A composition of matter useful for sensing the concentration of an ionic component in a medium comprising a cationic or anionic matrix material and a sensing component chemically bonded to the matrix material and being effective to provide a signal in response to the presence of the ionic component in the medium.

This invention relates to a system for sensing ionic components. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions, apparatus and methods useful for sensing ionic components, e.g., hydrogen or hydroxyl ions-measured by pH, in fluids, such as blood.
It is often advantageous to determine the concentration of an ionic component in a given fluid. For example, medical diagnostic and/or treatment procedures may involve the determination of the pH value of a patient's blood or other bodily fluid. Such determinations may be made very frequently, even continuously, during treatment.
One problem which has arisen is that any one ionic component indicator, e.g., pH indicator, is effective over only its "effective indicator range", i.e., a limited range of concentrations of the ionic component, e.g., a limited pH range, where reliable determinations can be obtained using the given indicator. For example, each pH indicator has a unique pKa associated with a unique pH response range. Therefore, each pH indicator is useful over a limited pH range, e.g., of about one pH unit. Thus, if the concentration of the ionic component in a given medium is outside the "effective indicator range", reliable concentration determinations cannot be obtained without changing the indicator. A pH indicator, e.g., dye, with an appropriate pKa is needed for each pH range of interest. A different indicator, e.g., dye, with a different pKa is needed outside this range. It would be advantageous to use an indicator outside its "effective indicator range". For example, in the medical area, it may be useful to employ an indicator in the physiological range even though its normal "effective indicator range" is located outside this range.
Indicators are often used in combination with matrix materials, such as polymeric materials. For example, Seitz et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,907 teaches the use of a pH sensitive fluorophor (8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid) which is electrostatically bound to an ion exchange membrane, such as an anion exchanger. Seitz et al uses the ion exchange membrane to immobilize the fluorophor to measure physiological pH's by a ratioing technique.
Edwards U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,080 teaches a device for measuring the level of electrolyte in body fluid for diagnostic purposes which comprises a carrier containing a polymeric material having ion exchange characteristics which is capable of exchanging ions with the electrolyte whose level is to be measured, and a material which is color responsive to the extent of the ion exchange. In effect, the species the color of which the material is color responsive to is the product of the ion exchange. Wang U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,650 also discloses a system in which an ion exchange product is used to measure a characteristic of a test sample.
Sommer et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,335 discloses a method for preparing a device for the quantitative determination of heparin in mammalian blood plasma which involves coating a carrier matrix with a fluorogenic or chromogenic substrate solution. Buffer is included in two layers of the device because the rate of thrombin enzymatic reaction is pH dependent. The pH of the buffer in both layers is designed to maximize the reaction of thrombin and the substrate.
Harper U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,373 teaches bound pH indicators which include any complex comprising an organic species covalently coupled via a silane coupling agent to a carrier, preferably an inorganic carrier having available hydroxyl or oxide groups. Such inorganic carriers include glass silica gel, colloidal silica, woilastonite, and bentonite. Harper does not teach carriers which are anionic or cationic after the coupling. Further, Harper lists a large number of pH indicators, thus impliedly suggesting that each indicator is to be used for a different pH range. Harper does not teach extending the effective range of any pH indicator.
For biological fluids, a prior known sensor uses the fluorescent properties of a dye in conjunction with the ionic permeability of a preformed integral cellulose membrane sheet. In this sensor, the cellulose membrane is chemically treated so as to introduce covalent bondable groups onto the membrane. The dye is then covalently bonded to these groups to adhere the dye to the membrane. Substantially all the covalently bondable groups introduced onto the membrane are used to covalently bond the dye to the membrane. Thus, the dye is adhered to a substantially nonionic matrix material. A small disk is cut from the membrane sheet and is attached to a cassette in association with an optical fiber bundle also attached to the cassette. When the dye is excited by excitation light imposed on the dye along the fibers, it undergoes fluorescence, emitting a wavelength of light at a different wavelength than the excitation wavelength. The emission light is measured as an indication of the pH.

Composition, apparatus and method for sensing ionic components

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


The invention disclosed herein relates to an efficient and inexpensive way to form dental clasps and fixed single unit temporary prostheses from molten thermoplastic resin. The apparatus and method allow a dental laboratory to make non-metallic clasps using an inexpensive handheld thermoplastic injection unit/gun that injects molten resin into a model of the clasp made from wax. A silicone putty matrix allows the resin to flow into a vacated wax model of the clasp. The time and money needed for this is much less than is needed to create such clasps using hot press equipment.

For many years dental prostheses have been made for patients who have lost any number of their natural teeth. Prostheses of interest in the present invention are partial dentures, fixed temporary single unit temporary crowns as well as orthodontic appliances. Of prime interest to a patient needing artificial teeth is their appearance. The patient expects his or her dentist to be able to restore missing teeth with prostheses that both function comfortably for biting and chewing food and look esthetically pleasing. Dentists requiring such prostheses often employ the services of a dental laboratory, which is outfitted with the equipment and personnel required to build such prostheses, including computer aided design and manufacture equipment (CAD/CAM).
Since the patient's dental restoration will be visible to others, most dentists and patients are eager to have prostheses that look natural. If the prosthesis is for only one or two teeth and the patient has mostly natural teeth, a good match between the prosthesis and the natural dentition is very highly desirable.
Not only is the color match to the teeth and gums critically important, most patients do not want a metallic clasp attaching the prosthesis to their natural teeth to be visible. Even if the teeth of the prosthesis are well-matched, a metal clasp attaching it to the natural teeth indicates that they are false.
Dental prostheses are divided into two categories, fixed and removable. Fixed prostheses are tooth and/or implant supported prostheses that are bonded or cemented into place and are not routinely removed by the patient. The removable prostheses of concern in this patent application include partial dentures, bite or occlusal appliances, orthodontic appliances, snoring and sleep apnea appliances. Of prime interest in this patent application are temporary fixed single unit crowns and removable partial denture clasps.
Partial dentures are tooth, tissue and/or implant supported and is removable by the patient for routine cleaning and home care. The occlusal, orthodontic, snoring, mouth guard and sleep apnea appliances may be supported by tooth, implant, tissue or a combination thereof. The fixed single unit temporary crowns are cemented or bonded to place. They will be fixed to ether a prepared natural tooth or an implant abutment. They will remain in the mouth from a time period ranging from a few weeks to several months while the permanent crown is being made or while the patient's mouth is healing from surgery.
Temporary and provisional prostheses are sometimes made by the dentist but are generally fabricated by a dental laboratory. Partial dentures can have a metal substructure or be all acrylic and support a clasp. The non-metallic dental clasps that are the subject of this invention are also applicable and of use in orthodontia. Even though the detailed description describes clasps for partial dentures, it is understood that the description applies to orthodontic and other appliances as well.
In the past, dentists have had a variety of options when working with dental laboratories making prostheses for their patients. Esthetics, as well as cost, is of interest to all parties concerned. Until the present invention, dental lab customers often would choose between esthetics and cost.
An option that exists for fabricating dental clasps is a pre-formed clasp made of non-metallic material. These pre-formed clasps are bought pre-made from a company and then fitted to a particular prosthesis by hand. To get a pre-formed clasp in place, a channel is cut into the partial denture, and then the clasp is heated until it is pliable. At that time, the softened clasp is pushed into place on the partial denture by the dental technician.
In the past, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,855,278 Lichkus et al discuss a process of making a dental prosthesis with a clear aesthetic clasp. The clasp of the '278 invention are not made of an acetal resin that is color-coordinated to the patient's tooth and gingiva as are the clasps of the instant invention.
The method claimed in '278 does not use the delivery method of this invention. Unlike the present invention, it requires the use of hot-press dental equipment. This adds to the cost, time needed to make the clasps, and the amount of material used to make the clasps.
Most dental laboratories do not use thermoplastic resins to fabricate clasps for dental prostheses. This is because until the present invention expensive hot-press equipment is needed, which is unavailable to most dental laboratories. The present invention uses a hand-held thermoplastic injection gun to make clasps out of thermoplastic resin without the need for expensive hot press equipment.
Acetal resin, the preferred material of use of this invention, is a highly crystalline thermoplastic, non-amorphous material. The material is an encapsulated polyoxymethylene copolymer of non-volatile cylindrical pellets. The characteristics of highly crystalline polymer include low to almost no water absorption and therefore no problems with bacteria and stain build up on acetal resin. The material will remain color stable for the life of the acetal resin. The low moisture absorption and chemical resistance of acetal resin allows it to be very resistant to deterioration over time. A preferred acetal resin of the present invention is sold as "Aesthetic Perfection" and is made and distributed by CDM, Inc. Albany, Oreg.
Besides avoiding the additional expense that has been mentioned, the current invention also takes significantly less time to form thermoplastic clasps than the hot-press equipment would take. Another positive feature of the dental clasp of the present invention is that less raw material used and less wasted, in making the clasps with the hand-held thermoplastic injection gun of this invention.

Apparatus, method, and kit for fabricating dental clasps


The invention is directed to a system and method for detecting substances, such as high boiling and low vapor pressure materials, using high energy radiation imparted by a suitable radiation source, such as a strobe or laser over a short time period. The radiation source causes the materials to vaporize. A system handling system is used in conjunction with a detector to detect the presence of the materials including explosives, explosive-related compounds, chemical warfare agents, drugs, toxic industrial compounds, and derivatives thereof.

There are estimated to be over 120 million land mines distributed throughout the world in 65 countries. Each year, thousands of noncombatants, a large proportion of which are children, are injured or killed by unexploded land mines. Although clearing efforts are under way, the International Red Cross, estimates that, at the present rate of clearance, it will take over 1,100 years and cost over $33 billion (in today's dollars) to clear the currently deployed mines.
The current mine detection technology is partly responsible for the slow mine clearance rate. Currently, deminers and dismounted countermine engineers use metal detectors. Although this somewhat primitive technique is effective for metal housed land mines, many modern land mines are not metal housed and contain a low metal content, which can severely limit the effectiveness of metal detectors. Such mines must be located by "probing" with probes.
"Probing" can be an extremely dangerous and time-consuming method of detecting land mines. This method involves "feeling" for mines by methodically inserting rigid rods into the soil. When a solid object is encountered in the soil, it is then excavated to determine if the object is a mine.
Another mine detection technique is infrared or IR mine detection. Such systems rely on the fact that mines have a different thermal mass than their surroundings and therefore heat up and cool down at different rates. Furthermore, the disturbance in the soil from the burial changes the porosity of the soils, resulting in anomalous water content and a different heating and cooling response to diurnal changes. IR systems are most promising as a support for other technologies, rather than as a stand alone technique. IR sensors are readily available as imaging systems and, when combined with neural networks, can detect individual mines as hot or cold spots on the surface of the ground.
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a method of directly imaging buried objects. GPR uses a wideband antenna to irradiate the soil with an electromagnetic field covering a large frequency range. Reflections from the soil caused by dielectric variations are measured and converted into an image. Although promising, this technology has limitations, in particular the resolution required to image small objects requires GHz frequencies which decrease soil penetration and increase image clutter. The high cost of GPR systems also inhibits widespread applications in mine clearing operations.
Other mine detection techniques seek to locate mines by detecting trace levels of explosives in the soil around the buried mines. Because mines are typically of cheap construction and not hermetically sealed, mines buried for long periods can "leak" explosives and derivates thereof into the soil surrounding the buried mine. In time, the concentrations in the surrounding soil can increase to 2-8 ppb w/w for TriNitro Toluene or TNT, the explosive used in over 85% of all land mines. TNT contaminants, such as 2,4-dinitrotoluene and TNT derivatives, such as 2-amino-4,6-dintrotoluene or 2-ADNT and 4-amino-2,6-dintrotoluene or 4-ADNT, may be present at concentrations an order of magnitude greater or more than the primary explosive. Evapo-transpiration in soils can move the leaked explosives and explosive related chemicals to the surface, where the surface microlayer of the soils potentially adsorbs and concentrates the vapors, particularly when the surface dries. The surface microlayer refers to the top millimeter or two of the soil at the soil/atmosphere interface.
Canines are an example of a detection method based on the presence of trace levels of explosives in the surface microlayer around the mine and have been used for land mine detection for decades. Experiments have shown that canines smell the explosives that leak from most types of land mines. Even though canines can be effective for this purpose, their use is not without problems. Logistical problems are significant, and dogs are expensive to train and maintain. Dogs do not perform well under all field conditions. In addition, the performance of the dog can be limited by the skill of the dog handler, the dog's desire to work, and the health of the dog.
Currently, various systems are under development to detect land mines by "sniffing" above the soil for the ultra-trace explosive vapors. This technique can be quite challenging as the equilibrium concentration of the ultra-trace explosive vapors in the soil/atmosphere boundary layer is typically quite low and therefore only minute quantities (10−10-10−12 g) are available for detection. The amount of material that is available to passive vapor sensing systems is limited to no more than the vapor in equilibrium with the explosive related chemicals (ERCs) distributed in the surface soils over and near the land mine. Examples of ERC's include explosive co-contaminants such as isomers of dinitrotoluene and degradation products of the explosives, such as 2-amino 4,6 dinitrotoluene and 4-amino 2,6-dinitrotoluene. Unfortunately, TNT is a solid with a very low vapor pressure under ambient conditions. The TNT, and many other explosives, are crystalline solids and have high boiling points. TNT, for instance, boils with decomposition at about 255° C. Worse, explosives and explosive derivatives (explosive related chemicals or ERCs) aggressively bind to surfaces and soils. The distribution of explosives and ERCs in the soil can be quite heterogeneous. The low equilibrium vapor pressure of TNT in the soil/atmosphere boundary layer and the limited volume of the boundary layer air imply that passive chemical vapor sensing systems require sensitivities in the picogram range or even lower. This can be difficult to implement as the passive chemical sensing system must separate the signal from a highly variable background.
In addition to land mines, explosives and other controlled substances, such as drugs, have become major societal problems. Increasingly, terrorist acts using explosives are becoming a problem not only for countries in the Middle East but also for Western countries in other parts of the world. Drug abuse has been a longstanding problem for Western countries and consumes large amount of law enforcement resources each year. As in the case of land mines, canines, metal detectors, and "sniffer" detectors have been used at various locations, such as airports, border crossings, and the like to detect explosive devices and illegal drugs. These measures have had mixed success for many of the same reasons as their limited successes in detecting land mines.
Another measure that has been employed to detect contraband substances has been to collect loose particles from surfaces or skin with a vacuum cleaner or a swipe. The swipe or the particles collected by the vacuum are then heated to release the vaporizable material for analysis. This approach is in routine use at airports throughout the world for screening airline passengers. An example of such a system is the Barringer™ Ion Scan System™. This technique has drawbacks. The use of swipes or particle vacuums is an intermittent process, which requires manual intervention between the sampling and analysis. This is a time consuming approach that is inherently slow.

Strobe desorption method for high boiling point materials


In accordance with the present subject matter there is provided a process for producing mono-, di- and triesters of glycerol over a catalyst composition. The catalyst composition including a base catalyst and a support material based on phyllosilicates of montmorillonite structure and the process for preparing the catalyst composition is also described.

Biodiesel is produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils with methanol over alkali-based catalysts, as shown in Scheme 1.
Scheme 1: Reaction Scheme for Biodiesel Production
About 10 wt % glycerol byproduct or co-product is generated during biodiesel synthesis. The increase of biodiesel production will result in the accumulation of glycerol. This not only creates a glut in the market but also affects the overall economics of biodiesel production. This situation has prompted a search for new applications of glycerol. Accordingly, glycerol can be a cost-effective raw material for the preparation of valuable chemicals and fuel additives. The utilization of glycerol to produce different value added chemicals has been studied (Len et al., Sustainable Chemical Processes, 2014, 2, 1).
Glycerol-based compounds, such as acetylglcyerols, are being widely used as fuel additives, intermediates in polymers, pharmaceuticals, cryogenics, and photographic materials. Monoacetyl glycerides (MAG), diacetyl glycerides (DAG), and triacetyl glycerides (TAG) are the main products (also known as mono-, di- and triacetin) obtained from the acetylation of glycerol in the presence of acetic acid and/or acetic anhydride (Liao et al., Fuel Process Technol., 2009, 90, 988-993; Ferreira et al., Catal. Commun, 2011, 12, 573-576). Among the obtained products, diacetin and triacetin are the most interesting products from a fuel-production point of view. They can be formulated with petroleum-derived fuels to improve either cold and viscosity properties (biodiesel) or antiknocking properties (gasoline). A large number of mono- and diacetyl glycerols are used as food preservatives.
There has been considerable research focused on the synthesis of acetylglycerols from crude glycerol using heterogeneous catalyst to make the biodiesel process economically viable. However, most of the acylation reactions are dominated by using acetic anhydride and non-aqueous condition. The conventional acylation reaction is poorly suited to the acylation of crude glycerol with acetic acid under aqueous conditions. The classic enzyme catalyzed reaction for the synthesis of acetylglycerols exhibits very good product selectivity from crude glycerol, however the process suffers from low yield, difficulty in product isolation, and economic viability.
Acylation of neat glycerol may be achieved by various heterogeneous catalysts. One such example of a heterogeneous catalyst is activated carbon (AC) that is obtained by treating the surface of the pre-catalyst with sulfuric acid at 85° C. for four hours to introduce acidic functionalities. The catalyst exhibits 91% glycerol conversion with a selectivity of 38%, 28% and 34% for mono-, di- and triacetyl glyceride, respectively (Hameed et al., Bioresource Technology, 2011, 102, 9229-9235).
Glycerol acetylation has been carried out using different heterogeneous acid catalysts such as Amberlyst-15, zirconia, niobic acid, HPAs and zeolites (Jagadeeswaraiah et al., Appl. Catal. A Gen, 2010, 386, 166-170; Silva et al., Catal. Commun, 2010, 11, 1036-1039; Balaraju et al., Fuel Process Technol., 2010, 91, 249-253; Ferreira et al., Catal. Commun, 2011, 12, 573-576). When Amberlyst-15 acid resin is used as a catalyst, a selectivity of 54% and 13% toward DAG and TAG, respectively can be achieved (Goncalves et al., Catal. Today, 2008, 133-135, 673-677). Comparatively, sulfated zirconia catalysts were considerably less active (Dosuna-Rodríguez et al., Catal. Today, 2011, 167, 56-63). In the presence of niobic acid-supported tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) catalyst, a relatively high selectivity of 57% and 20% toward the formation of DAG and TAG, respectively was recorded (Balaraju et al., Fuel Process Technol., 2010, 91, 249-253). By utilizing dodecatungstophosphoric acid immobilized into a silica matrix as a heterogeneous catalyst selectivity of 62% and 3% for DAG and TAG, respectively can be achieved (Ferreira et al., Appl. Catal. B Environ, 2009, 91, 416-422). However, some of these catalysts described above cannot be applied industrially. Some silicates are difficult to functionalize, heteropoly acids are soluble in polar media, zeolites have low surface area and thermal stability, and some materials are too expensive (Freese et al., Catal. Today, 1999, 49, 237-244; Kuang et al., Appl. Catal. A: General, 2003, 250, 221-229; Melero et al., Energy Fuels, 2007, 21, 1782-1791).
Despite the synthetic elegance and high turnover number, these processes suffer from serious limitations of using the neat glycerol which uses an expensive procedure for purification of crude glycerol that precluded the wide use in industry.

Catalytic composition, method of making and catalytic application thereof for producing ester(s) of glycerol


The invention is a method that combines the following components: a high pass filter designed to have sufficiently small phase delay and roll-off value in transition band as well as sufficiently good attenuation; a distortion detection and reconstruction introduced by the application of the high pass filter by extraction the significant frequency components in relevant frequency band; a signal compensation that reshapes the output of the high pass filter by matching the filter's phase delay and attenuation characteristics so as to approximate low frequency component extraction that would be produced by an ideal filter (very sharp frequency transition and no delay); a time-domain detection and correction method that addresses special circumstances under which the compensation would be inaccurate to achieve real-time estimate in normal circumstances, and a time-domain correction method during and immediately after sudden changes in composite signal (spike) is detected.

Conventional offshore marine vessels use a loading computer to provide crew with information about the stability and forces to which the vessel is expected to be exposed to as a result of a given loading condition and expected operational forces.
When these forces are critical for the safety of the vessel, the measurement of the vessel's response during a particular operation where these forces occur, together with a comparison against expected values, provides a real time assessment of the operation and can increase the level of operational safety.
These real-time operation assessment systems require a direct measurement of these responses with accuracy during an operation, is often difficult due to the motion of the vessel in seaways. However the motion registration of a vessel includes information on the response of the vessel to a certain force. For instance, a heel angle as a result of a transverse acting force can be deducted for the rolling motion of the vessel.
The rolling motion data for the vessel comprises contributions from wave, vessel load and operational forces, as well as measurement noise. These separate contributions correspond to different frequency bands that may overlap.
Typically, the vessel motion attributable to first order wave forces occupies the frequency band between 0.05 to 0.17 Hz, the vessel motion due to operational forces and loads on the vessel occupy the frequency band between 0 to 0.05 Hz, while measurement noise typically produces motion signal components in the higher frequencies.
The lowest frequency components of the vessel motion result in heeling,
In a conventional vessel motion prediction system, the isolation of different frequency components in a vessel motion signal is typically performed using frequency domain filters. This could be, for example, an Infinite Impulse Response filter (IIR) or a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter.
To obtain the vessel motion components of interest, (for example, motion due to operational forces) from the raw motion data, a low pass IIR or FIR could be applied.
The output from the IIR or FIR will contain the low frequency components with some distortion and time delay.
Alternatively, IIR and FIR high pass filters can also be utilized in the manner shown in FIG. 1. The low frequency component is obtained by subtracting the high frequency component at the output of the filter (HPF) from the original signal.
The output delay of low pass filters is too large to satisfy real time requirements of stability calculation. A typical IIR low pass filter has a minimum output delay of more than 2 seconds when attenuation of unwanted components is relaxed. This delay may be even larger when sufficient attenuation of unwanted components is required. FIR low pass filters can be designed with lower delay in the milliseconds range. However, it is well known that FIR low pass filters have very poor attenuation of unwanted components.

Method of performing real time decomposition of a signal into components


A built-in self-test circuit for testing a voltage controlled oscillator comprises a voltage controlled oscillator, a buffer having an input coupled to an output of the voltage controlled oscillator and a radio frequency peak detector coupled to the output of the buffer. The radio frequency peak detector is configured to receive an ac signal from the voltage controlled oscillator and generate a dc value proportional to the ac signal at an output of the radio frequency peak detector. Furthermore, the output of the radio frequency peak detector generates a dc value proportional to an amplitude of the ac signal from the voltage controlled oscillator when the voltage controlled oscillator functions correctly. On the other hand, the output of the radio frequency peak detector is at zero volts when the voltage controlled oscillator fails to generate an ac signal.

In radio frequency circuits, such as a receiver or transceiver, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is used as a frequency synthesizer to down-convert or up-convert a radio frequency signal. A VCO may comprise an oscillator designed to be controlled in frequency by a received voltage generated by a VCO control system formed by a frequency divider, a frequency and phase detector, a charge pump and a low pass filter. In the VCO control system, the output of the frequency divider is compared with a reference signal at the frequency and phase detector. The output of the frequency and phase detector is coupled to the low pass filter and further coupled to the oscillator. As a result, the oscillator generates a desired signal in response to the voltage from the low pass filter.
During the process of fabricating semiconductor chips, a plurality of VCO circuits may be built on a wafer. In order to detect defective voltage controlled oscillators of a wafer, various testing circuits are employed to test voltage controlled oscillators during different phases of fabricating semiconductor devices. There are two major types: semiconductor testing performed at wafer level and semiconductor testing performed at packaging level. An advantageous feature of wafer level testing is that wafer level product testing helps to reduce the cost of package and improve the yield.
Wafer level testing can be done by either using a probe card or built-in self-test circuits. A probe card may comprise a variety of probes. Each of the variety of probes may be coupled to a testing pad on a wafer to be tested. The probe card generates a testing signal and reads the testing results from the probes coupled to the testing pads on the wafer. If one circuit block on the wafer does not work or its result is out of the limit to which the circuit block is specified, the probe card can find the failure through the result from the probe coupled to the defective circuit block. By employing the probe card, defective circuit blocks can be found so that they are screened out before the wafer is sent to the next stage of a semiconductor fabrication process. As a result, the cost for packaging defective chips will be saved.
Built-in self-test circuits may be placed at regions wherein scribe lines are drawn. While conventional built-in self-test circuits may only test open-circuit, short-circuit and dc characteristics of an active device, conventional built-in self-test circuits may be not sufficient for evaluating a VCO because the ac characteristics of a VCO is a key factor to decide whether the radio frequency performance of the VCO is within the limit to which the VCO is specified. As a result, despite passing wafer level testing of open-circuit, short-circuit and dc characteristics, some VCO circuits may still fail to pass the final packaged chip test.
Corresponding numerals and symbols in the different figures generally refer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The figures are drawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the various embodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Built-in self-test circuit for voltage controlled oscillators

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Methods are disclosed for simulating the profiles of pattern elements, as formed in a layer of developed resist on a lithographic substrate, wherein the simulated profiles of pattern elements closely correspond to actual lithographic results realized after lithographic exposure and development of the resist. The simulation is based on calculations of resist development that take into account a distribution of resist-development rate. The post-development profile of pattern elements as formed in the resist is estimated by focusing on the separation of resist molecules that occurs during resist development, wherein the simulation calculations are based on the assumption that, in each of multiple increments along the edges of pattern elements, each molecule of the resist material is separated from the layer of resist.

This disclosure pertains to microlithography, which is a key technology used in the manufacture of micro-electronic devices such as semiconductor integrated circuits, displays, and the like. More specifically, the disclosure pertains to methods for predicting the respective profiles of pattern elements, as projected onto a resist layer of a microlithographic substrate, after development of the resist.
During projection microlithography, a pattern (usually comprising an enormous number of pattern elements) defined on a reticle is projected by the beam onto the surface of a suitable substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. So as to be imprintable with an image of the projected pattern, the upstream-facing surface of the substrate is coated with a suitable exposure-sensitive material, termed a xe2x80x9cresist.xe2x80x9d Especially with patterns comprised of extremely small elements, the shapes (profiles) of individual elements as projected onto the substrate frequently differ from respective design-mandated profiles for the elements. These changes in profile can yield less than satisfactory microlithographic results. Hence, before patterns actually are projection-exposed, simulations desirably are performed to predict the as-printed profiles of the pattern elements.
In charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography (e.g., electron-beam microlithography) the conventional method for estimating the as-printed profiles of pattern elements is an extensive calculation based on the spatial distribution of exposure energy accumulated in the exposed resist at the time of resist development. The calculation is based on the well-known Monte Carlo simulation method, in which method the trajectories of electrons scattered within the resist are simulated by assigning directions to the trajectories according to random numbers. The electrons are assumed to undergo scattering events due to elastic interactions with atoms in molecules of the resist, wherein each scattering event results in loss of energy of the participating electron. The scattering events also result in corresponding xe2x80x9cexposurexe2x80x9d reactions involving the molecules of the resist. The resulting local accumulation of exposure energy within the resist due to the scattering electrons is calculated, and the cumulative exposure-energy data are converted to corresponding local rates of resist xe2x80x9cdevelopment.xe2x80x9d The development calculation is performed (e.g., by a string method) using the resulting spatial distribution of the rate of resist development, yielding predictions of corresponding profiles of pattern elements after resist development. This method is described in xe2x80x9cLine-Profile Resist Development Simulation Techniques,xe2x80x9d Polymer Eng. Sci. 17:381 (1977).
However, with increasing demand for ever-smaller sizes of critical circuit elements in microelectronic devices, a need has arisen not only for predictions of the cross-sectional (two-dimensional) profiles of pattern elements realized after resist development but also for predictions of three-dimensional (xe2x80x9c3Dxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cbird""s-eyexe2x80x9d) profiles. To produce a 3D profile using a conventional Monte Carlo simulation in which scattering is simulated using random numbers requires an extremely long calculation time and use of a computer having an extremely large memory.
As a result, investigations of alternative calculation techniques have been investigated, such as making a respective table of the spatial distribution of cumulative exposure energy (an xe2x80x9cExposure Intensity Distributionxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cEIDxe2x80x9d function) after calculating the scattering of electrons entering the resist at a given point. Each table is stored in memory and recalled as required for fitting to a simple function so as to compress the volume of data. For example, see Kobinata et al., xe2x80x9cProximity Effect by Pattern-Modified Stencil Mask in Large-Field Projection Electron-Beam Lithography,xe2x80x9d Jpn. J Appl. Phys. 37:6767 (1998). According to this paper, in a deceleration region of about 10 keV in the resist, if the EID function is expressed as a linear sum of two Gaussian distributions, the calculated results agree well with actual exposure results.
The spatial distribution of cumulative exposure energy over the entire resist is determined by calculations in which the EID function is superimposed over the entire resist. The resulting cumulative-energy data are converted to corresponding resist-development rates. But, this conversion involves using a simple analytical formula that only roughly approximates the chemical reaction involved in development of the particular resist. Furthermore, the parameters of the analytical formula are adjusted suitably to simplify the calculation.
Recently, there has been a much-increased demand for resist-development simulations that can predict accurately the development behavior of very fine pattern elements (e.g., elements having linewidths of 100 nm or less) projected onto the resist. Under these conditions, prediction of as-developed profiles of pattern elements conventionally cannot be performed with sufficient accuracy, even by using resist-development models that approximate development of the well-understood polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resists (which conventionally are used as positive resists) or by the Mack formula (known to be useful for chemically enhanced resists). These obstacles also exist for negative resists. For example, the edge of an actual pattern element having these dimensions, as printed in a developed resist, frequently is distorted by irregularities in the pattern-element edge (i.e., by xe2x80x9cedge roughnessxe2x80x9d) and hence has an irregular profile. But, because conventional resist-development simulations produce smooth edges, actual effects of edge roughness are not appropriately reflected in the simulation results.
In view of the shortcomings of conventional simulation methods, the present invention provides, inter alia, simulation methods that more closely approximate the profiles of projection-transferred pattern elements as formed in the resist after exposure and resist development.
According to one aspect of the invention, methods are provided for simulating the profiles of pattern elements as projection-exposed onto a layer of resist, wherein the methods yield estimates of the cross-sectional post-development profile of the resist along edges of pattern elements. The simulation includes a calculation based on the two-dimensional distribution of the rate of resist development. In a first step of the method, with respect to a layer of the resist, data are input concerning the distribution of molecular weight and of mean density of the resist. In a second step, from the input data, a volume distribution of molecules of the resist is calculated. In a third step, a line (extending along a resist cross-section and indicating a line of contact of the surface of the resist with a resist-developer solution) is divided into increments desirably having equal respective lengths. In a fourth step, based on the distribution of development rate for the resist, respective weighting parameters are assigned to each increment. In a fifth step, after a selected amount of resist-development time, a determination is made of whether separation has occurred in each increment. This determination is made using respective random numbers weighted by the weighting parameters used in the fourth step. A sixth step is performed under the assumption that each molecule of the resist is separated from the layer of resist in each increment in which separation of resist molecules is going to occur. In the sixth step, for each such increment, the respective volume of separated resist molecules is determined using respective random numbers weighted based on the volume distribution calculated in the second step. In a seventh step, using random numbers, respective widths of the volumes of separated resist molecules are determined. Also calculated are the respective depths of the volumes determined in the sixth step. Finally, according to an array of the respective depths of the volumes, a line is extended connecting the depths. The line indicates a simulated profile of the resist surface after separation.
The method further can comprise the step, after the last step described above, of repeating the third through eighth steps as required until the total resist-development time is equal to a predetermined resist-development time. If the predetermined resist-development time has been reached, the simulation is ended. If not, the simulation returns to the third step.
The method further can comprise the step, after the eighth step described above, of estimating the profile of the pattern element after development of the resist.
According to another aspect of the invention, methods are provided for simulating the three-dimensional (xe2x80x9cbird""s-eyexe2x80x9d) profiles of developed resist corresponding to an exposed pattern element. The simulation includes a calculation based on the three-dimensional distribution of the rate of resist development. In a first step, with respect to a layer of the resist, data are input concerning the distribution of molecular weight and the mean density of the resist. In a second step, from the input data, a volume distribution of molecules of the resist is calculated. In a third step, an area of contact of a surface of the resist with a resist-developer solution is divided into increments desirably having equal respective areas. In a fourth step, based on a distribution of development rate for the resist, respective weighting parameters are assigned to each increment. In a fifth step, after a selected amount of resist-development time, a determination is made, using respective random numbers weighted using the weighting parameters used in the fourth step, of whether separation has occurred in each increment. A sixth step is performed under the assumption that each molecule of the resist is separated from the layer of resist in each increment in which separation of the resist molecules is going to occur. For each such increment the respective volume of separated resist molecules is determined using respective random numbers that are weighted based on the volume distribution calculated in the second step. In a seventh step, an assumption is made that each volume of separated resist molecules is shaped as a respective rectangular parallelepiped having a respective bottom surface with respective long and short sides and rotational angle. From the respective volumes of separated resist molecules determined in the sixth step, for each parallelepiped the ratio of the respective lengths of the long side and short side as well as the rotational angle are determined. Also, for each parallelepiped the areas of the respective bottom surfaces and the respective depth of the parallelepiped are calculated. In an eighth step, according to the respective bottom surface areas and depths, a line is extended indicating a profile of the resist surface after separation has occurred.
The method summarized above further can comprise the step, after the eighth step, of repeating the third through eighth steps as required until the total resist-development time is equal to a predetermined resist-development time.
According to conventional simulation methods, whenever a resist-development calculation is performed using the spatial distribution of the rate of resist development, the region of the resist that was the subject of the calculation was regarded as exhibiting a smooth, continuous body. Consequently, the results of the simulations did not account appropriately for edge roughness of pattern elements as imprinted into the resist. The present methods, on the other hand, reflect the separation of resist molecules that occurs during resist development. The present methods also are based on an assumption that each molecule of the resist is separated from the layer of resist in each region (increment) in which separation of the resist molecules is going to occur. As a result, the simulation results obtained with the present methods more closely approximate the behavior of actual developed resists as well as actual pattern-element profiles formed in such resists, including edge roughness. Thus, the present methods accurately predict effects of edge roughness on the respective profiles of pattern elements formed in the developed resist, as well as the limits on how narrowly a pattern element can be as formed in the developed resist. It is also possible, using the present methods, to calculate the optimum sizes of molecules of the resist material and to optimize the mean molecular weight or the distribution of molecular weight of the resist material.
The foregoing and additional features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Methods for stimulating resist development in microlithography


Disclosed herein is a method for displaying information about the use of a hack tool in the online game. When a game IDentification (ID) is input, a client system accesses a security server, and requests and receives the number of times that one or more hack tools have been used for the game ID. The client system provides the game ID and the number of times that hack tools have been used to a game server so that the number of times that hack tools have been used is shared by one or more gamers who participate in the game provided by the game server. When the client system detects the use of a hack tool, the client system increases the number of times that hack tools have been used for the game ID by 1, and provides the number of times that hack tools have been used to the security server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for preventing one or more hack tools from being used in the online game, and, more particularly, to a method for sharing and displaying information about the use of hack tools, such as a program and hardware which have not been permitted for use in the online game, on the computers (client systems) of garners who participate in the corresponding online game.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the wide popularization of ultrahigh-speed Internet, the online game population has rapidly increased and a plurality of online games has been developed. However, the recognition and perceptions of game security are still very weak. Illegal programs in computers are called hacks or hacking programs, and hacks or hacking programs in games are called game hacks. Game hacks refer to programs that are used to fabricate the files or memory of specific game processes.
Such a game hack enables a game user to easily win the game by replacing specific data, such as ability or strength, by increasing the speed of a blow or the number of blows in the case of a fighting game, or by providing macro functions in such a way as to fabricate the memory of the game. Therefore, users want to install game hacks when they play the online games. However, the use of game hacks in the online game may cause problems of breaking down the balance between users and overloading the game server. That is, with regard to the online games, if some users play the game while gaining the upper hand thanks to illegal methods, the balance with other users is lost, and the balance of the entire online game is lost in critical situations, so that a game server becomes overloaded.
Meanwhile, hardware or a program, which users want to use in the online games, includes "an auto mouse" or "an auto macro Program". The auto mouse is a device which enables the right or left button of a mouse to be automatically clicked, and the auto macro program is a device which enables various mouse operations to be sequentially performed. The auto mouse and the auto macro program are implemented by programs or hardware. When an auto mouse is used in a computer system, a specific user can easily play the game while gaining the upper hand using illegal methods, the balance with other users is lost, and the balance of the entire online games is lost, so that a game server becomes overloaded.
The use of devices which break down the balance with other users, such as game hacks, auto mouse, or auto macro programs, is not permitted in the online games. In the specification of the present invention, all programs and hardware which are not permitted for use in the online games are called "hack tools". It is apparent that the kind of hardware or programs that have been determined to be hack tools may vary per online game in conformity with the policies of online game suppliers. For example, when a program is permitted in one specific online game but the program is not permitted in other online games, the program may be determined as a hack tool.
In order to restrict users from using hack tools, game providers request users to install security programs together with corresponding games in the client systems of the users. When a user executes such a game program, a game process is executed, and a security process is successively and automatically executed. If the user stops the security process when the game is played, the game process is stopped together with the security process. That is, when the online game is played, a security process is executed together with a game process, and the security process blocks one or more game hack tools which are designated as non-permitted programs for the corresponding online game.
Generally, 'programs' and 'files' mean the collection of commands sequentially written in order to be executed on a computer, and 'processes' refer to programs which are executed on a computer. That is, game programs function as game processes and are executed on client systems, security programs function as security processes and are executed on client systems, and security processes detect and block hack tools executed on client systems.
When users use hack tools in client systems, security processes stop the use of the hack tools. However, it is important for online game suppliers to obtain online game users, so that the online game suppliers do not actively disable users from playing corresponding online games even though users repeatedly use hack tools. Therefore, when game users are blocked because they are using hack tools, they can participate in corresponding online games again without sanctions even if they log in again.
That is, since online game suppliers have not actively implemented sanctions against users depending on the number of times that one or more hack tools are used, the number of times that hack tools are used by some vicious users has not decreased at all, so that well-intentioned users who normally play the games without using hack tolls have suffered.

Method for displaying information about use of hack tool in online game


A circuit board connector for improving the reliability in the electrical connection of a joint section between a circuit board and a terminal, includes a housing and a pair of flexible arms extending downwards in the housing and adapted to lock a connection terminal with the housing, a slit-like gap being provided between the two flexible arms, semi-ellipsoidal engagement protrusions being provided on the arms at positions where they are opposed to each other. The connection terminal has a substantially rhombic engagement hole which is to be engaged with the engagement protrusions. When the flexible arms in the housing undergo thermal expansion as a result of a rise in temperature, the engagement protrusions move downwards while remaining in abutment with oblique inner edges of the engagement hole, thereby absorbing dimensional changes of the housing. Thus, the terminal is not influenced by expansion/contraction of the housing, thereby ensuring a stable electrical connection without involving any damage to the joint section between the circuit board and the terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector for connecting a connection wire to a printed circuit board and, in particular, to a circuit board connector which prevents a terminal connecting section on a printed circuit board from being damaged by expansion/contraction of the housing of the connector when this housing, into which a terminal has been inserted, expands or contracts as a result of a temperature change .
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 51-151994 discloses a conventional connector for connecting a connection wire to a circuit board, which connector is shown in FIG. 9. Referring to FIG. 9, a connector B includes housing 10 and a terminal 12 inserted into the housing, the terminal 12 having a raised engagement element 12a, which is engaged with an engagement step 15a in an engagement section 15 of the housing body 10. The terminal 12 further includes a connecting section 12b. As indicated at 6 in FIG. 9, connection of the connector B to a printed circuit board 3 is effected by soldering the connecting section 12b, which extends through the circuit board, to the printed circuit board 3.
Referring to FIG. 10, which is an enlarged view of the essential part of the connector B, the housing 10 is made of resin (polypropylene or the like), whereas the terminal 12 is made of a conductive material (a metal belonging to the copper family). Thus, the housing 10 and the terminal 12 exhibit different coefficients of thermal expansion. Here, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the terminal 12 may be neglected since it is much smaller than that of the housing 10. When the housing 10 expands as a result of a sudden rise in temperature caused by a soldering bath or the like, the engagement step 15a of the engagement section 15 expands by a length d1 to be changed into an engagement step 15b as shown in the drawing. As a result of this change, the engagement element 12a of the terminal 12 is pushed upwards by the length d1. This causes the connecting section 12b of the terminal 12, which is engaged with the engagement step 15a, to be likewise raised by d1. As a result, concentration of stress occurs at the soldered section 6 joining the connecting section 12b of the terminal to the circuit board 3, thereby causing damage such as cracks or distortion, which may lead to a considerable degree of deterioration in the reliability of the electrical connection.
Thus, the above-described conventional engagement method, in which the housing and the terminal, made of materials having greatly different coefficients of thermal expansion, are simply engaged with each other, has the problem that a sudden temperature change caused by the soldering bath or the like may cause expansion or contraction of the housing, resulting in the generation of cracks or the like in the soldered section joining the terminal to the circuit board. Further, it is possible for the engaging element of the terminal to be deformed as a result of distortion, or four the terminal to be detached from the circuit board, resulting in disconnection or poor conductivity.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems in the conventional method for engaging the housing with the terminal. It is the object of the present invention to provide a circuit board connector which improves the reliability in the electrical connection of the joint section between the circuit board and the terminal.


Spherical baked goods, such as, cookies, crackers and snacks, are produced on a mass production basis by feeding a farinaceous dough or other food composition to one or a plurality of dies which shape it into ropes. The shaped extrudate ropes obtained from each die are cut by a cutting means, such as, a reciprocating cutter, which severs and shapes the rope into substantially spherical, cylindrical or rounded pieces. The doughs which are cut into substantially spherical, cylindrical or rounded pieces can be raw, partially cooked or baked, or fully cooked. A spherical or rounded shape is maintained or obtained upon subsequent baking or leavening of the substantially spherical dough pieces by continuously moving them relative to the oven conveyer so as to avoid flattening of the dough piece due to spreading. The baked pieces are sufficiently rounded or spherical so as to permit continuous application of confectionery coatings of substantially uniform thickness by pan coating techniques.

In some commercial schemes, fermented dough is dropped into a divider hopper, which cuts the dough into loaf-sized pieces. The dough is then forced into pockets of a divider having a known volume. The pocket contents are cut off from the main dough mass. The dough pieces of constant volume are ejected onto a conveyor leading to a rounder. The dough pieces leaving the divider are irregular in shape with sticky cut surfaces from which the gas can readily diffuse. The rounder close the cut surface, giving each dough piece a smooth and dry exterior. A relatively thick and continuous skin is for=ned around the dough piece. The rounder shapes the dough into a ball for easier handling in subsequent steps. The rounder performs its functions by rolling the flouted dough pieces around the surface of a drum or cone, moving it upward or downward along this surface by means of a spiral track. As a result of this action, the surface of the dough pieces is dried both by the even distribution of dusting flour and by dehydration resulting from exposure to air. The dough pieces assume an approximately spherical shape. After being allowed to rest, the dough pieces are conveyed to a molder. See: Matz, Samuel A., "Cereal Technology", (1970), pages 56 to 59; and The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Macropaedia, Volume 2, (1974), page 601.
Rounders can be classified as bowl-, drum-, or umbrella-type. The conical or bowl variety consists of a rotatable cone-shaped bowl around the interior of which is placed a stationary spiral track or race. From the conveyor leading from the divider the dough pieces fall into the feed hopper of the rounder and then drop to the bottom of the rotating bowl. The pieces are tumbled and rolled along the dough race until they emerge from the top of the bowl and fall onto the belt leading to the intermediate proofer. A second type of rounder is the so-called umbrella or inverted cone variety. These machines differ from the preceding type in that the dough piece is carried along the outside surface of a cone which has its apex facing upward. The third type of rounder is the drum rounder. This machine differs from the bowl and umbrella styles in that the cone segment has very little slope to its sides, i.e., the sides are almost vertical. The dough piece enters near the bottom of the drum and rolls upward. In addition to their form, rounding machines may vary in the texture or composition of the rotating surface, in the means provided for adjusting the relationship of the dough race to the drum or cone, in the method of applying dusting flour, etc. The rotating surface is usually corrugated vertically or horizontally, but the design and the size of the ribs vary considerably from one manufacturer to another. The surface may be waxed or it may be coated with a plastic such as Teflon to reduce sticking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,610 discloses a dough piece rounder for shaping dough pieces. A mass of dough is made into uniform pieces of equal weight. The dough pieces are deposited onto an endless air impervious flexible belt. The belt conveys the pieces to a dough shaping apparatus. The dough pieces are shaped into a desired shape. The belt is supported and cooled by a perforated plate deck lying just underneath at least a portion of the belt. Air is discharged from the perforated plate deck to provide a film of air between the plate deck and the belt to reduce the friction therebetween and to carry away heat from any friction heat generated. The dough pieces can be formed into spherical shapes by the apparatus of the patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,669 discloses edible articles for ingestion. The edible articles comprise an edible cookie bit defined by a mixture of flour, sugar and shortening baked into a predetermined size and into a predetermined shape. The surface of the cookie bit has a characteristic for absorbing an edible foodstuff into at least a portion of the surface while retaining the predetermined shape. The predetermined structural characteristic of the cookie bit is defined by the ability of the edible cookie bit for absorbing the foodstuff and retaining the structural integrity of the edible cookie bit. The edible foodstuff for coating the surface without compromising the predetermined shape, covers the edible cookie bit so that the surface is not visible in the finished edible article. The cookie bits have a count per pound of about 500 to about 3000.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,329 discloses using a fluidized bed to treat food materials. The patent discloses toasting discrete materials, such as, rice, wheat, corn flakes and potato chips, utilizing a fluidized bed to obtain a bubble surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,149,976 discloses using a fluidized bed to treat food materials. The patent discloses roasting granular organic material, such as, coffee beans, cocoa beans, peanuts and cereals, by controlled fluidization.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,545 discloses using a fluidized bed to treat food materials. The patent discloses receiving pieces of dough divided from a dough mass, sheeting the dough, passing the dough pieces over a fluidized bed while squeezing the pieces between a pair of rollers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,726 discloses using a fluidized bed to treat food materials. The patent discloses a dough molding method wherein a piece of dough is caused to pass over a fluidized bed in its approach to a pair of sheeting rolls.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,978 discloses reshaping a cylindrical dough into a roundish shape and coating it, using a revolving drum to reshape the dough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,574 relates to the shaping of cookie dough into conical pieces using a die roll. The conical pieces are laid on their side and baked on a conveyer in an oven so that all baked surfaces are rounded. Panning and handling are facilitated by the shape. Cylindrical or frustroconical shapes can also be used. However, according to the patent spherical cake or cookie products are inherently 10 difficult to make.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,381,697 and 4,397,881 are similar to U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,574. U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,697 discloses using a die roll to produce cone-shaped cookie dough bits which are transferred by conveyors to an oven conveyor for baking to form cookies. U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,881 discloses using a die roll to shape cookie dough into a part cylindrical, part conical configuration. Spherical cake or cookie products, it is disclosed, are inherently difficult to make. The shaped dough pieces are baked on an oven conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,572 relates to the coating of baked or fried products. The patent discloses coating baked or fried products with a moisture barrier by dipping, spraying, brushing or a water fall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,978 discloses a method of reshaping deformable food material, such as dough, by rolling said pieces in the presence of particulate coating material in a revolving drum, thereby reshaping the pieces into roundish, coated bodies.
The following patents relate to the use of heated streams in a baking chamber. However, fluidation of dough pieces to reshape and leaven them into roundish pieces is not taught in them:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,578 discloses baking food in a closed space in which heated air is circulated. The temperature is varied in a saw-tooth fashion to minimize soiling of the cooking space.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,383 discloses baking bread, cookies, etc., in which high velocity, heated air is impinged against the food product.
U.S. Pat. 4,587,946 discloses baking food in an oven while circulating heated air with a fan to obtain substantially uniform baking throughout the oven.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,542 discloses cooking food by conveying the same through an oven while heated air is forced through the oven and impinges the food.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,864 discloses an air heated oven wherein food pieces are placed in a foraminous basket and heated air flows through the basket and heats the food pieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,375 discloses cooking foods in an oven while controlling the air flow rate in the oven.
British Patent No. 462,897 discloses regenerating bakery products by subjecting the products to the action of freely circulating heated air.
German Patent No. 2,446,581 discloses a baking process which utilizes a moving stream of hot air.
French Patent No. 2,409,006 discloses a baking chamber utilizing circulating air.
The present invention provides a process for continuously mass producing spherical baked goods while avoiding flattening of the dough pieces due to oven spreading. The leavened products are sufficiently spherical so as to enable continuous application of uniform confectionery coatings by pan coating without sticking of the pieces to each other during coating.

Method for producing spherical shaped baked goods


A device for manufacturing a laminated iron core includes: a punch unit configured to form protrusions, and including N number of punches as a set, the N being a natural number larger than M; and N number of auxiliary punches. The N number of auxiliary punches are configured such that L number of auxiliary punches selected from the N number of auxiliary punches performs a nullification processing on a metal sheet, the nullification processing being configured to nullify a processing with the L number of punches among the N number of punches, the L being the natural number that is obtained by subtracting the M from the N. According to the above configurations, for example, since a processing position with the plurality of punches is limited in one position, a positional accuracy of protrusions formed in punched members with the plurality of punches is improved.

JP2018-007530A discloses a method for manufacturing a rotor laminated iron core in which a strip-shaped metal sheet is sent intermittently, an inner diameter region is punched from each metal sheet, a plurality of shaft holes provided with key protruding portions is formed such that the protruding portions face different angles; an outer diameter region including each shaft hole is separately punched from the metal sheet to form a plurality of punched members; and a plurality of the punched members are laminated while being rotated such that the protruding portions overlap with each other.
According to the method described in JP2018-007530A, in order to form the plurality of shaft holes such that the protruding portions each face different angles, a plurality of punches for forming the shaft holes are arranged in a line in a longitudinal direction of the metal sheet. Therefore, if the punches are not accurately aligned, the protruding portions may be displaced in a height direction of the rotor laminated iron core when the plurality of punched members are laminated.
According to the method described in JP2018-007530A, the shaft hole is formed by one punch, so that the punch includes a first portion corresponding to the protruding portion, and a second portion corresponding to an opening portion of the shaft hole. Since the protruding portion has a relatively complicated shape such as an uneven shape, the first portion tends to be damaged relatively easily. When the first portion is damaged, the entire punch including the second portion needs to be replaced, which may increase the maintenance cost.

Device for manufacturing laminated iron core and method for manufacturing laminated iron core


An apparatus for detecting the flatness of a top surface of a wafer includes a plurality of detector elements, a metal sink and a plurality of injection pipes. Each detector element comprises: a metal tube body, jet pipes, a light receiver and a light emitter. The method comprises: injecting ultra-pure water into the detector elements by injection pipes; emitting parallel beams along an upward-oblique direction, a preset Angle θ being formed between the beams and the vertical direction. The radiated beams above the water surface are incident on a receiver. The intensity of the beams received by the light receiver is used to calculate the height of the detecting point of the surface of the silicon wafer to determine the flatness condition of the wafer surface. The flatness of the photo-resist covered on the wafer surface can also be accurately measured by this method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of microelectronics, in particular it relates to an apparatus for detecting flatness of a top surface of a wafer and the detecting method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the production process of integrated circuits, the surface of the silicon wafer is usually not perfectly flat but is undulating. If the undulating surface is ignored, it will cause partial regions of the exposed areas to be out of focus in the exposure process of traditional photolithography so that the image of the pattern will be affected.
The detection for wafer flatness by a scanner is an important measurement step prior to the exposure of the wafer. Because of this measurement step, the scanner will expose the film such as photo-resist covered on the wafer under the optimal exposure conditions corresponding to the surface of the wafer. The surface with the smallest overall differences in surface irregularities becomes the best focused plane at the various points from the exposure area and is called the best focused surface.
Currently, there are two methods in the present industry for detecting the flatness of a wafer by a scanner,
1. The optical method: emitting light onto the surface of the wafer, then the light is reflected by the surface of the wafer and the reflected light is received by a sensor. The intensity of the reflected light is determined by the sensor, and the height of the point calculated. A row of equally spaced groups of light transmitters and light receivers are arranged parallel in the lateral direction, then the wafer is scanned in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the height of every point on the wafer can be obtained, which is used for determining the flatness of the entire wafer.
In the process of this method, since the emitted light will penetrate the photoresist so that what the method measures is the flatness of the substrate. During the process of coating the photoresist, the photoresist flows before it is heated and dried, thus there are some differences between the flatness of the substrate and the flatness of the photoresist. However what we actually want to measure is the flatness of the photoresist surface. Therefore, the flatness measured by this method is somehow different from the actual desired flatness.
2. The (Air Gauge) method: This method combines the optical method and air method. Firstly, the optical method is applied to measure the height of each point on the wafer surface in the exposed area. Then air is sprayed on a point within the exposed area on the surface of the wafer. A sensor receives the air rebounding from the surface of the wafer. According to the different flow rates of the air received by the sensor, the height of the point is calculated. Then the different points within the exposed area are detected to determine the height of every point in the exposed area. The difference of every point which is detected between the air measurement and the optical measurement will be calculated. As the substrate height is different at various points within the exposed area, the difference values of these points will not the same. A model is built based on these difference values, which is recorded in the scanner. In the future actual production, the optical detection method is firstly used to measure the flatness of the wafer, then this model is called and the difference value is added point-to-point, the result will be equivalent to the flatness measured by air.
As using the air method for measurement is relatively slow and the flows will affects each other if a row of such air jets and sensors are arranged, the air method will not work alone and the optical method has to be combined to detect the flatness. If the combined method is used to detect the different substrates, different models need to be established according to the difference values between the measured results in air flow approach and the measured results using the optical method for each product each layer. Therefore, the model establishment used in production will result in a relatively large workload. Once the substrate changes, the flatness measured by this method will not be accurate and the data will need to be collected again to build a new model. In practical production, because of the shift in the etching or polishing process, measurements inaccuracies will result.
Chinese patent (CN 101276151A) discloses a method and device for measuring the smoothness of a wafer surface. The morphology values of the different positions of the wafer surface are measured by the redundancy of the vertical location device of the work piece stage in an exposure device. The smoothness at any point on the wafer surface is acquired through the polynomial fitting calculation. The technical solution described in the literature has not solved the problem of the inaccuracy in measurement caused by the bias in the etching or polishing process.
Chinese patent (CN 101957186A) describes a method for detecting the flatness of the wafer surface. A light that is parallel to the surface of the wafer is used to irradiate outside, and the wafer surface flatness is detected according to the direction of the beam received by the light receiver.

Apparatus for detecting the flatness of wafer and the method thereof

Shanghai Huali Microelectronics Corporation


Discussed generally herein are methods and devices including or providing an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. A device can include substrate including electrical connection circuitry therein, ground circuitry on, or at least partially in the substrate, the ground circuitry at least partially exposed by a surface of the substrate, a die electrically connected to the connection circuitry and the ground circuitry, the die on the substrate, a conductive material on a die backside, and a conductive paste or one or more wires electrically connected to the ground circuitry and the conductive material.

Electromagnetic sources can generate electrical signals that can cause Electromagnetic interference (EMI). EMI is an electromagnetic wave or signal generated by an external source that negatively affects a circuit. The electromagnetic wave or signal can affect the circuit through electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, and/or conduction. The electromagnetic wave can degrade the performance of the circuit or even stop it from functioning.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for electromagnetic interference shielding


A vehicle-mounted dual-oblique asymmetric laser velocity measurement device is provided. A small-angle splitting prism (9) is installed on a laser path where the laser beam of the reference-beam LDV probe is incident onto a driving surface. The laser beam is split by the small-angle splitting prism (9) into two emergent beams having an included angle α for incidence onto the driving surface. Two ground-scattered light beams returning along the original direction of the two emergent beams are used as signal light together. Reference light is mixed with the signal light on a photosensitive surface of a photodetector of the reference beam LDV probe. The photodetector mixes the reference light and the signal light to form Doppler signals for transmission to a signal processing unit (10). The signal processing unit (10) extracts the Doppler frequencies corresponding to the two emergent beams separately, to implement velocity calculation.

In a conventional vehicle-mounted laser velocity measurement device in a reference beam mode, the entire laser velocity measurement device is fixedly attached to a carrier (e.g., a vehicle) to measure a driving velocity of the vehicle relative to the ground. Laser beams from a laser is divided by a beam splitter into reference light and scattered light incident on a surface for driving (e.g., ground surface). The scattered light returning in the original direction is received by a photodetector as signal light. Frequencies of the reference light and the signal light are mixed on a photosensitive surface of the photodetector. A voltage signal output from the photodetector includes differential frequencies (i.e., Doppler frequency) of the two light, and the velocity of the vehicle can be calculated by detecting the Doppler frequencies.
The velocity to be measured is closely related to an inclination angle of light relative to the ground. In the driving process, a vehicle is often bumpy, causing the inclination angle changed, which leads to inaccurate velocity measurement.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a velocity measurement device and method that can be unaffected by the emergent inclination angle to overcome the above problem.

Vehicle-mounted laser velocity measurement device

BEIJING HANGTIANGUANGXIN TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED


Construction of an electric power-steering apparatus is achieved that, by stably suppressing backlash of an output shaft 6a of an electric motor 5 over a long period of time, is able to stably reduce vibration and strange noise that occurs during operation. The front end section of the output shaft 6a and the base end section of a worm 7 are connected such that torque can be transmitted and such that relative displacement in the axial direction is possible. An elastic member 31 having an elastic force in a direction that separates the output shaft 6a and worm 7 is provided in the connecting section between the output shaft 6a and the worm 7. Due to the elastic force of the elastic member 31, together with the tandem arrangement contact angles, the preload is applied to a pair of ball bearings 14a, 14b that support the output shaft 6a with respect to the motor case 13 such that the output shaft 6a can rotate freely.

Electric power-steering apparatuses that use an electric motor as an auxiliary power source are widely used for reducing the force required for operating a steering wheel when applying a steering angle to the steered wheels of an automobile (normally the front wheels except in special vehicles such as a forklift and the like). Electric power steering apparatuses having various constructions are known, and in all the kinds of constructions, auxiliary power from an electric motor is applied by way of a reduction gear to a steering shaft that is rotated by operating a steering wheel. Typically, a worm reducer is used as this reduction gear. In the case of an electric power-steering apparatus that uses a worm reducer, the auxiliary force from an electric motor is freely transmitted to the steering shaft by a worm that is rotated and driven by the electric motor engaging with a worm wheel that rotates together with the steering shaft.
FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrate an example of a conventional electric power-steering apparatus. The front-end section of a steering shaft 2 is supported by the inside of a housing 3 so as to be able to rotate freely, and a worm wheel 4 is fastened to the front-end section of this steering shaft 2. A worm 7 that is fastened to an output shaft 6 of an electric motor 5 engages with this worm wheel 4. By the electric motor 5 rotating and driving the worm 7, auxiliary torque having a specified size and direction is applied to the worm wheel 4. The worm 7 comprises a worm shaft 8 and worm teeth 9 that are provided in the middle section in the axial direction of the outer circumferential surface of the worm shaft 8, and the base end section and the tip end section of the worm shaft 8 are supported inside the housing 3 by way of a pair of ball bearings 10a, 10b so as to be able to rotate freely. Moreover, a spline hole 11 that is open on the base end surface of the worm shaft 8 fit with the spline shaft section 12 that is provided on the tip end section of the output shaft 6 with a spline fit. On the other hand, the output shaft 6 is supported inside a motor case 13 by way of a pair of ball bearings 14a, 14b so as to be able to rotate freely.
During operation of this kind of electric power-steering apparatus, the electric current direction and amount supplied to the electric motor 5 is controlled according to the direction and size of the torque that is applied to the steering shaft 2 from the steering wheel 1. By applying appropriate auxiliary torque to the steering shaft 2 by way of the worm 7 and worm wheel 4, it is possible to transmit torque to a steering gear unit 16 by an intermediate shaft 15 that is greater than the torque that is inputted from the steering shaft 2. As a result, a pair of left and right tie rods 17 are pushed or pulled by a force that is larger than the operating force that is applied from the steering wheel 1, so it is possible to apply a desired steering angle to the left and right steered wheels even with a small operating force.
When doing this, the direction and size of the auxiliary torque frequently changes, so without taking various measures, beating noise or vibration is generated in the parts, and gives an unpleasant feeling to the passengers. Therefore, in the engaging section between the worn 7 and the worm wheel 4, by elastically pressing the ball bearing 10b on the tip end side of the worm 7 toward the worm wheel 4, backlash in this engaging section is eliminated and the generation of a gear rattling sound is prevented.
Moreover, placing an elastic member in between the tip end surface of the output shaft of the electric motor and the base end surface of the worm shaft, and suppressing backlash in the output shaft and worm by elastically pressing the output shaft and worm in directions away from each other is known (refer to JP2002-255047(A), JP2003-72563(A), JP2008-213667(A), JP2008-247190(A), JP2008-290693(A), and JP2009-61898(A)). Furthermore, JP2011-69495(A) discloses the use of a single-row deep groove four point contact ball bearing as the ball bearing for supporting the base end section of the worm shaft.
During operation of an electric power-steering apparatus, in order to suppress backlash that occurs due to minute displacement in the axial direction of the output shaft 6 of the electric motor 5, it is necessary to apply a preload to the pair of ball bearings 14a, 14b that support both end sections of the output shaft 6. In order to accomplish this, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a plate spring (disk spring, spring washer, wave washer or the like) 18 is provided between the base end surface (right end surface in FIG. 7) of the outer ring of the ball bearing 14a on the base end side of the output shaft 6 and the back end surface of the motor case 13. The elastic force of this plate spring 18, together with a face-to-face arrangement (DF) contact angle as indicated by the chain line in FIG. 7, applies a preload to the ball bearings 14a, 14b.
In the case of this conventional construction, a force in the compression direction is repeatedly applied to the plate spring 18 during operation of the electric power-steering apparatus. In other words, as the worm wheel 4 and worm teeth 9 (see FIG. 6) engage, a reaction force from the engaging section is applied to the worm 7 that is provided with worm teeth 9. The direction in which the axial direction component of this reaction force acts is reversed each time the direction of the torque that is transmitted from the worm 7 to the worm wheel 4 changes. On the other hand, the ball bearing 14b on the tip end side of the output shaft 6, as can be clearly seen from the direction of the contact angles illustrated by the chain lines in FIG. 7, has very little function for supporting the component in the axial direction of the reaction force that acts in the direction from the worm 7 to the output shaft 6. Therefore, a force in the compression direction having nearly that magnitude is repeatedly applied to the plate spring 18 the number of times that the direction changes. As a result, from use over a long period of time, the elastic force of the plate spring 18 decreases or is lost, and thus the preload that is applied to the ball bearings 14a, 14b decreases or is lost. Particularly, the installation space for the plate spring 18 is limited, and for the elastic stroke (amount of change in the dimension in the axial direction in a state when an elastic force can be applied) of the plate spring 18, the percentage of the change in this dimension in the axial direction becomes large as the electric power-steering apparatus operates, so the elastic force of the plate spring 18 can easily decrease or be lost.
By providing an elastic member, for which a large elastic stroke compared to a plate spring can be easily maintained, between the tip end surface of the output shaft of the electric motor and the base end surface of the worm shaft as disclosed in JP08-290693(A), backlash in the axial direction of the output shaft is decreased a certain amount, however, is not sufficient. In other words, in the case of a conventional electric motor, both end sections of the output shaft are supported by a pair of ball bearings, and the directions of the contact angles that are applied to the balls of these ball bearings are opposite of each other. That is, a back-to-back arrangement (DB) contact angle or face-to-face arrangement (DF) contact angle is applied to these ball bearings. In either case, when the output shaft, which is supported so as to rotated freely by a pair of ball bearings of which the direction of the contact angles differ from each other, is pressed in the axial direction, the preload for one of the ball bearings increases and the preload for the other ball-bearing decreases. In the case where the preload of this other ball bearing is lost, there is a possibility that a strange noise, such as a beating noise, or vibration may occur in the portion of this other ball bearing. Therefore, by simply providing an elastic member between the tip end surface of the output shaft of the electric motor and the base end surface of the worm shaft, there is a problem in that it is not possible to sufficiently prevent backlash of the output shaft.


Container for electrical/electronic circuits, comprising an insulating body (110) having internally at least one central space (111) for receiving a printed circuit (2), and a side closing cover (3), at least one female seat (120) extending outwards in the longitudinal direction (X-X) in between the opposite top part and bottom part of the body (110), and a pin (201) which forms part of a conducting element (200) for electrically connecting together the connector (1) and the printed circuit (2) being arranged coaxially inside the said engaging seat (120), said pin (201) having a fold (201b) extending in the transverse direction (Y-Y) and integral with an edge (202b) of a first flat body (202) of the connector (200) parallel to the longitudinal direction (X-X).

It is known, in the technical sector relating to electrical connection devices such as terminal strips, connection boxes and the like, to use terminal blocks designed to be mounted on corresponding supports, such as DIN rails, and to provide access, in a top and bottom position, to the means for retaining the electrical connection wires which form the electric circuit and also provide an indication, on the front, of the connection function.
Although performing their function, these terminal blocks are however designed to provide an electrical connection between the opposite connections of the circuit by means of continuity jumpers which are situated inside the terminal block and nevertheless require internal screw-type or resilient spring means for retaining the connection wire.
Examples of such applications are the relay-holder containers or printed circuit containers which allow control of a greater number of circuits with smaller overall dimensions and easier implementation.
DE 297 13 960 U1 and DE 20 2009 002 498 U1 illustrate examples of containers for electric/electronic circuits according to the preamble of Claim 1. None of the containers according to the prior art is designed to provide a safe and reversible electrical connection, by means of external continuity jumpers, to further selected containers of an array of adjacent containers, in order to form multiple electrical connections.

Container for electrical/electronic circuits provided with seats and associated contact elements for electrical wiring connectors


A fire protected steel structure with at least one fire protection panel covering the steel structure. The panel includes a perforated metal plate (14) and an inner expanding fire protecting layer (12) with a thickness (t1) on an inside of the perforated metal plate (14) and an outer expanding fire protecting layer (13) with a thickness (t2) on an outside of the perforated metal plate (14). The fire protecting layers extend through the perforated metal plate (14). Releasable mechanical fasteners for removable attachment of the at least one fire protection panel to the steel structure is provided. Furthermore, the invention concerns a panel for fire protection of a steel structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a fire protected steel structure and removable panels for fire protection of steel structures. The panels are intended for covering steel structures such as tubular elements, girders, tanks, flanges, valves, columns, panels, walls etc. in particular for offshore installations, process plants, vessels, or anywhere metal structures are used in an environment where fire protection is an issue.
2. Description of the Related Art
In fires in or close to steel structures, it is of considerable importance that the structures are sufficiently fire protected to maintain the functionality and ability to carry load. The steel structures may be of any shape, for instance cylindrical, square, shaped as girders, columns or walls.
Fires that occur in for instance hydrocarbon producing or processing installations may threaten the structural integrity of the carrying steel structures (girders/columns) of the installation. Failure of a load carrying steel structure of an installation may lead to considerable damage both to personnel and equipment and may result in considerable pollution.
Accordingly, it has been proposed to provide such installations with some sort of passive heat insulation, seeking to reduce the thermal loads on the structure in the event of a fire. When such fire insulation is tested, resistance against jets and hydrocarbon fires, fire and explosion loads should also be documented.
There are various requirements and standards for passive fire and explosion protection of steel structures throughout the world. In most cases a load carrying steel structure should be able to resist both jet and hydrocarbon fires from 60 to 120 minutes without the radiated temperature exceeding 400° C. The steel structures should in most cases also be able to withstand an explosion pressure of up to 0.3 bar. A flame temperature during jet or hydrocarbon fires may exceed way beyond 1300° C.
Examples of such standards include Norsok Standard S-001 N and R-004, UL Standard Fire resistance Rating ANSI UL 263 and ANSI/UL 1709. The solution of the present invention fulfils these standards.
Current passive fire protecting solutions for load carrying steel structures usually include expandable/intumescent, fire insolating epoxy substances or cement based light weight concrete. These substances are sprayed directly onto the structure to be protected.
This solution has some obvious disadvantages. Chisel and chisel hammer must normally be used to remove the fire protecting substance from the structure. Tools (for instance angle grinder) that heat the fire insolating substance should not be used as toxic hydrocyanic acid gasses may develop. Inspection of welding zones, corrosion damage, corrosion protecting coatings or any repair work or modifications is difficult when the protected structure is coated directly onto the surface.
Fire insolating epoxy substances are very difficult to apply in places with high humidity. Cement based light concrete is primarily used in these conditions. Light concrete that can be sprayed is however not impervious and absorbs humidity that contributes to corrosion. Furthermore, concrete has a tendency to deteriorate in time whereby the fire protecting properties are reduced.
A problem when using epoxy based substances is that high temperatures are required during application, and that the equipment used is not suitable for use in oil and gas installations due to the fire and explosion hazards. Substantially all the passive fire protection on oil and gas installations is applied manually. There are also considerable problems with fire insolating epoxy substances in terms of HSE. Hazardous gasses are released during application and in the period when the epoxy sets. This typically leads to epoxy allergy with the personnel, thus preventing any further work with epoxy.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a solution that fulfils the required standards, that not promotes corrosion, that not absorbs humidity, that has a reasonable weight, that allows integrity of the structure to be protected, that is easy to produce, that can be adapted to be used on a multitude of structures and that can be used under all relevant climatic conditions. Furthermore, it is an object to provide a solution with a life span of 25 years without substantial maintenance. It is also a purpose of the present invention to provide a system that can be installed without having to shut down the structure to be protected (eg. an offshore platform) for application. Furthermore it is a purpose to provide a system that can be installed in spite of an environment with explosion hazard. The solution should also satisfy all relevant requirements for HSE within the relevant sectors such as within the oil and gas industry.
An important feature with the invention is that instead of applying the passive fire protection directly onto the structure to be protected, prefabricated fire protecting panels are installed onto the structure to be protected while maintaining suitable conditions relating to ventilation, temperature and humidity. The solution of the present invention includes panels that are easy to remove to ease inspection of for instance welding zones, to check for corrosion, cracks, deformation and corrosion protecting coatings. The removable panels may also be adapted for a multitude of uses and as they are easy to remove, attachment of various equipment, repair operations and modifications is facilitated. The panels can be installed in environments exposed to fire and explosion hazards without requiring explosion protected equipment.
The epoxy layer used in the panels according to the invention will typically begin to expand when exposed to temperatures of more than 200° C. The layer typically expands to five times the initial thickness when it is exposed to jet and hydrocarbon fires. It is this expanded epoxy layer that provides the thermal insulation during fire. It should always be a distance between the protecting panels and the structure to be protected for allowing this expansion. The necessary distance will clearly depend on the thickness of the expanding layer. The fire protecting requirements, the thickness of the material to be protected and the time the material to be protected must maintain its integrity are decisive factors for determining the thickness of the epoxy layer.
The panels have very low thermal insulating properties before they are exposed to heat, and this is favorable as ideally the panels have the same temperature on the inside and the outside to prevent condensation on the structure to prevent corrosion.
The panel joints should generally be open, but will be sealed when the panels begin to expand at higher temperatures.
The panels may for instance be designed to withstand jet fires (gas fire) of 350 k/Wm2 of heat flux, suggesting temperatures considerably exceeding 1300° C. The panels have been tested for hydrocarbon fires with radiation heat of 1100° C.

Fire protected steel structure and removable panels for fire protection of steel structures