine employing load bearing lugs on each mold half and a lifting bar which receives and supports the lugs and mold. In the method, the lifting tool is slid over the lugs. The tool and mold is then raised and lowered until the balance point is found. The lifting bar is then clamped in place on the lugs so that the mold can be safely raised and inserted into an injection molding machine. The balanced mold can be easily moved in and out of the guide rails of the injection molding machine since it is presented as a balanced load with no tendency to bind in the machine.

In the process of injection molding, a heavy metal mold is used to contain the pressure of the fluid plastic material. The mold halves are positioned in the injection molding machine and held in guide rails by suitable clamps. In view of the heavy weight of the mold, it is difficult to place the mold into the injection molding machine and to remove the mold from the machine when the machine is to be used to form a different part. If the mold is not raised and lowered carefully in the guide rails, the mold will tend to bind against the rails and, in view of the heavy weight, become very difficult to move without damaging the mold or the injection molding machine.


An aluminum lateral interconnect of a Back End of the Line (BEOL) is used to define the x and y dimensions of a through-silicon via in a semiconductor chip formed in a silicon substrate. The TSV includes one or more aluminum annulus formed on a surface of the substrate, and a deep trench in the substrate having a diameter that is determined by the diameter of the aluminum annulus. The annulus can also be provided with a conductive strap upon which a capacitor can be formed. The strap can also be used to provide a connection of the TSV to other BEOL interconnects.

Packaging technologies for a semiconductor integrated device have been continuously developed to satisfy the demands for mounting efficiency and miniaturization. Various semiconductor interconnect technologies have been developed as the miniaturization and high performance resulting from recent development trends in the semiconductor chip devices technology.
Interconnects and packaging-related issues are among factors that determine not only the number of circuits that can be integrated in a semiconductor die or "chip," but also the chip performance. These issues have gained importance as advances in chip design have led to reduced sizes of transistors and enhanced chip performance. Practitioners in the art have come to realize that merely having a fast chip does not necessarily result in a fast system; a fast chip must also be supported by equally fast and reliable electrical connections. Essentially, on-chip connections in conjunction with those of the chip's associated packaging supply the chip with signals and power, provide signals from the chip and redistribute the tightly spaced or pitched terminals or bond pads of the chip to the terminals of a carrier substrate such as a printed circuit board.
Though much effort has been expended by practitioners working on making through-silicon vias (TSV) for various technology offerings, there are few that are presently in manufacturing. These are mainly used for interposers, i.e., an interface between a chip and a package that allows an amount of expansion difference between the package and the die or chip, and which accommodates the thermal coefficient of expansion difference between the silicon chip and the package.
The main thrust of current work resides in developing TSVs that are fabricated in a way where they can be incorporated in the functional chips, allowing the chips to be stacked or joined in order to increase the functionality of the chip set. This includes reduced power and in kind the reduction of heat, while offing an increase in performance of the entire set.
When stacking chips, the TSV connections are not necessarily vertically aligned. To simply state it, if there are three TSVs in a chip stack of a multiple of chips, the first TSV may need to be electrically connected to the package, the second may require connecting a first chip, a second chip and a third which may need to be connected to the first and third chips. A problem arises if a TSV is required to connect the chip interconnects within the die or chip. Other TSVs may also be independently added to the same chip to be etched through the chip. This can be achieved with multiple steps, however with the addition of these steps there is associated yield loss and expense. Furthermore, if there is the requirement of a passive element that needs to be fabricated after the TSV, it can become problematic because of the topography, if the conductivity requirements specify a copper TSV. The large copper feature lends itself to topography creation due to chemical mechanical polish (CMP). Therefore, two issues include stopping the large via etch that needs to be electrically connected to the BEOL interconnections while also having large TSV's that will be etched through the entire chip build, and processing a passive element post TSV processing, such as a MIM capacitor.
In summary, TSV technology is important in creating 3D packages and 3D integrated circuits in a smaller footprint to maintain a superior electrical performance. Chip-to-chip connections that have traditionally been accomplished with wire bonding often to multiple stacked die are limited in terms of the number of connections and electrical performance. Other existing structures and processes are characterized by vias etched through the silicon (and often many layers of metal and dielectric) using a deep-RIE (BOSCH) process, with an insulating layer deposited followed by a metal liner and, then, continuing with copper damascene processing.
Therefore, there is a need for a structure and a method for providing substrate interconnect using an integrated conductive hardmask stack for patterning TSVs to provide electrical connections between an integrated circuit chip and a package.

Semiconductor device using an aluminum interconnect to form through-silicon vias

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of producing a probe device for a metrology instrument such as an AFM includes providing a substrate and forming a tip stock extending upwardly from the substrate. The tip stock is preferably FIB milled to form a tip of the probe device. The tip preferably has a high aspect ratio, with a height that is at least about 1 micron for performing critical dimension (e.g., deep trench) atomic force microscopy. The stock is preferably pedestal shaped having a distal end that is substantially planar which can be machined into a tip in at least less than about 2 minutes. With the preferred embodiments, the FIB milling step can be completed in substantially fewer and less complicated steps than known techniques to produce a high aspect ratio tip suitable for DT-AFM in less than about one minute.

1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments are directed to probe devices for metrology instruments such as atomic force microscopes, and more specifically a method of producing a probe device using focused ion beam (FIB) etching, as well as a probe device produced thereby.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Several probe-based metrology instruments monitor the interaction between a cantilever-based probe and a sample to obtain information concerning one or more characteristics of the sample. For example, scanning probe microscopes (SPMs), including atomic force microscopes (AFMs), typically characterize the surface of a sample down to atomic dimensions by monitoring the interaction between the sample and a tip on the cantilever probe. By providing relative scanning movement between the tip and the sample, surface characteristic data can be acquired over a particular region of the sample, and a corresponding map of the sample can be generated.
The probe of the typical AFM includes a very small cantilever which is fixed to a support at its base and which has a sharp probe tip attached to the opposite, free end. The probe tip is brought very near to or into contact with a surface of a sample to be examined, and the deflection of the cantilever in response to the probe tip's interaction with the sample is measured with a deflection detector, such as an optical lever system, an example of which is described in Hansma et al. U.S. Pat. No. RE 34,489. The probe is scanned over a surface using a high-resolution three axis scanner acting on the sample support and/or the probe. The instrument is thus capable of creating relative motion between the probe and the sample while measuring the topography, elasticity, or some other surface property of the sample as described, e.g., in Hansma et al. U.S. Pat. No. RE 34,489; Elings et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,801; and Elings et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,980.
AFMs may be designed to operate in a variety of modes, including contact mode and oscillating mode. In contact mode operation, the microscope typically scans the tip across the surface of the sample while keeping the force of the tip on the surface of the sample generally constant. This effect is accomplished by moving either the sample or the probe assembly vertically to the surface of the sample in response to sensed deflection of the cantilever as the probe is scanned horizontally across the surface. In this way, the data associated with this vertical motion can be stored and then used to construct an image of the sample surface corresponding to the sample characteristic being measured, e.g., surface topography. Alternatively, some AFMs can at least selectively operate in an oscillation mode of operation such as TappingMode™ operation. (TappingMode is a trademark of Veeco Instruments, Inc.) In TappingMode™ operation the tip is oscillated, typically at or near a resonant frequency of the cantilever of the probe. The amplitude or phase of this oscillation is kept constant during scanning using feedback signals, which are generated in response to tip-sample interaction. As in contact mode, these feedback signals are then collected, stored, and used as data to characterize the sample.
Regardless of their mode of operation, AFMs can obtain resolution down to the atomic level on a wide variety of insulating or conductive surfaces in air, liquid or vacuum by using piezoelectric scanners, optical lever deflection detectors, and very small cantilevers fabricated using photolithographic techniques. Because of their resolution and versatility, AFMs are particularly important measurement devices in many diverse fields including with particular application in connection with the present preferred embodiments semiconductor manufacturing.
A scanning probe microscope, such as an atomic force microscope (AFM) operates by providing relative scanning movement between a measuring probe and a sample while measuring one or more properties of the sample. A typical AFM system is shown schematically in FIG. 1. An AFM 10 employing a probe device 12 including a probe 14 having a cantilever 15 is coupled to an oscillating actuator or drive 16 that is used to drive probe 14, in this case, at or near the probe's resonant frequency. Commonly, an electronic signal is applied from an AC signal source 18 under control of an AFM controller 20 to cause actuator 16 to drive the probe 14 to oscillate, preferably at a free oscillation amplitude Ao. Probe 14 is typically actuated toward and away from sample 22 using a suitable actuator or scanner 24 controlled via feedback by controller 20. Notably, the actuator 16 may be coupled to the scanner 24 and probe 14 but may be formed integrally with the cantilever 15 of probe 14 as part of a self-actuated cantilever/probe. Moreover, though the actuator 24 is shown coupled to the probe 14, the actuator 24 may be employed to move sample 22 in three orthogonal directions as an XYZ actuator, i.e., both Z motion, and X-Y scanning motion such as in raster scanning.
Typically, a selected probe 14 is oscillated and brought into contact with sample 22 as sample characteristics are monitored by detecting changes in one or more characteristics of the oscillation of probe 14, as described above. In this regard, a deflection detection apparatus 17 is typically employed to direct a beam towards the backside of probe 14, the beam then being reflected towards a detector 26, such as a four quadrant photodetector. As the beam translates across detector 26, appropriate signals are transmitted to controller 20, which processes the signals to move actuator 24 in Z appropriately (and possibly indicate changes in the oscillation of probe 14). Commonly, controller 20 (such as an analog or digital P-I controller) generates control signals to maintain a constant force between the tip and sample, typically to maintain a setpoint characteristic of the oscillation of probe 14. For example, controller 20 is often used to maintain the oscillation amplitude at a setpoint value, AS, to insure a generally constant force between the tip and sample (by using actuator 24 to move either the probe or sample in Z). Alternatively, a setpoint phase or frequency may be used.
At present, the broadening use of SPM has demanded greater performance over a wider range of applications. For example, AFM metrology is increasingly being utilized in semiconductor fabrication facilities, primarily due to recent developments of automated AFM tools able to acquire sample measurements with higher throughput, such as the Dimension® line of AFMs offered by Veeco Instruments Inc. These tools are able to provide a variety of sub-nanoscale measurements, therefore making AFM a viable tool for measuring, for example, "critical dimensions" of device features such as trenches and vias.
One challenge in imaging semiconductor samples with an AFM is that such samples have features having large aspect ratios, for example, 50:1, and more, generally 10:1, and at least 3:1. Although the apex or distal end of the AFM probe device tip is typically nanometer-scale, it is often difficult or impossible to generate probe tip-sample interaction sufficient to reliably image features such as trenches and vias that have very high aspect ratios. In sum, given the mechanical interaction between the tip of the probe and the sample surface, performing measurements on such features can be particularly challenging with SPMs.
One solution is to form the tip of the probes with a similarly high aspect ratio (for example 20:1), shown in the prior art probe of FIG. 10. One known technique for producing such high aspect ratio probe devices includes using a process employing a focused ion beam (FIB) to mill away tip stock material. FIG. 10 illustrates an FIB milled tip. The resulting tip is on the order of 4 μm long with an aspect ratio of 25:1. In this case, the tip is milled from a semiconductor material that was initially microfabricated into a pyramid-shaped tip stock using conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques, including an anisotropic etch that yields the faceted (e.g., pyramid-shaped) tip stock.
FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic cross-section of a standard pyramid-shaped tip stock 34 formed to extend from a cantilever 32 of a probe device 30 according to a conventional technique described generally hereinafter. Starting with a wafer (e.g., silicon), tip stocks 34 associated with an array of probe devices are batch fabricated from the wafer for later FIB milling of the tips. About 350 to 450 probe devices typically will be included in the array, and in some situations, multiple wafers can be milled using a single machine. This process is typically performed with an anisotropic etch that yields tip stocks having the aforementioned pyramidal shape, including an apex 36 and a base 38. Once the tip stocks 34 are formed, ion beam milling can be performed to produce a high aspect ratio tip including a spike, for each probe device. The widths of the spike are about 80 and 170 nm respectively when measured at 2 μm and 4 μm height from the new apex on the FIB-milled tip. Each tip stock 34 is milled individually until the entire wafer is processed into probe devices 30.
With reference to FIG. 2B, one challenge with known FIB milling techniques is referencing the FIB source to apex 36 of the pyramid-shaped tip stock 34 when initiating the milling operation and the complications of "rubble" (see FIG. 2C) that always exists around the base. As noted earlier, this apex typically has a nanometer-sized dimension and its shape is highly variable, and thus is difficult to identify, even with sophisticated pattern recognition software (see FIG. 2B). When performing an FIB milling operation, if the source is not aligned with apex 36, more of tip stock 34 will typically need to be milled away to create the tip, and the shape of the resultant spike will not be optimal. More particularly, as the milling pattern is shifted relative to the original apex, the length of the resultant spike compared to the side lobes at each pyramid corner changes dramatically. In that case, the aspect ratio of the resultant tip may be less than theoretically possible because the apex of the stock (defining the point of the potentially largest height of the tip) is no longer present. Moreover, milling more material to produce the tip also requires a greater number of milling steps (described further below), and correspondingly more time to form the tips.
This alignment challenge also renders it even more difficult to produce a high aspect ratio tip considering that the tip is formed at an angle relative to the cantilever. This is so because, as understood in the art, the tip most often extends orthogonally to a plane substantially defined by the sample surface. Because the probe (i.e., cantilever) typically extends at an angle to the surface during AFM operation, the probe most often is fabricated to extend at an angle relative to the cantilever (typically 3° or 12°). With this background and noting that the complex pyramidal shape is hard to track as it is oriented at angle to the beam, a non-ideal tip often results (for example, milling may begin at point "a" which could result in milling too much of the tip stock, shown schematically in FIG. 3A, and discussed further below).
The pyramidal shape of the tip stock also complicates the FIB milling operation because large volumes of the sloped surfaces 35 extending from apex 36 to the base 38 of the tip stock 34 cannot be milled in one step; rather, a complex algorithm to control the FIB source, for example, to track the slope of the tip stock surfaces to be milled is required. More particularly, turning to FIG. 3A, in a typical FIB milling operation, an FIB source 39 is instructed to mill portions of a tip stock 34 by controlling the location, ion beam current, area, and dwell time of a ion beam "B." Because the pyramid-shaped stock has sloped surfaces, the overhead focused ion beam must spend differing amounts of time at each point on the slope to yield a resultant flat surface around the spike, i.e., there is non-uniformity in the thickness or height of the tip stock from the base. Most typically, as a result, and as shown in FIG. 3A, the control algorithm directs the beam to mill individual cylinders, anywhere from 5 to 100 μm in diameter, of the stock at a particular location/power, thereby "whittling" the stock down. These steps are organized into rectangular or circular groups referred to as mask 40. This is done in a series of patterned steps to create, for example, the sharp barb shown in FIG. 10, and shown schematically in FIG. 3B. In sum, each mask 40 constitutes a relatively small portion of the entire milled volume of the probe tip 44 such that often hundreds of masks corresponding to FIB process steps that are required to mill the tip, steps that again are controlled by a complicated control algorithm that must be developed by the manufacturer of the probe. In the end, each tip associated with each probe can take as long as 5 or more minutes to produce.
In addition, the sharp barb 44, and particularly apex 46, operates as the "active portion" of the tip, i.e., the portion that operatively interacts with the sample during the imaging process. With reference to FIG. 3B, the active portion of barb 44 has a height "h1," even though the barb has an actual height "h2." As shown, the active portion of barb 44 is limited by the imperfect milling process of a pyramidal-shaped starting stock, leaving residual portions 42 having a height extending above the bottom or base of barb 44. It is the difference between h1 and h2, which depends greatly on the shape of the starting stock that makes milling with current techniques particularly difficult. In other words, more milling must generally be done with inconsistently shaped tip stocks to account for variation. In the end, laborious milling was required for fabricating this type of probe and an improvement was desired.
Notably, even if tips may be produced with an active region having the desired aspect ratio, to do so, known processes require that a large tip stock 34 must be formed to enable deep milling to allow corresponding production of high aspect ratio tips. This requirement typically adds to an already large number of FIB milling steps, and also requires that a large volume of tip stock material be removed from the tip. Not only does this add to the inefficiency of known FIB probe fabrication processes, it adds significant mass to the resultant tip, thereby limiting the speed at which the probe devices can operate given the corresponding limited operational resonant frequencies.
Overall, the process of forming the tip such as that shown in FIG. 10 requires a large stock material and a complex algorithm to control the FIB source to mill a high aspect ratio tip. Forming the tip of each probe can take as many as fifty or more individual process steps to ultimately mill a tip stock into a tip such as that shown in FIG. 10, a tip that typically has less than optimal performance characteristics for present high throughput applications, due at least in part to aspect ratio limitations caused by h1 vs. h2.
The field of scanning probe microscopy in general, and essentially critical dimension AFM (CD-AFM), including deep trench AFM (DT-AFM), was thus in need of a new process of forming a probe, preferably using FIB milling to yield a high aspect ratio tip, but doing so with a minimum number of process steps, and with a sufficiently small volume of milled stock material. Preferably, the tip stock would have a shape defining a known volume (rather than a random shape) and would have a relatively uniform height from distal end to base on a tip-to-tip basis. Ideally, FIB milled tips that can be readily recognized and FIB milled in substantially less than 5 minutes while maintaining a high aspect ratio tip was desired.

Method of fabricating a probe device for a metrology instrument and a probe device produced thereby


The oscillating grinder includes a housing; a drive motor having a rotatably driven armature shaft and mounted in the housing; a grinder plate connected with the housing by one or more supporting members each having a long side; an eccentric element mounted eccentrically on the armature shaft for converting a rotary motion of the motor into a linear motion of the grinder plate; and a transmission element having a long side and connecting the eccentric element to the grinder plate. The transmission element and the supporting members have different angular moments of inertia in different directions so that a displacement of the eccentric element in one direction, advantageously in the handle direction, is completely transmitted to the grinder plate, but a displacement in another direction transverse to the first direction is no more than incompletely, and preferably not at all, transmitted to the grinder plate, thus providing a linear grinding motion.

The invention relates to an oscillating grinder or grinding machine.
An oscillating grinder is known, comprising a motor mounted in a housing, and an eccentric device for converting the rotary motion of the motor into a rotating or substantially linear motion of a grinder plate, which is coupled by at least one resilient supporting means with the housing.
This kind of oscillating grinder is known from and described in German Published Patent Application 20 48 649. This oscillating grinder is provided with a special mechanism containing substantially adjustable balancing masses, which converts the circular motion of the drive into a nearly linear oscillation motion of the grinder plate. This mechanism includes many components, is comparatively complicated and makes the oscillating grinder heavier, larger and more expensive in comparison to the oscillating grinder having a nonlinear grinder plate motion. Other known oscillating grinders operate with a more or less damped circular motion of the grinder plate, so that a nearly linear oscillating motion of the grinder plate occurs, in which however circular motion components are not completely suppressed.
The disadvantage of the above-type of grinder with a grinder plate motion that includes some circular motion components is that the grinding is not continuous or precise along edges of and in the vicinity of corners of the workpiece, because the grinder plate is pushed away from the edges by action of the components of the grinder plate motion running transversely to the edges. There is also the danger that the edges or corners of the workpiece are damaged by contact and vibration of the grinder plate.


A pressure responsive downhole tool comprises a threaded shearable retaining mechanism which performs the tension sleeve or shear pin function. The threaded shearable retaining mechanism comprises a pin and box thread that shears upon application of a predetermined pressure which may be adjusted based upon the amount of thread engagement. The pin thread may comprise indicators to indicate which thread engagement corresponds to what shear value. A keystone thread design may be utilized such that the thread would be retained along the threaded connection and not become lost in the well. Thus, the present invention allows for each pressure responsive tool to be custom tailored for a specific job.

Conventional drill stem tester valves, safety valves and other service tools utilize tension sleeves or shear pins to initiate some function of the tool. With safety joints, for example, the tension sleeve or shear pins must be parted or sheared to allow further string manipulation which facilitates further operation and/or disconnection of the safety joint.
There are a number of disadvantages associated with such conventional designs. First, as wells get deeper and the workstrings heavier, it is becoming increasingly difficult to select a tension sleeve for each specific job. Generally, it is desirable to have a high value for the tension sleeve to avoid accidental operation. Some sizes of safety joints only have two choices for the tension sleeve, for example, 40,000 lbs. or 60,000 lbs. However, a long heavy workstring may not tolerate a very high value tension sleeve because the tensile rating of the workstring could be exceeded. Second, installing 60 or more shear pins in a shear set can be very time consuming, as is generally the case with conventional designs. Third, once sheared, the shear pins parts are dropped in the well which may render fishing operations more difficult.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a retaining mechanism for use with a pressure responsive downhole tool which alleviates and/or overcomes these prior art disadvantages, thus providing a safer, adjustable, and more reliable downhole tool.

Pressure responsive downhole tool having an adjustable shear thread retaining mechanism and related methods


A gun hammer has a striking surface on the hammer's face which automatically withdraws inside the body of the hammer when pressure is applied by the gun user's finger or thumb to the hammer's spur. The possibility of the firearm accidentally discharging during decocking is eliminated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to firearms, and more particularly, to a gun hammer especially adapted such that the gun can be safely decocked without the possibility of accidental discharge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Safety devices in the form of safety locks are well known in the art of guns and other firearms. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,846 discloses a hammer locking device for guns. U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,947 discloses a hammer safety for firearms. U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,606 also discloses a hammer safety for firearms. FIG. 1 shows the '606 type of hammer safety.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use safety devices for firearms including hammer safeties, the provision of a more simple and cost effective device is not contemplated. Nor does the prior art described above teach or suggest a gun hammer device which may be used by individuals to automatically prevent the accidental discharging of a gun while decocking it. The foregoing disadvantages are overcome by the unique gun hammer of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.


A method and apparatus for repetitive playback of video sections on the basis of subtitles are provided. The method includes receiving a request for a repetitive playback of a certain video section of the video data; retrieving at least one subtitle data block associated with at least one video data block of the certain video section, in response to the request; and repeatedly playing back the at least one video data block in synchronization with the at least one subtitle data block.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining and repeatedly playing back a specific video section on the basis of subtitles being displayed synchronously with a video data stream.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical discs that are capable of storing large amounts of high-quality video and audio data, have been available on the market. The digital versatile disc (DVD) and DVD rewritable (DVD-RW) are examples of the optical discs. The high-quality moving pictures have been usually provided for users as DVD titles. Recently, based on DivX codec, which is a video codec proposed for better compression, DivX-formatted movies (hereinafter referred to as DivX movies) have been widely provided as downloadable files on-line.
DivX movies usually offer a single language subtitle, not multi-language subtitles. Therefore, users who want to watch a DivX movie with a foreign language subtitle need an additional file that provides a different subtitle comprehensible to the users as well as timing information for synchronization of this subtitle with video streams. This file is commonly referred to as synchronized accessible media interchange (SMI) file.
The SMI file is user-editable. The SMI file includes subtitle data and synchronization timing information required to display the subtitle synchronously with the video stream. As shown in FIG. 1, the subtitle such as "How's going these days?" is displayed in synchronization with the associated video stream at its synchronization start time, which is usually represented by the elapsed time since the start playback time of the DivX movie.
While watching a DivX movie, users who practice listening to foreign languages often want to repeatedly view and listen to particular subtitles and the related audio signals. However, the method to accomplish this is not yet available and is needed.

Method and apparatus for repetitive playback of a video section based on subtitles


A method for improving the coating capability of low dielectric layer is disclosed. The method includes steps of an etching stop layer is deposited a semiconductor substrate, an adhesion promoter layer is spun-on the etching stop layer. The pre-wetting process being performed on the adhesion promoter layer to enhance the coating capability of the low-k dielectric layer, and thus improve the coating quality through the pre-wetting process of baked adhesion promoter layer before the low-k dielectric layer is applied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method for improving the coating capability of the low-k dielectric layer, and more particularly to a method for improving coating quality through the pre-wetting process of the baked adhesion promoter layer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Through advanced semiconductor process in techniques, integrated circuit devices with sub-micron and sub-half-micron features sizes can now be manufactured. This trend toward deep sub-micron technology (i.e., involving feature sizes less than 0.35 microns) has, in turn, driven the need for multilevel interconnect. As a result, circuit performance in the deep sub-micron regime is increasingly a function of the delay time of electronic signals traveling between the millions of gates and transistors presented on the typical integrated circuit chip. Parasitic capacitance and resistance effects resulting from these otherwise passive interconnect structures must therefore be well controlled. Toward this end, recent research emphasizes the use of low resistance metals (e.g., copper) in conjunction with insulating material with low dielectric constant (low-k dielectrics) between metal lines. Low-k dielectric meaning that is a dielectric material, which exhibits a dielectric constant, substantially less than conventional dielectric materials such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride. Silicon dioxide, for example, has a dielectric constant of about 4.0. Copper is desirable in that its conductivity is relatively high and it is relatively high resistance of electromigration than many metals (for example, aluminum).
Modern semiconductor processing techniques increasingly employ Chemical-Mechanical Polishing (CMP) in the fabrication of interconnect layers, particularly where the number of layers rises above three and the conductive lines themselves are characterized by a high aspect ratio (e.g., lines on the order of 0.25 xcexcm width and on the order of 1.0 xcexcm in height).
In high performance integrated circuits in the sub-0.25 xcexcm regime, there is a need to fabricate interconnects using so-called damascene techniques. This is because conventional deposition and etching of aluminum-based metallization becomes increasingly difficult at these feature sizes. At the same time, performance considerations call for the use of lower resistivity metals such as copper, which has proven virtually impossible to pattern by using conventional reactive ion etching. Thus, the use of copper for interconnects is of great importance using an attractive damascene techniques and spurred investigation into improving these techniques.
As the dimension of integrated circuit continues to shrink, specific polymeric materials become eminent candidates to be used as inter-layer dielectric (ILD) due to their intrinsic low dielectric constant (k), which is essential for 0.13-micrometer generation and below. They have to be applied through a spin-on coating process and a surfactant material is called adhesion promoter, which is often used to facilitate the coating process and also reinforce the adhesion between the coated low k polymer film and the underlayer, generally, the silicon nitride or silicon carbide.
In this invention, the adhesion promoter layer with thickness about 100 angstroms is coated onto a wafer such as M2 (metal 2) wafer with an etching stop layer and then baked at 150xc2x0 C. for 120 seconds, wherein the etching stop layer is an inorganic material. The organic polymeric low-k dielectric layer such as SiLK of approximately 3000 angstroms thick is spun-on the wafer, after the wafer is chilled at a 23xc2x0 C. chill plate for 60 seconds and subsequently baked at 300xc2x0 C. for 100 seconds. Although the baking step of the adhesion promoter layer can lead to favorable bonding with the underlying etching stop layer, the baked dried surface of the adhesion promoter layer does not facilitate the coating of low-k dielectric material (SiLK).
It is often observed that coating defects appear at the periphery where the coating windows are the most critical if the pre-wetting step is not applied.
According to the above-mentioned description, a method is needed for improving the wettability of adhesion promoter so that a flawless coating of low-k dielectric film can be obtained.
The object of this invention is to utilize a solvent to improve the wettability for adhesion promoter layer.
The other object of this invention is to provide a method to improve the coating quality through the pre-wetting process of adhesion promoter layer.
The other object of this invention is to provide a method for improving the coating capability of low-k dielectric layer.
According to the objects of above-mentioned, in the preferable embodiment, in order to improve the coating capability of the low-k dielectric layer, the method is provided to use an adhesion promoter layer spun-on coating between the inorganic etching stop layer and low-k dielectric layer, and a pre-wetting process is performed on the adhesion promoter layer to enhance the coating quality when the low-k dielectric layer is spun-on the wafer.

Method for improving the coating capability of low-k dielectric layer


The use of semi-autonomous vehicles (e.g., unmanned aerial vehicles) as a means to profile an airspace for prospective service, determine the characteristics of a radio-based problem, and temporarily host a service in response to emergency, unexpected outages, or other things are discussed herein. Functionalities of the solution may include probing and profiling, line-of-sight verification, and problem determination.

Carriers evaluate and integrate new network technology constantly. Currently, coverage and performance problems for existing deployments of network technology are found either through costly spot inspections or potentially damaging customer reports. Thus, the need to profile and enhance radio signal performance in various spaces (and over various communication spectra) can vary dramatically by physical location and deployed hardware. Existing means of evaluation and repair of this problem are largely manual (e.g. drive tests) or static (e.g. manual pinging and reporting of signal-to-noise ratio at a fixed point).

Aerial profiling of communication networks


The present solution relates to a system and method of an optical connector assembly for interconnecting two optical fibers. The optical connector assembly has a splice with a fiber conduit for holding bare ends of the two optical fibers together. Additionally, the optical connector has two corresponding ferrules. The two corresponding ferrules are for securing optical fibers and for aligning the bare end of an optical fiber into the splice without catching an edge. The method includes compressing along the longitudinal axis a first ferrule against the splice to force a guiding member of the first ferrule into a first aperture of the splice, thus opening a conduit of the splice at the first aperture. Once the optic fiber is inserted, the method includes releasing the compression along the longitudinal axis of the first ferrule against the splice to allow the splice to apply radial retention forces on fibers. A sheath to form a connector body of the optical connector assembly interconnects the ferrules.

The current state of the art technology in the field of optical fiber connectors does not make it easy for technicians working in the field to install or repair optical connections. There are generally two types of connectors, namely fusion connectors and mechanical connectors.
In the case of fusion connectors, the two fiber ends to be coupled are mounted in an instrument that allows for the precision alignment of the two fibers adjacent to one another with their respective cores in alignment. At this point, sufficient heat is provided to melt and fuse the cores together. During the fusion process, a number of problems can arise that will result in poor optical connection between the fibers, such as misalignment between the fiber cores as a result of the heating process or even a failure of joining of the two cores during the heating process. The failure rate of making a fiber connection using fusion in the field is often greater than 50%.
In the case of mechanical connectors, it is common in many types of connectors to place the fiber ends in a single "V" groove on a substrate in end-to-end abutment and then to build a packaging around the fibers with the use of optical gels and/or adhesives to complete the connection. When the fibers are not of the same diameter, the alignment of fibers in a groove in a substrate is not good. With conventional mechanical splicing technology, the chances of assembling a successful connection in the field can be about 1 in 3.
A mechanical splice for optical fibers that provides an easier way to connect fibers with greater rates of success than the rate of success associated with the previous state of the art has been developed by the Applicants of the present invention. In U.S. patent application publication 2005/0220418 published on Oct. 6, 2005, based on PCT/CA03/00232 published as WO 2003/071328, there is disclosed a mechanical splice made of shape memory alloy construction having an axial passageway or conduit that is expandable to receive an optical fiber end. The splice can then exert a moderate radial pressure to retain the optical fiber securely centered in the axial passageway and ensure an end-to-end coupling between two optical fiber ends.
Such technology however requires special tooling for opening and closing the axial passageway in order to controllably secure and release the optical fiber ends to provide the desired optical coupling. Examples of instruments adapted to allow the controlled expansion and contraction of the axial passageway in the mechanical splice is known from Applicant's own previous PCT publications, WO 2004/015473 published Feb. 19, 2004 and WO 2005/040876 published May 6, 2005.


A latching mechanism for a portable electronic device includes a housing, a pressing assembly, a latching assembly and a cover, the cover latches in the housing with the latching assembly, the pressing assembly is pushed along a first direction, causing the latching assembly to slide along a second direction perpendicularly to detach the cover from the housing.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to latching mechanisms and electronic devices; and particularly to a latching mechanism for latching a cover to a housing of an electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones are widely used. When a battery is installed in the portable electronic device, the battery may be shielded and fixed in place by a cover. The cover is latched to the housing of the portable electronic device.
One typical cover assembly includes a pin at one end and a protrusion at an opposite end. The housing defines a receiving hole and a holding space. The protrusion can be received in the holding space, and then the cover is pushed facing the housing until the pin is received in the receiving hole. As such, the cover is secured to the housing and the protrusion is held in the holding space. However, separating the cover from the housing requires the removal of the pin from the receiving hole by using a large external force.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Latching mechanism and electronic device using the same

Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.