Some implementations herein include a detection circuit and a fast and accurate in-line method for detecting blockage on a droplet generator head of an extreme ultraviolet exposure tool without impacting the flow of droplets of a target material through the droplet generator head. In some implementations described herein, the detection circuit includes a switch circuit that is configured in an open configuration, in which the switch is electrically open between two electrode elements. When an accumulation of the target material occurs across two or more electrode elements on the droplet generator head, the accumulation functions as a switch that closes the detection circuit. A controller may detect closure of the detection circuit.

An exposure tool is a semiconductor processing tool that is capable of exposing a photoresist layer to a radiation source, such as an ultraviolet light (UV) source (e.g., a deep UV light source, an extreme UV (EUV) light source, and/or the like), an x-ray source, an electron beam source, and/or another type of radiation source. Examples of exposure tools include an EUV exposure tool or an immersion exposure tool, among other examples. An exposure tool may expose a photoresist layer to the radiation source to transfer a pattern from a photomask to the photoresist layer. The pattern may include one or more semiconductor device layer patterns for forming one or more semiconductor devices, may include a pattern for forming one or more structures of a semiconductor device, may include a pattern for etching various portions of a semiconductor device, and/or the like. An exposure tool may include a scanner, a stepper, or a similar type of exposure tool.

Semiconductor processing tool and methods of operation

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


To provide a surface property inspection device and method capable of inspecting the surface treatment state of treated material subjected to surface treatments. A surface property inspection device 1 includes an AC power supply 10, an AC bridge circuit 20, and an evaluation apparatus 30, and the AC bridge circuit 20 is formed by a variable resistor 21 with a distribution ratio of γ, a reference detector 22, and an inspection detector 23. The inspection detector 23 includes a coil 23b wound so as to oppose the surface property inspection area of the test object M; an eddy current is excited in the test object M by supplying AC power to the coil 23b. A reference test object S with the same structure as the test object M is placed in the reference detector 22 to cancel inspection environment effects.

Surface treatment such as surface hardening by heat treatment, nitriding, etc., or shot-peening or the like are applied to steel parts such as gears and shafts used as automobile parts or the like to improve friction resistance, fatigue strength, or the like.
Conventionally, evaluation of surface properties such as residual stress and hardness following surface treatment of such products has been performed by sample destructive inspection. This led to the problem that not all products could be directly inspected, and inspected products became unusable, since inspection was destructive.
This has led to an increased need to develop a device capable of non-destructively inspecting product surface properties. As an example of such a device, Patent Citation 1 discloses a non-destructive inspection device for a shot-peened surface, wherein an AC (alternating current) signal is input while varying the frequency to an inspection circuit comprising a coil disposed above a shot-peened surface, and the state of occurrence of residual stress in the inspected object is inspected using impedance frequency response characteristics of the inspection circuit.

Surface property inspection device and method


A field effect transistor device constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a channel of semiconductive material such as silicon having at least one row of pores extending therethrough. Internal pn junctions are fabricated within the porous region, such that the inside of each pore is coated with a layer of opposite conductivity type semiconductive material. When voltage is applied to the internal pn-junctions, the space charge around the pores widens or contracts, depending upon the direction of the bias, thereby permitting the modulation of current flow through the channel.

A field effect device, in its simplest form, comprises a conductive region of semiconductive material, such as silicon, which is modulated using electric fields. Such modulation can be used in transistor devices, such as a junction field effect transistor (JFET), to obtain a voltage variable resistor. As is well known, these devices have majority carrier flow through a conducting region or channel whose cross section can be varied by the application of an external electric field. There are two general types of JFETs, those which are "normally on" (i.e. operating in a depletion mode) wherein the space charge region thickness is significantly less than the channel thickness at zero voltage, and those [and those] which are "normally off" (i.e. operating in an enhancement mode) wherein the built-in potential is such that the channel is closed at zero applied voltage.
With reference now to FIG. 1, there is shown an n-channel junction field effect transistor (JFET) 2 fabricated, in accordance with the prior art, to operate in a depletion mode. As seen in FIG. 1, the prior art JFET consists of a channel of n-type semiconductive material 3, such as silicon, having gates 4 and 5 formed by diffusing a p-type impurity on opposite surfaces thereof. Ohmic contacts 6 and 7 are made to the ends of the channel 3, these forming the source and drain, respectively. Current I.sub.s is caused to flow along the length of the channel because of the voltage supply connected between source 6 and drain 7. This current consists of majority carriers, which in the illustrative device, are electrons. As is well known in the art, a negative gate voltage creates two high resistance regions 8 and 9 in the channel adjacent to the gates 4 and 5, respectively. The conductivity of these regions is nominally zero because of the unavailability of current carriers. Hence, the effective width of the channel in FIG. 1 will decrease with increasing reverse bias. When the pinch-off voltage is reached, the channel width is reduced to zero because all of the free charge has been removed from the channel.
Efforts in the prior art to improve upon the conventional planar field effect transistor have resulted in various modifications. In FIG. 2, there is shown a V-groove FET, which utilizes a non-planar structure to provide a higher transconductance and a lower turn-on resistance than the conventional planar FET. As shown in FIG. 2, the V-groove FET is typically formed from an n-type silicon epitaxial layer 3' on a p-type substrate 5'. The device has three sets of V-shaped grooves that form the gate G, drain D, and source S, and isolation regions. Numeral 4' refers to a p+ or Schottky barrier between an ohmic contact layer of aluminum and the n-channel. Because the equivalent channel length is smaller than the gate opening L, the channel conductance is larger than a planar FET with the same device geometry. In the saturation region, the device is pinched off at a point near the middle of the channel, instead of at the drain end as in the planar FET. The equivalent channel length in the saturation region is also less than the gate opening. Consequently, the transconductance is larger than that of the conventional planar FET. A primary disadvantage of the V-groove FET, however, is that it is a complex structure which is very expensive to manufacture.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a FET device which exhibits high transconductance and a low turn-on resistance, yet which is simple and economical to manufacture. Other advantages of the present invention regarding superior operating conditions over the v-groove FET will be discussed.

Field effect devices formed from porous semiconductor materials


A liner outer surface is coated by a sprayed layer or a heterogeneous metal layer including a base metal phase and dispersed metal phases. During casting, liquid metal enters the sprayed layer from the dispersed metal phases and solidifies in a virtual vegetation root state. The surface of the cylinder block is thus rigidly fixed to the surface of the cylinder liner. In this case, a strong bonding force is produced between the cylinder block and the cylinder liner and high thermal conductivity is obtained compared to the prior art in which the liquid metal merely contacts a surface layer.

The present invention relates to an insert casting component having an outer surface insert cast in cast metal, a method for forming a coating on the insert casting component, a cylinder block using the insert casting component as a cylinder liner, and a method of manufacturing the same.
Insert casting is performed to integrate, for example, a cylinder liner, which serves as an insert casting component, with a cylinder block in cast metal. The cylinder liner forms a cylinder bore in the cylinder block. It is important that a strong bonding force be produced between the outer surface of the cylinder liner and the cylinder block to maintain the roundness of the cylinder bore.
It is also extremely important that the properties of the outer surface of the cylinder liner be adjusted to produce a strong bonding force between the outer surface of the cylinder liner and the cylinder block. Accordingly, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 53-163405 proposes coating the outer surface of the cylinder liner with a sprayed layer. In Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 53-163405, grains of metal are adhered in an irregular manner to the outer surface of the cylinder liner to form pits in the outer surface. During casting, liquid metal flows into the pits. This produces an anchoring effect that generates a strong bonding force between the outer surface of the cylinder liner and the cylinder block.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-53508 proposes metallurgical application of a coating of a low melting point material to the outer surface of a cylinder liner by performing shot peening, plasma spray, or the like. This resists the formation of an oxidized film on the outer surface of the cylinder liner and improves adhesion between the outer surface of the cylinder liner and the cylinder block.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-120414 proposes the formation of an active layer of aluminum alloy on the outer surface of a cylinder liner at the top dead point region and the bottom dead point region of a piston. This bonds the cylinder liner with metal to a crankcase.
Internal combustion engines have become lighter while increasing output. As a result, the intervals between cylinder bores have become narrower. Thus, for a cylinder block formed by insert casting a cylinder liner with cast metal, it is required that the bonding force between the cylinder liner and the cylinder block be further increased.
In Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 53-163405, recesses are formed in the outer surface of a cylinder liner to receive liquid metal during casting. Thus, part of the cylinder block is anchored in the recesses to the outer surface of the cylinder liner. However, since liquid metal only contacts the outer surface of the cylinder liner, there is a limit to the anchoring with the recesses in the outer surface of the cylinder liner. Thus, sufficient bonding force cannot be obtained with only the recesses in the outer surface of the cylinder liner.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-53508, a coating having a low melting point is applied to the outer surface of the cylinder liner. During casting, the coating contacts liquid metal. This produces a thermal effect and fuses the coating thereby obtaining satisfactory metallic bonding. However, the entire coating is entirely formed of only low melting point material. Although this improves thermal conductivity, sufficient bonding force just through contact of liquid metal with a homogeneous film.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-120414, an active layer having a melting point lower than that of the cylinder liner is formed. However, the active layer is formed from a homogeneous aluminum alloy. Thus, sufficient bonding force cannot be obtained just by melting the surface of the active layer.

Insert casting component, cylinder block, method for forming coating on insert casting component, and method for manufacturing cylinder block


A zoom lens apparatus is provided. In the zoom lens apparatus, rotation of a motor is transmitted to a cam drive gear by reducing a speed thereof by a plurality of reduction gears. The cam drive gear transmits rotation thereof to a zoom cam provided coaxially therewith. A first lens group and a second lens group are moved in an optical axis direction by rotation of the zoom cam to carry out zoom adjusting. An interval between the cam drive gear and the zoom cam is provided with a nontransmitting section in which rotation of the cam drive gear is not transmitted to the zoom cam when a rotational direction of the cam drive gear is switched, by rotation of the cam drive gear in the nontransmitting section, the zoom cam is slid in an axial direction. Thereby, also the first lens group and the second lens group connected and engaged with the zoom cam are moved in the optical axis direction along therewith to adjust a focus.

A cellular phone with a camera including a digital camera has been spread. A cellular phone with a camera of a background art uses an image taking lens having a single focus and an image sensor having a low resolution for small-sized formation and a reduction in cost. However, there are a number of users requesting a high image quality image taking function for a cellular phone with a camera and therefore, in recent years, a cellular phone with a camera using optical zooming and automatic focusing, an image sensor having a large number of pixels or the like is also on sale.
A zoom lens apparatus needs a minimum of two lens groups movable in an optical axis direction. Further, there is needed a lens driving mechanism capable of individually moving respective lens groups in zoom adjusting, moving only one lens group in adjusting focus, or moving two lens groups in the same direction and by the same amount. A digital camera integrated to a cellular phone with a camera is very small-sized and therefore, a zoom lens apparatus of a lens barrel type which needs to form a fine cam groove at an outer periphery thereof cannot be used. Further, a zoom lens apparatus of an outer zoom type in which a lens barrel is extracted to outside of a cellular phone with a camera by zoom adjusting is not suitable for a cellular phone with a camera which is frequently handled roughly.
Hence, a cellular phone with a camera having optical zoom of a background art uses a lens driving mechanism of an inner zoom type attaching nuts to two lens groups held to be movable in an optical axis direction, and screwing feed screws in a rod-like shape to the nuts and rotating the feed screws by a motor. However, when two lens driving mechanisms are integrated for zooming and focusing, an influence on a size and cost of the cellular phone with a camera is considerable.
In order to constitute a camera by a small-sized formation and low cost formation, a zoom lens capable of adjusting zooming and focusing by a single lens driving mechanism has been invented. For example, according to a zoom lens apparatus described in JP-A-11-064708, a cam ring rotated at an outer periphery of a fixed cylinder is formed with two pieces of cam grooves inserted with cam followers of two pieces of lens groups integrated to inside of the fixed cylinder, a width of one cam groove thereof is made to be wider than that of the other. In rotating the cam ring in one direction, the respective lens groups are moved in an optical axis direction by the respective cam grooves to perform zoom adjusting. When the cam ring is rotated in other direction, the lens group engaged with the cam groove having a narrow width follows the cam groove to move, the lens group engaged with the cam groove having the wide width is not moved until the cam groove is brought into contact with the cam follower and therefore, focus adjusting is performed in a state in which a zoom magnification is not varied.
Further, according to a zoom lens apparatus described in JP-A-09-049958, there is provided an engageable and disengageable rotation transmitting mechanism between a middle cylinder for moving a front group lens by rotation and a cam cylinder provided coaxially with the middle cylinder for moving a rear group lens for executing zoom adjusting by rotating both of the middle cylinder and the cam cylinder when engaged and for executing focus adjusting by stopping to rotate the cam cylinder and rotating only the middle cylinder over a predetermined angular range when not engaged.
According to the zoom lens apparatus described in JP-A-11-064708 and JP-A-09-049958, the single piece of motor can be used both for zoom adjusting and focus adjusting and therefore, the apparatus can contribute to small-sized formation and low cost formation of the cellular phone with a camera. However, both of the apparatus are of the outer zoom type using the lens barrel and extracting the lens barrel to a front side in zoom adjusting and therefore, the apparatus are not suitable for the cellular phone with a camera.


An apparatus for communicating using an isolation channel includes a transmitter circuit having a first terminal configured to communicate a first signal. The first signal oscillates in response to a data signal having a first signal level and is constant in response to the data signal having a second signal level. The transmitter circuit includes a second terminal configured to communicate that oscillates in response to the data signal having the second signal level and is constant in response to the data signal having the first signal level. The apparatus may include a receiver circuit configured to generate a recovered data signal having a first transition in a first direction between first and second levels based on an edge of a first received signal and having a second transition in a second direction between the first and second levels based on an edge of a second received signal.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to isolation technology and more particularly to communication across an isolation channel.
Description of the Related Art
In a typical control application, a processor system provides one or more control signals for controlling a load system. During normal operation, a large DC or transient voltage difference may exist between the domain of the processor system and the domain of the load system, thus requiring an isolation barrier between the processor system and the load system. For example, one domain may be "grounded" at a voltage which is switching with respect to earth ground by hundreds or thousands of volts. Accordingly, an intermediate system includes isolation that prevents damaging currents from flowing between the processor system and the load system. Although the isolation prevents the processor system from being coupled to the load by a direct conduction path, an isolation channel allows communication between the two systems using optical (opto-isolators), capacitive, inductive (transformers), or electromagnetic techniques.
In general, on-off keying (OOK) is a form of amplitude-shift keying modulation that represents digital data as the presence or absence of a carrier wave or oscillating signal. The presence of the carrier for a particular duration represents a binary one, while its absence for the same duration represents a binary zero. This type of signaling is robust for isolation in driver applications because a logic '0' state sends the same signal (e.g., nothing) as when the primary side loses power and the device gracefully assumes its default state. That behavior is advantageous in driver applications because it will not accidentally turn on a device being driven, even when the primary side loses power. However, a typical isolator receives the digital signal from the processor system asynchronous to a clock internal to the isolator system. Thus, this technique may introduce a substantial amount of jitter into the driver control signal. Accordingly, improved techniques for communicating across an isolation channel are desired.

Techniques for reduced jitter in digital isolators


An oscillator circuit that includes a Wien bridge oscillator circuit, a full-wave rectifier circuit, coupled to an output of the Wien bridge oscillator circuit, an integrator circuit, coupled to an output of the full-wave rectifier circuit, and a multiplier circuit. The multiplier circuit may include a first input coupled to the output of the Wien bridge oscillator circuit, and a second input, coupled to an output of the integrator, wherein the multiple signals are configured to provide dynamic gain control to the Wien bridge oscillator circuit.

Conventional oscillator circuits are designed so that they will start oscillating ("start up") and that their respective amplitude will be controlled. For a linear circuit to oscillate, it must meet the "Barkhausen conditions," that is, the loop gain must be one and the phase around the loop must be an integer multiple of 360 degrees. In practice, the loop gain is initially larger than unity. Random noise is present in all circuits, and some of that noise will be near the desired frequency. A loop gain greater than one allows the amplitude of frequency to increase exponentially each time around the loop. With a loop gain greater than one, the oscillator will start. However, with a loop gain of greater than one, significant harmonic distortion is introduced, and the frequency stability of the oscillator may be affected.
A Wien bridge oscillator is a type of electronic oscillator that generates sine waves under a large range of frequencies. The Wien bridge oscillator is typically based on a bridge circuit comprising comprises four resistors and two capacitors (see FIG. 1). In use, the oscillator can operate as a positive gain amplifier combined with a band pass filter that provides positive feedback. In certain applications, such as power applications, Wien bridge oscillators may be used as inputs for circuit control and/or voltage reference (e.g., for power inverters). However, the quality of the sine wave produced by conventional Wien bridge oscillators is often subject to noise and distortion, and is not able to effectively simulate or approximate a true (or "pure") sine wave.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A tinnitus suppression device using an in-the-canal external ear canal pressure regulating device to alter the pressure of the fluid of the external ear canal interior of the pressure regulating device. The device has a body which can be inserted into the external ear canal and which seals the canal from ambient pressure. An adjustably sized body such as a collapsible bulbous portion or a bellows type wall provides a mechanism for altering the pressure in the canal. Either a valve or a mechanical displacement device maintains the pressure differential created.

The present invention relates generally to auditory prostheses and, more particularly, to auditory prostheses for use in the external ear canal.
Many individuals have suffered and currently do suffer from tinnitus. Tinnitus, simply defined, is the perception of sound in the ear which does not, in fact, exist, i. e., is not present in the external environment. These sounds typically may be characterized as a ringing, whistling, roaring or buzzing. Tinnitus has been reported to affect up to thirty percent (30%) of the United States population. Individuals with tinnitus may have symptoms ranging from mild to severe and ranging from chronic to intermittent. Several million people in the United States suffer debilitating tinnitus which interferes with everyday activities. In some cases, tinnitus can be chronic and severe, debilitating the individual.
Several attempts have been made in the past to mask or "cure" tinnitus. Some of these attempts have involved treating the tinnitus by the administration of drugs. An example of these attempts is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,968, Guth.
In some cases the tinnitus is so severe that drastic steps have been taken to eliminate the sensation. The symptom of tinnitus can be "cured" by a section of the VIIIth nerve in one ear, completely eliminating any sensation of hearing in that ear. An example of a drastic attempt to "cure" tinnitus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,602, Nakajima.
Some prior attempts for suppressing tinnitus have involved the use of electrical stimulation.
An example of this type of electrical stimulation is described in the ATA Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 1, American Tinnitus Association, pp. 1-4 (March 1985). Electrical stimulation, however does not actually suppress tinnitus but rather simply attempts to mask the existing tinnitus sound with another sound created by the electrical stimulus signal. The ultimate goal of electrical stimulation is to suppress tinnitus without adding any other sounds. In some cases this is possible with direct current (DC) electrical stimulation. However, direct electrical currents cause damage to biological tissue and thus, this method cannot be practiced chronically. In some other cases, the electrical stimulation adds, rather than subtracts, from the sound environment, but for some individuals this may be more pleasant than doing nothing since the tinnitus sound may be so disturbing.
A similar example of masking, in this case with acoustic stimulation is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,393, Hocks et al, Tinnitus Masker, which discloses a system in which a tinnitus patient is subjected to external sounds of differing pitches to determine the frequency of the perceived tinnitus sound and then provided with signals both above and below the determined frequency in order to mask the tinnitus. These systems do not eliminate or cure the tinnitus but merely superimpose another stimulus on top of the existing tinnitus sensation in an attempt to mask the perceived sensation.
In an article by B. Densert and O. Densert, "Overpressure in Treatment of Meniere's Disease", 92 Laryngoscope pp. 1285-1292 (November 1972), the Denserts described tests they conducted on patients suffering from Meniere's disease. It is to be pointed out that Meniere's Disease, sometimes referred to as cochlear hydrops, is a significantly different condition from tinnitus which accompanies a typical high frequency hearing loss. That is, Meniere's Disease tinnitus represents only a small portion of the tinnitus which exists in the general population. In some of the tests, they conducted local overpressure tests on the middle ear using a tube inserted through the tympanic membrane. In their tests they used a pressure increase upon which a low frequency sine wave was imposed. They require the sine wave oscillating pressure. The Denserts' main intention appears to be to treat patients with Meniere's disease. Since the main symptoms of Meniere's disease are hearing deficiency and vertigo, these are the symptoms which the Denserts have tested. In the question and answer period at the end of the presentation which resulted in this paper, in response to a question, they did say that they had had success in treating the tinnitus symptom.
Densert et al, in PCT International Published Patent Application No. WO 83/02556, An Apparatus for Influencing the Hydrodynamic System in the Inner of an Ear, describes an apparatus for treating Meniere's disease, which has primary symptoms of hearing deficiency and vertigo, with tinnitus being a secondary symptom. The apparatus is a large, stationary, office apparatus which, at certain treatment intervals, attempts to reduce the volume of the endolymph by introducing a fluctuating pressure upon the perilymphatic fluid. It is fundamental in the design of the apparatus that a patient would go to an office, be temporarily connected to the apparatus, undergo treatment and leave the office with the expectation that the changes in the endolymph would remain for a significant period of time. The pressures induced upon the perilymphatic fluid, in order to force a reduction in the volume of the endolymph, requires generating a static positive pressure level (during the treatment time period only) and generating a varying pressure level on top of the static positive pressure. The frequency of the varying pressure is described to be between 3 and 6 Hertz. Thus, the apparatus described in Densert et al PCT attempts to reduce the volume of the endolymph by temporarily inducing a fluctuating positive pressure on the endolymph in order to reduce the symptoms of Meniere's disease which have primary symptoms of hearing loss and vertigo and a secondary symptom of tinnitus.
European Patent Publication No. 0 266 474 A1, of Application No. 8650390.5, Procedure and Equipment for Treatment of Meniere's Disease, also by the Denserts, describes a very similar device. The apparatus requires the generation and transmission of complex pressure pulses in the fluid system of the inner ear in order to reduce the volume of the endolymph. As in the previous publications from the Denserts, a fluctuating, varying, or complex positive pressure is introduced to the inner ear in order to force fluid from the endolymph for the treatment of Meniere's disease, i. e., cochlear hydrops.

External ear canal pressure regulating device and tinnitus suppression device

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A new and distinct Dracaena plant named ‘PVDRASG2’ which is characterized by the combination of compact growth habit with dark green foliage born on an unbranched dark green stem, relatively broad and lightly spiraled foliage with coarsely undulate margins, and the stability of these characteristics from generation to generation.

Parentage: 'PVDRASG2' is a spontaneous whole-plant mutation of Dracaena fragrans 'Steudneri' (not patented), which was discovered at a commercial greenhouse in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2016. The mutation was initially noted for its large, dark green foliage. Said mutation was isolated for further evaluation to confirm the uniformity and stability of the unique characteristics first observed. Upon confirmation of the stability and uniformity of the characteristics, the new plant was selected for commercialization.
Asexual Reproduction: Asexual reproduction of 'PVDRASG2' is accomplished by way of rooting stem cuttings. Propagation was first performed in 2017 at the inventor's commercial greenhouse in San Jose, Costa Rica. Through two subsequent generations, the unique features of this cultivar have proven to be stable and true to type.


According to one embodiment, a television apparatus includes a panel unit, a support base, a plurality of slide support mechanisms, and an operation mechanism. The panel unit includes a front panel arranged in front of a display panel and a periphery member arranged in at least part of the periphery of the front panel. The support base supports the display panel. The slide support mechanisms are attached to the support base to slidably support the panel unit. The operation mechanism is attached to the periphery member. The operation mechanism includes a movable portion capable of rotating relative to the periphery member, and receives operation from the front side.

There have been known a television apparatus provided with a protection panel as a front panel in front of a display panel. The protection panel is slidably supported by the housing through a ring-like insulator arranged along the periphery of the protection panel.
If this type of electronic device has a press button mechanism that can be operated from the front side of the front panel, and if a press button as a main part of the press button mechanism is located on the housing, it is difficult to ensure reliable pressing operation because the front panel is slidable with respect to the housing.

Television apparatus and electronic device


A light-guiding device includes a first transparent substrate having an incident surface and a transmission surface; a first parallax barrier located on the first transparent substrate and configured to allow a first type of light in the light source to be converged to a first assemblage point and allow a second type of light in the light source to be converged to a second assemblage point, wherein the first parallax barrier includes a plurality of light-shielding units, each of which is produced by using a micro-electro-mechanical system switch, and includes a light-shielding body; an attraction cantilever, connected with the light-shielding body, an attraction and a separation of the attraction cantilever configured to force the light-shielding body to move so as to change transmission of the light in the light source.

In general, an image viewed by a viewer's left eye is different from that viewed by his right eye, wherein the image viewed by the left eye is usually referred to as a left-side view or a left-eye image and the image viewed by the right eye is usually referred to as a right-side view or a right-eye image. In current technology trend, three-dimensional (3D) image display apparatus is widely used. Using three-dimensional display as an example, there are Red-Cyan anaglyph glasses, LCD-shutter glasses and micro retarder with polarized glasses.
In addition to the above-mentioned glasses, there are also many 3D display apparatuses, such as two-view 3D liquid crystal display and multi-view 3D liquid crystal display, which can be used to generate a stereo image, and they allow a user to view a three-dimensional image with his naked eyes, referred to as light barrier type naked-eye display technology for short. In the above-mentioned light barrier type naked-eye display technology, some shelters (hereinafter referred to as parallax barriers) made of a liquid crystal material are added into light transmission path, and the parallax barriers shield the light in a part of direction, only allowing the light with a certain angle to be transmitted out, so that the left-eye pixels are merely seen by the left eye, and the right-eye pixels are merely seen by the right eye. Therefore, the viewer can see 3D images by separating left-eye visual images and right-eye visual images. However, because the response speed of the liquid crystal material is relatively slow, the operation temperature is limited and the resolution is low, these in turn lead to the relatively slow response speed, the limited operation temperature and the relatively low resolution of the three dimensional image display apparatus. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an image display technology for increasing the response speed and the resolution of image display and reducing an environmental impact on the image display effect.

Light-guiding device, light-guiding method and display apparatus for guiding light transmission


An assembly consisting of an opening panel of a motor vehicle and at least two reinforcing elements. Each reinforcing element has an elongate shape and two ends, the panel comprising at least two connecting elements, each reinforcing element being connectable to the panel in such a way that each end of the reinforcing elements is at least partially superposed on one of the connecting elements, the reinforcing elements and connecting elements forming at least one continuous frame when the reinforcing elements and the panel are connected.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the technical field of motor vehicle openings, in particular motor vehicle hatches, trunk doors, side doors and hoods.
2. Description of the Related Art
An opening consisting of a hatch comprising at least one interior hatch panel connected to a stiffening frame following the shape of the hatch panel, near its edge since this frame follows the sealing track between the body and the hatch, is known in the state of the art. This type of frame consists of a metal tube added to the hatch panel after shaping.
In the case of an opening, for example a hatch, shaped in three dimensions, this frame, since it follows the contour of the opening panel, is also shaped in three dimensions. The frame consists then of one or more profiles shaped by a complex method such as stretch bending, then welded. Stretch bending is a method during which the frame profiles are shaped in three dimensions to follow the shape of the opening panel, always remaining stretched during shaping. With this type of method, the profiles forming the frame are not flattened or crushed at the point where the frame is folded. Manufacturing the frame using this type of method generates significant costs, however.
In addition, the shaped frame must be transported and stored before assembly with the opening panel. Due to its complex shape, however, it is relatively bulky thereby generating high logistics costs for transport and storage.

Assembly comprising of an opening panel and reinforcing elements


In a method for imprinting a layer of material, a nanotemplate is impressed into a material layer, and the nanotemplate is maintained impressed in the material layer until a geometric trench corresponding to geometry of the nanotemplate is formed in the layer, and the nanotemplate is then removed from the material layer. A nanotemplate geometric trench is repeatedly formed in the material layer by nanotemplate impressions in the layer, until a final desired imprint pattern is produced in the layer. Each nanotemplate geometric trench is characterized by an extent that is a fraction of an extent of the final desired imprint pattern. The material layer is maintained in a condition for accepting nanotemplate impressions continuously throughout the nanotemplate impression repetition.

This invention relates generally to lithography, and more particularly relates to techniques for nanometer-scale lithography for microelectronic applications.
Many advanced microelectronic applications and much research are directed to nanotechnology and nano-scale systems. The increasing interest in the field of nanotechnology has highlighted a need for improved microelectronic material patterning capabilities at the nanometer length scale. Conventional lithographic techniques do not in general provide methods that are adequate for reliably producing sub-10 nm length-scale features; conventional optical projection lithography cannot print feature sizes less than about 60 nm, and electron beam lithography is generally highly complicated at feature sizes less than about 20 nm. Even with advances in these conventional lithographic techniques, the cost of newly developed lithographic tools is often prohibitive for research as well as commercial applications.
Nanoimprint lithography has recently emerged to address nanometer-scale lithographic requirements for microelectronic materials and semiconductor applications. In general, nanoimprint lithography employs a template or mold to stamp a pattern into a microelectronic material layer, e.g., a polymer layer, that is provided on a substrate. Conventionally, the layer is maintained in a rubbery state as the template is impressed into the layer, and then before removing the template from the layer, the layer is solidified to impose the template pattern in the layer. After removing the template, etching techniques or other processing can be carried out to transfer the pattern imposed in the layer to the underlying substrate or layers provided on the substrate.
Typically, a template to be employed for nanoimprint lithography is fabricated by, e.g., electron beam lithography. Specifically, a customized nanoimprint template is fabricated with electron beam processing to define all of the geometric features of a prespecified pattern to be transferred to, e.g., a substrate or material layer on the substrate. The thusly formed template can then be employed in a nanoimprint lithography process with the substrate, as described above, without the use of conventional lithographic techniques to pattern the substrate. Once the template is made it can be stamped many times. This process is referred to as "amplification". But the requirement for nanometer-scale lithographic patterning of a custom nanoimprint template imposes the same challenges in difficulty, time, and expense that are imposed by electron beam lithographic patterning of a substrate itself. Nanoimprint lithography thereby shifts the difficulty of nano-scale lithography from patterning of a substrate to patterning of a nanotemplate mask. As a result, the ability of nanoimprint lithography to successfully extend beyond conventional lithography to the nanometer regime has heretofore been limited.


An improved flat or cylindrical mechanical electric commutator with neutral segments (4) between the current carrying segments which allow the current carrying carbon brushes (11, 12, 13, 14) in a brush holder (7) to pass from a negative current carrying segment to a positive current carrying segment or the opposite charge current in the base of the commutator without allowing the face or any part of the carbon brush to touch both the negative and positive segments in the base of the commutator at the same time, resulting in the switching of the electric current to an energized coil of an electric motor, electrical generator or electric apparatus or device, at predetermined intervals and times to suit the design requirements of the energized coil, electric motor of the stepper, brushless DC and switched design, electric generator or electric apparatus or device, while the commutator can accommodate single phase electrical circuits, double phase electrical circuits, three phase electrical circuits or any number of faces as required by the design specifications, all operating independently of each other.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best Method of performing it known to me:
The normal xe2x80x9ccarbon brush on a round segmented copper armature commutatorxe2x80x9d only changes the direction of the electrical current twice for every single rotation of the round segmented copper armature. The number of times the direction of the electrical current can be changed, can be increased by increasing the number of the carbon brushes in pairs. One to carry the positive current, and one to carry the negative current. One of the main problems with this type of commutator is that the carbon brushes can touch both the negative charged segment of the armature, and the positive charged segment of the armature at the same time, causing it to arc. This can cause premature wearing out of the carbon brushes, and damage to the energized coil if the armature is not allowed to rotate. The new non-classical electric motors, like the stepper motors,brushless DC motors and switched reluctance motors were made possible by advances in semi-conductor technology, because of their reliance on position sensing, and numerous switching of the direction of the current for every single rotation of the rotor.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple, effective and low cost carbon brush commutator, which can do the same operation, of switching the electrical current, as an electronic commutator, with the advantages that a person can physically see to control the timing of the switching of the electrical current, and if it is not working, what is wrong, with the added advantage that the carbon brushes can be individually replaced if worn out, unlike an electronic commutator, which requires specialized testing equipment to determine which component is faulty, with the usual replacing of the whole electronic controller, as it is not cost effective to repair.


In an elevator installation, an elevator car is movably arranged alongside guide rails and the elevator car is equipped with a brake system with preferably two safety brakes. A movement monitoring system monitors the movement parameters of the elevator car and triggers corresponding warnings or safety measures, if permissible threshold values are exceeded or it provides determined adjusted movement parameters to an elevator control. The movement monitoring system determines a first movement parameter in a time interval and detects an acceleration of the elevator car. The movement monitoring system determines the time interval for determining the adjusted movement parameter as a function of the detected acceleration.

An elevator installation is installed either inside or outside a building. It essentially consists of a car, which is connected by supporting means with a counterweight or a second car. By means of a drive, which acts selectively on the support means or directly on the car or the counterweight, the car is moved along substantially vertical guide rails. The elevator installation is used to transport persons and goods within the building over one or several floors.
The elevator installation comprises means to protect the elevator car in case of a failure of the drive, the support means or other elevator components. In order to detect such failure, the travel speed of the elevator car is usually monitored. Upon detection of a fault, usually multilevel security measures are initialized. A first security measure is, for example, a shutdown of the elevator drive, or a motor of the drive and actuation of the drive brakes in order to stop the elevator car. This is done for example by interrupting an elevator safety circuit. Another security measure involves the activation of a safety gear or appropriate safety brakes. They can decelerate the elevator car on the guide rails in case of need. Depending on the position of the elevator car or its operating mode, the travel speed is nowadays increasingly monitored by a so-called electronic limiter, which can initialize the necessary safety measures.
From the international application WO 2003/011733 is known a device which, by means of a coded absolute position-measurement system, provides secure information to a controller of an elevator. From a position change as a function of time, a resultant travel speed can be calculated. Since at the same time the position of the elevator car is known, the entire travel course can be regulated and monitored.

Movement-monitoring system of an elevator installation


A semiconductor device comprises a first semiconductor layer made of a single crystal of a first semiconductor material having a first lattice constant, a second semiconductor layer comprising a single crystal of a second semiconductor material having a second lattice constant which is different from the first lattice constant, a third semiconductor layer made of a third semiconductor material having a third lattice constant which is different from the first lattice constant, the third semiconductor layer being grown heteroepitaxially on the first semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer made of a fourth semiconductor material having a fourth lattice constant which is different from the third lattice constant, the fourth semiconductor layer being grown heteroepitaxially on the third semiconductor layer in a manner such that the second semiconductor layer is provided thereon, for preventing a first group of dislocations created in the third semiconductor layer from reaching the second semiconductor layer after passing through the fourth semiconductor layer, the fourth semiconductor layer having a thickness chosen to be larger than a critical thickness above which thickness a second group of dislocations are created in the fourth semiconductor layer, the thickness of the fourth semiconductor layer being further optimized to an optimum thickness above which thickness and below which thickness there is caused an increase of the dislocation density in the second semiconductor layer, and an active semiconductor device provided on the second semiconductor layer.

The present invention generally relates to semiconductor devices and in particular to a semiconductor device constructed on an epitaxial layer of a first semiconductor material grown heteroepitaxially on a semiconductor substrate or wafer of a second semiconductor material.
The compound semiconductor material of the group III element and the group V element such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) is a promising material for the substrate of the next generation semiconductor devices because of the various advantageous properties pertinent to the material such as the high electron mobility, characteristic band structure which facilitates the emission and absorption of photons by the direct transition process and the like.
In order to mass produce the compound semiconductor devices cheaply, the technique to produce a large diameter substrate is essential. However, such a process is not established yet partly because of the difficulty of growing a large diameter bulk crystal of compound semiconductor materials with a satisfactory quality in respect to the composition, dislocation density and the uniformity of the crystal and partly because of the difficulty in handling the brittle wafers sliced from the bulk crystal ingot. Because of the foregoing reasons, an alternative technique to obtain a substrate of the compound semiconductor devices by growing a thin layer of the compound semiconductor material heteroepitaxially on a silicon wafer is studied. It should be noted that the fabrication technique and the handing process of a large diameter silicon wafer is well established.
In the latter approach, however, there arises a problem in that the epitaxial layer of the compound semiconductor layer grown on the silicon wafer contains a substantial amount of dislocations because of the difference in the lattice constant and the coefficient of thermal expansion between the compound semiconductor material and silicon. It should be noted that when such a difference exists in the lattice constant and thermal expansion, there appears a slip or misfit in the crystal lattices of silicon and the compound semiconductor material at the heterojunction interface, and such a misfit is propagated into the epitaxial layer as dislocations.
In order to reduce the dislocations in the compound semiconductor substrate, various approaches are proposed such as annealing the epitaxial layer together with the silicon wafer so as to relax the stresses developed at the heterojunction interface, interposing a strained super lattice layer between the silicon wafer and the epitaxial layer for intercepting the dislocations and the like. However, any of these approaches is so far unsuccessful in reducing the dislocation density at the top surface of the epitaxial layer which is used as the substrate of the compound semiconductor device, to the level below about 10.sup.7 cm.sup.-2. This level of the dislocation density is unsatisfactory for the material to be used as the substrate of the semiconductor devices.

Semiconductor device having an epitaxial layer grown heteroepitaxially on an underlying substrate


A ventilated braking band for ventilated brake disc, unusually capable of an efficient cooling and structural resistance, has a first plate and a second plate. The ventilated braking band has protrusions which project from a plate without reaching the other plate. Some of the protrusions which project from one of the first or second plate form a protrusion group. The protrusion group forms a continuous or interrupted protrusion group path. The protrusion group projects from both plates, thus forming at least a first and a second protrusion group path. The projections of the first and second protrusion group path cross one another on a plane parallel to the first or second braking surface of the respective plates.

Brake discs of the ventilated type are generally known, i.e. comprising a ventilated braking band which comprises two plates on which opposite braking surfaces are obtained suitable for acting in conjunction with opposite brake pads of a brake caliper which can be associated with the brake disc to exert the braking action, in which said two plates are spaced apart in axial direction, thus delimiting a gap.
Ventilated brake discs are provided with a plurality of axial connecting elements such as fins or pegs, which structurally connect said two plates to each other, thus forming said gap in conjunction with the two plates.
For example, this type of brake disc is known from International Patent Applications Nos. WO2011058594 and WO2012164465 of the same Applicant. Other examples are known from GB2286438 and GB2060796, GB2116654, DE102012024298, DE4332693, WO2008078352, EP2192321, DE202006017092, DE102004056645, DE19925003 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,905.
This type of brake disc has the advantage that the variously shaped connecting elements of the braking band delimit a plurality of ventilation channels in the gap between the plates, which are suitable for conveying a fluid current for cooling the brake disc when the brake disc rotates. The fins and pegs are alternated with protrusions mainly in order to provide improved cooling efficiency.
The need is strongly felt to cool the brake disc quickly and efficiently, and the contrasting need simultaneously is felt to lighten the brake disc, given that the disc is a non-suspended mass, as well as the contrasting need to maintain an adequate structural resistance which avoids the occurrence of fatigue cracks caused both by several thermal transients and by the braking actions.
In particular, it is important for the fluid current to be inside the gap during turbulent operation in order to maximize the cooling.
Moreover, in particular, temperatures of the brake disc which are too high cause a decreased efficiency of the braking action and simultaneously may cause the occurrence of thermal cracks in the body of the brake disc itself.
Solutions are known which have attempted to resolve these contrasting needs. For example, International Patent Application No. WO2015092671 of the same Applicant shows a ventilated brake disc comprising connecting elements between the two plates with which connecting protrusions or fitting burrs are associated, which extend from the connecting elements thus connecting them to the plates.
Other solutions are known from WO2008136032, DE102013210700, GB2282197, DE4332693, DE19925003, DE4040423, DE7603818U1, DE10157284 and DE2637493.
Although they are partly advantageous in reducing the occurrence of thermal cracks in the body of the brake disc, such solutions in any case have certain drawbacks.
Indeed, although the provision of said connecting burrs increases the turbulence of the cooling fluid current and the heat exchange surface of the connecting elements, it does not necessarily increase the volume, and therefore the weight, of the connecting elements themselves and of the whole brake disc. Accordingly, in order to ensure the structural integrity of the brake disc when it is in operating conditions, the above-mentioned increase in weight imposes making connecting elements, such as fins or pegs, having a particularly fat cross section, for example diamond-shaped, as is clearly apparent for example, from the fin cross-sections shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6 of document No. WO2015092671. Additionally, as is known, the weight of the brake disc is directly proportional with the inertia of the brake disc during the braking.
The need is therefore strongly felt to obviate the drawbacks of the known art mentioned hereto.
Therefore, the need is felt to provide a structurally resistant ventilated brake disc while allowing the possibility of making lightweight and thin connecting elements, thus simultaneously facilitating the heat exchange and the formation of turbulent flows.

Ventilated braking band, ventilated brake disc and method of ventilation


A privacy enclosure system including a positionable seat which transforms into a privacy enclosure. A positionable seat containing a nested positionable privacy curtain support and attached privacy curtain positionably rotates about a support structure where subsequently the positionable privacy curtain support is positionally rotated to an upright position to allow full suspension of an attached privacy curtain therefrom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for a privacy enclosure system, and more particularly is for a privacy enclosure system having expandable structure which can be used on a boat, a car or anywhere privacy is required.
2. Description of the Prior Art
None.
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a privacy enclosure system. The privacy enclosure system can be utilized as a privacy enclosure for gaining privacy, such as for, but not limited to, changing clothes or swimming suits on a boat or other recreational vehicle. Also, the privacy enclosure system can be used with a portable toilet unit which can be placed in the lower region of the privacy enclosure. The present invention is provided as a positionable seat which expands and transforms into a privacy structure where the expandable structure and an attached privacy curtain provide for personal privacy. Additionally, certain structural components of the privacy enclosure system can also be utilized for positioning of structures other than for the purposes of privacy, such as table tops, radio and stereo enclosures, food or drink containment or dispensing devices, storage structures, and a host of other devices or structures.
The privacy enclosure system includes a positionable seat rotationally secured to a support structure. The positionable seat includes intersecting cavities in which a positionable privacy curtain support and an attached privacy curtain nest or reside when not in use. The positionable seat can be pivoted about pivot mounts located at the upper area of the support structure where such pivoting places the positionable seat at an elevated position to present the positionable privacy curtain support and attached privacy curtain for further deployment by the user. The positionable privacy curtain support is then pivoted about pivot mounts located in the positionable seat to be further positioned to the fully deployed position, whereby the privacy curtain can be fully utilized. Pneumatic damper tubes assist in maintaining the position of the positionable seat and the positionable privacy curtain support in the erected position and in the nested or stowed position.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a privacy enclosure system including a support structure having a base and opposing support panels extending perpendicularly therefrom, a pivot rod extending through the upper region of each of the opposing support panels, a positionable seat pivotally attached to the opposing support panels by the pivot rod, a bottom cavity in the positionable seat formed in part by opposing side panels, a mid-panel and a partial bottom panel, a rear cavity formed in part by a back panel and the opposing side panels, a positionable privacy curtain support which can align in the bottom cavity and rear cavity and which is pivotally attached to the forward and lower region of the opposing side panels, a privacy curtain attached to the positionable privacy curtain support, opposing pneumatic damper tubes pivotally attached between the upper regions of the opposing support structure support panels and the rear of the opposing side panels, opposing pneumatic damper tubes pivotally attached between the lower regions of the opposing side panels and opposing sides of the positionable privacy curtain support, recesses in the rearward edges of the opposing side panels which accommodate opposing pneumatic damper tubes pivotally attached between the upper regions of the opposing support structure support panels and the rear of the opposing side panels, a bottom seat cushion secured to the opposing side panels and a front panel, and a seat back cushion aligned to a seat panel and the rear edge of the bottom seat cushion and between the rearward portions of the side panels.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a privacy enclosure system suitably disguised as part of and within and about the confines of a seat structure.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a seat which expandably transforms into a privacy enclosure.
An additional significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a privacy enclosure system having a positionable seat which is pivotally positioned about the top region of a support structure.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a privacy enclosure system having a positionable seat incorporating a rear cavity and a bottom cavity which mutually intersect.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a privacy enclosure system including a pivotally positionable privacy curtain support and attached privacy curtain.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a privacy enclosure system wherein the positionable privacy curtain support and attached privacy curtain are stored in or nest in the rear cavity and a bottom cavity of a positionable seat.
A further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a privacy enclosure system including a pivotally positionable privacy curtain support and attached privacy curtain which can be rotatably positioned to provide for an erected privacy enclosure.
Having thus mentioned certain significant aspects and features of the present invention, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a privacy enclosure system.


A unitized seal includes a unitizing joint which is remotely spaced from a seal lip. The seal requires only two stampings with one elastomeric element bonded to one of the stampings. The remaining stamping forms a one piece wear sleeve having a first section with a wear surface which is engaged by a seal lip formed on the elastomeric element to provide a seal. A second section of this stamping extends angularly away from the wear surface and includes a terminal end which cooperates with the elastomeric element bearing stamping to form the unitizing joint.

For a large number of seal uses, it has proven to be beneficial to employ a unitized seal wherein a seal is combined with a wear sleeve in a single unitized assembly. The incorporation of a good wear surface into a seal assembly to form a unitized unit has resulted in both increased seal life and shaft life for many shaft seal applications and is even more important with the development of lined seals to protect the seal lip to wear sleeve interface from damage prior to installation, during installation and during removal. This allows the design and choice of materials to be selected for best application performance without the need to consider possible disassembly damage. This has led to the development of a substantial number of unitized seal constructions.
Some prior art unitized seals incorporate a unitized structure wherein the wear sleeve members are formed from a plurality of nested parts which are locked together. These seal units have tended to leak in the area between the nested metal members and have often required the use of additional gasket material to reduce such leakage. Attempts have been made to design more reliable unitized seals having wear sleeves formed from nested parts which do not require additional gasket material as illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,275,333 to A.M. Scott et al and 3,479,728 to P.C. Burfield et al. These seal designs do effectively reduce the expense previously incurred in providing gaskets between the wear sleeve sections of a multi-part unitized seal, but such seals still require additional expense for the formation of the plurality of seal parts used in the assembly. These parts must be individually stamped or molded, and often three or more stamped components and a plurality of molding operations are necessitated for the formation of a single unitized seal.
With many known unitized seals, the seal structure is such that the seal is easily damaged during assembly or disassembly. Often the unitizing joint for the seal is located in close proximity to the elastomeric seal lip, thereby exposing the seal lip to possible damage by contact with the seal unitizing joint during seal assembly or disassembly. U.S. Pat. No. 3,022,081 to T.O. Kostaka illustrates a unitized seal which may be easily disassembled by deflecting the rubber seal element. However, in some instances, the seal element might become exposed to sharp metal edges of metal seal components during this disassembly operation, and damage to the seal contact surface is thereby possible, and in the case of lined seals, likely. Consequently, a need has arisen for the development of a simple, inexpensive unitized seal structure designed to reduce the possibility of damage to a sealing lip during either assembly, disassembly or installation of the seal.

Unitized seal with unitizing joint remote from seal lip


An adsorptive separation process of the present invention relates to a process for separating hydrogen and/or helium by a pressure swing adsorption process using four or more adsorbent beds. Each adsorbent bed manipulates the individual steps of adsorption, equal depressurization, cocurrent depressurization, countercurrent depressurization, purging, equal pressurization, product pressurization and raw gas pressurization while sequentially switching them and carries out the raw gas pressurization step for applying pressure with raw gas as the final step for pressuring the adsorbent bed to the adsorbent pressure. Accordingly, a variation in pressure and flow rate can be suppressed, product can be attained stably, and the amount of product can be increased.

The pressure swing adsorption process (hereinafter referred to as PSA process) is widely used as a gas separation and refining process, and is used in a variety of application fields, such as removal of water or carbonic acid gas from air or nitrogen gas, production of hydrogen from steam reforming gas, such as butane, naphtha or methanol, production of hydrogen from coal-based generated gas, such as COG, recovery of hydrogen from gas produced by oil refining, and recovery of helium from natural gas.
With the use of an adsorptive separation apparatus employing a PSA process, the essential factors from the view point of consumers of product gas are high purity and recovery rate of product and a small variation in product flow rate and pressure.
In general, according to the PSA process which separates an unadsorbed component as high purity product, for regeneration of an adsorbent, unadsorbed component gas or product gas is used to purge an easy adsorptive component gas. The most primitive process is to use product gas stored in a tank, as an unadsorbed component gas for this regeneration. In this case, however, since the product gas is used for regeneration, the recovery rate of the product gas significantly decreases, resulting in an increase in the cost of products. In addition, since part of product gas is used at the time that an adsorbent bed purged for regeneration of an adsorbent is repressurized, there arises a problem of causing a variation in flow rate and pressure of product gas to be sent to consumers.
As a solution to this problem, a selective adsorptive separation process is known which is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 45-20082 and 55-12295. According to the disclosed processes, in principle, four adsorbent beds are provided. High pressure unadsorbed component gas remaining in the first bed whose adsorption step has been completed is used to increase the pressure, by pressure equalization, in the second bed which has already been purged and purified under lower pressure (e.g., atmospheric pressure). Intermediate pressure unadsorbed component gas remaining in the first bed is expanded and then used to purge the third bed under the lowest pressure to thereby prevent loss of precious product gas and improve the recovery rate. High pressure product gas is constantly introduced to increase the pressure in the fourth bed which has been purified from intermediate pressure to high pressure. It is described that the above solves the problem of causing a variation in flow rate and pressure of the product gas.
FIG. 3 illustrates a flow sheet described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Publication No. 45-20082, and FIG. 4 a time schedule for the process.
Although the notation is partially altered for the ease of comparison with the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements to facilitate the comparison with the publication. Although the cycle time is changed, it should be properly set depending on the size of adsorbent beds, the type of an adsorbent, the flow rate of each gas, etc. and is substantially the same as the procedure disclosed in the publication.
Four adsorbent beds A, B, C and D are arranged in parallel between a raw gas feed manifold 10 and a feed manifold 11 for product gas or unadsorbed component gas. Automatic valves 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D serve to feed the raw gas from the raw gas feed manifold 10 to the adsorbent beds A, B, C and D, respectively, and automatic valves 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D serve to feed product gas consisting of unadsorbed component gas from the respective adsorbent beds to the product gas feed manifold 11.
Easy adsorptive component gas adsorbed in the individual adsorbent beds is removed and discharged through countercurrent depressurization and purging steps via a waste gas manifold 12 from automatic valves 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D provided on the side of the raw gas inlet of each adsorbent bed.
A conduit 15 for connecting between product gas discharge ends of the adsorbent beds A and B, an automatic valve 4AB and a throttle valve 17 serve to execute pressure equalization between the adsorbent beds A and B. Similarly, a conduit 16 for connecting between product gas discharge ends of the adsorbent beds C and D, an automatic valve 4CD and a throttle valve 18 serve to execute pressure equalization between the adsorbent beds C and D. Automatic valves 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D are disposed to connect the product gas discharge ends of the individual adsorbent beds, and two of these valves are simultaneously opened so as to permit the passage of cocurrently depressurized gas from one adsorbent bed so the gas is used for purging another adsorbent bed.
This cocurrent depressurization is neither performed between the adsorbent beds A and B nor between the adsorbent beds C and D, but should be done through purging conduits 21 and 22. Throttle valves 19 and 20 provided at the purging conduits 21 and 22 serve to prevent an excessive flow rate, and pressure regulators 23 and 24 are set to keep those adsorbent beds which are performing cocurrent depressurization, at the minimum pressure. When the adsorbent beds reach this set pressure, the pressure regulators 23, 24 are closed, thus terminating the cocurrent depressurization and purging steps.
An automatic valve 26 for main waste discharge and throttle valve 25 are provided in parallel on the waste gas manifold 12, and restrict the amount of waste gas at the time of countercurrent depressurization. In a countercurrent depressurization step in which the pressure in the adsorbent beds has not reached down to the lowest pressure, the automatic valve 26 is closed and the waste gas is permitted to pass only through the throttle valve 25 to thereby control the flow rate or the depressurizing speed in the adsorbent beds. In a purging step in which the pressure in the adsorbent beds is at the lowest level, the automatic valve 26 is opened to minimize the flow resistance of the waste gas.
A repressurization conduit 27 provided with a flow regulator whose opening and closing are controlled by a flow controller FC connects the product gas feed manifold 11 and the product gas discharge ends of the individual adsorbent beds through automatic valves 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D respectively belong to the adsorbent beds. The automatic valves belonging to those adsorbent beds which are in the step of increasing the product gas pressure, are opened so that a constant flow rate of product gas in the feed manifold 11 is introduced in the adsorbent beds.
A description will now be given of the individual steps according to the time schedule shown in FIG. 4.
When the adsorbent bed A is in the adsorption step, the automatic valves 1A and 2A are opened to introduce the raw gas to the adsorbent bed A from the raw gas feed manifold 10. As it passes through the adsorbent bed A, easy adsorptive component gas is adsorbed by an adsorbent in the bed and the concentration of unadsorbed component gas gradually increases, thus providing high purity product gas at the product gas discharge end of the bed. This product gas is sent to the product gas feed manifold 11 from the automatic valve 2A. This adsorption step continues for 5 minutes.
When this adsorbent bed A is in the adsorption step, the first 0.5 minute of the adsorbent bed B is for the countercurrent depressurization step where the automatic valve 3B is opened so that gas existing under pressure of 5 ata in the bed is discharged through the throttle valve 25 to decrease the pressure in the bed to 1.1 ata. In this step, part of easy adsorptive component gas adsorbed is desorbed and discharged. Upon elapse of 0.5 minute, the automatic valves 5B, 5C are opened, and after equal depressurization step, gas existing at 9 ata in the adsorbent bed C is expanded to 1.1 ata through the flow regulator 24 and the throttle valve 20. This gas then flows through the adsorbent bed B, accompanied with further desorbed easy adsorptive component gas adsorbed in the bed, and is discharged out from the system through the automatic valve 3B and newly opened automatic valve 26. During this period, the adsorbent bed B is in the purging step and the adsorbent bed C is in the cocurrent depressurization step. This status continues for 4.5 minutes.
The adsorbent bed C is in the equal depressurization step for the first 0.5 minute, and the pressure in the bed which has been 16 ata at the end of the adsorption step is equalized with the pressure of 1.1 ata in the adsorbent bed D so that both become 9 ata. This equalization is carried out by opening the automatic valve 4CD to cause the throttle valve 18 to adjust the flow rate to the proper level For the subsequent 4.5 minutes, the aforementioned cocurrent depressurization step is performed, and the automatic valve 4CD is closed and the automatic valve 5C is opened.
The adsorbent bed D, for the first 0.5 minute, is in the equal pressurization step where its pressure is equalized with that of the adsorbent bed C as described earlier; during the same period, the automatic valve 6D is opened at the same time to permit product gas from the product gas feed manifold 11 to flow through the conduit 27 and flow regulator 28 to be introduced into the adsorbent bed D. Upon elapse of 0.5 minute, although the equalization is completed and the automatic valve 4CD is closed, the automatic valve 6D remains open so that the pressure in the adsorbent bed D is increased by the product gas from 9 ata to 16 ata. This state continues for 4.5 minutes and the pressurization of the adsorbent bed D is completed.
The above describes the gas flow and pressure change at the individual sections in one cycle time of 5 minutes. Upon elapse of 5 minutes., the adsorbent bed D which has already completed the pressurization enters the adsorption step, and the steps of the individual adsorbent beds are changed as indicated in the time schedule shown in FIG. 4; after 4 cycles (20 minutes), the individual adsorbent beds complete the entire steps and then repeat the procedure again.
The aforementioned Patent Publication No. 45-20082 describes that the recovery rate of product gas can be improved and a variation in flow rate and pressure of the product gas can be reduced by constituting the pressure swing adsorption apparatus in the above manner and executing the individual steps according to the mentioned time schedule.
The reasons for the above are given in the Patent Publication No. 45-20082 as follows.
In the case where the adsorbent bed A is in the adsorption step, for example, the unadsorbed component gas of the adsorbent bed C under high pressure is moved to the adsorbent bed D which is under the lowest pressure until the former pressure becomes intermediate pressure through pressure equalization to the pressure of the adsorbent bed D. The unadsorbed component gas still remaining in the adsorbent bed C is sent to the adsorbent bed B for purging this bed B for regeneration. The reason why the recovery rate of the product gas can be improved is that precious product gas is not used for purging for a regeneration purpose.
The adsorbent bed D then has intermediate pressure through the aforementioned pressure equalization to the pressure of the adsorbent bed C. To increase the pressure to a higher level, product gas is introduced through the conduit 27 and flow regulator 28 to the adsorbent bed D. It is described that since this flow regulator 28 always permits the flow of a constant amount of product gas, it does not vary the flow rate and pressure of product gas sent to consumers.
However, the above process still has the following shortcomings.
First of all, since a significant amount of product gas is required to increase the pressure in the adsorbent bed D to high pressure from intermediate pressure, the improvement of the recovery rate is limited. Although, in the Patent Publication No. 45-20082, two stages of pressure equalization step are used to increase the intermediate pressure at the time of equalization to thereby prevent loss of product gas, the two-staged pressure equalization requires a longer cycle time so that the necessary amount of adsorbent increases, thus affecting the sizes of the adsorbent beds or the overall apparatus, etc.
Secondly, introduction of product gas through the flow regulator 28 is said to continue until the pressure in adsorbent bed D is repressurized approximately to the product gas pressure. Since this flow regulator 28 serves to control the flow rate at a constant level, however, the opening of the flow regulator 28 becomes greater as the pressure in the adsorbent bed D gradually increases from the intermediate pressure, i.e., the difference between both pressures becomes smaller. And upon completion of the repressurization, the flow regulator seems to be fully opened. The rate of the flow through this flow regulator 28 is controlled at a constant level and in such a way that the pressurization of the adsorbent bed is completed within one cycle time (in which one adsorbent bed is in the adsorption step); however, this is in practice hardly possible. This is because that according to the PSA process, when the demanded amount of product gas is changed, the amount of raw gas to be supplied is changed accordingly, i.e, that a so called operational load control is executed in a wide range. This control is basically carried out by changing the cycle time; when the load is increased, the amount of supply of the raw gas is increased to shorten the cycle time while with a decrease in load, the amount of supply of the raw gas is decreased to elongate the cycle time, thus varying the amount of gas per unit time.
Since the aforementioned repressurization of an adsorbent bed should be completed within a cycle time, the set flow rate of the flow regulator 28 should be made smaller if this time is long while it should be made greater if the cycle time is short.
Given that the maximum amount of load in the PSA process is 100%, the cycle time at the time of reduced operation under 20% load would become 5 times greater, so that the set flow rate of the flow regulator 28 would be 1/5. Since the opening of the flow regulator 28 gradually increases with an increase in pressure in the adsorbent bed D which should be increased, this in combination of alteration of the set flow rate by controlling the load requires an operation in a wide uncontrollable range.
Accordingly, the pressurization may not be completed within the cycle time or may be completed too early. In the former case, raw gas rapidly flows in the adsorbent bed which has not completed the pressurization at the time of bed switching, causing a pressure drop to thereby reduce the amount of product gas sent. In the latter case, however, due to earlier completion of the pressurization, there may be a period of time until the next switching in which no product gas flows through the flow regulator 28, and during which time the pressure and feeding amount of product gas would increase.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide, in a PSA process for separating product gas as hydrogen and/or helium, an adsorptive separation process which can improve the recovery rate of product gas and can further reduce a variation in pressure and flow rate of product gas.


An actuator system that includes two beams that are formed into a diamond pattern. A crossbar is positioned at a midsection to connect the two beams. When power is applied to the two beams, the diamond pattern is driven vertically. An actuator system may also include a substrate and a first layer above a second layer on the substrate. The first and second layers include upper and lower beams joined together at one end of the layers. A method of forming an actuator system includes forming a first layer above a second layer on a substrate, joining the first and second layers together at one end of the layers, and forming upper and lower beams. The upper and lower beams may be different in width, length and thickness to control a vertical movement of the actuator system.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to switches. More specifically, the systems and methods of the invention relate to actuator systems and methods that may be used in a switch.
2. Description of Related Art
Micro-electromechanical (MEMS) technology switches are used in many applications. For example, a MEMS switch may be used in microfluidics to open and close a valve, or to direct a flow of fluid through a pipe. Optical communications systems may utilize large amounts of bandwidth. In order to improve efficiency, many optical communications systems utilize MEMS optical switches. The switches may be used in optical communications systems to control a lightwave through a waveguide or to add/drop channels in a multiplexer. For example, the optical switches may add or drop input signals from a fiber optic source to a different fiber optic output port sometimes using optical multiplexers. The optical switches may also include both a shuttle mechanism that holds a routing waveguide structure, and actuators that physically move the shuttle mechanism and a latching system.
Conventional optical switches typically use separate components for the optical switch and the optical switch actuator. The conventional shuttle mechanisms use thermally operated actuators, which operate in a two-dimension (2D) in-plane actuation motion to control the switching function within the optical communications systems. For example, when the shuttle mechanism forms the switching element, the thermal actuators are thermally driven to cause the shuttle mechanism to move between switching positions. However, this configuration requires that the thermal actuators overcome both a restoring force of the suspension arms of the shuttle mechanism, and the thermal actuator itself. Thus, high actuation forces and long displacement distances are required in order to adequately drive the shuttle mechanism. As a result, the long displacement distances require that long thermal actuators be used with optical switch. Accordingly, increased space within the switching system is required which can subsequently cause an increased tendency toward out of plane deformation within the optical switch.
Conventional out-of-plane magnetic and electrostatic actuators are used with MEM technology today. However, magnetic drives require using high-powered magnets in close proximity to the chip. This complex arrangement causes problems when packaging the chips because some components may need to be protected from the magnet. With lower strength magnets, very large currents are required to drive the actuators. Electrostatic actuators require large amounts of area on a chip, which increases the manufacturing costs. The electrostatic actuators are generally driven by high voltages, which preclude using them in application where high voltages are not available. Moreover, a "pull-in" instability existing in voltage-driven electrostatic actuators limits the controllable range of motion unless a complex drive circuitry is used, e.g., a switched capacitor charge drive circuitry.
Standard thermal bimorphs can create an out-of-plane motion for use in a switch. However, the bimorphs must be composed of two different materials, which result in different coefficients of thermal expansion for each material. Because MEMS processing involves various high-temperature steps, most bimorphs are formed with defects. The conventional systems discussed above may significantly increase the size of the overall chip, and increase manufacturing and packaging costs.


A showerhead provided in a chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and facing a wafer holder includes: a disk-shaped member having a plurality of through holes penetrating the disk-shaped member in a direction of a thickness thereof; a high-frequency conductor embedded in the disk-shaped member; a hole provided in the disk-shaped member, extending in the direction of the thickness of the disk-shaped member and having a bottom exposing a portion of the conductor; an electrode terminal portion disposed in the hole and having a base portion electrically connected to the conductor and a columnar portion provided on the base portion; a cylindrical member having a first end portion fitted outside the columnar portion and facing the conductor and a second end portion facing away from the first end portion, and a sealing member surrounding the first end portion.

In semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing semiconductor devices such as LSIs, a semiconductor wafer is placed on a wafer holder, also referred to as a susceptor, introduced in a chamber, and, while having a back surface heated, has a front surface subjected to a variety of types of thin film processing such as CVD, sputtering and other deposition processes, etching, and the like. Such thin film processing may be performed in a plasma atmosphere, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used in that case is provided with radio frequency (RF) electrodes, with one (or a lower) electrode embedded in the wafer holder and the other (or an upper) electrode above the wafer holder to face the lower electrode. By applying radio frequency (RF) voltage between the electrodes, a source gas present between the electrodes can be made into a plasma state.
In the chamber of the above semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a showerhead is provided above the wafer holder in order to introduce the source gas. The showerhead generally has a portion facing a wafer carrying surface of the wafer holder and having a disk-shaped member provided with a large number of gas discharging holes so that the source gas can be uniformly supplied toward the wafer carrying surface of the wafer holder. Embedding a conductive member in the disk-shaped member for a radio frequency electrode allows the showerhead to also serve as the upper electrode. For example, PTL 1 discloses that an upper electrode circuit for generating a radio frequency wave is embedded in a ceramic plate for a showerhead having a plurality of gas discharging holes and a metal support holding the ceramic plate and the upper electrode circuit are electrically connected by using a spring.

Showerhead and method for manufacturing the same