An apparatus and method for inspecting a circuit board is described which can well absorb a variation in a height of an electrode to be inspected and can maintain an insulating property between adjacent inspection electrodes even if the electrode to be inspected is arranged at a fine pitch.

Referring to a printed circuit board for mounting an integrated circuit or the like, electrical characteristics are inspected to confirm that the wiring pattern of the circuit board has a predetermined performance before mounting the integrated circuit or the like.
In the electrical inspection, for example, an inspecting head is incorporated into an inspecting tester including the delivery mechanism of the circuit board and inspecting head portions are exchanged to inspect different circuit boards.
For example, as is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1994-94768), there has been proposed a method using an inspecting jig having a structure in which a metallic inspecting pin to be electrically conducted in contact with an electrode to be inspected in a circuit board to be inspected is infixed into a board.
As is disclosed in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1993-159821), moreover, there has been known a method using an inspecting jig in which an inspecting head having a conductive pin, a circuit board for pitch conversion which is referred to as an off-grid adapter and an anisotropically conductive sheet are combined.
In the method using an inspecting jig to cause a metallic inspecting pin to directly come in contact with the electrode to be inspected in the circuit board to be inspected as described in the Patent Document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1994-94768), however, there is a possibility that the electrode of the circuit board to be inspected might be damaged due to the contact with the conductive pin formed of a metal.
In recent years, particularly, the fineness and density of a circuit in the circuit board has been increased. In the case in which such a printed circuit board is to be inspected, it is necessary to pressurize an inspecting jig at a high pressure in order to cause a large number of conductive pins to be simultaneously conducted in contact with an electrode to be inspected in a circuit board to be inspected. Consequently, the electrode to be inspected is apt to be damaged.
In an inspecting jig for inspecting the printed circuit board having the fineness and density increased, it has been technically hard to infix a large number of metallic pins into the board at a high density. Moreover, a manufacturing cost is also increased. In the case in which a part of the metallic pins are damaged, furthermore, it is hard to repair or exchange them.
On the other hand, in the inspecting jig using the anisotropically conductive sheet as described in the Patent Document 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1993-159821), the electrode to be inspected in the circuit board to be inspected comes in contact with the electrode of the board for pitch conversion through the anisotropically conductive sheet. Therefore, there is an advantage that the electrode to be inspected in the circuit board to be inspected is damaged with difficulty. Moreover, the board for carrying out the pitch conversion is used. Therefore, the inspecting pin to be infixed into the board can be infixed at a greater pitch than the pitch of the electrode to be inspected in the circuit board to be inspected. For this reason, it is not necessary to infix the inspecting pin at a minute pitch. Consequently, there is also an advantage that the manufacturing cost of the inspecting jig can be reduced.
In the inspecting jig, however, it is necessary to create the board for pitch conversion and the inspecting jig for infixing the inspecting pin for each circuit board to be inspected which is the inspecting target. Therefore, the same number of inspecting jigs as that of the printed circuit boards which are the circuit boards to be inspected are required.
In the case in which a plurality of printed circuit boards is produced, therefore, there is a problem in that a plurality of inspecting jigs is to be retained corresponding thereto. In recent years, particularly, the manufacturing cycle of an electronic apparatus has been shortened and a reduction in the production period of a printed circuit board to be used in a product has been progressed. Consequently, the inspecting jig cannot be used for a long period of time. Thus, there is a problem in that the inspecting jig is to be produced every time the production of the printed circuit board is changed over.
For a countermeasure against such problems, for example, there has been proposed an inspecting apparatus using an inspecting jig of a so-called universal type using a relay pin unit disclosed in Patent Documents 3 to 5 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1995-248350, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1996-271569 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1996-338858).
FIG. 36 is a sectional view showing the inspecting apparatus using the inspecting jig of a universal type. The inspecting apparatus comprises a pair of first and second inspecting jigs 111a and 111b, and these inspecting jigs include circuit board side connectors 121a and 121b, relay pin units 131a and 131b, and tester side connectors 141a and 141b.
The circuit board side connectors 121a and 121b include boards 123a and 123b for pitch conversion, and anisotropically conductive sheets 122a, 122b, 126a and 126b provided on both sides thereof.
The relay pin units 131a and 131b include a large number of conductive pins 132a and 132b (for example, 5000 pins) provided on a lattice point at a constant pitch (for example, a pitch of 2.54 mm), and a pair of insulating plates 134a and 134b for supporting the conductive pins 132a and 132b to be vertically movable.
The tester side connectors 141a and 141b include connector boards 143a and 143b for electrically connecting the testers to the conductive pins 132a and 132b when interposing the circuit board 101 to be inspected between the inspecting jigs 111a and 111b by pressure, anisotropically conductive sheets 142a and 142b provided on the sides of the conductive pins 132a and 132b of the connector boards 143a and 143b, and base plates 146a and 146b.
When the inspecting jig using the relay pin unit is to inspect printed circuit boards which are different targets to be inspected, it is sufficient that the circuit board side connectors 121a and 121b are exchanged with members corresponding to the circuit board 101 to be inspected, and the relay pin units 131a and 131b and the tester side connectors 141a and 141b can be used in common.
The printed wiring board to be the circuit board 101 to be inspected has been multilayered and increased in a density. A variation in a height and a warpage of the board itself are actually caused by the electrodes 102 and 103 to be inspected, for example, a solder ball electrode such as a BGA in the direction of a thickness. In order to achieve an electrical connection to the electrodes 102 and 103 to be inspected which are inspecting points on the circuit board 101 to be inspected, therefore, it is necessary to pressurize the first inspecting jig 111a and the second inspecting jig 111b at a high pressure, thereby flatly deforming the circuit board 101 to be inspected, and it is necessary to cause the variation in the heights of the electrodes 102 and 103 to be inspected to follow the heights of the electrodes 102 and 103 to be inspected on the sides of the first inspecting jig 111a and the second inspecting jig 111b.
In the conventional inspecting jig of a universal type, the heights of the electrodes 102 and 103 to be inspected are followed by a movement in the axial direction of the conductive pins 132a and 132b in order to maintain a follow-up for the same heights. However, the amount of the movement in the axial direction of the conductive pins 132a and 132b also has a restriction. For this reason, the follow-up for the heights of the electrodes 102 and 103 to be inspected is not excellent in some cases. Consequently, a defective conduction is generated so that an accurate inspection cannot be carried out.
In the inspecting jig of a universal type, moreover, a press pressure in the case in which the circuit board 101 to be inspected is interposed by pressure between the first inspecting jig 111a and the second inspecting jig 111b is absorbed into the upper and lower anisotropically conductive sheets 122a, 122b, 126a, 126b, 142a and 142b.
In the inspecting jig of a universal type, therefore, it is necessary to arrange the conductive pins 132a and 132b at a constant interval in order to support the boards 123a and 123b for pitch conversion and to disperse the press pressure.
In the conventional inspecting jig of a universal type, moreover, the press pressure is received by the conductive pins 132a and 132b. For this reason, it is necessary to arrange a large number of conductive pins 132a and 132b at a constant interval.
In some cases in which the insulating plates 134a and 134b having at least 10000 through holes are to be formed at a pitch of 0.75 mm, for example, corresponding to the microfabrication of the electrode of the circuit board 101 to be inspected, therefore, strengths are reduced if the thicknesses of the boards of the insulating plates 134a and 134b are small and they are broken due to bending. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the thicknesses of the insulating plates 134a and 134b.
If the through hole to be formed is fine, for example, has a diameter of approximately 0.5 mm and the insulating plates 134a and 134b have thicknesses of 5 mm or more, however, a blade of a drill is defective and broken to fail in the processing of the insulating plate in respect of a strength of the blade of the drill in many cases in which the through hole is to be formed by one drill processing.
For this reason, the drill processing is carried out to almost a half of a thickness from either surface of the insulating plate, and furthermore, is carried out in the same portion from the other surface side to form the through hole, thereby processing the insulating plate. In this case, there is a problem in that a drill processing work to be a double of the number of the through holes to be formed on the insulating plate is required and the processing step is thus complicated.
In the conventional inspecting jig of a universal type, moreover, there are used, as the anisotropically conductive sheets 122a and 122b constituting the circuit board side connectors, the anisotropically conductive sheets of an uneven distribution type which include a plurality of conductive path forming portions extended in the direction of a thickness and insulating portions for insulating these conductive path forming portions from each other and in which conductive particles are contained in only the conductive path forming portion and are distributed unevenly in a planar direction, and the conductive path forming portion is protruded toward the either surface side of the sheet. In the case in which the conductive path forming portion is deteriorated (a resistance value is increased) by a repetitive use in an inspection and the anisotropically conductive sheet is exchanged, it is necessary to align the anisotropically conductive sheet with the board for pitch conversion and to align the circuit board side connector with the relay pin unit every exchange. The aligning work is complicated to cause a reduction in an inspection efficiency.
When the electrodes in the circuit board are arranged at a minute pitch of 200 μm or less, for example, it is easy to generate the positional shift of the anisotropically conductive sheet due to a repetitive contact with a plurality of circuit boards in the case in which the circuit boards are continuously inspected by using the anisotropically conductive sheet described above. Consequently, the conductive path forming portion of the anisotropically conductive sheet and the position of the electrode in the circuit board are not coincident with each other so that an excellent electrical connection cannot be obtained. For this reason, an excessively great resistance value is measured so that a printed circuit board to be originally decided to be an excellent product is easily decided erroneously to be a defective product.
In the case in which there is obtained an anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of an uneven distribution type for inspecting the circuit board having the electrodes to be inspected which are disposed at a small pitch in a distance of 100 μm or less between the electrodes to be inspected, moreover, it is necessary to carry out a formation in such a manner that a width of the insulating portion for mutually insulating the adjacent conductive path forming portions is equal to or smaller than 100 μm. In a conventional method of manufacturing a sheet by metal molding which has been disclosed in Patent Document 6 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1991-196416), for example, it is hard to form the insulating portion having a width of 100 μm or less because of a magnetic field action with an adjacent metal mold magnetic pole. In the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of an uneven distribution type according to the conventional manufacturing method, therefore, a lower limit of the distance between the electrodes of the circuit board at which the inspection can be carried out is approximately 80 to 100 μm depending on a thickness of the sheet.
For this reason, it is very hard to form, by the metal molding method, the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of an uneven distribution type for inspecting the circuit board having the inspected electrodes disposed at a small pitch in which the distance between the inspected electrodes is equal to or smaller than 50 μm. Consequently, the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of an uneven distribution type has not been obtained substantially.
On the other hand, it is possible to obtain a high resolution by reducing a thickness of a so-called anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of a dispersion type in which conductive particles are arranged in a direction of a thickness and are uniformly dispersed in a planar direction. Therefore, it is possible to inspect the circuit board in which the distance between the electrodes to be inspected is equal to or smaller than 50 μm in the resolution by setting a thickness of approximately 30 μm, for example.
In a thin anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of a dispersion type which has a thickness of approximately 30 μm, however, the absorption of a mechanical shock generated by an elasticity of a sheet body or a capability for constituting an electrical connection to be carried out by a soft contact of electrodes which is one of characteristics of the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet is eliminated almost completely. In the case in which a circuit board to be inspected which includes a large number of inspected electrodes having a variation in a height is connected to the inspecting apparatus, therefore, it is hard to connect a large number of inspected electrodes at the same time due to a reduction in a step absorbing capability of the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet. For example, in a circuit board in which a large number of electrodes are formed by plating, a variation in a height of each of the electrodes is approximately 20 μm.
In the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of a dispersion type, a compressibility capable of stably achieving an electrical conduction is equal to or smaller than approximately 20% in a compression in a direction of a thickness. For example, when the compression is carried out beyond 20%, the electrical conduction in a transverse direction is increased so that an anisotropy of the conduction is deteriorated, and furthermore, a permanent deformation of the elastomer to be a base material is generated so that a repetitive use is hard to perform. For this reason, in the case in which the circuit board including the electrode having the variation in a height of approximately 20 μm is to be inspected, it is necessary to use the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of a dispersion type which has a thickness of 100 μm or more.
When the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of a dispersion type which has a thickness of 100 μm or more is used, however, there is a problem in that it is substantially impossible to inspect a circuit board having electrodes to be inspected which are disposed at a small pitch of 50 μm or less because of a deterioration in a resolution.
In an anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of a dispersion type which has a small thickness, furthermore, a capability for absorbing a mechanical shock is small because of a small elasticity of a sheet body. In a use for an adaptor for inspecting a circuit board to repetitively inspect the circuit board, the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet is deteriorated quickly. For this reason, the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet of a dispersion type is to be exchanged often so that an exchanging work is complicated and an inspection efficiency for the circuit board is reduced.
From the foregoing, in the circuit board inspecting adaptor using the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet which serves to inspect the circuit board having the electrodes to be inspected that are disposed at a small pitch of 50 μm or less, all of a resolution, a step absorbing power and a repetitive use durability cannot be satisfied.
In the case in which a four-terminal inspection is carried out in order to detect a latent electrical defect of the circuit board with high precision, furthermore, two inspection electrodes (for a voltage and a current) of the circuit board for an inspection are connected to one of the electrodes to be inspected in the circuit board to be inspected. For this reason, a distance between the inspection electrodes to make a pair of the circuit board for an inspection is decreased. For example, in the case in which the pitch between the electrodes to be inspected in the circuit board to be inspected is 200 μm, a diameter of the electrode to be inspected is approximately 100 μm and two inspection electrodes of the circuit board for an inspection are connected to the electrode to be inspected which has a diameter of approximately 100 μm. Therefore, the distance between the inspection electrodes of the circuit board for an inspection is approximately 30 to 40 μm.
As described above, in the conventional anisotropically conductive sheet of an uneven distribution type or anisotropically conductive sheet of a dispersion type, it is impossible to sufficiently obtain all of a resolution, a step absorbing power, a cushioning property and a durability with respect to an inspecting apparatus for inspecting a circuit board having a large number of electrodes to be inspected.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1994-94768    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1993-159821    Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1995-248350    Patent Document 4: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1996-271569    Patent Document 5: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1996-338858    Patent Document 6: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1991-196416

Inspection equipment of circuit board and inspection method of circuit board


An amplifier adapted to generate an analog output signal in response to a digital input signal and having an output stage powered by a power-supply circuit, which generates one or more power rails for the output stage such that at least one of these power rails tracks the output signal and substantially represents a biased and half-wave rectified version of that output signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates, but is not limited, to audio amplifiers and, more specifically, to Class AB amplifiers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical audio amplifier uses two complementary transistors (or groups of transistors) to drive a speaker. The amplifier might have a first transistor, which conducts current from the positive power-supply voltage to the speaker for the positive portion of the audio waveform, and a second transistor, which conducts current from the negative power-supply voltage to the speaker for the negative portion of the audio waveform. Audio amplifiers are classified according to the phase-angle portion of the 360-degree signal cycle over which current flows through each of these complementary transistors. The amplifier classes that are relevant to this specification are Classes A, B, AB, and D.
Class A amplifiers are characterized by a continuous current flow through the complementary transistors throughout each signal cycle. Class A amplifiers typically provide greater input-to-output waveform linearity (lower output-signal distortion) than any other amplifier class. However, the efficiency of Class A amplifiers in converting DC-source power into AC-output power is quite poor because the continuous current flow causes a relatively large portion of the DC-source power to be dissipated as heat. As a result, Class A amplifiers find most common use in small-signal applications, where linearity is more important than power efficiency. Less frequently, Class A amplifiers are used in large-signal applications, for which the need for good linearity outweighs the cost and heat disadvantages associated with the poor power efficiency.
Class B amplifiers are designed to have their complementary transistors biased near their current cutoff points, thereby causing current to flow through the transistor only during approximately 180 degrees of each signal cycle. As a result, the power efficiency of Class B amplifiers is significantly higher than that of Class A amplifiers. However, this efficiency improvement comes at the cost of substantial output waveform distortions.
Class AB amplifiers, as their designation suggests, represent a compromise between Class A and Class B types of operation. More specifically, complementary transistors in Class AB amplifiers are biased such that current flows through each transistor for less than 360 degrees, but more than 180 degrees of each signal cycle. Since practically any bias-point between the two limits corresponding to Class A and Class B, respectively, can be used in Class AB amplifiers, the latter represent a continuum ranging from lower-distortion, lower-efficiency amplifiers at one continuum end to higher-distortion, higher-efficiency amplifiers at the other continuum end.
Class D amplifiers differ from Class A, B, and AB amplifiers in that a Class D amplifier operates its complementary transistors in a switch (digital) mode, as opposed to a quasi-linear (analog) mode of operation in Class A, B, and AB amplifiers. A Class D amplifier has relatively high power efficiency because its complementary transistors are either completely turned on or completely turned off. More specifically, when the transistors are conducting (turned on), there is virtually no voltage across the transistor and, therefore, virtually no power dissipation (which is a product of voltage and current) in the transistor. Similarly, when the transistor is turned off and there is a significant voltage across the transistor, there is no current flowing through the transistor and, therefore, again there is virtually no power dissipation. An LC low-pass filter, which is usually connected to the Class D amplifier to reconstruct the analog signal from the "digital" output of the amplifier, is typically a purely reactive circuit, which ideally dissipates no power. As a result, substantially all of the output power is dissipated in the speaker for nearly 100% power efficiency, regardless of the output power level.
While Class D amplification would be a preferred approach to solving the power efficiency problem, practical implementations of Class D amplifiers suitable for an audio application encounter significant problems. For example, an all-digital implementation typically operates in an open-loop configuration, which provides no power-supply ripple rejection. As a result, any in-band power-supply ripple passes through to the speaker, which can produce an audible noise, and any high-frequency power-supply ripple aliases into the signal band by disturbing comparator thresholds. If a smoothing filter configured to remove all unwanted frequency components of the "digital" output stream is used with the amplifier, then the filter's inductors can saturate and the filter's capacitors can show polarization effects. An improved filter performance can be achieved by using specialized (and thus more expensive) parts and/or by increasing the filter's complexity and size.
A mixed analog and digital implementation of a Class D amplifier typically has a closed-loop configuration, which uses a relatively large, multi-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC). In addition, it is often difficult to achieve stable operation of the closed-loop system due to significant nonlinearities in its feed-forward path. Further problems include (1) difficulties in implementing precision analog signal processing of the mixed analog/digital design in an integrated circuit (IC) environment, especially for a system that handles large voltages and/or currents, and (2) poor compatibility with the deep submicron technology.

Amplifier having half-wave tracking power rails


A quadrifilar helix antenna comprises a flexible substrate, four conductive elements with a feed network etched on a first portion of the flexible substrate, parasitic metallic lines etched on a second portion of the flexible substrate and a ground plane for the feed network. The resulting antenna structure is capable of efficiently receiving both satellite and terrestrial SDARS (Satellite digital audio radio service) signals.

Satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) is a satellite broadcast service recently approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which provides satellite transmission of digital audio programs to compatible radio receivers. The radio receivers can be stationary or mobile and are generally configured to receive signals from satellites as well as terrestrial repeaters.
Currently, existing SDARS automotive antenna modules are dual-arm modules: one designed to receive terrestrial (TER) signals and the other designed to receive satellite (SAT) signals. These dual-arm modules comprise two passive antenna elements, two low noise amplifiers (LNAs), and two radio frequency (RF) cables.
Recently, single-arm automotive roof-mount antennas have been developed. These are patch antennas which are ground dependent, i.e., they must be placed on a metallic surface of dimensions of at least ten times the size of the antenna footprint area for acceptable performance in SDARS applications. These patch antennas, when placed at a proper location on a vehicle roof, have acceptable gain at the horizon (for receiving TER signals) and acceptable gain between 20 and 90 degree elevation angles (for receiving SAT signals). As a result, new single-branch receivers are now being designed resulting in a lower receiver/antenna cost.
There is a need then, for single-arm mast-type (ground-independent) antennas. These types of antennas can be used in the place of dual-arm glass-mount and mast SDARS antennas.
A typical mast-type ground-independent antenna used in SDARS applications, is a printed quadrifilar antenna which consists of four helices spaced equally and circumferentially on a cylinder. FIG. 1 [from reference: "Combination linearly polarized and quadrifilar antenna," A. Petros, U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,471] shows such a quadrifilar antenna consisting of four helical elements and feed network printed on a flexible substrate. As discussed in Antenna Engineering Handbook by Richard C. Johnson and Henry Jasik, pp. 13-19 through 13-21 (1984), a quadrifilar helix (or volute) antenna is a circularly polarized antenna having four orthogonal fractional turn helixes excited in phase quadrature. Each helix is balun-fed at the top or bottom with four helical arms of wires or metallic strips of resonant lengths (l=.lambda./4, m=1, 2, 3, . . . ) wound on a small diameter with a large pitch angle.
One embodiment of the novel antenna structure is shown in FIG. 2. It is a combination of quadrifilar antenna and substantially parallel and substantially concentric metallic rings positioned along the longitudinal axis of the quadrifilar antenna. This antenna is capable of efficiently receiving both satellite and terrestrial signals. FIGS. 3 and 4 show additional embodiments of the present invention according to FIG. 2. FIGS. 5 and 6 show alternative embodiments of the novel antenna in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The quadrifilar antenna elements and rings are arranged on cylindrical structures. These structures are in turn arranged to provide a novel antenna structure of the same radiation properties as the novel antenna structure of FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the radiation pattern of the novel antenna shows improved performance on both SAT and TER cases over the standard quadrifilar antenna. This novel antenna then is an ideal structure for use in SDARS applications.
An additional benefit of the technique presented here is that it yields lower profile antennas. The height of antennas produced using this technique, is reduced by approximately 15%.


A method for depositing fine particles from a suspension on selected regions of a substrate is disclosed. The particles are deposited on selected regions of a clean hydrophobic semiconductor surface that are surrounded by a wetting boundary which includes a mesa formed by etching through a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) film and an underlying buried oxide of an SOI substrate. The process is well suited for the growth of semiconductor nanowires that nucleates from fine particle used as a catalyst.

In nanotechnology, metal particles are typically used as catalysts for growth of nanowires and nanotubes (hereinafter nanomaterials). Each metal particle nucleates a single nanomaterial. As a result, the base location of each nanomaterial corresponds to the location held by the particulate catalyst from which it is nucleated. Accurate positioning of the metal catalyst provides a way to control the location of the nanomaterials. The diameter of the metal catalyst particle also defines the diameter of the nanomaterial. To obtain a tight distribution of nanomaterial diameters, metal colloids are typically used as the source of the metal particles. As is known to those skilled in the art, metal colloids have a tight size distribution of suspended particles made to a specified dimension. The fine particles are suspended in a liquid, and are typically charged to prevent them from forming clusters. Therefore, a method that provides an easy and robust way to deposit catalyst particles from a suspension onto selected regions of a wafer is desirable as a way to control both the nanomaterial location and diameter.
Conventional methods for obtaining metal particles at selected regions include, for example, blanket deposition of the particles followed by masking of a selected region and removal of the unmasked particles (for example, by etching). An example of such a method is illustrated in prior art FIGS. 1A-1E. The starting substrate 101 consists of a silicon substrate on which a thermal silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer 102 is formed (See, FIG. 1A). Particles 103 are dispensed on the SiO2 layer 102 providing the structure shown, for example, in FIG. 1B. The particles 103 can be dispensed by methods such as spraying, or by spinning a suspension. A photoresist film 104 is spun over the wafer and patterned by lithography to mask those regions where particles 103 are to remain providing the structure shown in FIG. 1C. Unprotected particles 103, as shown in FIG. 1D, are then removed by etching. Finally the photoresist 104 is removed by a solvent or by exposure to oxygen plasma. The resultant structure including the particles 103 on selected regions of the structure is shown in FIG. 1E.
The conventional methods, as illustrated by FIGS. 1A-1E, introduce some issues. First, for growth of nanowires it is imperative that the particles will be deposited directly on a clean silicon surface. The removal of the silicon native oxide is typically carried out by etching in diluted hydrofluoric acid (HF) that hydrogen terminates the surface and renders it hydrophobic (repelling water). Many suspensions consist of an aqueous solution in which the particles are suspended. Due to the hydrophobic nature of the silicon surface, the suspension will not wet the surface and, as a result, the particles will wash away. That is why in the example shown in FIGS. 1A-1E the substrate surface consists of a SiO2 film 102 that is hydrophilic and thus it is easily wetted by the suspension. Second, the use of a mask (for protecting the particles) will, in many instances, introduce additional issues. For example and in the case of a photoresist mask, the stripping of the resist with a solvent can wash or relocate the particles, while stripping by oxygen plasma will oxidize the silicon surface. Additionally, the use of a photoresist can introduce contamination by organic products.
Given the above challenges with the prior art a method that will allow the deposition of fine particles from a suspension directly onto designated regions of a clean hydrogen terminated silicon surface is desirable. The term "fine particles" is used throughout the instant application to denote particles having a typical size of about 1 to about 100 nm.

Methods of selective deposition of fine particles onto selected regions of a substrate

International Business Machines Corporation


A process for electrolytic production of fine-grained, single-phase, metallic alloy powders, especially powders of intermetallic compounds as well as noble metal alloy powders, is described in which powdery metallic precipitates are galvanically produced on the cathode from an electrolytic precipitating bath known in the art, which contains in solution the metals to be precipitated, under electrolysis conditions causing a powder precipitation known in the art. For the production of alloy powders with defined properties, it is determined, first in preliminary tests by gradual increase of the cathode potential with otherwise constant process parameters, the minimum cathode potential at which single-phase alloy powders result and then the powder precipitation is potentiostatically performed in a cathode potential at or above the minimum for the single-phase alloy precipitation.

Metal powders have gained great importance with the advances of powder metallurgy. The production processes include, for example: grinding brittle metals or alloys, spraying of melts, the reduction of powdery oxides, thermal decomposition or precipitation of organometallic compounds, and chemical and electrolytic deposition. The various processes produce powders with very different properties. In this connection, besides the properties of the material, the morphological powder properties (particle shape, particle size distribution) play a large role in the processing steps of powder preparation, shaping and consolidation. Thus, the latter also have a great influence on the residual porosity and the surface composition as well as on the structure of the final product.
Electrolytically produced powders are often comprised of dendritically grown crystals. Powders formed on stationary electrodes show, depending on electrolysis conditions, particle sizes between 300 and 1 .mu.m.
The powdery precipitate on the cathode is formed in the electrolytic process under conditions which are opposite to those of electrolytic plate formation. As a rule, the precipitates crystallize in a powdery manner at high current densities, low metal ion concentrations and low bath temperatures. To intensify the transport of material, oscillating or rotating electrodes are used which simultaneously foster the detachment of the powder deposited on the electrode. The powdery precipitate detached or to be brushed off from the electrode is collected either at the bottom of electrolytic cells or in an organic medium underneath the electrolyte (two-phase bath).
In recent years, noble metal alloy powders have also received attention because of their advantageous physical-chemical properties. Thus, for example, silver-palladium alloy powders were developed for dental prosthetic applications. Other possibilities of use can be foreseen in the field of electronics and in the chemical industry.
A process for electrolytic production of pourable powders from noble metals, especially from platinum, palladium or gold, is known, for example, from DD-PS 139 605. According to the publication, powders of defined particle size are said to be producible by electrolytic methods if the precipitation is performed with solutions of platinum metal hydrochloric acids and gold hydrochloric acids in the diffusion limiting current range, i.e., in the range between solid precipitation and hydrogen formation. In particular, the particle size in the previously described process is said to be able to be influenced by a variation of the concentration, the temperature and the pH.
But even though the electrolytic precipitation of pourable powders made of noble metals, preferably platinum, palladium, rhodium, gold and their alloys, is indicated in the patent specification as a field of use of the invention, the disclosed technical teaching exclusively relates to the precipitation of pure metals. No reference is made to the electrolytic precipitation of alloyed metallic powders.
However, a process for electrolytic production of alloyed AgPd powders is described in the article "Electrolytic Preparation of Fine PdAg Powders of Any Given Composition," M. I. Kalinin Leningrad Engineering Institute, translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, No. 6 (126), pp. 6-10, June 1973.
The authors report on systematic studies on the influence of the electrolysis parameters of bath composition, bath temperature and current density in the powder precipitation range in the chemical and crystallographic composition as well as the particle size and morphology of the precipitated powder and indicate value ranges for the electrolysis parameters as a result of their studies for the AgPd system, within which a precipitation of true alloy powders with predetermined composition is said to be possible.
A drawback of this known process is that the indicated, empirically determined ranges of values for the electrolysis parameters are very narrow and relate exclusively to the AgPd system as well as to a specific electrolytic bath. A transfer of the obtained results to other electrolytic baths or other alloying systems is not possible.

Electrolytic process for the production of fine-grained, single-phase metallic alloy powders


Disclosed is a fuel heating equipment of a diesel engine for preheating and heating fuel to supply the fuel to the engine. The fuel heating equipment of the diesel engine includes a main heating part having a collective tank, which is formed between runners connected to a first side of the engine and an exhaust pipe, and is heated by exhaust heat introduced from the runner, and a fuel supply pipe, which extends from a fuel tank and is wound around the collective tank to heat fuel, which passes through the fuel supply pipe due to heat conducted from the collective tank, so as to supply the fuel to the engine. The fuel heating equipment of the diesel engine further includes a preheating part provided such that the fuel supply pipe is inserted along the exhaust pipe to prevent the fuel, which is cooled by cold outside air in the winter season, from being directly introduced to the collective tank.

In general, a diesel engine is operated using fuel such as heavy oil, light oil, etc., which are cheaper than fuel used in a gasoline engine, and reduces fuel consumption, so that the diesel engine has an advantage of low operational cost. In addition, the diesel engine can be easily operated, so the diesel engine is widely used as an internal combustion engine.
A large-sized diesel engine is used as a main engine of a large-sized ship, a middle-sized diesel engine is used for a power generator and a ship, and a small-sized diesel engine is used for a vehicle, a rail road car, a small-sized ship, a construction equipment, etc. That is, the diesel engine is extensively used in various fields. In addition, the diesel engine is used for a cultivator, a pump spray for irrigation work in agriculture, a compressor, a power water pump, and emergency communication power.
As widely known to the public, the diesel engine using light oil as fuel produces sooty smoke upon incomplete combustion. Especially, in the case of the vehicle, when the vehicle runs along a hill or a driver strongly steps on an accelerating pedal, the sooty smoke is excessively produced. In addition, as described above, if the sooty smoke is excessively produced, the output of the vehicle is remarkably lowered and the emitted sooty smoke causes serious environmental pollution.
In order to overcome the above problems, various methods for heating and preheating fuel have been developed. For instance, in the case of a small-sized vehicle, a heating member or a typical burner is mounted on an outer part of the a fuel supply pipe, which is used to supply fuel contained in a fuel tank to the engine, thereby heating and preheating fuel to supply the fuel to the engine. In the case of a large-sized vehicle, the fuel supply is electronically controlled to prevent sooty smoke.


A system may implement maintaining control plane data versions for a network-based service control plane. Various control plane actions may be performed which create new versions of control plane data that may be maintained for the control plane in a database. Some of these actions may be performed by multiple actors creating new versions of the same control plane data. For a particular control plane action, a new version number may be obtained to include in a new version of control plane data, and a conditional write request may be performed to insert the new version of control plane data at the database as part of an optimistic concurrency technique in order to maintain consistency for control plane data.

Network-based services have become ubiquitous providers of many different kinds of services that were once relegated to custom-built systems for which individual customers had to invest significant time and resources developing. Now many different customers that require various different types of computations, analysis, coordination, storage, content distribution, communications, or other resources may utilize network-based services that offer customers the ability to meet their needs without investing in systems of their own. However, as network-based services have grown in popularity, customers are becoming more sophisticated in their use. While not necessarily returning to significant investment in their own assets, customers of network-based services may now find the simplicity of network-based services to be limiting when trying to develop more customized solutions using network-based services. Thus, increasing the information and capabilities available to customers with respect to interacting with network-based services becomes more crucial to continuing to meet the customer's evolving needs.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the 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.

Maintaining versions of control plane data for a network-based service control plane


A novel class of drugs for treating androgen receptor (AR) positive cancer including prostate cancer and breast cancer are described. The drugs include the chemical scaffolds of a high affinity androgen receptor ligand and a histone deacetylase inhibitor. Also described are compositions including the novel drugs and methods of treating AR positive cancer using the compositions.

Cancer (neoplasia) is characterized by deregulated cell growth and cell division. There are numerous types of cancers. Examples of cancers include prostate cancer and breast cancer.
Prostate cancer, as its name indicates, is a cancer that develops in the prostate gland of the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer can be aggressive, in which cancer cells metastasize and move from the prostate gland to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes and the bones. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the U.S., and its prevalence is increasing in developing countries.
Prostate cancer growth is often driven by male sex hormones called androgens, which include testosterone. Because of this, a common treatment option for the 22% or 35,200 patients that cannot be treated with surgery, radiation, cryotherapy or watchful waiting is to lower the levels of androgens in the man's body. Androgen levels can be lowered by surgically removing the testicles or with drugs that stop the testicles, and to a lesser extent adrenal glands, from making androgens or block how they affect the body. This type of treatment is called hormonal therapy or androgen-deprivation therapy. Unfortunately, 40,000 patients each year begin to fail hormonal therapy or become hormone refractory. That is, they develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) or hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Nevertheless, CRPC tumors typically continue to produce the androgen receptor (AR). CRPC tumors may continue to depend on AR for growth by producing greatly elevated levels of AR or by producing variant forms of AR in addition to the normal AR. Treatment options for prostate cancer are very limited once the disease becomes resistant to hormonal therapy through these or any other mechanisms.
Breast cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the world. In the U.S., breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women, and the second most common cause of cancer death in women. The treatment of breast cancer depends on various factors including stage of the cancer and age of the patient. Breast cancer is usually treated with surgery, such as lumpectomy or mastectomy followed by medication and/or radiation therapy. Medication includes hormone-blocking agents, chemotherapeutic agents, and monoclonal antibodies.
Although the focus of breast cancer research has been on estrogen receptor a (ER) signaling, androgens are known to play a role in normal breast physiology and therefore androgen receptor (AR) signaling is recognized as an important contributor towards breast carcinogenesis. Moreover, it appears that AR is expressed in many breast cancers, which makes AR an attractive therapeutic target.

Anticancer drugs including the chemical structures of an androgen receptor ligand and a histone deacetylase inhibitor


An electro-luminescence device includes a transparent substrate; a plurality of pixel areas including a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines formed on the transparent substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the plurality of pixel areas; an electro-luminescent layer formed over the plurality of pixel electrodes; a metal electrode formed on the electro-luminescent layer; a seal cover plate for sealing the electro-luminescent layer; a sealant for adhering the seal cover plate to the transparent substrate; and a heat-exhausting layer formed on the metal electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electro-luminescence device, and more particularly, to an electro-luminescence device that is adapted to improve thermal conductivity and have a simplified fabrication process.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, various flat panel display devices reduced in weight and bulk have been developed that are capable of reducing the disadvantages of a cathode ray tube (CRT). Such flat panel display devices include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP) and an electro-luminescence device (ELD).
In particular, an ELD typically has a structure in which electrodes are attached to each side of an electro-luminescent layer consisting of a hole-transporting layer, an emitting layer and an electron-transporting layer. The ELD has been highlighted as a next generation flat panel display, owing to its characteristics of wide viewing angle, high aperture ratio and high chrominance.
Such ELDs are classified for the most part into inorganic ELDs and organic ELDs, depending on their material. An organic ELD has an advantage in that, because electrons and holes make a pair when electric charges are injected into an organic luminescent layer provided between a hole injection electrode and an electron injection electrode and emit a light upon their extinction, the organic ELD can be driven with a lower voltage than the inorganic ELD. Further, the organic ELD can be not only formed on a transparent substrate having a flexibility like a plastic, but it also can be driven with a low voltage, of less than about 10V, in comparison to the PDP or the inorganic ELD. In addition, the organic ELD has a relatively small power consumption and an excellent color sense.
ELDs can also be classified into passivation ELDs and active matrix ELDs, depending on their driving system.
Hereinafter, a conventional ELD will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Generally, an ELD includes a transparent electrode formed on a transparent substrate, an electroluminescent (EL) layer provided at the upper portion of the transparent electrode, a metal electrode formed on the EL layer, and a seal cover plate joined with the transparent oppositely at the upper portion of the metal electrode.
First, a passivation ELD includes a transparent electrode having a stripe shape and arranged in a line at the transparent substrate, a protective film formed on the entire passivation ELD, including the transparent electrode, an EL layer in which a hole-transporting layer, an emitting layer and an electron-transporting layer are disposed, a cathode electrode taking a stripe shape and crossing the transparent electrode on the EL layer, a seal cover plate attached with a supporting film formed from a semi-transmitting film containing a moisture-absorbing agent, and a sealant for oppositely joining the transparent substrate with the seal cover plate.
The active matrix ELD will be described with reference to FIG. 1 below.
As shown in FIG. 1, the active matrix ELD includes scanning lines and data lines arranged on a transparent substrate 1 in a matrix including pixel areas. Switching devices 2b are provided at intersections of the scanning lines and the data lines. Pixel electrodes 2a are electrically connected to the switching devices 2b and are provided at the pixel areas. A protective film 10 is formed at the entire surface thereof, including the pixel electrodes 2a. An electro-luminescent (EL) layer 3, including a hole-transporting layer 3a, an emitting layer 3b and an electron-transporting layer 3c, is disposed on the protective film 10. A metal electrode 4 is formed on the EL layer 3. A protective film 5 is provided over the metal electrode 4. A seal cover plate 7 contains a moisture-absorbing agent 8 and is attached with a supporting film 9 formed from a semi-transmitting film. A sealant 6 joins the transparent substrate 1 and the seal cover plate 7.
Each switching device 2b consists of a thin film transistor. Herein, each pixel electrode 2a is used as an anode electrode while the metal electrode 4 is used as a cathode electrode. At this time, the seal cover plate 7 and the transparent substrate 1 are joined to each other with sealant 6, which can be, for example, an epoxy resin therebetween at a place sealed with an inactive gas such as, for example, nitrogen or argon in accordance with a general encapsulation method.
The EL layer 3 and the metal electrode 4, which are formed of a metal, react with oxygen in water or in the and are easily oxidized, thereby causing the device to deteriorate. Therefore, moisture is removed by the moisture-absorbing agent 8, and the seal cover plate 7 and the transparent substrate 1 adhere to each other by means of an adhesive 6 under an inactive gas. At this time, nitrogen N2 which is a type of inactive gas, is injected into a space defined by said adhesion of the seal cover plate 7 to the transparent substrate 1.
The seal cover plate 7 may be formed of, for example, of a glass, a plastic or a canister. The moisture-absorbing agent 8 is formed of a fine powder containing, for example, BaO, CaCO3, zeolite, silicagel or alumina. Said fine powder is put in the seal cover plate 7 and is attached with the supporting film 9, which may be, for example, paper or Teflon. Herein, it is important to form the moisture-absorbing agent 8 flatly and evenly.
However, heat is generated upon driving a panel of the ELD. Becuase it is not easy for the conventional seal cover plate 7, using a metal canister or a glass, to exhaust such heat, the characteristics of the device deteriorate. Also, because it is not easy to exhaust heat from the center of the panel if a portion of the panel is enlarged even though a metal canister is used, the characteristics of the device further deteriorate.
Moreover, a thin seal cover plate is used to manufacture a display model of more than 5 inches because the use of metal canisters is limited due to production costs. Since such thin seal cover plates have low thermal conductivity, they fail to exhaust heat generated upon driving the panel of the ELD. Further, the thin seal cover plate becomes a thermal conduction path through nitrogen N2 in a state filled with a nitrogen gas to accumulate said generated heat in the thin plate having a low thermal conductivity and to residue the heat in a state sealed fully by an adhesive. Such heat results in the deterioration of the EL device.

Electro-luminescence device with improved thermal conductivity


System and method are disclosed for providing authentication of a terminal device. One embodiment includes a method implemented by a first terminal device. The method may include receiving first location information and receiving a first predetermined signal. The method may also include transmitting status information and the first location information to a server upon receiving the first predetermined signal to allow the server to compare the first location information with second location information received from a second terminal device and to allow the server to transmit the status information to the second terminal device. The status information may indicate that the first terminal device is authenticated and the first location information may indicate a current location of the first terminal device.

A user may visit websites or use applications (e.g., software applications installed on a desktop/laptop computer or on a mobile device) as daily routines. Usually, if the user has an account with a website or an application, the user may log in to the website or application with the account and corresponding password. Based on the login information, the user may be authenticated by the website or application, and the user may then access data in accordance with appropriate access levels.
In some cases, the user may wish to login to the website or application on two or more terminal devices with the same account. For example, the user may wish to login to an account from a computer (e.g., desktop or laptop computer) after logging in to the same account on a website or an application on a mobile phone. On the other hand, the user may wish to log in to an account from a mobile phone after logging in to the same account on a computer.
Currently, after logging in to one terminal device (e.g., a desktop/laptop computer or a mobile device), the user still needs to re-enter the account and password information in order to be authenticated again when logging in to another terminal device. This operation is duplicative and time consuming, and fails to meet the growing demand for easy and convenient operations.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for interaction among terminal devices and servers


A sheet formed into a face panel and a mounting panel oriented perpendicularly thereto, with the mounting panel configured for mounting to a shelf. The face panel has a slot for receiving a product in suspension and a hole for receiving a fastener also inserted through the product to hold the product securely in place.

When shopping for some products, consumers like to be able to look at and feel the product before buying it. Such products include, for example, diapers, underwear, tee shirts, sox, and so forth, whose softness, texture, and/or durability matters when deciding which product to buy. But many times these products are packaged, for example, in plastic bags, paper boxes, etc., so that they cannot be touched or sometimes even seen. So buyers sometimes get their purchases home, unwrap them, and find out they wish they had bought the other brand. Or sometimes consumers will pick up a product of the shelf and open it to touch and feel it. But then the retailer has to return the product to the manufacturer because it has been opened, which is wasteful and results in higher prices for everyone.
Accordingly, it can be seen that there is a need for a display device for holding a product so that consumers can see, touch, and feel it before buying it. In addition, it would be advantageous for such a display device to permit the consumers to get more information about the product while they are inspecting the displayed product. It is to the provision of a display device meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.


A portable optical sensor for measuring surface strain in an object, such as pre-stressed concrete articles, is provided. The sensor is a modular device comprising at least first and second modules, each of which includes a laser and image sensor. When placed adjacent to the object, the laser of each module illuminates respective, spaced-apart areas of the object's surface and each module's image sensor captures at least a portion of the light reflected from the illuminated area and generates a speckle image of the area. Speckle images of the areas taken at various times and/or under various object stress conditions are compared to arrive at a surface strain measurement for the object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward a modular sensor configured to measure the surface strain of an object. The sensor generally comprises two spaced-apart modules, each module having a laser operable to illuminate an area on the surface of the object and an imaging sensor for capturing at least a portion of the light reflected by the respective area and generating speckle images of the area. Speckle images of substantially the same areas on the surface of the object taken at different times, and/or under different object stress conditions, can be compared and the surface strain determined.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The ability to measure surface strain of an object is important to several diverse engineering, architectural, and/or scientific fields. For example, in order to design and build civil infrastructures of extended lifetime without compromising the safety or increased cost, or to effectively qualify their performance in terms of safety, it is necessary to collect the information about the structure performance, either at time of construction or at the time of service. One of the factors that is used to evaluate the performance of structural object, such as a concrete object, is the stress or strain information of the member. For example, bridge health evaluation usually is performed through measurement of the in situ strain of the bridge in response to traffic flow.
One current technique used for measuring surface strain of an object, such as a concrete structure, is a mechanical strain gauge called the Whittemore gauge. Prior to measuring the strain with the gauge, small steel circular buttons with a precision pinhole at the center, called "points," are bonded on the concrete surface using epoxy. The Whittemore gauge then measures the distance between the pinholes of successive pairs of points. Prior to the surface deformation, a set of reference length measurement are made, representing the unstrained positions of the points. Then a second measurement is taken after the surface deformation. Using the gauge length of the Whittemore gauge, e.g., 203.2 mm (8 inches), and the difference between the second measurement and the reference length, the concrete surface strain can be measured. While the Whittemore gauge, can provide a surface strain measurement of an object it has a relatively low resolution of 0.0025 mm (0.0001 inches). When a reasonable strain profile is required, tens of points must be bonded onto the concrete surface, which is very time consuming and labor-intensive. Furthermore, the measurement results are heavily influenced by the users' habits and skills.
Therefore, there is a need for sensors that can accurately and efficiently measure surface strain of an object, offer flexibility for use in various environments and for various types of measurements, and that can be used by technicians having minimal levels of experience with sophisticated sensor technology.

Portable high-resolution non-contact modular sensor for surface strain measurement

Kansas State University Research Foundation


A closure assembly for the dispensing of fluids from plastic containers such as pails. The closure assembly is adapted for automated insert molding attachment to container lids. The closure assembly is pre-assembled from a threaded plastic closure cap and closure body prior to insert molding. The plastic closure body has a nestable and extendable conical body web leading inward to a body neck closed by a tamper evident diaphragm seal. The conical body web leads outward to an improved radial body clamp flange and novel cylindrical body skirt. Cap bails lie radially inside and brace the body clamp flange from distortion. Once inserted and clamped into the container lid mold, only the body skirt is exposed for attachment to the container lid. Molten plastic is introduced into the mold void to form the container lid. This patent discloses optional body skirt recesses. During molding the introduced polymer envelopes the body skirt and enters the skirt top recess and skirt bottom recess mechanically locking the skirt to the lid. The plastic bond and/or mechanical lock between the body skirt and the plastic container lid combined with the diaphragm seal in the body neck resist leaks and provide tamper evident means.

This invention relates to fluid dispensing closures fabricated of plastic materials. The closures are designed for insert molding into plastic containers such as pails. The benefits offered by insert molding include tamper evident attachment, superior leak resistance and lower manufacturing costs.
Tamper evident closures can help prevent theft, dilution, exchange or contamination of valuable container contents. Closures attached with a permanent insert molded bond between closure and container lid are tamper evident as the bond once broken cannot easily be repaired. Closures commonly attached by the use of metal crimp rings or by plastic snap fit are not considered tamper evident. These closures may be removed and replaced with new closures without evidence of tampering. Closures attached by ultrasonic welding meet the tamper evident criteria, but ultrasonic welding is a slow and more technically difficult process.
For container leak resistance and mechanical drop strength, the insert molded closure must be securely attached to the lid polymer. Where the container lid polymer is not fully compatible with the closure polymer (such as polypropylene with polyethylene) this invention discloses the use of top and bottom circumferential recesses on the body skirt. During molding the lid polymer enters the skirt recesses and mechanically locks the closure to the lid.
Another objective of this new design is to lower container manufacturing costs. A cap bail smaller in diameter than the body clamp flange permits the lower cost pre-assembly of the closure cap to the closure body. The outer annular closure body skirt helps separate parts for orientation, feeding and insertion by automated parts handling equipment. While these closures may be placed in the mold manually, the improved closure design facilitates automated insert molding.

Closures for plastic containers adapted for automated insert molding


A storage apparatus includes carriages that are arranged in a matrix and store and transport objects, and a carriage shifting mechanism that is fixed to the storage apparatus and shifts the carriages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage apparatus, a carriage shifting method and a program thereof, and particularly to a storage apparatus, a carriage shifting method and a program thereof with an improved object storing capacity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-096641 discloses one example of a storage apparatus (e.g., library device) including carriages being arranged in a matrix and for storing and transporting objects (e.g., media). An automatic changer of disc-like recording media disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-096641 includes a plurality of subunits for storing numerous disc-like recording media. The subunits shift back and forth between their setting positions and a recording media eject position.

Storage apparatus, carriage shifting method and program thereof


The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for the prevention or treatment of ocular neovascularization, such as AMD, in a human subject, by administering subretinally a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically effective amount of a vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding soluble Fms-related tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) protein to the human subject.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of vision irreversible damage in people over the age of 50 years. AMD is clinically divided into two types as "dry" and "wet". The wet form of AMD may develop rapidly and often results in blindness. The pathological changes of the disease may cause severe visual impairment. The manifestations of AMD may include, but is not limited to retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) dysfunction and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the macular area. Fluid leakage, RPE or neural epithelial detachment and bleeding from ruptured blood vessels can occur in severe cases. It has been found that many cellular factors play important roles in regulation in CNV generation, among which may include but are not limited to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor (VEGFR), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), angiopoietin (Ang) and other cytokines, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and others.
One currently approved treatment for wet AMD is Lucentis®. Lucentis® is an anti-angiogenesis agent and targets all isoforms of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). Clinical studies have shown improved or stable vision in approximately 95% of patients administered Lucentis®, compared to approximately 60% of the patients who received sham treatment. Although Lucentis® is the first approved agent to improve vision it requires intravitreal administrations every 4 weeks for optimal visual benefit. Eylea® is another VEGF inhibitor that has been approved to treat wet AMD. Eylea® also requires frequent intravitreal injections every 4-8 weeks for optimal visual benefit. Intravitreal routes of administration may increase risks for serious complications such as infectious endophthalmitis and retinal detachment, for which cumulative risk increases with repeated administrations. Increased intraocular pressure, traumatic cataract, and retinal tears have also been reported. Finally, with a treatment that is delivered by an ophthalmologist, treatment frequency determines the burden to the patient, physician, and health system in general and to the extent possible should be reduced. The limitations of currently available therapy for CNV secondary to AMD have created a need in the art for alternative approaches which address the high frequency of treatments required and the invasiveness of the treatment procedure. Neovascularization involving VEGF elevation can also lead to other ocular pathologies, such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema (DME), and retinal vein occlusions (RVO). These diseases lead to retinal neovascularization and vision loss. VEGF inhibitors such as Lucentis® have demonstrated efficacy in DME and RVO, and, like with wet AMD, require frequent intravitreal administration in order to maintain benefit.

Treatment of ocular neovascularization using anti-VEGF proteins


A stacked-type detection apparatus including a plurality of pixels arranged at small intervals is configured to have low capacitance associated with signal lines and/or driving lines. With this novel configuration, small time constant and high-speed driving capability can be achieved in the signal lines and/or driving lines. The plurality of pixels in the detection apparatus are arranged in a row direction and a column direction on an insulating substrate. Each pixel includes a conversion element and a switch element, the conversion element is disposed above the switch element. A driving line disposed below the conversion elements is connected to switch elements arranged in the row direction, and a signal line is connected to switch elements arranged in the column direction. The signal line includes a conductive layer embedded in an insulating member, the insulating member is disposed in a layer lower than an uppermost surface portion of the driving line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detection apparatus applicable to a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, a non-destructive testing apparatus, an analysis apparatus using radiation, or the like, and also relates to a radiation detection apparatus and a radiation detection system equipped with a radiation detection apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, advances in semiconductor technology have enabled the mass production of large-sized radiation sensors. The semiconductor building blocks of a modern radiation sensor (radiation detection apparatus) include a conversion element such as a photoelectric conversion element and a switch element such as a thin film transistor (TFT). To form a radiation detection apparatus such as a medical X-ray detection apparatus, these semiconductor building blocks may be combined with a fluorescent member (scintillator) and arranged in one- or two-dimensional arrays of pixels that perform wavelength conversion, i.e., convert radiation such as an X-ray into visible light or the like.
In general, the pixel structure used in the radiation detection apparatus can be classified into two types, i.e., a single-plane type in which a conversion element and a switch element are disposed in the same plane and a stacked type in which a conversion element is disposed above a switch element. In the production of the single-plane type, the conversion element and the switch element can be produced using the same semiconductor production process, which allows simplification of the production process. In the case of the stacked-type detection apparatus, the provision of the conversion element above the switch element makes it possible to increase the size of the conversion element in each pixel compared with the single-plane type. Therefore, the stacked-type detection apparatus is capable of providing a larger signal, a higher signal-to-noise ratio, and a higher sensitivity than can be provided by the single-plane type detection apparatus.
In radiation detection apparatuses, in particular in medical X-ray detection apparatuses, there is a need for a reduction in the amount of radiation a patient is exposed to. To meet this requirement, it is important to achieve a sensor having higher sensitivity and high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. In a sensor, noise is generated by many sources. Devices/elements that can be noise sources include conversion elements, switch elements, signal lines, integrating amplifiers, and peripheral circuits. Hereinafter, noise generated by a signal line will be referred to as signal line noise. When a signal line has parasitic capacitance C, the signal line noise is given by a following equation.signal line noise=√kTcHereinafter, noise generated by an integrating amplifier will be referred to as amplifier noise. In a case where an integrating amplifier with feedback capacitance Cf is used as a charge reading amplifier, the amplifier noise is given by the following equation.amplifier noise=C/Cf×noise at amplifier inputTherefore, a reduction in parasitic capacitance C of the signal line is effective to reduce noise of the detection apparatus. That is, to achieve high sensitivity, it is effective to reduce noise by reducing the parasitic capacitance of the signal line.
In the detection apparatus, there is also a need for an increase in driving speed. When a driving line via which a driving pulse is supplied to control turning-on/off of a switch element has capacitance Cg and resistance Rg, the time constant τ of this driving line is given by the following equation.τ=Cg×Rg Thus, if the capacitance and/or the resistance of the driving line increases, the time constant τ of the driving line increases, which can cause a driving pulse transmitted via the driving line to become dull or distorted. Therefore, if the turn-on period of the switch element is reduced, the dullness can make it difficult for the switch element to be in an on-state for a designed necessary period. That is, the dullness makes it difficult to reduce the turn-on period, which makes it difficult to increase the driving speed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-76360 discloses a technique to realize a single-plane type radiation detection apparatus with signal/driving lines (hereinafter, referred to simply as lines) having reduced resistance. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0045556 proposes a technique to reduce resistance of a line in a stacked type radiation detection apparatus.
In conventional radiation detection apparatuses, therefore, there is a need for a reduction in pixel pitch, an increase in the number of pixels, an increase in sensitivity, and an increase in driving speed regardless of whether the pixel structure in these radiation detection apparatuses is of the single-plane type or the stacked-type. In particular, since medical X-ray detection apparatuses include various types of detection apparatuses such as an X-ray mammography apparatus, an X-ray transmission detecting apparatus capable of taking a moving image, etc., a reduction in pixel pitch and an increase in the number of pixels specific to each of these various types of medical X-ray apparatuses are highly desirable.

Detection apparatus and radiation detection system


The invention is to provide a structure of IC pad and its forming method. The structure is arranged in an insulation layer and is comprised of a lower electric-conduction layer, a compound layer structure and a pad layer. The lower electric-conduction layer is arranged at an appropriate position in the insulation layer and is connected to an electric potential. The compound layer structure is arranged on the insulation layer and is composed of at least one electric-conduction layer and at least one electric-conduction connecting layer, both are inter-overlapped to each other. The pad layer is arranged on the compound layer structure.

Recently, since the requirement of transceiver of low power and low cost is steadily on the increase, so the technology of mainstream IC competitively concentrates on how to realize further more functions of radio frequency on one single chip. Except making integrated circuit be able to arrange on the package substrate, the external circuit connected by the external legs of package substrate must be electrically connected to the integrated circuit. So, when packaging the integrated circuit, the technology of pad has become an important factor that influences the yield and quality of a product. This pad adapted for providing electric connection between the integrated circuit and the external circuit is usually arranged in the metal zone around the IC die. When the pad is formed, the metal connecting wire must contact with the pad accurately and connect to the external legs of the IC packaging substrate. Because of the limitation of the prior arts and the characteristics of metal connecting wire and pad, the area of pad is sometimes too large to occupy too much area of chip. Furthermore, during high frequency, the performance of the integrated circuit is influenced because the equivalent electric capacitance is too large.
Additionally, because of the market growth of communication IC recently, the operational frequency of integrated circuit is also growing in indexing type. The low noise and low loss of high frequency signal are always the pursuing goals for communication IC.
In 1987, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,832 "Semiconductor device with an improved bonding section" proposed a design method of the pad of integrated circuit. Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a cross-sectional diagram of the IC device disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,832. The characteristic of this prior art is that the semiconductor element 10 is arranged below the pad 15. Although it may reduce the area of layout, this kind of pad can not be adapted to high frequency circuit with low noise because the noise coming from the semiconductor substrate 20 will directly influence the signal of high frequency when it passes through the pad.
To overcome the tensile and tension of bonding, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,903 "Composite pads for semiconductor devices" proposed a kind of pad. Please refer to FIG. 2, which is the cross-sectional diagram of the IC device disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,903. Wherein, the pad 30 has at least two layers of electric-conduction layer 30a and 30c and a connection layer 30b. But, this kind of pad is not adapted for the signals of high frequency and low noise because the noise of semiconductor substrate 35 will directly influence the quality of signal.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,337 "Semiconductor device structure including multiple interconnection layers with interlayer insulating films" proposed a different designing method for pad. Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional diagram for the IC device disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,337, which arranges the connection layer 40a in the pad 40 around the bonding zone 45. When the integrated circuit is manufactured, a bonding zone of arc shape will be formed on the pad 40 to thereby enhance the bonding adherence. However, the technology of current integrated circuit has stepped into the levels of sub micrometer or deep sub micrometer, and CMP (Chemical-Mechanical Polish) is already a standard procedure for current semiconductor process. So, this kind of prior art no longer generates original effectiveness in current semiconductor process, besides this technique has the same drawback as that of previous techniques; i.e., it can not separate the noise coming from the semiconductor substrate 50.
From above discussion, we know that the prior arts described there are unable to propose an effective solution that aims for the high frequency, low noise and bonding adherence. Therefore, the emphasis of the invention is to provide a pad structure adapted for a integrated circuit of high frequency and low noise to lower down the equivalent electric capacitance and enhance the bonding adherence, such that it can prevent the entire pad from being drawn out of the semiconductor chip by the tension generated in the bonding procedure.

Integrated circuit device having pads structure formed thereon and method for forming the same


Provided is a system and method that can control a merge of an autonomous vehicle when other vehicles are present on the road. In one example, the method may include iteratively estimating a series of values associated with one or more vehicles in an adjacent lane with respect to an ego vehicle, identifying a trend associated with the one or more vehicles from the iteratively estimated series of values, determining merge intentions of the one or more vehicles with respect to the ego vehicle based on the identified trend over time, verifying the merge intentions against a simulated change in the trend, selecting a merge position of the ego vehicle with respect to the one or more vehicles within the lane based on the verified merge intentions, and executing an instruction to cause the ego vehicle to perform a merge operation based on the selected merge position.

When an autonomous vehicle (i.e., self-driving vehicle) performs a merge operation, the process often involves interactions between vehicles such as slowing down to let someone enter the lane/road, or the like, but such interactions are hard to plan for with simple rules. For example, when simple rules are hardcoded in advance and used for a merge operation, an autonomous vehicle could perform an excessive amount of braking. In particular, the autonomous vehicle may err on the side of caution and slow down more than what is necessary to perform the merge operation. This is because the rules don't provide for analyzing the "intent" of other vehicles, e.g. instances where another vehicle may be slowing to permit a merge. Therefore a drawback from relying on simple rules is that other vehicles on the road are also unnecessarily slowed by this operation creating potential safety issues and other undesirable behavior. On the other hand, there are also instances where the autonomous vehicle does not slow down enough. This can occur when a car approaching from behind speeds up very quickly. In this case as well, an accident may occur or other vehicles on the road may be otherwise interfered with.

Merge handling based on merge intentions over time


A disk device includes a disk medium, a magnetic recording head, a processor configured to control the magnetic recording head to write data to and read data from a plurality of tracks of the disk medium on a sector-by-sector basis, and a check value generation circuit configured to generate, for each of the plurality of tracks, check value data based on data stored in one or more sectors of the track. The processor controls the magnetic recording head to write check value data for a first track of the plurality of tracks in a first sector on the disk medium and check value data for a second track of the plurality of tracks in a second sector on the disk medium that is adjacent to the first sector.

In a magnetic disk device, when additional data are written to the device and an error in reading information related to data management in the device occurs, due to the error, the amount of data corrupted is increased. An error detection and correction technique is devised and applied as a countermeasure against the error. Particularly, one means for error recovery is a device configured to add check value data, e.g., XOR data based on XOR (exclusive logical sum) calculated parity data.
In the related art, in the error recovering method which uses XOR data, all sectors allocated along a certain track are set as one user block and the XOR data is registered in the last check value sector (XOR sector). Accordingly, each time one or more sectors on a track are rewritten, the XOR sector for that track is also rewritten. Generally, during read and write processing of consecutive blocks, a phase of a sector position is shifted on each track circumferentially relative to adjacent tracks so as to optimize timing when reading multiple contiguous blocks of data. Therefore, since sector numbers are not radially aligned with each other, the rewriting of the XOR sectors has a strong effect, via adjacent track interference (ATI), on adjacent sectors in the radial direction. This causes an increase in the number of times data recovery processing (e.g., refresh processing) needs to be performed on the track that includes the adjacent sectors.

TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION


In order to preventing thiol-coated metal particles from being liberated from a self-aligning membrane on a substrate during coating the metal particles deposited on the self-aligning membrane with thiol molecules, this invention provides a process for forming a metal particle ordered structure wherein a voltage is applied on the substrate for preventing the metal particles from being liberated from the self-aligning membrane during coating the metal particles deposited on the self-aligning membrane on the substrate with thiol molecules.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for treating metal particles deposited on a substrate with an organic solvent. In particular, it relates to a process for forming a two-dimensional ordered structure of metal particles deposited on a self-aligning membrane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A single-electron device controls electrons to a single electron level utilizing a xe2x80x9ccoulomb blockadexe2x80x9d phenomenon where coulomb energy inhibits tunneling of electrons. A single-electron device has the following excellent properties.
(a) A temperature at which the device can operate increases as its size is reduced.
(b) A conductor or semiconductor material can be used.
(c) Since it can control a single electron, a power consumption is also reduced to one several ten thousandth compared to that for a conventional device.
In order to operate such a single-electron device at a room temperature, its capacitance must be a level of 10xe2x88x9218 F., which indicates a device size of several nanometers. There have been various attempts to construct an ordered structure with such a size, but no satisfactory processes have not been discovered.
The following two types of processes have been mainly studied for constructing an ordered structure in a nanometer level.
(i) Processes employing conventional lithography; and
(ii) Processes forming a fine structure in a self-aligning manner.
The lithography technique described in (i) has been developed to a level that a pattern with a size of about {fraction (1/10)}xcexcm can be processed. It, however, is not adequate for processing with good reproductivity in a several nm level. Drawing with a convergent electron beam has been mainly investigated. However, drawing with an electron beam, in which each pattern must be drawn with an electron beam, has drawbacks, e.g., that a throughput may be reduced and that an ordered structure formed may be damaged during electron-beam drawing.
Much attention has been paid to the process in (ii) above forming an ordered structure in a self-aligning manner, which depends on advance in study for metal particles with a size range of several nm to several ten nm and their agglomerates (clusters) in the fields of organic chemistry and catalyst chemistry.
An ordered structure used for a single-electron device may be made of a conductor in a nanometer level. Thus, this process applies metal particle agglomerates with a size of several nm to a single-electron device. A particularly noticeable process is that metal particles are coated with thiol molecules to form metal thiol particles.
Metal particles with a size of several nm are highly reactive because of a larger ratio of a surface area to a volume so that they may agglomerate when being left as they are. Metal particle surfaces are, therefore, coated with thiol molecules to prevent the metal particle from agglomerating.
Metal particles may be deposited on a substrate by first dropping a solution of metal thiol particles and then drying it. This process, however, has a drawback that the number of metal particles constituting an agglomerate (cluster) and pattern forming of an agglomerate (cluster) cannot be controlled.
A further advanced process is, for example, that metal particles are deposited on an SAM made of organic molecules; and the metal particles are treated with thiol and then dispersed on the SAM to form an ordered structure as described in T. Sato, D. Brown, F. G. Johnson, Chem. Commun., 1007 (1997).
The process will be described with reference to FIG. 3, in which a metal employed is gold.
On a silicon oxide film is formed an SAM using APTS (3-(2-amino-ethylamino)propyltrimethoxysilane). The substrate is immersed in a solution containing gold particle colloid (gold colloid solution) separately prepared to deposit the gold colloid on the SAM. Then, a loose electrostatic bond is formed between the amino group in APTS and the surface of the gold colloid so that the gold colloid is fixed on the SAM (FIG. 3(c)).
The term xe2x80x9cgold colloidxe2x80x9d as used herein refers to each gold colloid particle.
Gold colloids have a positive charge and thus repulse each other, so that they exist apart from each other by a distance depending on a charge on the colloids, without forming an agglomerate (cluster). At this stage, gold colloids cannot be bound each other to form an agglomerate (cluster). Furthermore, the maximum number for gold colloid per a unit area of a substrate on which they are loaded is limited (FIG. 3(a)).
After the treatment, the SAM on which gold colloids are loaded is immersed, together with the substrate, in a thiol solution to coat the metal particle surface with the thiol molecules.
A sulfur atom in a thiol molecule is very apt to be bound to gold. Specifically, a thiol molecule cleaves a loose electrostatic bond between a gold colloid and the amino group in the SAM to form a covalent bond with gold. Thus, gold particles are coated with thiol molecules to provide gold thiol particles (FIG. 3(d)).
Once coated with thiol molecules, gold thiol particles can be dispersed on the SAM surface. Thus, the gold thiol particles are dispersed while being bound each other via van der Waals force to form a two-dimensional ordered structure when being in contact with each other (FIG. 3(b)).
According to this conventional process, silver or platinum can be used as a metal to provide a two-dimensional ordered structure on an SAM.
As described above, this process is adequately sophisticated to provide a metal particle ordered structure with a size of several nm with good reproductivity.
A cycle of metal particle adhesion and thiol treatment may repeated to increase the number of metal particles on the SAM surface for providing a two-dimensional ordered structure with an extent comparable to the substrate area.
The process of the prior art has a drawback that metal particles loaded on the SAM are detached from the SAM during thiol treatment. Although it depends on some factors such as treatment conditions and the size of the metal particles, all metal particles loaded may be sometimes detached. It is because a xe2x80x9cbond between a thiol molecule and a metal particlexe2x80x9d is formed during thiol treatment so that an electrostatic bond between a metal colloid and an amino group in the SAM is cleaved. Then, metal particles which have been bound to the SAM surface are liberated so that they can be dispersed on the SAM. At the same time, an electrostatic bond is, however, lost so that a force binding metal thiol particles on the SAM becomes weaker and the metal thiol particles begin to be liberated in the solution.
Using gold as a metal, liberation of gold thiol particles from an SAM was significant when the size of the metal particles was less than 10 nm. Furthermore, when the size of the metal particles was 1 nm or less, metal particles little remain on a substrate. It was, therefore, very difficult to form an ordered structure.
FIGS. 3(a) and (b) schematically show such states. It is assumed that 107 metal particles exist on an SAM before thiol treatment. After thiol treatment, an ordered structure in which the metal thiol particles agglomerate is formed on the SAM while about a half of the metal thiol particles are detached from the SAM, so that only 63 particles remain.
In view of these problems, an objective of this invention is to prevent metal thiol particles from being detached from an SAM during coating metal particles deposited on the SAM with thiol molecules.
Another objective of this invention is to effectively form a metal particle ordered structure on an SAM without losing metal particles. A further objective of this invention is to provide a process for forming a metal particle ordered structure in which the size of the ordered structure of metal particles is adjustable.
This invention proposes a process for forming a metal particle ordered structure on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
(1) immersing a metal oxide film substrate in a solution containing at least APTS (3-(2-amino-ethylamino)propyltrimethoxysilane) to form a self-aligning membrane (SAM) of APTS on the substrate surface;
(2) immersing the substrate with the SAM in a solution containing metal particle colloid with a particle size (D) of 0.8xe2x89xa6Dxe2x89xa610 nm to load metal colloids on the SAM surface;
(3) immersing the substrate on whose SAM surface metal colloids are loaded, in a solution containing at least a material having a thiol group to thiolate the metal particles for providing metal thiol particles; and
(4) applying a given voltage between the substrate where metal colloids are loaded on the SAM surface as the first electrode and the second electrode in the solution while conducting the above step (3).
According to this invention, when treated metal colloids pre-loaded on an SAM with a thiol, a voltage can be applied between a substrate and a thiol solution to prevent metal thiol particles from being liberated from the SAM by the action of electrostatic attraction between the metal thiol particles and the substrate.
According to the prior art, as the size of metal particles decreases, after the thiol treatment the amount of the particles liberated from the SAM increases. It has been, therefore, very difficult to keep metal particles with a small size on the SAM. When using, for example, gold as a metal, gold particles with a size of 1 nm or less cannot be practically kept on an SAM.
According to this invention, however, even gold particles with a size of 1 nm or less it becomes possible to be easily kept gold thiol particles on an SAM.
In this invention, metal particles liberated from an SAM are less than the prior art. This invention can, therefore, eliminate loss of metal particles to effectively form a metal particle ordered structure.
A voltage applied between the substrate and the thiol solution may be varied to adjust an effective moving length of the metal thiol particles on an SAM and thus to easily control the size of the metal particle two-dimensional ordered structure. The term xe2x80x9ceffective moving lengthxe2x80x9d of metal thiol particles as used herein means a moving distance per a unit time of the metal thiol particles on an SAM, indicating diffusibility of the metal thiol particles on the SAM. A longer effective moving length indicates that metal thiol particles can be more easily diffused on an SAM.
Specifically, a lower applied voltage during thiol treatment allows individual metal thiol particles to more easily move on an SAM, i.e., a longer effective moving length. A probability of collision between metal thiol particles is, therefore, increased. In this case, a large two-dimensional ordered structure may be easily formed even with a small number of particles.
On the other hand, a higher applied voltage restricts movement of individual metal thiol particles on an SAM, i.e., a shorter effective moving length. A probability of collision between metal particles on the substrate is, therefore, reduced so that a small two-dimensional ordered structure may be formed even with a large number of particles.
An effective moving length depends on the size of metal particles. If the other conditions are identical, a larger particle size gives a smaller effective moving length of metal thiol particles.
As described above, this invention allows the size of a two-dimensional ordered structure and its surface density to be controlled via the size of metal particles and an applied voltage.

Method for forming ordered structure of fine metal particles

Japan Science and Technology Corporation