In sophisticated semiconductor devices, different threshold voltage levels for transistors may be set in an early manufacturing stage, i.e., prior to patterning the gate electrode structures, by using multiple diffusion processes and/or gate dielectric materials. In this manner, substantially the same gate layer stacks, i.e., the same electrode materials and the same dielectric cap materials, may be used, thereby providing superior patterning uniformity when applying sophisticated etch strategies.

1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present disclosure relates to the fabrication of highly sophisticated integrated circuits including advanced transistor elements that comprise gate electrode structures including a high-k gate dielectric.
2. Description of the Related Art
Advanced integrated circuits, such as CPUs, storage devices, ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) and the like, include a large number of circuit elements on a given chip area according to a specified circuit layout. In a wide variety of integrated circuits, field effect transistors represent one important type of circuit element that substantially determines performance of the integrated circuits. Generally, a plurality of process technologies are practiced for forming field effect transistors, wherein, for many types of complex circuitry, MOS technology is one of the most promising approaches due to the superior characteristics in view of operating speed and/or power consumption and/or cost efficiency. During the fabrication of complex integrated circuits using, for instance, MOS technology, millions of transistors, e.g., N-channel transistors and/or P-channel transistors, are formed on a substrate including a crystalline semiconductor layer. A field effect transistor, irrespective of whether an N-channel transistor or a P-channel transistor is considered, typically comprises so-called PN junctions that are formed by an interface of highly doped regions, referred to as drain and source regions, with a slightly doped or non-doped region, such as a channel region, disposed adjacent to the highly doped regions. In a field effect transistor, the conductivity of the channel region, i.e., the drive current capability of the conductive channel, is controlled by a gate electrode formed adjacent to the channel region and separated therefrom by a thin insulating layer. The conductivity of the channel region, upon formation of a conductive channel due to the application of an appropriate control voltage to the gate electrode, depends on the dopant concentration, the mobility of the charge carriers and, for a given extension of the channel region in the transistor width direction, on the distance between the source and drain regions, which is also referred to as channel length. Hence, the scaling of the channel length, and associated therewith the reduction of channel resistivity, which in turn causes an increase of gate resistivity due to the reduced dimensions, has been a dominant design criterion for accomplishing an increase in the operating speed of the integrated circuits.
Presently, the vast majority of integrated circuits are based on silicon due to its substantially unlimited availability, the well-understood characteristics of silicon and related materials and processes and the experience gathered during the last 50 years. Therefore, silicon will likely remain the material of choice for future circuit generations designed for mass products. One reason for the dominant role of silicon in fabricating semiconductor devices has been the superior characteristics of a silicon/silicon dioxide interface that allows reliable electrical insulation of different regions from each other. The silicon/silicon dioxide interface is stable at high temperatures and, thus, allows the performance of subsequent high temperature processes, as are required, for example, during anneal cycles to activate dopants and to cure crystal damage without sacrificing the electrical characteristics of the interface.
For the reasons pointed out above, in field effect transistors, silicon dioxide has been preferably used as a base material of a gate insulation layer that separates the gate electrode, frequently comprised of polysilicon or other materials, from the silicon channel region. In steadily improving device performance of field effect transistors, the length of the channel region has been continuously decreased to improve switching speed and drive current capability. Since the transistor performance is controlled by the voltage supplied to the gate electrode to invert the surface of the channel region to a sufficiently high charge density for providing the desired drive current for a given supply voltage, a certain degree of capacitive coupling, provided by the capacitor formed by the gate electrode, the channel region and the silicon dioxide disposed therebetween, has to be maintained. Aggressively scaled transistor devices with a relatively low supply voltage and thus reduced threshold voltage may suffer from an exponential increase of the leakage current while also requiring enhanced capacitive coupling of the gate electrode to the channel region. Thus, the thickness of the silicon dioxide layer has to be correspondingly decreased to provide the required capacitance between the gate and the channel region. For example, a channel length of approximately 80 nm may require a gate dielectric made of silicon dioxide as thin as approximately 1.2 nm. Although usage of high speed transistor elements having an extremely thin gate dielectric may be restricted to high speed signal paths, whereas transistor elements with a thicker gate dielectric may be used for less critical circuit portions, such as storage transistor elements and the like, the relatively high leakage current caused by direct tunneling of charge carriers through an ultra-thin silicon dioxide gate insulation layer may reach values for an oxide thickness in the range of 1-2 nm that may not be compatible with requirements for many types of circuits, even if only transistors in speed critical paths are formed on the basis of an extremely thin gate oxide.
Therefore, replacing silicon dioxide as the material for gate insulation layers has been considered, particularly for extremely thin silicon dioxide gate layers. Possible alternative materials include materials that exhibit a significantly higher permittivity so that a physically greater thickness of a correspondingly formed gate insulation layer provides a capacitive coupling that would be obtained by an extremely thin silicon dioxide layer. It has thus been suggested to replace silicon dioxide with high permittivity materials such as tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), with a k of approximately 25, strontium titanium oxide (SrTiO3), having a k of approximately 150, hafnium oxide (HfO2), HfSiO, zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and the like.
As is well known, the work function of the gate dielectric material may significantly affect the finally obtained threshold voltage of field effect transistors, in particular when the doping in the channel region is reduced, which is presently accomplished by appropriately doping the polysilicon material, which may be used in combination with a silicon oxide-based material in conventional gate electrode structures. Upon introducing a high-k dielectric material, the adjustment of an appropriate work function may require the incorporation of appropriate metal species into the gate dielectric material, for instance in the form of lanthanum, aluminum and the like, in order to obtain appropriate work functions and thus threshold voltages for P-channel transistors and N-channel transistors. Moreover, the sensitive high-k dielectric material may have to be protected during the processing, while also a contact with well-established materials, such as silicon and the like, may be considered disadvantageous since the Fermi level may be significantly affected upon contacting a high-k dielectric material, such as hafnium oxide, with a polysilicon material. Consequently, a metal-containing cap material may typically be provided on the high-k dielectric material when provided in an early manufacturing stage. Additionally, the metal-containing material may provide superior conductivity and may also avoid any depletion zone, which may be observed in polysilicon gate electrode structures. Consequently, a plurality of additional process steps and material systems are introduced in well-established CMOS process techniques in order to form gate electrode structures including a high-k dielectric material in combination with a metal-containing electrode material. In other strategies, replacement gate approaches may be applied in which essentially gate electrode structures may be provided as placeholder material systems, wherein, after finishing the basic transistor configurations, the gate electrode structures may be replaced by at least an appropriate metal-containing electrode material, possibly in combination with a high-k dielectric material, thereby requiring complex process sequences for removing the initial gate material, such as polysilicon, and forming appropriate metal species, wherein appropriate work function values also have to be adjusted by incorporating corresponding work function adjusting species, as discussed above.
In addition to enhancing performance of gate electrode structures by incorporating a high-k dielectric material in sophisticated semiconductor devices, frequently, transistor elements of different characteristics, for instance of different leakage behavior, different threshold voltage, and the like, have to be provided, thereby requiring a gate dielectric material of different material composition and/or of different thickness and/or different work function values.
In sophisticated technologies based on high-k metal gate electrode structures, the per se extremely complex patterning process for forming gate electrode structures of the desired reduced gate length may become additionally more complex in so-called "gate first" approaches in which the different transistor characteristics, such as different threshold voltages, have to be adjusted in an early manufacturing stage. That is, in some approaches, the gate layer stacks of transistors of different conductivity type may comprise very different material layers and barrier layers, which may thus contribute to an increased degree of complexity during the patterning process, which in turn may result in patterning-related irregularities. Upon introducing further differences in the gate layer stack, for instance by requiring different threshold voltage levels for otherwise similar transistors, the complexity of the patterning process may be even further increased, thereby making these approaches less than desirable in volume production environments.
In other approaches, very similar gate layer stacks for P-channel transistors and N-channel transistors may be provided, while nevertheless enabling the adjustment of appropriate work function values with respect to the semiconductor material of these transistor elements. Although these approaches may allow the patterning of gate electrode structures of P-channel transistors and N-channel transistors with superior integrity compared to other approaches using very different gate layer stacks, the adjustment of different threshold voltages for a plurality of semiconductor devices, such as transistors of the same conductivity type with different transistor behavior, may still be difficult, as will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1a-1c.
FIG. 1a schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device 100 which comprises a substrate 101 and a semiconductor layer 102 formed above the substrate 101. The semiconductor layer 102 is typically provided in the form of a silicon material, as explained above. Furthermore, a first semiconductor region or active region 102A and a second semiconductor region or active region 102B are provided in the semiconductor layer 102. The active regions 102A, 102B are to be understood as semiconductor regions in and above which transistor elements are to be formed on the basis of gate electrode structures including a high-k dielectric material. In the example shown, it may be assumed that an N-channel transistor is to be formed in and above the active region 102A, while a P-channel transistor is to be formed in and above the active region 102B. Furthermore, in the manufacturing stage shown, a layer stack 110 is formed above the active regions 102A, 102B and comprises a gate dielectric material including a first dielectric material 111, such as a silicon dioxide material, a silicon oxynitride material and the like, in combination with a high-k dielectric material 112, such as a hafnium oxide-based material and the like. Furthermore, the layer stack 110 comprises a diffusion layer 113A which may represent any appropriate material layer including a metal species for adjusting the work function of a gate electrode structure to be formed on the active region 102A. For instance, the layer 113A may comprise lanthanum which, when diffused into the underlying material, may result in a desired work function in combination with an electrode material still to be formed. On the other hand, the layer stack 110 may comprise a diffusion layer 113B formed above the active region 102B and comprising an appropriate metal species, such as aluminum, which may result in a desired work function in combination with the electrode metal still to be formed. Furthermore, in the example shown, a further cap layer 114, such as a titanium nitride material, may be provided so as to confine the materials 113A, 113B.
The semiconductor device 100 as illustrated in FIG. 1a may be formed on the basis of any well-established process techniques including processes for forming an isolation structure (not shown) in order to define the lateral size and position of the active regions 102A, 102B within the semiconductor layer 102. Prior to or after forming the isolation structures, an appropriate well dopant species may be incorporated, thereby defining the basic conductivity of the transistor elements still to be formed in and above the active regions 102A, 102B. It should be appreciated that other dopant species may also be incorporated in order to control the resulting threshold voltage, wherein, however, in advanced semiconductor devices, typically, the dopant concentration in the channel regions of these devices may have to be reduced in order to reduce leakage currents and reduce charge carrier scattering. Consequently, upon providing a reduced channel doping, the resulting threshold voltage may be substantially determined on the basis of the electronic characteristics of the semiconductor material and the work function of the gate electrode material in combination with the intermediate gate dielectric materials 111 and 112. Next, the gate dielectric material 111 may be formed, for instance, by deposition, oxidation and the like, depending on the overall process strategy. Thereafter, the high-k dielectric material 112 is deposited, for instance, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and the like. For example, the thickness of the material layer 111 may be one nanometer and less, while the layer 112 having the increased dielectric constant may have a thickness of one nanometer to several nanometers, depending on the desired level of leakage currents and the like. Thereafter, the layers 113A, 113B may be formed, for instance, by depositing the layer 113A and removing the material from above the active region 102B. Thereafter, the layer 113B may be deposited and may be removed from above the active region 102A on the basis of appropriate etch masks and etch recipes. Finally, the titanium nitride material 114 may be deposited on the basis of sputter deposition and the like. It should be appreciated that other process strategies may be applied, for instance by forming an additional barrier material, for instance after removing one of the layers 113A, 113B from above one of the active regions 102A, 102B and depositing the other one of the layers 113A, 113B without requiring the removal of an unwanted portion of this material layer. Thereafter, a heat treatment 103, for instance applying temperatures several hundred degrees Celsius to nine hundred degrees Celsius may be applied in order to initiate a diffusion of the metal species in the layers 113A, 113B into the high-k dielectric material 112, thereby also positioning the metal species at an interface formed by the layers 111 and 112. As will be discussed later on with reference to FIG. 1c, it is assumed that the incorporated metal species may build up dipole charges, which in turn may result in a corresponding adaptation of the work function after forming a gate electrode material.
After the anneal process 103, the layers 114 and 113A, 113B may be removed, for instance, by wet chemical etch recipes, wherein the high-k dielectric material 112 may act as an efficient etch stop material. Next, a metal-containing electrode material, such as titanium nitride or any other appropriate electrode metal, may be deposited in combination with a conventional electrode material, such as silicon, which may be accomplished on the basis of well-established process techniques. Consequently, the same electrode layer stack may be provided above the active regions 102A, 102B. Moreover, additional materials, such as dielectric cap materials, hard mask materials and the like, may be applied as are required for the patterning of the resulting layer stack.
FIG. 1b schematically illustrates the semiconductor device 100 in a further advanced manufacturing stage in which a gate electrode structure 110A is formed on the active region 102A and a gate electrode structure 110B is formed on the active region 102B. The gate electrode structure 110A comprises the gate dielectric materials 111 and 112 in which, due to the preceding treatment, the work function metal species 113A, such as lanthanum, may be incorporated. Similarly, the gate electrode structure 110B comprises the gate dielectric materials 111 and 112 having incorporated therein the work function metal species 113B, such as aluminum. Moreover, the gate electrode structures 110A, 110B comprise metal-containing electrode material 115, such as titanium nitride, followed by a further electrode material 116, such as silicon. Furthermore, a dielectric cap material 117, for instance in the form of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide and the like, is typically provided. Consequently, the gate electrode structures 110A, 110B may have basically the same configuration, which may represent a significant advantage upon patterning the various material layers formed therein. Consequently, an appropriate etch strategy may be applied for both gate electrode structures 110A, 110B, thereby obtaining a highly uniform process result, thereby making this approach superior compared to other approaches in which significantly different gate electrode layer stacks may have to be patterned. On the other hand, despite the same electrode materials provided in the gate electrode structures 110A, 110B, a desired threshold voltage may be obtained for the active regions 102A, 102B due to the presence of the different work function adjusting species 113A, 113B.
FIG. 1c schematically illustrates the electronic situation of the gate electrode structure 110A according to a band model. It should be appreciated that the present application is not to be restricted to any theory disclosed herein, which may nevertheless be helpful in understanding the basic mechanism for adjusting the threshold voltages of transistors. For example, as illustrated, the dielectric gate materials 111 and 112 may separate the channel region, indicated as 102A, representing a part of the active region 102A as shown at the right hand side, from the gate electrode material 115 illustrated at the left hand side of the dielectric materials 111 and 112. Furthermore, due to the previously incorporated work function metal species 113A, deep hole charges 113D may be generated, in particular at an interface between the materials 111 and 112. Consequently, the energy levels of the lower conduction band edge indicated as EC and the upper edge of the valence band, indicated as EV, may be appropriately bent at the interface of the layer 111 and the channel region 102A, which is strongly influenced by the charges 113D. Consequently, for a given work function of the material 115, an appropriate adaptation with respect to the flat band energy, indicated as EF, may be accomplished for both types of gate electrode structures since a corresponding adaptation may also be accomplished for the active region 102B (FIG. 1b) on the basis of the work function metal species 113B. Hence, the appropriate threshold voltage for both types of transistors may be obtained, irrespective of the fact that the actual electrode material may be the same for both gate electrode structures 110A, 110B of FIG. 1b.
Although the concept of providing diffusion cap materials is promising, i.e., the layers 113A, 113B, possibly in combination with the material 114 (FIG. 1a) in an early manufacturing stage for adjusting the work function and thus threshold voltage for a common electrode material for both types of transistors, it is difficult to provide transistor elements of different threshold voltage, which may typically be required in complex integrated circuits when, for instance, different "flavors" of basically the same transistor configuration may be required, or in mixed signal applications using analog and digital circuit portions.
The present disclosure is directed to various methods and devices that may avoid, or at least reduce, the effects of one or more of the problems identified above.

Work function adjustment in high-k gate stacks for devices of different threshold voltage


A method of manufacturing a composite structural member with an integrated electrical circuit is provided. The structural member includes a plurality of layers of structural reinforcement material, and two or more electrical devices are disposed at least partially between the layers with an intermediate layer of the structural reinforcement material disposed between the electrical devices. At least one electrical bus is disposed in the structural member, and each electrical device is connected to the bus by a conductive electrode. Thus, the electrodes can extend through the intermediate layer of the structural reinforcement material to connect each of the electrical devices to one or more of the buses.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structural member with an integrated electrical circuit and, in particular, to a structurally integrated circuit including multiple electrical devices that are electrically connected by electrodes to one or more electrical buses.
2) Description of Related Art
Electrical devices are often used in conjunction with a structural member. For example, electrical devices such as sensors and actuators can be embedded within, mounted on, or otherwise structurally integrated with the structure of a vehicle such as an airplane, spacecraft, land vehicle, ship, and the like. Other examples of electrical devices mounted in conjunction with a structural member can include machinery, buildings, and the like. The sensors can be used to detect temperature, motion, stress, strain, damage, and the like at different locations throughout the structure. The actuators can be used to adjust various control portions of the structure such as an elevator, rudder, aileron, helicopter rotor, door, or valve. Data generated by the electrical devices is typically communicated via electrical wires from the devices to a computer or other circuit device for processing. Similarly, control signals and electrical power are typically transmitted via electrical wires from the computer, power supply, and/or other circuit device to the actuators and sensors. Thus, a network of wires is often required for controlling and monitoring the electrical devices. Each wire usually includes one or more conductive strands, for example, copper strands, which are covered with an insulative jacket. Parallel wires can be held in groups with bundle fasteners, such as cable tie straps or shrink tubing. Fasteners such as clips, ties, and the like are often used to connect the wires or bundles of wires to the structural member at successive locations along the length of the wires so that the position of the wires is maintained. In some cases, an extensive and complex network of wires may be required.
In some applications, however, it is difficult or impractical to connect the wires to the structural member. For example, the structural member may not define any interior cavities through which the wires can be passed, and the environmental conditions outside the structural member may be harsh, for example, excessively warm or cold or subject to mechanical stress, moisture, or corrosive agents. In addition, the weight and size of the wires may negatively affect the performance of the structural member. Further, in applications where the structural member undergoes significant or repeated mechanical stress, the resulting strains in the wires can break the wires regardless of whether the wires are connected to the structural member.
One illustrative example is a blade of a helicopter rotor, which is rotated quickly around a hub of the rotor. In some cases, it may be desirable to provide wires that extend along the length of the blade, for example, to monitor sensors or control actuators in or on the blade. The wires cannot be connected to the outside of the blade because of the external conditions, e.g., wind, moisture, and the like. Further, the blade undergoes significant stress due to centripetal and aerodynamic forces. If the wires are not connected successively or continuously along the length of the blade, each wire will be strained due to the inertial force that results from the rotation and vibration. On the other hand, if the wires are connected to the blade, the wires will be strained at the same rate as the blade. In either case, the stress that results in the wires can break or fatigue the wires, rendering the electrical devices ineffective.
Thus, there exists a need for a structurally integrated circuit that can be provided in a structural member for transmitting electrical signals or power. The circuit should be capable of functioning in harsh environmental conditions that include strain and temperature variations, moisture, and corrosive agents. The structurally integrated circuit should also be adaptable to structural members that do not include internal passages for wiring. The circuit should be capable of providing a complex electrical network in which multiple electrical devices are connected to one or more buses. Further, the circuit should resist failure, even when the structural member is subjected to significant or repeated stresses.

Method of manufacturing a composite structural member having an integrated electrical circuit


The present invention belongs to the field of retorting apparatus used in the field of oil shale processing, in particular the invention relates to the end sealing assembly of the rotary kiln and the improvements of the end sealing (16); whereas the first and second casing ring (2, 3) used in the end sealing compose of at least four segment, and onto both sides of the rotating casing ring (1) a rectangulary cut hollow (81, 91) for lubricants has been formed; and on the side that is assembled with the rotating casing ring of the first and second casing ring (2, 3), accordingly, a hollow (82, 93) has been formed for lubricants, which in the making face the corresponding hollow (81, 91) of the casing ring, forming lubricant channels (8, 9) between the casing ring (1) of the end sealing assembly and the first and second casing ring (2, 3).

In the rotary kiln, which is part of a solid heat carrier process, the thermal decomposition of the organic mass of fuel takes place. In the rotary kiln, dry oil shale is mixed with the hot heat carrier and it remains in the rotary kiln for a certain period until heat exchange occurs between the oil shale and the heat carrier, resulting in the pyrolysis of oil shale. At high temperature and at over pressure pyrolysis of oil shale results in formation of gaseous and solid products, which are further processed in subsequent processing steps.
To improve the efficiency of the pyrolysis process, for better mixing of the oil shale and ash, but also to ensure the forward movement of the material from the input end to the output end of the rotary kiln, the rotary kiln is constantly rotating.
The rotary kiln is a drum with internally refractory lined parallel walls that rotates on four carrying rollers. There are openings at both ends of the rotary kiln for feeding the material to be processed (oil shale and ash) and releasing the semicoke and gaseous products.
Attaching the rotating input/output ends 17′ with fixed units or elements of adjacent units is performed with the use of special end sealing assemblies and end sealings (see FIG. 1).
The mentioned end sealings compensate for the radial movement of the ends and the longitudinal increase due to the temperature changes of the rotary reactor.
End sealings of the rotary kiln have the following purposes:                Sealing the terminal joints between the pressurized rotary kiln and fixed units while rotating and avoiding the vapour-gas mixture from leaking to the surrounding atmosphere via terminal joints which are between the rotating drum and mixing chamber and the rotating drum and separator of solid particles from vapour-gas mixture or dust chamber;        Lubricating the working surfaces of end sealings;        Cooling the construction of end sealings;        Compensating for the longitudinal expansion and radial movement due to the temperature changes of the reactor.
The constructions of input end sealing and output end sealing of the existing rotary kiln are different with respect to the sizes of cast iron casing rings 2′ and 3′ (see FIG. 1). The cast iron casing rings used in said sealings have different diameters in the known construction. In addition, the casing rings have a different thickness and the lubricant channels have a rectangular cut in the known solution. In the technical solution in use, connecting the casing ring 1′ coaxially with cast iron casing rings forms lubricant channels 8′ and 9′ in which the lubricant is meant for lubricating the working surfaces and also cooling the construction of the pair of the working rings. FIG. 1 depicts the technical solution of the end sealings of the existing rotary kiln in which a casing ring 1′ is attached to the flange 12′, which is attached to the outside of the rotating drum 15′ of the rotary kiln, and the first casing ring 2′ is attached to the flange 10′, which is attached to the outside of the fixed input/output unit 17′, and using appropriate attachment means, the second casing ring 3′ is attached to the other side of the rotating casing ring 1′. For the sake of clarity, in the figures describing the present invention, same position numbers with an apostrophe added are used with the same construction elements.
Considering the fact that during the working process of the rotary kiln, there is over pressure in the whole rotating drum of the solid heat carrier retorting unit, thus, in terms of environmental safety, it is especially important that the joints of the rotary kiln and those of the fixed units that are connected to it ensure a sufficient thickness, so that the gases with different chemical composition produced during the retorting process would not leak into the surrounding environment.


The specification describes preparation of materials comprising selected boron anions and processes using them as catalysts for condensation reaction of compounds having silicon-bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups. Preferred anion compounds comprise borates incorporating quadri-substituted boron in which the substituents include highly halogenated hydrocarbon groups for example pentafluorinated phenyl groups or bis (trifluoromethyl) phenyl groups. Preferred anions are {B(C6F5)4}xe2x88x92 and {B(C6(CF3)2H3)4}xe2x88x92. The specification describes condensation in presence of these materials of compounds having at least one unit according to the general formula RoaR1bR2cSiO(4xe2x88x92(a+b+c)/2) in which each Ro is the same or different and represents a hydroxy, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy or hydrocarbonoxy group having up to 10 carbon atoms, each R1 is the same or different and represents hydrogen or a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group, each R2 is the same or different and represents a divalent substituted or unsubstituted alkylene or oxyalkylene group, a has a value of 1, 2, 3 or 4, b has a value of 0, 1, 2 or 3 and c has a value of 0, 1, 2 or 3.

This invention is concerned with the chemical reaction of compounds having silicon bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups by way of condensation reactions.
It is well known that chain extension and crosslinking reactions of silicon containing compounds may be achieved readily by way of condensation of silicon bonded hydroxy, alkoxy or other condensable groups present in the compound or formed therein, for example, during the course of condensation. These reactions may be, for example, according to the schemes:
2xcx9cSiR2OHxe2x86x92xcx9cSiR2OSiR2Oxcx9c+H2O, or
xcx9cSiR2OH+ROSiR2ORxe2x86x92xcx9cSiR2OSiR2OR+ROH where R represents a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group.
Such reactions are employed in commerce especially in the manufacture of polydiorganosiloxanes of elevated molecular weights and in the formulation of a variety of silicone compounds employed in one part or multi part form for a wide range of uses in which the compound is required to cure in situ to a crosslinked condition. The polymerisation of silanol containing oligomers HO (SiMe2O)nH (where Me represents a methyl group CH3 and n has a value of, for example, from about 4 to about 40) to form silicone polymers of elevated molecular weight (i.e. n has a value in excess of 1,000) by condensation is an extremely important part of the process for manufacture of silicone polymer materials having viscosities varying from those of fluids to those of gums. It is well known that this chain extension process may be carried out batchwise or continuously. Typically the reaction is conducted in the presence of one or more catalyst materials.
Various acidic and basic materials are known for use as catalysts for reaction of organosilicon materials via silanol condensation reaction, for example potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, acid clays, sulphonic acids, and phosphazene bases. However, these catalysts tend to catalyse other reactions simultaneously in addition to condensation reactions and one consequence can be the presence of significant proportions of cyclic siloxanes in the product. Also, catalysts are required to perform consistently and should be capable of removal (along with other undesirable residues) from the product, and those for use in continuous production processes are required to perform rapidly. One type of material proposed for use in the manufacture of silicones of elevated molecular weight is a phosponitrile chloride. Although this material has a number of advantages as a catalyst for the polymerisation of organosilicon materials, it is produced and used in chlorinated solvents which are regarded as potentially environmentally hazardous and thus require special handling. It is also rather difficult to neutralise consistently in the polymer production. Furthermore the phosphonitrile chloride is susceptible to hydrolysis and on prolonged exposure to water loses catalytic activity.
Thus, despite the many proposals for catalysis materials for such condensation reactions there remains a desire to provide a material which can serve as an effective catalyst, which can be prepared by a simple process and which does not leave, within the bulk of the reaction product, residues which are difficult to neutralise or remove.
Surprisingly we have now found that condensation of compounds having silicon bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups may be achieved in presence of a catalytic amount of one or more materials providing a source of anions comprising at least one quadri-substituted boron atom and protons capable of interaction with at least one silanol group.
The present invention provides in one of its aspects a process for the condensation of a compound having a silicon bonded hydroxy or alkoxy group in the presence of a catalytic amount of one or more materials providing in the reaction mixture an anion comprising at least one quadri-substituted boron atom and protons capable of interaction with at least one of said silicon bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups.
In a process according to the invention, it is important that the boron containing anion does not itself form a covalent bond directly to a silicon atom and that it does not decompose or rearrange to produce an anion which forms a covalent bond directly to a silicon atom. Suitable materials include those incorporating one or more boron atoms disposed within a grouping and several, for example ten or more, halogen atoms connected with each boron atom. The halogen atoms in such compound may be connected to boron atoms by linkages incorporating at least one carbon atom. The halogen atoms are preferably selected from fluorine, chlorine and bromine, the most preferred being fluorine. Preferred anions incorporate one or more atoms of boron having four organic substitutes thereon the most preferred being quadri-substituted borates. The organic substituents are suitably hydrocarbon groups. Three and preferably four of these hydrocarbon groups are preferably aromatic groups, and are preferably highly halogenated. Preferred halogenated hydrocarbons are pentafluorinated phenyl groups and his (trifluoromethyl) phenyl groups and preferred materials have four such groups bonded to each boron atom. One operative material is the tetrakis (pentafluoro phenyl) borate anion (otherwise herein referred to as the perfluorinated aryl borate ion) and the material is preferably employed as the acid of this anion namely H+ {(C6F5)4B}xe2x88x92. Other operative materials include anions having two quadri-substituted boron atoms for example, di-perfluoroinated aryl borate ions eg H+ {B(C6F5)3 CNB(C6F5)3}xe2x88x92. The preferred materials can be readily prepared from commercially available compounds by simple ion exchange techniques in innocuous solvents, for example, water or alcohol. We prefer to prepare the acids prior to introducing catalytic amounts of them to the reaction mixture.
Other suitable boron-containing anions for use in the process of the present invention include carboranes, for example of the formula: {CB9H10}xe2x88x92, {CB9X5H5}xe2x88x92, {CB11H12}xe2x88x92, and {CB11X6H6}xe2x88x92, wherein X represents fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine. Carboranes may contain boron atoms which are more highly substituted than quadri-substituted, eg penta-substituted and hexa-substituted, and for the sake of clarity, xe2x80x9cquadri-substitutedxe2x80x9d where used herein is intended to include those anions containing quadri-substituted and higher substituted boron atoms.
In a process according to the invention, one may employ any suitable compound having silicon bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups. Preferred materials are silanes and siloxane compounds having at least one unit according to the general formula:
xe2x80x83RoaR1bR2cSiO(4xe2x88x92(a+b+c)/2)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(i)
in which each Ro represents a hydroxy, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy or hydrocarbonoxy group having up to 10 carbon atoms, each R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group, each R2 represents a divalent substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, or oxyalkylene group which is linked for example to another unit of formula (i) or an atom of a polymeric material, as referred to below a has the value of 1, 2, 3, or 4, b has a value of 0, 1, 2 or 3, c has a value of 0, 1, 2 or three and a+b+c has the value of 1, 2, 3 or 4. Suitable groups Ro include, for example, hydroxy, methoxy, ethoxy, butoxy, phenoxy, and methoxyethoxy. Suitable groups R1 include, for example, hydrogen, alkyl groups for example methyl, ethyl, propyl, isobutyl, hexyl, dodecyl or octadecyl, alkenyl for example, vinyl, allyl, butenyl, hexenyl or decenyl, alkynyl for example propargyl, aryl for example phenyl, aralkyl for example tolyl or xylyl, substituted hydrocarbon groups for example trifluoropropyl, chloropropyl or chlorophenyl. Suitable groups R2 include for example, xe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x94 where n has a value of 1, 2, 3 or more and xe2x80x94(OCH2CHR3)mxe2x80x94 where R3 represents H or xe2x80x94CH3 and m has a value of greater than about 5. The compounds having at least one unit according to the general formula (i) may be monomeric, oligomeric or polymeric. The monomeric materials are preferably silanes in which c has a value of 0 and a+b has the of value 4. The polymeric materials may be predominantly organic materials or predominantly siloxane materials. Examples of suitable predominantly organic materials are those in which one or more units of formula (i) is incorporated in an organic polymer via its divalent group R2. Examples of predominantly siloxane materials are polymers which incorporate units according to the general formula (ii) R1sSiO(4xe2x88x92s)/2 where R1 is as aforesaid and s has the value 0, 1, 2 or 3. Preferably, large proportions (preferably more than 80%) of these units are those where s has the value 2. If desired, these polymers may have one or more of the units of formula (i) attached via their divalent linkage R2 to a silicon atom of the polymer.
In a process according to the invention, the compound having silicone bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups may condense with the same, another or several other compounds having silicon bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups. By appropriate variation of the values a+b+c and of the groups Ro, R1 R2 one may cause condensation reaction to provide products of a variety of molecular sizes, functionalities and reactivities which are thus suitable for a wide range of uses. As mentioned, the compounds according to the general formula: RoaR1bR2cSiO(4xe2x88x92(a+b+c)/2) may have one or more groups Ro. In a process according to the invention, a first one of these compounds may be caused to combine with a second one of these compounds by way of condensation of one Ro group of each of the compounds. In this way, the first of these compounds may be employed to consume Ro groups of the second of the compounds and to introduce a desired grouping to the second compound. For example, in the case where the first compound is a silane of formula (i) and the second compound is a polymer having units of the formula (i), by appropriate selection of the values of a one may bring about chain extending, chain branching or chain terminating condensation reactions, in which pairs of groups Ro are consumed. Also by appropriate selection of values of a and values of b, groups R1 may be introduced into the chain or at its ends. Introduction of alkenyl groups in this manner is of interest as providing a route to reaction via their unsaturation.
Particularly suitable materials having silicon bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups include for example the di-hydroxy or alkoxy xcex1,xcfx89-dihydroxy-polydiorganosiloxanes according to the formula HO (SiMe2O)nH where n has a value from about 4 to about 40 and diethoxymethylvinylsilane and the mono-alkoxy material according to the general formula: Me3SiO(SiMe2O)nSiMe3 (where Me represents the methyl group CH3 and n has a value from 0 to 100), ethoxydimethylvinylsilane, and methoxydimethylhexenylsilane and mixtures of two or more thereof.
In a process according to the present invention the compound or compounds having silicone bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups are provided as a mass of material. In the case where manufacture of polymer is to be carried out, the mass is confined in a reaction vessel of the batch or continuous type. In the event one wishes to provide the groups Ro on the compound by conversion of other groups eg Cl or CN, this may be done as a separate step or less preferably in the reaction mass of material. If more than one compound having silicon bonded hydroxyl or alkoxy groups is to be employed, the compounds may be introduced to the reaction vessel in any desired order. Catalyst is introduced to the reaction mass in any desired order and condensation reaction conducted at any desired temperature and pressure. The reaction may be carried out at room or elevated temperature with or without reduced pressure. The catalyst may be used at a concentration of from 1 to 500 ppm by weight based on the total reactants. The amount used may be varied according to the temperature used for the reaction. At room temperature we prefer to employ from 100 to 500 ppm whereas for reactions at 80xc2x0 C. we prefer to employ 1 to 30 ppm.
If desired, various materials may be present in the reaction mixture, for example, solvents, reinforcing or extending fillers, co-catalysts, pigments, plasticisers, extenders or mixtures of any two or more thereof always provided they do not adversely influence the reaction.
The present invention is concerned with provision of catalysts for the homo- or co-condensation of materials having silicon bonded hydroxy, or alkoxy groups and especially but not exclusively with those which are particularly efficacious for the manufacture of higher molecular weight linear or branched polymeric organosilicon materials having desired pendant or terminal groups from silanols by batch or continuous processes. The catalyst materials employed in the present invention appear to catalyse the condensation reactions if and so long as condensable co-reactants are present. When such co-reactants are not present in sufficient quantities, these catalyst materials are capable of catalysing re-equilibration of the formed polymer to yield lower molecular weight polymer mixed with cyclic siloxanes. The catalytic activity may be terminated when it is no longer required, for example by neutralising the materials using a basic substance, such as an organic amine, or by heating to decompose the catalyst. This may be done at any stage of the process, for example when a desired viscosity has been achieved and before significant re-equilibration can take place.
A process according to the invention offers various advantages over prior known processes. The catalyst materials are stable to water and alcohol and their catalytic activity is not significantly reduced by exposure thereto. Preparation of the catalyst and the introduction of the catalyst to the polymerisation reaction without use of chlorinated solvents renders production and use of the catalyst more environmentally acceptable. The presence in the reaction product of undesirable residual catalyst and compounds derived therefrom is reduced not only due to absence of chloride ions but also due to the ease of neutralising the catalyst. Thus, for example, at least substantially linear polydiorganosiloxanes can be produced in a cleaner form due to the absence of chlorinated solvents from the catalyst and the process may be controlled so as to enable production of at least substantially linear polydiorganosiloxanes incorporating small proportions of cyclic silicones.
The word xe2x80x9ccomprisingxe2x80x9d where used herein is intended to embrace the notion of including as well as the notion of consisting of.
In order that the invention may become more clear there now follows a description of examples selected to illustrate the invention by way of example. In these examples unless the context states otherwise, the symbol Et represents the ethyl group, He represents the hexenyl group, Me represents the methyl group, Ph represents the phenyl group, Vi represents the vinyl group, all parts are by weight and all viscosities are determined at 25xc2x0 C. and expressed in centipoise (1 poise=0.1 Paxc2x7S).

Process for the condensation of compounds having silicon bonded hydroxy or alkoxy groups


It is the purpose of this invention to provide methods and systems for non-invasive deep brain neuromodulation using ultrasound for the treatment of anorgasmia, hypo-orgasmia, and for the production of orgasms (Orgasmatron). This can include impacting one or multiple points in a neural circuit to produce Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) or Long-Term Depression (LTD). The ultrasound transducers are attached at fixed positions on a holder. Use of ancillary monitoring or imaging to provide feedback is optional. Control of the ultrasonic transducers includes control of direction of the energy emission, intensity, frequency, and phase/intensity relationships to targeting and accomplishing up-regulation and/or down-regulation.

It has been demonstrated that focused ultrasound directed at neural structures can stimulate those structures. If neural activity is increased or excited, the neural structure is said to be up regulated; if neural activated is decreased or inhibited, the neural structure is said to be down regulated. Neural structures are usually assembled in circuits. For example, nuclei and tracts connecting them make up a circuit. The potential application of ultrasonic therapy of deep-brain structures has been suggested previously (Gavrilov L R, Tsirulnikov E M, and I A Davies, "Application of focused ultrasound for the stimulation of neural structures," Ultrasound Med Biol. 1996;22(2):179-92. and S. J. Norton, "Can ultrasound be used to stimulate nerve tissue?," BioMedical Engineering OnLine 2003, 2:6). Norton notes that while Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can be applied within the head with greater intensity, the gradients developed with ultrasound are comparable to those with TMS. It was also noted that monophasic ultrasound pulses are more effective than biphasic ones. Instead of using ultrasonic stimulation alone, Norton applied a strong DC magnetic field as well and describes the mechanism as that given that the tissue to be stimulated is conductive that particle motion induced by an ultrasonic wave will induce an electric current density generated by Lorentz forces.
The effect of ultrasound is at least two fold. First, increasing temperature will increase neural activity. An increase up to 42 degrees C. (say in the range of 39 to 42 degrees C.) locally for short time periods will increase neural activity in a way that one can do so repeatedly and be safe. One needs to make sure that the temperature does not rise about 50 degrees C. or tissue will be destroyed (e.g., 56 degrees C. for one second). This is the objective of another use of therapeutic application of ultrasound, ablation, to permanently destroy tissue (e.g., for the treatment of cancer). An example is the ExAblate device from InSightec in Haifa, Israel. The second mechanism is mechanical perturbation. An explanation for this has been provided by Tyler et al. from Arizona State University (Tyler, W. J., Y. Tufail, M. Finsterwald, M. L. Tauchmann, E. J. Olsen, C. Majestic, "Remote excitation of neuronal circuits using low-intensity, low-frequency ultrasound," PLoS One 3(10): e3511, doi:10.137/1/journal.pone.0003511, 2008)) where voltage gating of sodium channels in neural membranes was demonstrated. Pulsed ultrasound was found to cause mechanical opening of the sodium channels, which resulted in the generation of action potentials. Their stimulation is described as Low Intensity Low Frequency Ultrasound (LILFU). They used bursts of ultrasound at frequencies between 0.44 and 0.67 MHz, lower than the frequencies used in imaging. Their device delivered 23 milliwatts per square centimeter of brain—a fraction of the roughly 180 mW/cm2 upper limit established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for womb-scanning sonograms; thus such devices should be safe to use on patients. Ultrasound impact to open calcium channels has also been suggested.
Alternative mechanisms for the effects of ultrasound may be discovered as well. In fact, multiple mechanisms may come into play, but, in any case, this would not effect this invention.
Approaches to date of delivering focused ultrasound vary. Bystritsky (U.S. Pat. No. 7,283,861, Oct. 16, 2007) provides for focused ultrasound pulses (FUP) produced by multiple ultrasound transducers (said preferably to number in the range of 300 to 1000) arranged in a cap place over the skull to effect a multi-beam output. These transducers are coordinated by a computer and used in conjunction with an imaging system, preferable an fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), but possibly a PET (Positive Emission Tomography) or V-EEG (Video-Electroencephalography) device. The user interacts with the computer to direct the FUP to the desired point in the brain, sees where the stimulation actually occurred by viewing the imaging result, and thus adjusts the position of the FUP according. The position of focus is obtained by adjusting the phases and amplitudes of the ultrasound transducers (Clement and Hynynen, "A non-invasive method for focusing ultrasound through the human skull," Phys. Med. Biol. 47 (2002) 1219-1236). The imaging also illustrates the functional connectivity of the target and surrounding neural structures. The focus is described as two or more centimeters deep and 0.5 to 1000 mm in diameter or preferably in the range of 2-12 cm deep and 0.5-2 mm in diameter. Either a single FUP or multiple FUPs are described as being able to be applied to either one or multiple live neuronal circuits. It is noted that differences in FUP phase, frequency, and amplitude produce different neural effects. Low frequencies (defined as below 300 Hz.) are inhibitory. High frequencies (defined as being in the range of 500 Hz to 5 MHz) are excitatory and activate neural circuits. This works whether the target is gray or white matter. Repeated sessions result in long-term effects. The cap and transducers to be employed are preferably made of non-ferrous material to reduce image distortion in fMRI imaging. It was noted that if after treatment the reactivity as judged with fMRI of the patient with a given condition becomes more like that of a normal patient, this may be indicative of treatment effectiveness. The FUP is to be applied 1 ms to 1 s before or after the imaging. In addition a CT (Computed Tomography) scan can be run to gauge the bone density and structure of the skull.
An alternative approach is described by Deisseroth and Schneider (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/263,026 published as US 2009/0112133 A1, Apr. 30, 2009) in which modification of neural transmission patterns between neural structures and/or regions is described using ultrasound (including use of a curved transducer and a lens) or RF. The impact of Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) and Long-Term Depression (LTD) for durable effects is emphasized. It is noted that ultrasound produces stimulation by both thermal and mechanical impacts. The use of ionizing radiation also appears in the claims.
Adequate penetration of ultrasound through the skull has been demonstrated (Hynynen, K. and F A Jolesz, "Demonstration of potential noninvasive ultrasound brain therapy through an intact skull," Ultrasound Med Biol, 1998 Feb;24(2):275-83 and Clement G T, Hynynen K (2002) A non-invasive method for focusing ultrasound through the human skull. Phys Med Biol 47: 1219-1236.). Ultrasound can be focused to 0.5 to 2 mm as TMS to 1 cm at best.
Komisaruk, Whipple, and their colleagues have provided significant information about the correlation between orgasm and imaging for both women and men using vaginal-cervical mechanical self-stimulation (CSS) or imagining in intact women and in other areas where there has been spinal cord injury (Komisaruk B. R. and B. Whipple, "Functional MRI of the brain during orgasm in women," Annu Rev Sex Res., 16:62-86, 2005 and Komisaruk, B. R., Whipple, B., Crawford, A., Grimes, S., Liu, W.-C., Kalnin, A, and K. Mosier, "Brain activation during vaginocervical self-stimulation and orgasm in women with complete spinal cord injury: fMRI evidence of mediation by the Vagus nerves," Brain Research 1024 (2004) 77-88, 2004). There is not much difference between the sexual responses of men's and women's brains.
In both women and me, the brain regions that activated (as judged by PET or fMRI scanning) are:
1. Cingulate Gyms (pain circuit)
2. Insula (pain circuit)
3. Amygdala (regulates emotions)
4. Nucleus Accumbens (controls dopamine release)
5. Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) (actually releases the dopamine)
6. Hippocampus (memory)
7. Cerebellum (controls muscle function)
8. Paraventricular Nucleus of the Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland (beta-endorphin release (decreases pain), oxytocin release (increases feelings of trust), and vasopressin (increases bonding)
In women there is activation of the Periaqueductal Gray (PAG) (controlling the "flight or fight" response). The Amygdala and Hippocampus (which deal with fear and anxiety) show decreased activity—perhaps because women have more of a need to feel safe and relaxed in order to enjoy sex. In both women and men, the Left Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex and the Temporal Lobes shut down during orgasm.
Sexually related sensory signals come from the vagina, cervix, clitoris, and uterus in women. In terms of transmission through nerve distribution:
1. Hypogastric Nerve (uterus and the cervix in women; prostate in men)
2. Pelvic Nerve (vagina and cervix in women; rectum in both sexes)
3. Pudendal Nerve (clitoris in women; scrotum and penis in men)
4. Vagus Nerve (cervix, uterus and vagina (true whether or not the spinal cord is intact)
Women can also have orgasms from stimulation of many parts of their bodies are stimulated (e.g., mouth, the nipples, the anus, hand). In women and men with spinal cord injuries, orgasms have been described when skin is stimulated around the level of the injury because of the heightened sensitivity there. Women can have orgasms without touching their body through imagery alone.
A peripheral Orgasmatron is known in that in 2004 Dr. Stuart Meloy, an anesthesiologist and pain expert in Winston-Salem, N.C., reported that sacral nerve stimulation with an implanted electrode resulted in an orgasm in ten of eleven women being treated for other conditions (Meloy, T. S. & Southern, J. P. "Neurally Augmented Sexual Function in Human Females: A Preliminary Investigation," Neuromodulation Volume 9, No. 1 (2006): 34-40).
It would be desirable to apply ultrasound neuromodulation to the treatment of anorgasmia, hypo-orgasmia, and for the production of orgasms (Orgasmatron).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Neuromodulation method via deep-brain stimulation


A capacitance type touch screen includes a cover lens and a film sensor. The film sensor includes a base film, first transparent electrodes arranged side by side extending in an A direction, second transparent electrodes insulated from the first electrodes and arranged side by side extending in B direction while crossing the first electrodes, a plurality of first lead wirings connected to the first electrodes and drawn to connection terminals, and a plurality of second lead wirings connected to the second electrodes and drawn to connection terminals. The first and second wirings are hidden by the cover lens decorated area. The film sensor includes a top-plate-corresponding-portion facing the cover lens top plate rear surface, and rising portions facing a rear surface of at least one of the first and second side plates. All or most of the second wirings is positioned in the rising portions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capacitance type touch screen exercising touch input function with a film sensor adhered to a rear surface of the cover.
2. Background Information
Conventionally, in personal digital assistants such as PDA and handy terminals, OA equipment such as copy machines, facsimiles, electronic devices such as smartphones, cellular phones, portable game devices, electronic dictionaries, car navigation systems, small PCs, and various household electrical appliances, a cover lens is provided in front of the liquid crystal display (LCD), in order to protect the surface of the liquid crystal display from the damage or contamination. In addition, recently, in order to improve convenience for input operation with signals, after assembling a laminated layer of a plate-like cover lens and a film sensor, the assembly is provided for use in front of the liquid crystal display of the electronic devices.
Specifically, there is a capacitance type touch screen including the following cover lens and film sensor. The cover lens is plate-like, and includes a see-through area and a decorated area other than the see-through area. The film sensor is adhered to a rear surface of the cover lens. The film sensor includes a base film, a plurality of first transparent electrodes, a plurality of second transparent electrodes, a plurality of first lead wirings, and a plurality of second lead wirings. The plurality of first transparent electrodes are provided side by side on the base film. The plurality of second transparent electrodes are insulated from the first transparent electrodes and are arranged side by side crossing the first transparent electrodes. The plurality of first lead wirings are connected to the first transparent electrodes and drawn to connection terminals. The plurality of second lead wirings are connected to the second transparent electrodes and drawn to connection terminals. In an overlapped portion of the cover lens and the film sensor, the first lead wirings and the second lead wirings are hidden by the decorated area.
Furthermore, there is a capacitance type touch screen disclosed in the Unexamined Patent Publication 2008-302600, which includes the following cover lens and the film sensor. The cover lens has a casing structure composed of a rectangular top plate, a first side plate connected to one side of the top plate, and a second side plate connected to another side of the top plate opposite to the first side plate. The film sensor is provided only on the rear surface of the top plate of the cover lens.


An apparatus and a method for holding, rotating and positioning a jack for the purpose of attaching said jack to one side of a structural support. The apparatus comprises a base and a holder. The base has a device to mount the base on the structural support. The holder is pivotally connected at one end to the base for displacement between a first location above said structural support and a second location at said one side. The holder has a receiver operable in a closed position to retain the jack as the holder is pivoted between said locations in order to position the jack for attachment to said one side of the structural support. The receiver is actuatable to an open position for removal of the holder from the jack after said attachment. The holder is displaceable from said second location back to said first location for removal of the apparatus from the support.

In heavy construction, in creating supports between beams or walls for platforms or in pouring concrete structures, it is a common practice to use jacks to support the platforms of the forms or molds used in pouring concrete. In the case of creating concrete structures, the jacks are temporarily secured to steel or concrete beams, or to upright walls so as to provide a support for positioning the concrete forms so that they project beyond the beams or walls. After the jacks are mounted in place, the forms are supported on the jacks and the concrete is poured into the forms. After the concrete has set, the forms and the jacks may be removed so that the forms may be stripped from the poured concrete structures.
To facilitate removal of the jacks and the forms from the poured structures, the jacks are conventionally secured by a single rod which is anchored to the top of the beam or wall in an area which is accessible after the concrete is poured. When the jacks are mounted on the walls at a location removed from the exposed top, the jacks are commonly mounted by fasteners in the form of rods or bolts which pass into the wall and are anchored by nuts or other fasteners.
A typical jack is a triangular assembly having a top portion which extends horizontally from the support structure with an angularly extending strut portion which angles downwardly to provide vertical support, cantilever fashion, for the jack against the wall. The angular struts may be adjustable to accommodate to the various configurations which are necessary to provide the proper support for the cement forms used in the particular construction.
Although jacks are frequently constructed out of steel or another metal, it is not uncommon for jacks to be fabricated out of wood. Jacks may also be constructed from plastic materials or from any other type of material of sufficient strength to allow the jack to be used for the aforementioned functions.
Typically, the horizontal portion of the jack has a wooden plank attached to it for supporting the concrete forms. The wooden plank is often longer than the horizontal portion of the jack. The jack is typically in excess of four feet in length and may weigh over eighty pounds. Prior to the present invention, jacks were installed on the beam by a three-person crew, one person suspending the jack into the proper position adjoining the beam. The other two crew people are needed since it normally takes two people to make the attachments for securing the jack in place, particularly if the jack is positioned at some distance below the level of the beam or other support where there is a safe foothold.
Jacks are attached in sufficient quantity alongside and between parallel beams or other supports so that the planks provide a support on which to form a surface between said beams. A layer of concrete may be poured into forms resting on said surface or on a wooden platform resting on said surface, the concrete being set to create a deck alongside or between the beams. After the concrete has set, the jacks and any forms are removed.
This process of attaching jacks is hazardous and physically taxing on the crew because of the jack's bulk and weight, the adverse weather conditions that are frequently encountered in such outdoor work, and the height at which this process is often carried out. It is also an inefficient process as a jack is often not attached properly and has to be adjusted.


Displaying a membrane, or container, around a document object on an electronic document page. In response to placing the insertion point (IP) on the page, a ghost membrane can be displayed on an output screen at the IP. After content is added at the IP, a membrane around the content can be displayed. This membrane can be continually displayed, even when an IP is not in the document object. One or more handles may be displayed around the membrane of a document object containing an IP or underlying a cursor. An IP can also be placed within a hit region associated with a membrane of a document object, allowing a user to add content to that document object at the IP. Similarly, selected text can be dragged from one document object to another document object and added to that document object when the selected text contacts a hit region of the document object.

Electronic document editors are widely used in homes and businesses today. Familiar examples of these editors include word processing applications that operate on personal computers (PCs) and note-taking applications that operate on personal data assistants (PDAs). These applications strive to replace paper as the simplest means to record and communicate information. However, to replace and enhance paper's utility, the electronic document editor must allow the user to place document objects on a page and to edit, move, resize, and add objects, while ensuring that the user can clearly view the individual objects. Also, unlike typical word processors, a free-form document editor that allows adding, editing, and navigating document objects in two dimensions more closely models paper's utility.
One function that an free-form electronic document editor should have to replace and enhance paper's utility is the capability to present to a user through a user interface the boundaries of a document object. A document object contains content a user has grouped together. This content may include text entered by a keyboard or similar device, handwriting entered with a stylus or similar device, a drawing, or a combination of these items. Typically, a word processor contains content in one dimension. Content is usually entered onto a page beginning at the top left-hand corner and moving in a line to the lower right-hand corner of the page. In contrast, a free-form document editor may have document objects, islands of content that can be added anywhere on the two dimensional surface of the page. As such, a user needs to know the boundaries of these islands of content to facilitate editing the content, adding additional document objects, or merging two or more document objects together.
For example, a user may wish to add content to the end of a document object. A membrane, or container, may define the boundary of the document object. The user may need the document editor to distinguish when a new document object is being created below the existing document object or when content is being added to the existing document object. The user may also need the user interface, such as a display from a monitor or tablet, to indicate if content is being added to the existing document object or a new document object is being created.
As another example, in a free-form document editor, a user can drag document objects about a page. A user may need the user interface to indicate when content from one document object can be dragged and dropped into another object.
Some word processing programs allow users to place text boxes on a page. These boxes may display a rectangular frame around the box. This rectangular box can serve as a container for the text object. However, these boxes cannot be readily merged together. Also, these boxes cannot grow to incorporate content that may be added within a region adjacent to the text box, in other words, these existing containers cannot indicate to a user if content is being added to the existing document object or a new document object is being created. In the case of text boxes, whenever an insertion point (IP) is placed outside the rectangular frame, a new document object is created. The text boxes also fail to indicate to a user when that box is active, that is, when a user has placed an IP into the text box or when a cursor is placed over a text box. Finally, text boxes do not allow for navigating between content in two or more boxes or a text box and content on the rest of the page. When an IP is within a text box, a user cannot use arrow keys to navigate out of the box or to another text box.
What is needed is a capability of indicating to a user, through a user interface, the boundary of a document object. This capability should include indicating when an IP is within the boundary, such that content will be added to the document object, or when a cursor is over the document object. The boundary should also indicate to a user when content from one document object is being dragged and dropped into another object.


Apparatus and methods for controlling release of torsional energy from a drill string having a lower portion that is stuck against a subterranean formation and a top end rotated by a top drive. The method may include decreasing a rotational speed set-point of the top drive, decreasing a torque set-point of the top drive, and/or decreasing flow rate of drilling mud being pumped downhole via the drill string, thereby decreasing torque output by a mud motor rotating a drill bit. The method may further include lifting the drill string to free the drill string. Decreasing the torque set-point of the top drive may comprise decreasing the torque set-point of the top drive to a minimum torque level that the top drive can output. Decreasing the rotational speed set-point of the top drive may comprise decreasing the rotational speed set-point of the top drive to zero.

Many oil/gas drilling rigs utilize a top drive that moves vertically along a derrick while simultaneously providing torque that rotates a drill string so that a drill bit at the lower end of the drill string drills through subterranean formations. The drill bit may also be rotated by a mud motor connected along the drill string above the drill bit. Depending upon friction along the wellbore and formation changes, the drill bit and/or a bottom-hole assembly (BHA) to which the drill bit is coupled may get stuck against the subterranean formation. However, telemetry signals indicative of a stuck drill bit and/or BHA may take a relatively long time (e.g., several seconds to a minute or longer) to reach wellsite surface to be detected by an equipment controller and/or by rig personnel via a control workstation. Thus, before the stuck drill bit and/or BHA is detected, the mud motor and/or the top drive may continue to rotate and twist the drill string at opposing ends, resulting in accumulation of torsional energy (i.e., torsional elastic energy) in the drill string. After the stuck drill bit and/or BHA is detected, the drill string may be lifted by a hoisting system (e.g., a drawworks) to lift the drill bit and the BHA off bottom to release the stuck drill bit and/or BHA. Such lifting can cause a sudden and uncontrolled release of the accumulated torsional energy in the drill string, causing high rotational (i.e., torsional) acceleration and back spin of the BHA. Mechanical stress caused by the high rotational acceleration can damage and/or decalibrate various tools of the BHA. However, current operations and equipment do not satisfactorily permit smooth or soft release of the torsional energy accumulated in the drill string.

Controlling release of torsional energy from a drill string


Disclosed is a positive photoresist composition used for a liquid crystal display. The positive photoresist composition of the present invention includes 3 to 50% by weight of binder resin having a certain structure, 2 to 40% by weight of a photoactive compound and 10 to 94% by weight of an organic solvent. The positive photoresist composition according to the present invention may be useful to form a pattern for an organic insulator of a liquid crystal display, metal patterning, a bump, hole drilling and UV overcoat since it has good basic physical properties such as UV transmittance, film retention, pattern stability, chemical resistance and so on, as well as an excellent heat resistance.

Generally, photoactive compounds has been used to form a pattern used for an organic insulator of a liquid crystal display, metal patterning, a bump, hole drilling, UV overcoat and so on. Photosensitive resin used for a process of forming such a pattern requires materials having a very excellent heat resistance in addition to basic physical properties such as uniformity, transmittance and so on.
Recently, acrylic photosensitive resins have been used as the binder resin in the photoresist composition used for forming a pattern of an organic insulator of a liquid crystal display, and the acrylic photosensitive resin exhibited a high transmittance of at least 90% at a visible range in a process at 220° C. or less, while it had a poor heat stability in a hot process at 220° C. or more. Accordingly, some of the resin tends to be decomposed by heat treatment, thereby reducing its transmittance in the visible range. Also, the acrylic photosensitive resin has various problems that the liquid crystal is contaminated by components decomposed during the hot process, and therefore has a reduced adhesion to metals and inorganic materials, etc.


A method relating to the behavior of border nodes within a high performance serial bus system is disclosed. A method is disclosed for determining a path to a senior border node comprising the acts of: determining whether a B PHY has received a Self-ID packet without a Speed Code on at least one port; and marking the at least one port on the B PHY that was last to receive a Self-ID packet without a Speed Code as the path to the senior border node and canceling by the B PHY of any other ports within the node that have been marked as the path to the senior border node if the B PHY has received a Self-ID packet without a Speed Code on the at least one port.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bus management. In particular, the present invention relates to the behavior of border nodes within a high performance serial bus system.
2. The Prior Art
Modern electronic equipment has greatly enhanced the quality of our lives. However, as the use of such equipment has increased, so has the need to connect equipment purchased from different manufacturers. For example, while a computer and a digital camera may each be useful when used alone, the ability to connect the digital camera to the computer and exchange information between the two makes the combination even more useful. Therefore, a need was apparent for a serial bus standard that would allow for the connection and communication between such devices.
The IEEE 1394-1995 standard was developed to satisfy this need. This standard revolutionized the consumer electronics industry by providing a serial bus management system that featured high speeds and the ability to "hot" connect equipment to the bus; that is, the ability to connect equipment without first turning off the existing connected equipment. Since its adoption, the IEEE 1394-1995 standard has begun to see acceptance in the marketplace with many major electronics and computer manufacturers providing IEEE 1394-1995 connections on equipment that they sell.
However, as technologies improved, the need to update the IEEE 1394-1995 standard became apparent. Two new standards are being proposed at the time of the filing of this application, herein referred to as the proposed IEEE 1394a, or P1394a standard, and the proposed IEEE 1394b, or P1394b standard. Improvements such as higher speeds and longer connection paths will be provided.
In the discussion that follows, it will be necessary to distinguish between the various standards that are being proposed as of the date of this application. Additionally, it will be necessary to distinguish hardware and packet transmissions that are compatible with the P1394b standard and not earlier standards.
Thus, the term "Legacy" will be used herein to refer to the IEEE 1394-1995 standard and all supplements thereof prior to the P1394b standard. Thus, for example, a Legacy node refers to a node compatible with the IEEE 1394-1995 standard and all supplements thereof up to, but not including, the P1394b standard.
Additionally, packets of data will be referred to herein depending on the context the packets are in. For example, a packet of data that is compatible with the P1394b standard and is travelling through a PHY compatible with the P1394b standard will be referred to as Beta format packets. Packets of data that are compatible with the Legacy standard but are travelling through a PHY compatible with the P1394b standard will be referred to as Legacy format packets. Finally, packets of data that are compatible with the Legacy format and are travelling across a data strobe link will be referred to as Alpha format packets.
Furthermore, in the discussion that follows PHYs that are compatible with the P1394b standard may be referred to in various ways, depending upon the context the PHY is operating in and the capability of the PHY. For example, a PHY that has circuitry compatible with the P1394b standard but not any previous standards will be referred to as a B only PHY. Also, a PHY that is compatible with the P1394b standard and is directly attached with only devices compatible with the P1394b standard will be referred to as B PHYs. Finally, a PHY that is communicating with both Legacy devices and devices compatible with the P1394b standard will be referred to as a border device, border PHY, or border node.
Finally, a communications systems that has only B PHYs attached will be referred to as a B bus.
Data transmission in Legacy systems
One area that has been improved in the P1394b standard is in the way that data transmission takes place on the bus.
FIG. 1 is a prior art example of a Alpha format data packet 100 according to Legacy specifications. In the Legacy specifications, a data packet will begin with the transmission of a Data Prefix ("DP") identifier, shown as DP 102 in FIG. 1. Importantly, in the Legacy specification , a DP must have a duration of no less than 140 nanoseconds (ns), though a DP may be of any greater length.
Typically, a DP is followed by the transmission of clocked data, known as the payload, shown as clocked data 104 in FIG. 1. On a Legacy bus, the payload will be clocked at a rate of 100 Megabits per second (Mb/s), 200 Mb/s, or 400 Mb/s. These data rates are known as S100, S200, and S400, respectively.
Finally, the payload is followed by a Data End ("DE"), shown as DE 106 in FIG. 1. In the Legacy specifications, a DE must be at least 240 ns in length.
As is appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the Legacy specifications thus define a timer-based system, where data transmission begins and ends according to a fixed timer.
Compatibility issues in Legacy systems
As mentioned above, there are three clocked data rates present in Legacy systems, S100, S200, and S400. Initially, when the IEEE 1394-1995 standard was introduced, devices could only communicate at the S100 rate. Later, devices were introduced that communicated at the S200 and S400 rates.
One problem that occurred in the prior art was how to insure compatibility between the various devices on the market that were communicating at these different rates.
FIG. 2 illustrates such a compatibility problem. FIG. 2 has three nodes, nodes #0, #1, and #2. Node #2, the root node in this example, wishes to communicate with node #1. As is indicated in FIG. 2, nodes #1 and #2 are capable of communicating at the S400 data rate, while node #0 is only capable of communication at the lower S100 rate.
FIG. 3 illustrates the prior art solution of speed filtering on a Legacy bus. FIG. 3 shows root node #2 transmitting S400 data in packet P1 to node #1. In the prior art, to prevent node #0 from receiving the S400 data that it cannot understand, it is "shielded" from such data by having root node #2 transmit a null packet P2 to it.
In the FIG. 3 Packet Detail illustration, packets P1 and P2 are shown together on a common time axis. Packet P1 comprises a DP 300, S400 data 302, and a DE 304. Null packet P2 comprises a DP 306, and a DE 308. As is appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the null packet accomplishes its shielding by extending the DP for the amount of time required to send S400 data 302. As is known by those of ordinary skill in the art, on a Legacy bus all nodes must remain synchronized in their interpretation of idle time. Thus, the null packet effectively 'busies' node #0 while root node #2 transmits S400 data to node #1 and thus shields node #0 from speeds it cannot understand.
Data transmission in P1394b
FIG. 4 is a representation of the prior art data packet structure according to the P1394b standard. As is known by those of ordinary skill in the art, P1394b utilizes a packet structure that is scaled to speed unlike the fixed timer system utilized in Legacy standards. Specifically, the packet structure in P1394b is based upon symbols, rather than the fixed intervals found in the Legacy standards.
In FIG. 4, a typical prior art packet 400 of P1394b data is shown. As is known by those of ordinary skill in the art, a data packet begins in P1394b with the transmission of at least two packet starting symbols. In this example, a Speed Code symbol Sb1 and a Data Prefix symbol DP1 are shown as the packet starting symbols. Then, P1394b data bytes B1 through Bn are transmitted. Bytes B1 through Bn may be referred to herein as the payload. Finally, the transmission of data is terminated by transmitting DE symbols DE1 and DE2.
Compatibility problems between P1394b and Legacy nodes and clouds
FIG. 5 shows a data communications system comprising both P1394b and Legacy devices. This type of system will be referred to herein as a "hybrid" system. FIG. 5 shows a Legacy node #0 connected to Legacy node #4, forming what is known as an "Legacy cloud" of Legacy nodes.
Legacy node #4 is connected to border node #3. Border node #3 is connected to B PHYs #1 and #2, forming what is known as a "Beta cloud" of border and B PHYs.
One problem encountered with systems containing both Legacy and P1394b compliant nodes is how to ensure that the newer P1394b PHYs know that there are older Legacy devices present on the bus. Hence there is a need for a method to determine the existence of a hybrid bus such as that of FIG. 5.
Furthermore, given a hybrid bus, there is a need to establish one border node as the senior border node within a given cloud. Furthermore, given a hybrid system with many clouds, there is a need to establish one border node from each cloud as a senior border node.
Another problem raised by the configuration of FIG. 5 is that of arbitration on a hybrid bus. As is known by those of ordinary skill in the art, the Legacy standard employs a single request type for both asynchronous and isochronous arbitration. The first request to be received by the root is granted immediately, and all other requests are denied and required to be withdrawn. P1394b, however, uses a pipelined arbitration system, pipelining requests for both the asynchronous and isochronous bus phases. Thus the BOSS node, which is responsible for granting arbitration requests in P1394b, nominally must be aware of the phase of the bus in order to properly grant arbitration requests.
However, there may be a case where the BOSS node is unaware of when the bus enters into an isochronous phase. For example, this may happen when there are no isochronous-aware nodes within the Beta cloud that the BOSS is in, while a Legacy cloud is introducing an isochronous request into the Beta cloud. In these cases, the nodes in the Beta cloud will continue to assume that the phase of the bus is asynchronous, and the grant for the Legacy isochronous request may be handled incorrectly. Therefore, there is a need for an arbitration protocol for properly handling arbitration requests throughout multiple clouds.
Another problem raised by the configuration shown in FIG. 5 is that of managing the timers required by the Legacy standard. As mentioned above, the Legacy standard requires that bus protocols occur according to a gap timer-based system, whereas the P1394b standard abandons the timers in favor of a symbol-based system.
Border devices already contain the necessary logic to manage gap timers, since by definition border nodes have Legacy compatible ports. However, B only devices do not contain the circuitry necessary to manage timers according to the Legacy standard. Therefore, there is a need for a protocol for freeing B only devices of the gap timer requirements and transferring this responsibility to border nodes, thus freeing B only devices from the requirement of having gap timer logic built in.
Another issue raised by the hybrid system shown in FIG. 5 is what happens if the bus fails. As is known by those of ordinary skill in the art, occasionally an acknowledge or a grant can be lost in the system, throwing the system into a "race" state, whereby no device is in charge of the system. In other words, a condition can occur where no device knows the current state of the system. Currently, there exists no protocol for a hybrid bus to prevent or cure race conditions. Hence, there is a need for a protocol to allow a hybrid bus to return to a known state.
A final issue concerning the system of FIG. 5 is related to what is known as "quiet times" in the Legacy standard. As is known by those of ordinary skill in the art, in order to arbitrate for control of the bus, a Legacy node must sometimes wait for a subaction or arbitration reset gap to occur. However, in order to ensure that all nodes on the bus see the same subaction or arbitration reset gap, hysteresis is built into the process by making a node wait an additional period known as an "arb_delay" before arbitrating. This arb_delay guarantees that in a worst case round-trip scenario across the bus, every node has seen the subaction gap or the arbitration gap. The period comprising the subaction gap plus the arb_delay is known as quiet time #1, and the period comprising the arbitration reset gap plus the arb_delay is known as quiet time #2, and no arbitration requests may be made during either quiet time.
There is a danger in a hybrid bus of a B PHY granting requests during this quiet time. Currently, there is no protocol for insuring that B PHYs do not interfere with Legacy arbitration timing schemes, other than forcing B PHYs to adhere to Legacy standards, which is undesirable since the performance gains inherent in the P1394b standard are lost. Hence, there is a need for a protocol which allows the coexistence of Legacy and P1394b arbitration in a hybrid bus.

Method and apparatus for border node behavior on a full-duplex bus


Disclosed are benzothiophene and thienothiophene derivatives useful for inhibiting urokinase activity.

This invention relates to urokinase inhibitors.
Urokinase (urinary-type plasminogen activator or uPA; International Union of Biochemistry classification number: EC 184.108.40.206) is a proteolytic enzyme which is highly specific for a single peptide bond in plasminogen. Cleavage of this bond by urokinase ("plasminogen activation") results in formation of the potent general protease plasmin. Many cell types use urokinase as a key initiator of plasmin-mediated proteolytic degradation or modification of extracellular support structures such as extracellular matrix (ECM) and basement membrane (BM). Cells exist, move, and interact with each other in tissues and organs within the physical framework provided by ECM and BM. Movement of cells within ECM or across BM requires local proteolytic degradation or modification of these structures, allowing cells to "invade" into adjacent areas which were previously unavailable to the cells.
Cellular invasiveness intiated by urokinase is central to a wide variety of normal and disease-state physiological processes (reviewed in: Blasi, F., Vassalli, J. D., and Dan, K. J. Cell Biol. 104:801-804, 1987; Dan, K., Andreasen, P. A., Grndahl-Hansen, J., Kristensen, P., Nielsen, L. S., and Skriver, L. Adv. Cancer Res. 44:139-266, 1985; Littlefield, B. A. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 622:167-175, 1991; Saksela, O. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 823:35-65, 1985; Testa, J. E. and Quigley, J. P. Cancer Metast. Rev. 9:353-367, 1990). Such processes include, but are not limited to, angiogenesis (neovascularization), bone restructuring, embryo implantation in the uterus, infiltration of immune cells into inflammatory sites, ovulation, spermatogenesis, tissue remodelling during wound repair and organ differentiation, fibrosis, local invasion of tumors into adjacent areas, metastatic spread of tumor cells from primary to secondary sites, and tissue destruction in arthritis. Inhibitors of urokinase therefore have mechanism-based anti-angiogenic, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, anti-invasive, anti-metastatic, anti-osteoporotic, anti-retinopathic (for angiogenesis-dependent retinopathies), contraceptive, and tumoristatic activities.
Beneficial effects of urokinase inhibitors have been reported using anti-urokinase monoclonal antibodies and certain other known urokinase inhibitors. For instance, anti-urokinase monoclonal antibodies have been reported to block tumor cell invasiveness in vitro (Hollas, W., Blasi, F. and Boyd, D. Cancer Res. 51:3690-3695, 1991; Meissauer, A., Kramer, M. D., Hofmann, M., Erkell, L. J., Jacob, E., Schirrmacher, V. and Brunner, G. Exp. Cell Res. 192:453-459, 1991), tumor metastasis and invasion in vivo (Ossowski, L. J. Cell Biol. 107:2437-2445, 1988; Ossowski, L., Russo-Payne, H. and Wilson, E. L. Cancer Res. 51:274-81, 1991), and angiogenesis in vivo (Jerdan, J. A., Gilliam, K., Ransey, C. and Glaser, B. J. Cell Biol. 115[3 Pt 2]:402a, 1991). In addition, amiloride, a known urokinase inhibitor of only moderate potency, has been reported to inhibit tumor metastasis in vivo (Kellen, J. A., Mirakian, A. and Kolin, A. Anticancer Res. 8:1373-1376, 1988) and angiogenesis/capillary network formation in vitro (Alliegro, M. A., Alliegro, M. C. and Glaser, B. M. J. Cell Biol. 115[3 Pt 2]:402a, 1991).
Central to the ability of urokinase to mediate cellular invasiveness is the existence of specific high affinity urokinase receptors which concentrate urokinase on the cell surface, leading to the generation of locally high plasmin concentrations between cells and ECM or BM (Blasi, F., Vassalli, J.-D., and Dan, K. J. Cell Biol. 104:801-804, 1987; Roldan, A. L., Cubellis, M. V., Masucci, M. T., Behrendt, N., Lund, L. R., Dan, K., Appella, E., and Blasi, F. EMBO J. 9:467-74, 1990). High plasmin concentrations between invasive cells and ECM or BM are necessary in order to overcome inhibitory effects of ubiquitous plasmin inhibitors, such as .alpha..sub.2 -antiplasmin and .alpha..sub.2 -macroglobulin. Thus, it is cell surface receptor-bound urokinase, and not simply free urokinase secreted by cells, which plays the predominant role in initiating cellular invasiveness.