Thermal warming suits for a human occupant of a wet submersible vehicle are described. The thermal warming suits provide a dedicated envelope configured to encase at least a portion of the human occupant in a deformable suit that can be assembled around or donned, as well as be removed, by the occupant or others before or after entry and seating in or on the wet submersible vehicle, while underwater or surfaced. The suits provide a deformable, weight and space (i.e. volume) conscious, collapsible loose fitting perimeter around the occupant. The suits can be used to create a pneumatic barrier around at least a portion of the occupant by using a gas such as air provided from a gas reservoir to force water from the interior of the suit.

When riding a wet manned submersible vehicle, a human occupant may be exposed to long duration submersions in water that is at temperatures that may be below normal human comfort, and perhaps even survival, levels potentially leading to hypothermia. This can create significant energy drain and fatigue on the human occupant caused by core thermal cooling processes that result from the human body's response to maintain thermal equilibrium while exposed to such temperatures and rapid exothermic heat loss due to water thermal film coefficients. The result after such exposure can be a drastic reduction in human physical and intellectual performance. In the case of military personnel, at the end of a transit excursion on a wet submersible, this reduction in physical and intellectual performance may occur at the exact time when maximum exertion and optimal decision-making is required.
Currently, underwater thermal protection is provided by wet suits, dry suits, circulatory hot water hydronic heating, and electric heating. The most energy efficient solution is a dry suit that can be worn by the human occupant of the wet submersible vehicle. However a dry suit does not provide the volume or space for an individual of average dexterity to withdraw their hands and arms from the sleeve and glove area of the suit into a main core zone of the dry suit in such a way as to provide tactile access of the wearer to certain dry zones (for example, head, neck, shoulders, torso) with his/her own hands. Further, a dry suit requires open circuit buoyancy, i.e. inflation/pressurization, control by the individual wearing the dry suit. However, variations in the dry suit buoyancy affect the individual's buoyancy and therefore affect the overall buoyancy of the wet submersible vehicle. In addition, air is expelled from the dry suit's dump valve as the buoyancy is adjusted during venting procedures such as during an ascent of the wet submersible vehicle. As expelled air ascends to the water surface it expands due to the decreasing pressure differential, creating a tell-tale eruption of bubbles at the water surface which, in the case of military operations, can undesirably signal the presence of military personnel below.

Human thermal warming suits for wet submersibles


Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods by which the level of liquid nitrogen in one or more liquid nitrogen storage containers can be monitored and leaks may be detected and reported.

With the advent of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), human gametes (sperm, eggs, embryos) are surgically and non-surgically obtained from infertility patients and cancer patients, as well as patients wanting to store their gametes for future use. These gametes are stored in liquid nitrogen and or liquid nitrogen vapor. The expense, both financially and emotionally, of acquiring, storing and later using these gametes for procreation can run very high. Thus, protecting these frozen "assets" is one of the most important roles of the infertility laboratory.
Gametes are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks of various sizes, shapes and constructions. Most importantly, these tanks must include an intact vacuum sealed chamber to prevent rapid loss of liquid nitrogen, and therefore, temperature. Liquid nitrogen exists at −196° C. (˜−400° F.) and while storage in the vapor phase can vary, it needs to be below −150° C. to ensure the integrity of the cryopreserved specimens.
Historically, the monitoring of a liquid nitrogen tank has been considered to require a multi-disciplined approach that typically includes: the daily visual inspection of all tanks, with careful examination of the exterior of the tank for sweating, frost, and/or liquid nitrogen vapors; the use of a dipstick to measure actual liquid nitrogen levels at least twice per week; and electronic monitoring by an electronic alarm system.
Daily visual inspection of and/or the actual measurement of liquid nitrogen levels within a liquid nitrogen tank may be sufficient to discover a slow leak. However, in the event of a more catastrophic and rapid loss of liquid nitrogen from a liquid nitrogen tank, electronic monitoring is typically relied on to detect the problem. Currently, electronic monitoring of liquid nitrogen levels within a liquid nitrogen tank (regardless of size, design or construction) is performed almost exclusively by thermocouple probes that are placed into the opening of the tank. Such a thermocouple probe can be placed in direct contact with the liquid nitrogen in the tank, or may be located above the liquid nitrogen in the superjacent vapor phase. In any case, the thermocouple probe is typically connected to a monitoring system that monitors the temperature within the tank and triggers an alarm if the internal tank temperature exceeds some predetermined value.
A significant shortcoming with respect to the temperature-based monitoring of liquid nitrogen tank internal temperature results from the possibility of detecting an acceptably low temperature even though the tank may already be devoid or substantially devoid of liquid nitrogen due to a leak. More specifically, because liquid nitrogen is so cold and frequently exists at least partially as a vapor within a typical liquid nitrogen tank, the liquid nitrogen vapor may cause the internal temperature of a liquid nitrogen tank to remain at an acceptable level and not trigger an alarm for some period of time after all of the liquid nitrogen has actually leaked out of the tank.
In the case of a significant liquid nitrogen tank failure such as, for example, a tank vacuum system breach (e.g., through external damage to the tank causing a seam to split or a weld to break), rapid liquid nitrogen loss can occur in a matter of minutes, or at most, a few hours. If such a rapid loss of liquid nitrogen were to occur under the circumstances described above, where remaining liquid nitrogen vapor maintains an acceptable tank temperature for some short period of time after a major or complete liquid nitrogen loss, it should be understood that the internal tank temperature will eventually begin to rise rapidly and the integrity of the specimens within the tank will be compromised in short order—quite possibly well before a temperature-based alarm system can issue an alarm and the tank and specimens can be tended to. As most liquid nitrogen storage tanks can hold hundreds if not thousands of specimens, a complete loss of even one tank can be catastrophic for patients and the infertility practice alike.
Unfortunately, real-world examples of such a scenario occurred in March of 2018, when two separate IVF clinics experienced catastrophic specimen loss due to liquid nitrogen tank leaks that were not detected quickly enough. In the case of one of the clinics alone, hundreds if not thousands of specimens completely thawed and were, therefore, a total loss. The resulting emotional toll on patients is impossible to determine, and the financial loss to will certainly run into the millions. And this is not the first time that liquid nitrogen tank failures have occurred in the IVF setting.
From the foregoing description, it should be apparent that there is a heretofore unmet need for a more reliable and faster responding system and method for monitoring liquid nitrogen container levels. Exemplary system and method embodiments disclosed herein meet this need.

System and method for monitoring and reporting liquid nitrogen container level


Some embodiments of the invention relate to a method of managing a distributed compression system comprised of a plurality of compression modules. According to some embodiments of the invention, a method of managing a distributed compression system comprised of a plurality of compression modules may include implementing a load balancing distribution scheme in respect of a plurality of currently active compression modules, providing a reference key for each of a plurality of data units which are intended for being compressed, the reference key of each data unit being based upon at least a portion of the content of the data unit, and applying the load balancing distribution scheme in respect the reference key of each of the plurality of data units so as to designate for each data unit a compression module from amongst the plurality of compression modules to which the data unit is to be assigned, thereby giving rise to a substantially balanced distribution of the data units across the plurality of currently active compression modules.

Published US application No. 2005/0015566 to Zohar et al. discloses a method for data distribution, including distributing logical addresses among an initial set of devices so as to provide balanced access, and transferring the data to the devices in accordance with the logical addresses. If a device is added to the initial set, forming an extended set, the logical addresses are redistributed among the extended set so as to cause some logical addresses to be transferred from the devices in the initial set of devices. There is substantially no transfer of the logical addresses amongst the initial set. A similar solution is suggested in case of a device being removed from the initial set.
Published US application No. 2003/034905 to Anton et al. discloses that a distributed compression of a data file can comprise a master server module for breaking the data file into data blocks and for transmitting the data blocks to worker server modules. A first worker server module can compress a first data block using a first compression algorithm, resulting in a first compressed data block. A second worker server module can compress the second data block using a second compression algorithm, resulting in a second compressed data block. The first and second compression algorithms can comprise the same algorithm or different algorithms. An archive module can save the first and second compressed data blocks in an archive file for storage or for transmission over a communication network. The worker server modules also can compress the respective data blocks using multiple compression algorithms and can choose the highest compressed result.

Method, an apparatus and a system for managing a distributed compression system

International Business Machines Corporation


A solid-state image pickup device, and in particular, a CCD image sensor is capable of color reading, wherein n lines (n.gtoreq.2) of photo diodes disposing a plurality of photodiodes straightly are disposed parallel adjacently to each other, and adjacent n lines of CCD analog shift registers are disposed parallel to the photodiode lines at one side of the group of n lines of photodiodes, and the signal charges are transferred through a gate structure composed of MOS structure, between adjacent lines of n lines of photodiodes and n lines of CCD analog shift registers. It is therefore possible to reduce the intervals of the photodiode lines to the limit, thereby realizing a CCD color linear image sensor capable of outstandingly simplifying the signal time axis correction circuit such as semiconductor digital memory device for correcting the differences of reading positions of the photodiode lines.

The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device, and more particularly to a CCD linear image sensor for color reading used in color copiers, color image scanners or the like.
Recently the demand for color representation is rapidly mounting in copiers, image scanners and other appliances, and CCD color linear image sensors playing an important role of reading images in these appliances are expected to be enhanced in performance.
Hitherto, the CCD color linear image sensor of this type generally had the structure as disclosed in the publication 5 k-bit .times.3 (R, G, B) color line sensor for reduction optical system (Fujii, Kadowaki: Hitachi Review, Vol. 72, No. 7). This structure and the image reading method are explained below while referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.
As shown in FIG. 5, the conventional CCD color linear image sensor comprised three CCD linear image sensors for reading red, green and blue colors disposed adjacently in a single chip, consisting of photodiode lines consisting of photodiode lines (11a, 12a, 13b, . . . , 1na), (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . , 1nb), (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . , 1nc), shift gates 3a, 3b, 3c for signal charge transfer disposed parallel to these photodiode lines, CCD analog shift registers for signal charge transfer (21a, 22a, 23a, . . . 2na), (21b, 22b, 23b, . . . 2nb), (21c, 22c, 23c, . . . 2nc), charge-voltage converters 4a, 4b, 4c, and output terminal 5a, 5b, 5c. The photodiode lines (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . 1na), (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . 1nb), (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . , 1nc) are provided with color filters of, for example, red, green and blue, in every line for color separation.
The individual photodiodes for composing the photodiode lines (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . 1na), (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . 1nb), (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . 1nc), are generated at pitches p, and the interval of photodiode lines (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . 1na) and (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . 1nb) is L1, and the interval of photodiode lines (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . 1nb) and (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . 1nc) is L2.
The photogenerated signal charges in the photodiode lines (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . , 1na), (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . 1nb), (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . , 1nc) are transferred through shift gates 3a, 3b, 3c respectively to CCD analog shift registers (21a, 22a, 23a, . . . 2na), (21b, 22b, 23b, . . . , 2nb), (21c, 22c, 23c, . . . , 2nc). The signal charges transferred to the CCD analog shift registers (21a, 22a, 23a, . . . , 2na), (21b, 22b, 23b, . . . , 2nb), (21c, 22c, 23c, . . . , 2nc) are sequentially transferred to the charge-voltage converters 4a, 4b, 4c by applying clock pulses, and are produced from the output terminals 5a, 5b, 5c as voltage changes.
By the CCD color linear image sensor based on the prior art having the above constitution, the optical system for reading color images is composed approximately as shown in FIG. 6. The light reflected by a document 6 is reduced to 1/m through a lens 7, and is projected on three photodiode lines of the CCD color linear image sensor. In this case, since the interval of the photodiode lines (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . , 1na) and (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . , 1nb) is L1 and the interval of the photodiode lines (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . , 1nb) and (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . , 1nc) is L2, the information on the straight line at a distance of L1.times.m between the photodiode lines (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . , 1na) and (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . , 1nb) or at a distance of L2.times.m between the photodiode lines (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . , 1nb) and (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . , 1nc) is read on the document surface.
Supposing the document is moving at a specific speed v in the direction of the arrow in order to scan the whole document, with respect to the information on the same straight line on the document, the signal of the photodiode line (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . , 1nc) is obtained prior to the signal of the photodiode line (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . , 1na) by the time T.sub.c =(L1+L2).times.m.div.v, and the signal of the photodiode lines (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . , 1nb), prior to the signal of the photodiode line (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . , 1na) by the time T.sub.b =L1.times.m.div.v.
In the CCD color linear image sensor conforming to such prior art, in order to obtain the color information on the same straight line on the document in signal processing, it is necessary to synthesize the signals of three photodiode lines by delaying the signal of the photodiode line (11c, 12c, 13c, . . . , 1nc) and the signal of the photodiode line (11b, 12b, 13b, . . . , 1nb) against the signal of the photodiode line (11a, 12a, 13a, . . . , 1na) by the time T.sub.c and the time T.sub.b, respectively.
Generally, to realize such signal delay time, for example, a semiconductor digital memory device is used. In the CCD color linear image sensor according to the prior art, the density of integration of CCD analog shift registers placed between the photodiode lines is limited, and it is very difficult to set the photodiode line intervals L1, L2 under 12p. Using a CCD color linear image sensor having 5,000 photodiodes each in photodiode lines with the photodiode line intervals L1, L2 defined as L1=L2=12p, the horizontal and vertical directions on the document are read at the same reading resolution. When the signals of three lines of photodiodes are digitalized into 8-bit information individually, the memory capacity necessary for the semiconductor digital memory device for delay necessary for time axis correction of photodiode lines is 5,000 bits.times.(12+24).times.8=1,440,000 bits, that is, about 1.4 Mbits, and when using such a CCD colorlinear image sensor, the color copier or color image scanner may be notably increased in cost and complicated in circuit composition.
The invention is intended to solve such problems, and it is a primary object thereof to present a CCD linear image sensor capable of significantly simplifying the signal time axis correction circuit of a semiconductor digital memory device or the like.

Matsushita Electronics Corporation, Ltd.


A device and a method for cooling material exposes a material to a certain supply of cryogenic coolant using a conveying device. The configuration of the conveying device permits airtight packaging of the material and is designed according to a principle that is very similar to the paternoster conveying principle. The temperature in the device for cooling material can be set by metering devices for the cryogenic coolant. The airtight packaging of the material and the adjustable temperature setting provide an energy-efficient freezing unit with a small floor space requirement.

The invention relates to a device for cooling material in a housing, which has a feeder for cryogenic coolant, which is connected to a source for a cryogenic coolant, as well as means to move the material to be cooled through the device, as well as a method for cooling material in a housing in which the cryogenic coolant is supplied, whereby the material is moved through the housing.
For the cryogenic cooling, which includes cryogenic freezing as well as cryogenic chilling, freezing equipment such as spiral freezers, tunnel freezers or freezing cabinets are usually used. The materials to be cooled, for example, foodstuffs, are moved in these devices largely with the help of belts. These expanded freezing cabinets are partly constructed as very large units.
The task of this invention is to provide a device and a method for cryogenic cooling of material that is distinguished by a small floor space requirement for the cabinet in relationship to the material capacity obtainable per unit of time and to provide an efficient utilization of energy.
This task is solved according to the invention by way of a device that is provided with at least two towers with material carriers, one of which makes possible an upward movement of the material carrier as well as another which makes downward movement of the material carrier possible, whereby at both ends of the tower, means for transporting the material carrier toward one of the towers and/or away from one of the towers is provided, as well as means for lifting and lowering the towers and means for locking the towers into position.
The means for transporting the material carrier is preferably configured in such a way that a transport of the material carrier from a loading station for the material to one of the towers, as well as from one of the towers to another tower and from the other tower to the unloading station for the cooled material can take place. It is particularly preferred that the towers show the material carriers stacked on top of each other. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for transporting the material carriers from one tower to another tower at the upper end of the towers, as well as the means for transporting the material carriers from the loading station to one of the towers and from one of the towers to the unloading station for the material at the lower end of the towers are provided. Expediently, means is available at the loading station, such as a spring belt, as well as means at the unloading station, such as a pusher.
The feeder for cryogenic coolant is advantageously arranged close to a device for producing a gas flow. This device is preferably designed as a ventilator. This arrangement provides a device that causes the product to be cooled to be subjected to a forced convection. The cryogenic coolant cools the surrounding gas and can thus be described as a convection medium.
A further development of the present invention provides that several devices for supplying the cryogenic coolant and/or several devices for producing the gas flow are arranged close to each other as well as at various points in the device. The feeders for cryogenic coolant preferably have a metering device which helps to ensure that each of the various feeders have an adjustable amount of cryogenic coolant available. In this way, the desired values for cooling capacity and thus the desired temperatures in the device can be set; in particular, different temperatures in different areas of the device can be set. Partitions are expediently provided between the various temperature areas. It is particularly preferred that the feeder for cryogenic coolant have at least one nozzle.
The invention may further be designed so that the means for transporting material carriers as well as the means for locking the towers into position have a hydraulic moving device. Mechanical moving devices are also preferably used. A suitable mechanical moving device would be, for example, a chain drive or a crank-driving mechanism. Another possibility consists of designing a pneumatic moving device. The moving device is advantageously designed so that it is electrically operated.
It proves to be an advantage to design the material carrier so that it is open on the sides on which devices for supplying cryogenic coolant are arranged. Likewise, it is advantageous to provide a stack reinforcer for the stacking of the material carrier. The stack reinforcer is advantageously designed so that it is open on the sides on which the devices for supplying cryogenic coolant are arranged. It is especially preferred that the material carriers are designed as metal sheets, particularly as metal sheets that are suitable for picking up food. The metal sheets are designed in such a way that they are horizontally navigable for a transport car, particularly for a transport car designed as a sliding carriage.
It is advisable to provide mechanical means for lifting and lowering the towers, such as a linear drive or a crank-driving mechanism. Hydraulic means proves to be advantageous for moving the towers. Another possibility is a configuration with pneumatic means. Of course, the invention can be further developed via electric driving means.
Preferably, means for loading the material to be cooled is provided. It is advisable to provide means for the unloading of the material. Advantageously, means for loading as well as means for unloading at the same height are provided. The invention is further developed by material-compatible conveying systems for loading and unloading the material. For example, a spring belt is provided for loading the material, as well as a pusher for removing the material from the material carriers. Another advantageous further development of the invention consists of designing the means for transporting the material carriers in such a way that the material carriers can be tipped. Thus the material can slide down from a slanted material carrier and be unloaded in this way. The tipping movement is preferably driven electrically, hydraulically, pneumatically or mechanically.
A further development of the device provides means for transporting the unloaded material back to the loading station of the device. As a result, the device has only one side that can be used and thus has a reduced floor space requirement. Particular advantageous for transporting material and material carriers is the sliding carriage, which transport material from the loading end to the unloading end of a tower and, once it has passed through at least two towers, picks up the material at the unloading end of the corresponding tower and transports it to the unloading side or back to the loading side, as desired.
Preferably, means for controlling and/or monitoring and/or regulating the cooling of the material is provided in the device. For example, a central SPS control device is designated for this purpose. The means is advantageously designed so that a fully automatic, quasi-continuous operation is possible.
Particularly for a permanent operation, the device preferably has a housing, which is designed as a thermally insulated cell.
The task at hand is solved with a method that the material on the material carriers is moved through the housing with automatic stacking, whereby at least two towers are constructed, whereby at least one tower is lifted and at least another tower is lowered, respectively, and whereby the towers are at least intermittently locked into position, as soon as the material carriers at the end of the tower are transported toward one of the towers and/or away from one of the towers. The material is moved similar to the movement of a conveyor device based on the principle of a paternoster lift.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the material carriers at the upper end of the towers are moved from one tower to another tower, as well as transported at the lower end of the towers from the loading station to one of the towers and from the other tower to the unloading station for the material. The material is expediently loaded at the loading station by loading means, such as a spring belt, and unloaded at the unloading station by unloading means, such as a pusher.
According to another configuration of the invention, the means for transporting the material carriers is tipped to unload the cooled material, by way of which the material is unloaded in a simple and quick manner.
Depending on the configuration of the method, the material carriers are moved mechanically and/or hydraulically and/or pneumatically and/or electrically, particularly advantageously horizontally and/or vertically moved.
A further development of the method provides that the cryogenic coolant is sprayed.
It is particularly preferred that the cryogenic coolant be supplied near a device that products a gas flow. The cryogenic coolant is supplied with particular advantage near a device designed as a ventilator. The use of nitrogen as cryogenic coolant proves to be particularly advantageous.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the cryogenic coolant is supplied to several feeders of the device for cooling material. It proves to be advantageous if the cryogenic coolant flows around the material to be cooled, which is subjected to a forced convection. Particularly advantageously, at least one ventilator for the production of the forced convection is used. It is recommended that the material of the cryogenic coolant flow in an approximately parallel direction to the material carriers, which is achieved by the use of deflector plates.
The cryogenic coolant preferably flows around the material in each of the adjoining material carriers, alternately once on one side and once on the other side. With this configuration of the invention, the cryogenic coolant is preferably supplied parallel to the supporting surface for the material on the material carriers, and actually over the supporting surface of each individual material carrier.
According to a further development of the invention, the cryogenic coolant is guided in such a way that a pre-cooling zone is formed in the area close to the loading material carrier, in which the cryogenic coolant cools and/or freezes the surface of the material to be cooled. In addition, the material that is still comparably hot on the material carriers near the loading area is advantageously pre-cooled in this manner. This pre-cooling is already achieved by the expansion of the cryogenic coolant, without, for example, using a ventilator in this area to produce a forced convection.
The invention is particularly suited to the cooling of foodstuffs. The temperature in the device according to the invention is expediently set by metering the amount of the cryogenic coolant per unit of time. Of course, the invention can be further developed, so that the metering of the cryogenic coolant can be set differently for at least two different feeders. As a result, at least two zones are formed in the housing in which different temperatures prevail.
Partitions are expediently used to divide these areas, which permits the temperature differences to be maintained over long periods of time. In addition, a slight temperature gradient is also set in the individual zones, since the temperature increases the greater the distance from the feeders for cryogenic coolant.
It is recommended to provide outlets for discharged fluids, such as water, on the floor of the housing.
For certain, e.g. breakable materials, it proves to be an advantage if the material is loaded or unloaded in combination with the material carriers. For example, slightly crushable foodstuffs lying on the metal sheets used as material carriers are loaded and unloaded.
Another particularly energy-efficient possibility consists of loading and unloading the material separately from the material carriers. The material carriers remain in the housing in this case and thus assume the function of a cold storage, which reduces the energy requirement of the device and of the method.
It is also an advantage if the material at the same height is loaded and unloaded. The loading and unloading preferably takes place on the loading side of the device. This measure makes it possible to further reduce the floor space requirement of the device.
The invention offers a series of other important advantages.
The device according to the invention has a very small floor space requirement in relationship to the freezing capacity of the device for cryogenic coolant. The floor space requirement is principally determined by the conveying device, which has a substantially reduced floor space requirement due to a design similar to a paternoster conveyor. Another crucial advantage, in contrast to the conventional paternoster principle, is that the invention has very few movable parts and generally few built-in components in the housing. As a result, it has a high operating reliability, as well as being a device that is very easy to clean.
The invention according to a preferred embodiment in which the towers are constructed of stacked material carriers does not even have any moving parts in the tower. In addition, a very simple and basic cleaning of the towers by removal of the material carriers is possible. Another advantage is that the material carriers can be completely removed from the device for maintenance purposes.
The stacking of the materials to be cooled in a vertical direction according to the invention also makes it possible to expand the device upwards, providing an advantageous adjustment to the required freezing capacity. The airtight packaging of the material to be cooled that is achieved with the invention permits an efficient utilization of the energy used. This advantage is further expanded by the possibility of leaving the material carriers for several cooling processes with new material to be chilled in the freezer.
The use of food-compatible materials in the device according to the invention is also advantageous. It is particularly advantageous that all essential components of the invention have been manufactured with food-compatible materials.
Another advantage is the use of a housing for cooling the material: the housing is preferably provided with a vent for evaporated coolant, so that no release of the coolant vapor takes place in the room in which the device according to the invention is operating. Furthermore, the housing is advantageously insulated, so that energy losses via the external walls of the housing are minimized.
Below, the invention is explained in detail on the basis of a schematically drawn embodiment in the figures.
FIG. 1 shows a front view of two towers according to the invention, with a lifting device, a moving device and a sliding carriage; and
FIG. 2 shows a side view of the object shown in FIG. 1 with supply for cryogenic coolant, ventilators and partitions.

Device and method for cryogenic freezing


An article of footwear may include an upper and an outsole bonded to the upper. The outsole may include multiple discrete lugs distributed across a bottom exterior surface of the outsole. The article may further include a compressible foam midsole contained within the upper. The midsole may be non-destructively removable from the upper.

Conventional articles of footwear generally include two primary components: an upper and a sole structure. The upper provides a covering for the foot and securely positions the foot relative to the sole structure. The sole structure is secured to a lower surface of the upper and configured so as to be positioned between the foot and the ground when a wearer is standing, walking or running. Sole structures are often designed so as to cushion, protect and support the foot. Sole structures may also be designed so as to increase traction and to help control potentially harmful foot motion such as overpronation.
Many types of athletic footwear have a sole structure that includes a deformable midsole. A primary element of many conventional midsoles is a resilient polymer foam material that extends throughout the length of the footwear. The physical characteristics of a midsole often depend on the density and other properties of the polymer foam material and on the dimensional configuration of the midsole. By varying these factors throughout the midsole, the relative stiffness, degree of ground reaction force attenuation, and energy absorption properties may be altered to meet the specific demands of the activity for which the footwear is intended to be used.
Cushioning and impact attenuation are valuable attributes of a sole structure. However, components that provide these attributes also tend to reduce the degree to which a shoe wearer can sense ground contours and other features. This loss of sensation regarding ground features can be disadvantageous. The feel of a ground surface sensed by the underside of a person's foot can provide useful cues regarding conditions of the ground over which that person may be moving. When sensing rough, uneven and/or loose terrain, for example, a runner may adjust his or her motions.
Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,755 describes an article of footwear having an articulated sole structure in which multiple sipes separate discrete sole elements of the midsole. The resulting sole structure helps to simulate a sensation of barefoot running while at the same time providing a degree of cushioning and protection to the wearer foot. However, there remains an ongoing need for improved footwear that protects the wearer foot but that also provides a natural motion feel and tactile feedback regarding ground conditions.


A compressor includes a hermetic container, a compression mechanism section disposed in the hermetic container, and a motor disposed in the hermetic container to drive the compression mechanism section. The motor has a rotor and a stator disposed so as to surround an outer periphery of the rotor. The stator includes a stator core and oil passage grooves. The stator core has a hollow circular cylindrical section and a plurality of circumferentially arranged teeth protruding radially inward from an outer peripheral surface of the hollow circular cylindrical section. The oil passage grooves are located radially outside of the teeth. The oil passage grooves are formed by cutting an outer peripheral surface of the hollow circular cylindrical section.

A conventional compressor has a hermetic container, a compression mechanism section disposed in this hermetic container, and a motor disposed in the hermetic container and driving the compression mechanism section through a shaft. An oil sump storing a lubricant is formed in a bottom section of the hermetic container (JP2001-12374A).


A detachable grill comprising a body, a pan detachably mounted on said body and a locking device for connecting said body with said pan, said body having a heating device for heating said pan, wherein said locking device comprises: a sleeve, a connecting nail and a deflecting device, the flange of the lower portion of said sleeve protruding outwardly to form a clamping portion, said sleeve connected to the bottom of said pan by said connecting nail, wherein said deflecting device is movably connected to said body and can abut against the clamping portion or move away the clamping portion selectively. The deflecting device abuts against the clamping portion to prevent the sleeve from sliding upwardly so as to lock and fix the pan.

Traditional grill pan is fixedly connected with the grill body, therefore, it is inconvenient to clean. Because of this disadvantage, the inventor had provided a solution shown and described in CN.PAT.No.CN2820027Y Sep. 27, 2006. with the title of "a separable grill", the grill aforementioned comprises a body, a pan separably mounted on the body and a clamping mechanism for connecting the body with the pan, a heating device for heating pan is mounted on the body, the clamping sheet of the clamping mechanism is made by metal, which has sharp edge and is easy to hurt the users, therefore, this grill is not secure enough to the users.


The present invention is directed to a method, system, and apparatus for applying megasonic energy to the surface of a workpiece for the removal of contaminants. A nozzle dispenses a stream of deionized water or other cleaning fluid at a radial position on the surface. A stepping motor moves the arm over the surface, in a step-wise manner, allowing megasonic energy to be applied in a uniform manner. The workpiece is rotated at low speeds to provide a more uniform application. Chemical solutions may optionally be added to dissolve contaminants or change the Zeta potential of the contaminants to make particles easier to detach and suspend. A high-RPM dry spin cycle further removes cleaning fluid and suspended contaminants, preventing them from reattaching. The present invention is compatible with numerous types of workpieces including 12xe2x80x3 semiconductor wafers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the cleaning of a microelectronic workpiece. More particularly, it concerns an improved method and apparatus to remove submicron-sized contaminants from the surface of a workpiece using megasonic energy.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, at one or more stages in the semiconductor fabrication process, there is a need to clean the wafer or other microelectric workpiece to remove contaminants and other residue. Contaminants typically include films, discrete particles, particulates, micro-droplets, vapors and residue.
As the design rule of semiconductor devices decreases to the submicron region, the tolerable size of the contaminants produced during the fabrication process is also decreased. Even extremely small foreign particles may cause fatal defects during the fabricating process, thereby decreasing the reliability and yield of the fabrication facility. As such, cleaning a workpiece to remove particulates and residues down to 0.05 micrometers is important.
These submicron-sized particles are difficult to displace because of strong adhesion forces between the particles and the substrate, such as caused by Van der Waals forces, capillary forces, chemical bonding, and/or electrostatic forces.
Early cleaning techniques used brushes to physically sweep the particles from the surface. However, with the increased level of miniaturization, many substrates are delicate and can no longer be cleaned with brushes. Brushes are abrasive, and the metalization on wafers and masks cannot tolerate such abrasive cleaning processes.
Other prior art systems use high-pressure water jets to direct a liquid stream incident on a rotating wafer to remove contaminants. Often, however, the high pressure within the water column causes damage due to the large forces they exert, particularly to metal patterns on the wafers. Additionally, high-pressure water jets typically require large quantities of deionized water, which may not be economical for a manufacturing environment.
Other cleaning methods include submerging the semiconductor part in a tank having transducers attached to the bottom for applying acoustic energy. The acoustic energy is either in ultrasonic or megasonic frequencies. Ultrasonic cleaning causes cavitation effects, and therefore results in micro explosions that are undesirable for today""s microchip manufacturing. As such, megasonic energy has emerged as a preferred way to remove contaminants from a semiconductor parts because it does not cause cavitation. An additional advantage from using a megasonic tank is the ability to clean the top and bottom surfaces of an article simultaneously. However, removing cleaned articles from a tank is problematic because particles frequently reattach to the surface as the article is being removed. This reattachment is possible even when using recirculating tanks with filtering. Another problem is that the tank itself is an acoustical cavity, with standing waves, peaks, and valleys. Further, the energy coupled to the tank is affected by the loading of the tank. Because of both of these problems, the applied megasonic energy density varies between points on a wafer, between wafers within the same tank, and between tanks. Additionally, energy density is limited due to the fact that all energy has to distribute to the full volume of the tank. For example, typical megasonic tanks with megasonic transducers mounted to the bottom of the tank inherently produce an energy density gradient between the top and bottom of the tank. An additional drawback to cleaning semiconductor parts in a tank is the large quantities of cleaning fluids required. These chemicals are expensive and generally hazardous to the environment.
Some prior art systems began incorporating megasonic nozzles in conjunction with other techniques where acoustic energy is transferred to a wafer through a deionized water stream, in an attempt to retain the benefits of megasonic cleaning without using a tank. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,368,054 and 5,562,778 describe the use of megasonic nozzles to apply energy through a cleaning stream to remove particles from a substrate. Generally, the article such as a wafer or substrate was rotated or moved linearly under the water stream to apply megasonic energy to a total surface area. However, rotation of the wafer and movement of the water stream were generally done without attention to the total energy delivered to each point on the substrate. Therefore, energy density gradients and a corresponding variation in the cleanliness of points on a substrate exist.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,647 describes a megasonic nozzle system that mentions the uniform application of megasonic energy. However, during cleaning, the system in the ""647 patent rotates the substrate at high RPMs. Use of high-RPM cleaning has a number of disadvantages including inherent non-uniformity of the energy delivered (particularly at low radial lengths), and drying or partial drying of the substrate during the cleaning process. In addition, in the system described in the ""647 patent, a nozzle directs the stream of cleaning fluid perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned, which can lead to the stagnation of cleaning fluid on the substrate. Furthermore, the ""647 patent does not address the drying the workpiece, which is important to successfully removing contaminants and keeping them from reattaching to the substrate.
Without proper drying, wafers are generally not cleaned successfully. Even in a state-of-the-art clean room a wet substrate is capable of attracting contaminants. Further, if a substrate is subjected to contaminants before drying, contaminants may be bonded to the surface. Therefore, drying a semiconductor part to effectively remove all cleaning fluids before contaminants have the opportunity to reattach is an important step in the cleaning process. Many prior art systems use separate machines for cleaning and drying. Thus, as the workpiece is cleaned, it is removed from the cleaning apparatus and placed into another machine for drying. During the time the workpiece is removed from the cleaning device, transported to the drying device, and placed in the drying device, there is a probability of contamination and of removed particles reattaching.
In light of the shortcomings of the prior art, it would therefore be desirable to have an apparatus capable of effectively cleaning a semiconductor part and drying the semiconductor part using the same apparatus. It would further be advantageous that if on the same apparatus, chemicals (acids, solvents, surfactants, etc.) could be dispensed for chemical cleaning of hard to remove contaminants or modify pH of the cleaning solution to reduce the electrostatic forces between particles and the substrate prior to loosening or detaching with megasonic energy and then removing debris and drying the surface with a centrifugal force. Such a device may also integrate chemical processing (etching) and cleaning into a single process further reducing the process steps and defects. In addition, other processes such as the detachment process can be carried with the aid of megasonic agitation and then be followed with a complete cleaning. It would further be desirable for using the megasonic energy to passify newly cleaned surfaces by producing very small amounts of Hydrogen that could attach to surface. Other chemicals and reactants, for example hydrogen peroxide, can be formed on the surface with or without the aid of megasonic energy for the improved removal of foreign materials and followed by megasonic cleaning, surface passivation, and spot free drying to achieve better yields.
In one broad respect, the present invention is directed to a method for removing contaminants from a workpiece comprising the steps of: rotating the workpiece about an axis at a low angular velocity; directing a stream of cleaning fluid at a surface of the workpiece, such that the stream of cleaning fluid delivers substantially uniform megasonic energy to all points on the surface of the workpiece, and then rotating the workpiece at a high angular velocity until the surface of the workpiece is dry of cleaning fluids. In a narrow respect, a low angular velocity is between 200 and 500 revolutions per minute. In another narrow respect, a high angular velocity is 3500 revolutions per minute or higher. In another narrow respect, the cleaning fluid comprises deionized water. In a narrower respect, the deionized water is ozonated. In another narrow respect, the cleaning fluid is an acid. In another narrow respect, the cleaning fluid includes one or more surfactants. In another narrow respect, the cleaning fluid is operable to alter the Zeta potential of one or more of the contaminants and the surface of the workpiece to increase the repulsion between the one or more contaminants and the workpiece. In a narrower respect, the method further comprises the step of delivering a cleaning fluid to the workpiece while the workpiece is rotating at a low angular velocity. In another narrower respect, the method further comprises the step of delivering drying fluids to the workpiece while the workpiece is rotating at a high angular velocity. In a narrower respect, the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.
In another broad respect, the present invention is directed to a method for removing contaminants from the surface of a workpiece, comprising the steps of: rotating the workpiece bout an axis, at a low angular velocity; directing a stream of cleaning fluid, wherein the stream of cleaning fluid comprises megasonic energy, through a nozzle at a surface of the workpiece, while moving the nozzle over the workpiece such that the stream of cleaning fluid delivers substantially uniform megasonic energy to all points on the surface of the workpiece; and then rotating the workpiece at a high angular velocity until the surface of the workpiece is dry of cleaning fluids. In a narrow respect, the step of moving the nozzle over the workpiece further comprises moving the nozzle over the workpiece in a stepwise manner. In another narrow respect, the step of moving the nozzle over the workpiece in a stepwise manner comprises stopping the nozzle over each radial strip for an amount of time proportional to the radial distance of the strip. In another narrow respect, the step of directing a stream of cleaning fluid further comprises directing the stream of cleaning fluid at an optimal angle to the surface of the workpiece. In a narrower respect, the optimal angle is between 60 and 70 degrees with respect to the workpiece surface. In another narrow respect, the nozzle is maintained at a fixed distance from the surface of the workpiece during the step of moving the nozzle over the workpiece. In a narrower respect, the fixed distance is approximately 12 mm.
In another broad respect, the present invention is directed to a method for removing contaminants from the surface of a workpiece having a top surface and a bottom surface, comprising the steps of: rotating the workpiece at a low angular velocity; directing a first stream of cleaning fluid, wherein the first stream of cleaning fluid comprises megasonic energy while moving the first nozzle over the top surface such that the first stream of cleaning fluid delivers substantially uniform megasonic energy to all points on the top surface, wherein at least a portion of the megasonic energy delivered to the top surface propagates through to the bottom surface; directing a second stream of cleaning fluid at the bottom surface of the workpiece; and then rotating the workpiece at a high angular velocity until the workpiece is dry of cleaning fluids. In a narrow respect, the second stream of cleaning fluid comprises deionized water.
In another broad respect, the present invention is directed to a method for cleaning contaminants from the surface of a workpiece, comprising the steps of: applying megasonic energy to at least one stream of cleaning fluid, hereinafter the megasonic cleaning stream; directing at an optimal angle the at least one megasonic cleaning stream to the surface of the workpiece; rotating the workpiece at a low angular velocity sufficient to maintain a uniform laminar flow profile of the megasonic cleaning stream on the surface of the workpiece; and moving the megasonic cleaning stream over the workpiece such that a substantially uniform amount of megasonic energy is delivered to each point on the workpiece. In a narrower respect, the method further comprises the step of rotating the workpiece at a high angular velocity until the workpiece is dry of cleaning fluids.
In another broad respect, the invention is directed to a system for the effective removal of contaminants from the surface of a workpiece, comprising: a chuck operable to hold the workpiece; a spinner motor operable to rotate the chuck about an axis; a fluid source containing a cleaning fluid; a nozzle coupled to the fluid source, wherein the nozzle is operable to apply megasonic energy to the fluid source, and wherein the nozzle is further operable to direct a stream of fluid energized with megasonic energy towards the surface of the workpiece held by the chuck; an arm coupled to the megasonic nozzle, the arm capable of positioning the nozzle over the surface of the workpiece held by the chuck; an arm motor for positioning said arm, wherein the arm motor is a stepping motor; and one or more controllers operable to control the nozzle, the spinner motor, and the arm motor, such that: the nozzle directs the stream of cleaning fluid towards the surface workpiece held in the chuck, the spinner motor rotates the chuck at a low angular velocity, and the arm motor moves the arm and the nozzle transversely over the surface of the workpiece in a step-wise manner such that the stream of cleaning fluid delivers substantially uniform megasonic energy to all points on the surface of the workpiece. In a narrow respect, the low angular velocity is between 200 and 500 revolutions per minute. In another narrow respect, the one or more controllers is further operable to stop the nozzle from directing the stream of cleaning fluid towards the surface of the workpiece, and to rotate the chuck at high angular velocity to dry the workpiece of cleaning fluids. In another narrow respect, the high angular velocity is 3500 revolutions per minute or higher. In another narrow respect, the system further comprises a conduit coupled to the fluid source, wherein the chuck is capable of holding the workpiece in a manner that exposes substantially all of the bottom surface of the workpiece to be cleaned, and wherein the conduit is operable to direct a stream of cleaning fluid to the bottom surface of the workpiece. In another narrow respect, the system further comprises a second fluid source, the second fluid source containing a cleaning fluid, a conduit coupled to the second fluid source, wherein the second nozzle is operable to direct a second stream of cleaning fluid onto the surface of the workpiece. In another narrow respect, moving in a step-wise manner comprises stopping for a controlled length of time proportional to the radial position of the nozzle.
All references incorporated herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law. To the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated by herein, it is incorporated by reference for background purposes, and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.

Single wafer megasonic cleaner method, system, and apparatus


A conventional configuration file edition method used for changing operation of a program that is operated on a computer involves a problem that a user is required to learn a complex method for changing a configuration file when a plurality of programs are provided in the form of one product because the method is different for respective programs. An intermediate configuration file that stores setting information of a configuration file, a method for forming a configuration screen, and a method for forming a configuration file is prepared, and provided to a configuration file integration base. The configuration file integration base provides an integrated configuration console to a user by use of the intermediate configuration file. The setting information is stored in the intermediate configuration file when a user changes the setting information on the integrated configuration console, and a configuration file is formed from the intermediate configuration file.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to one of various formats used for changing the program operation and relates to edition of a plurality of types of configuration files.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a program has been set by editing a configuration file for providing the program by means of a text editor or by editing a configuration file by use of a configuration screen provided by the program.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-134424 discloses a method in which the definition information description rule, the structure information used for GUI forming, and the set value and candidate are stored in a DB, GUI forming program forms GUI by use of the information stored in the DB, and the text forming program forms the definition information to change the definition information of the system from one GUI. Hence, a definition information of a different format can be changed only by changing the definition information description rule in a DB (without change of a GUI forming program and a text forming program).
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-149413 discloses a method in which a plurality of cluster software refers one system definition information stored in a common disc and as the result a user can set a program only by changing the system definition information. This method brings about saving of setting work.
The format of configuration file of a program is different and the operation procedure of the configuration screen of a program is different depending on the type of a program. Therefore, a user is involved in a problem of learning respective edition methods of configuration files of programs to use a product in which a plurality of programs are stored in one package.
Furthermore, to edit a configuration file stored in another computer through a network, it is necessary to previously activate a computer having a configuration file.
When various setting information is edited by use of a provided integrated editing screen directly, it is necessary that the configuration screen forming method from a configuration file and change of a configuration file for setting information change on a configuration screen are formed individually for the type of configuration file.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-134424 discloses a method in which the definition information format difference can be absorbed by the definition information description rule stored in a DB. However, this invention cannot involve a plurality of types of configuration files (definition information).
Furthermore, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-149413 discloses a method in which it is necessary that the cluster software is changed so as to refer the system definition information of a common disc to change the setting target cluster software. This invention is not suitable for changing all the programs because a plurality of types of programs are the targets for setting.

Method for integration edition of setting file and setting file integration base


A power supply unit for an electronic device includes an input section comprising input terminals connectable to a primary power source, an output section comprising output terminals connectable to the electronic device and outputting at least two secondary voltages having different nominal voltage levels, and a power management section. The power management section is configured to perform a shutdown process upon existence of a shutdown criterion, wherein the emergency shutdown process comprises decreasing each of the secondary voltages down to a predetermined safety level in a controlled manner.

Electronic devices such as microprocessors, network switches, field programmable gate arrays and the like usually need to be supplied with several different direct-current voltages for a proper operation. For example, an electronic device may include a 3V input, a 1.5V input and a 1.2V input. A power supply unit for such devices receives a primary voltage from a battery or a power network and transforms the primary voltage into a plurality of secondary voltages. Usually, each of the secondary voltages is less than the primary voltage. Exemplary levels of the primary voltage are 5V, 12V, 24V and 48V.
It is noted that an electronic device may be connected to a staged series of power supply units, wherein at least one power supply unit of the series is configured as described in the present disclosure.
During a system launch process, the secondary voltages should be turned on sequentially, starting with the voltage having the highest nominal level. During a system shutdown process, the secondary voltages should not "cross" each other, i.e. a secondary voltage having a higher nominal level should always be higher or equal than a secondary voltage having a lower nominal level. If this requirement is not met, the integrated circuits of the electronic device may be damaged. In current power-supply units it is difficult to reliably ensure that the predetermined turnoff sequence is maintained at any time. Also, current turnoff sequences may require a long period of time. These problems are particularly severe when microprocessors are to be installed on cars, because electrical vehicle power networks tend to have relatively frequent and abrupt voltage drops.

Power supply unit for an electronic device


A method and apparatus for treatment of materials in order to modify the texture and appearance. This is created by application of one or more gas jets directed away from the interior curved surface of a cylinder, generating a vortex which rapidly and repeatedly cycles the substrate at low tension past the gas jets. The rapid vibrations generated in the substrate by the jets serve to break apart fiber to fiber bonds caused by finish and loosen up the structure of the yarns and that of the substrate. This creates a desired aged appearance as well as a very soft texture.

This invention relates to improved method and apparatus for giving material an aged appearance and more particularly, to provide a method and apparatus for cleaning, abrading, scraping, puncturing or otherwise working fabrics or garments in order to modify the appearance, smoothness, coefficient of friction, handle, drape, and other related fabric proprieties.
In recent years, the commercial process of providing garments, particularly denim, with an aged or distressed appearance has been found to be highly desirable by many consumers. In the past denim has been commercially faded by subjecting the denim to either a chemical bath or to abrasive particulates or both in combination. A popular method is to use pumice saturated with a bleaching agent. This saturated pumice is added to the wash cycle to obtain an uneven faded or scuffed look which almost passes for natural wear. Numerous variations of this process have been practiced with the use of enzymes or acids instead of bleach as well as ceramics, rubber balls or sand instead of pumice. An example of this is U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,100 which discloses pre-formed sand and resin bonded abrasive elements mixed with denim jeans and tumbled within an elongate drum. Another variation is to pretreat the fabric by sand or shot blasting prior to treatment by chemicals or abrasives. This treatment is used to accelerate the aging and distressing of the fabric.
A major problem with the current means of altering fabric texture and appearance is that the large stones used in the process, along with the very abrasive particulate generated during processing, are very deleterious to equipment, and in addition, require manual removal from the processed garments due to the tendency of the smaller particles to accumulate in pockets and interior surfaces.
Another problem is that the washing process itself is very time consuming and increases the cost of manufacturing the garment to a significant degree.
A further problem is that this abrasive washing process is very inexact. Due to the variables involved, the final appearance of the garment is not consistent. Moreover, the combination of chemical and abrasive treatment degrades the fabric strength and reduces the garment life.
The present invention solves the above problems in a manner not disclosed in the known prior art.

Method and apparatus for modification of texture and appearance of textile fabrics


A method of fabricating semiconductor integrated circuit devices in which a wiring is connected, via a silicon film, to a semiconductor region which is the source region or the drain region of a MISFET. The method comprises a step for introducing impurities for forming a semiconductor region of the MISFET to shallowly form the semiconductor region, a step for forming a silicon film on the main surface of the semiconductor substrate in the region where the impurities are introduced, and a step for diffusing impurities into the semiconductor substrate and for diffusing impurities into a silicon film by the heat treatment so that the silicon film is permitted to possess electric conductivity.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device. More specifically, the invention relates to technology that can be effectively adapted to a semiconductor integrated circuit device in which a wiring is connected to the source region or the drain region of a MISFET via a silicon film.
The semiconductor integrated circuit device having DRAM (dynamic random access memory) which is now being developed by the present inventors has memory cells each being constituted by a memory cell select MISFET and a capacitor element for storing data. The memory cell select MISFET of the memory cell is constituted by an n-channel of the LDD (lightly doped drain) structure. The capacitor element for storing data has a so-called planar structure in which a dielectric film and a plate electrode (upper electrode) are stacked in this order on the main surface of an n-type semiconductor region (lower electrode). The memory cell consists of a series circuit in which one semiconductor region of the memory cell select MISFET is connected to the lower electrode of the capacitor element for storing data.
The other semiconductor region of the memory cell select MISFET in the memory cell is connected to a data line via an intermediate electrically conductive film.
The data line is chiefly composed of aluminum having small resistance in order to increase the speed of operation for writing data onto the DRAM and to increase the speed of operation for reading the data.
The intermediate electrically conductive film is composed of a polycrystalline silicon film, and is connected to the other semiconductor region of the memory cell select MISFET in a region specified by a side wall spacer that is formed on the side wall of the gate electrode of the memory cell select MISFET. The side wall spacer is formed on the side wall of the gate electrode in a self-aligned manner. Therefore, the region specified by the side wall spacer is self-aligned with respect to the gate electrode. That is, the position where the intermediate electrically conductive film and the other semiconductor region are connected together is self-aligned with respect to the gate electrode of the memory cell select MISFET. An end of the intermediate electrically conductive film is drawn onto the gate electrode of the memory cell select MISFET. That is, the intermediate electrically conductive film is so constituted as can be reliably connected to the data line even in case the masking is deviated in the step of fabrication. The intermediate electrically conductive film and the gate electrode are electrically isolated from each other.
The intermediate electrically conductive film is formed by a method described below.
First, one and the other semiconductor regions (source region and drain region) of a memory cell select MISFET are formed.
Then, a side wall spacer is formed on the side wall of a gate electrode of the memory cell select MISFET. In this step or in the next step, a connection hole is formed on the other semiconductor region of the memory cell select MISFET within a region specified by the side wall spacer.
Next, a polycrystalline silicon film is deposited so as to come into contact with the other semiconductor region through the connection hole. The polycrystalline silicon film does not contain impurities for controlling the resistance or contains impurities at a low concentration.
N-type impurities (P or As ions) are introduced at a high concentration into the polycrystalline silicon film followed by the heat treatment so that the polycrystalline silicon film possesses a predetermined small resistance.
The polycrystalline silicon film is patterned into a predetermined shape thereby to form an intermediate electrically conductive film.
Then, an interlayer insulating film is formed on the intermediate electrically conductive film, and a connection hole is formed in the interlayer insulating film on the intermediate electrically conductive film. A data line is formed on the interlayer insulating film so as to come into contact with the surface of the intermediate electrically conductive film through the connection hole.
The intermediate electrically conductive film thus formed helps increases the masking margin in the step for forming the other semiconductor region of the memory cell select MISFET through up to the step for forming the data line. That is, there is no need of maintaining a masking margin between the connection hole and the other semiconductor region of the memory cell select MISFET, and the other semiconductor region of the memory cell select MISFET can be reduced. Therefore, the area occupied by the memory cell is reduced and the integration degree of the DRAM can be increased.
The DRAM which uses such an intermediate electrically conductive film has been described, for example, in U.S. Ser. No. 241,732 (filed Sept. 8, 1988).

Method of fabricating semiconductor integrated circuit devices including updiffusion to selectively dope a silicon layer


In a sheet creaser, a sheet set is pushed between a pair of folding rollers to fold the sheet set. Then, a re-pressing roller re-presses the sheet set, which has been folded by the folding rollers, by rolling along the crease. Pressure applied on the sheet set by the folding rollers is released when the re-pressing roller re-presses the sheet set.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet creaser, a sheet finisher including the sheet creaser, an image forming apparatus including the sheet finisher, a sheet folding method, and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image-forming-apparatus connectable bookbinding machines that bind a set of sheets (hereinafter, "sheet set") by simple saddle stitch have been widely used. There are various needs in the bookbinding machine market such as a bookbinding machine capable of binding more sheets, a bookbinding machine capable of binding thicker sheets, and a bookbinding machine having a cutting function. To fulfill these needs, it is necessary to tightly fold the sheet set. In other words, it is necessary to make the crease stronger.
Re-pressing is a technique to make the crease stronger. The re-pressing means that pressing a folded side of the sheet set twice or more. There are two approaches in the re-pressing. The first approach is to press the folded side twice in the same direction. The second approach is to press the folded side twice in different directions (directions perpendicular to each other). In the first approach, a pair of folding rollers half-folds the sheet set with high pressure while rolling in one direction (positive direction). After that, the folding rollers re-press the folded sheet set while rolling in a reverse direction (negative direction). In the second approach, after the sheet set is passed through a nip between the folding rollers, a pressure roller re-presses the folded sheet set while rolling on the crease.
The second approach has better re-pressing performance, and therefore most of bookbinding systems emphasizing on productivity employ the second approach. In most of the bookbinding systems using the second approach, from the viewpoint of space saving, the pressure roller is arranged near the folding rollers to re-press the sheet set immediately after the folding rollers make the crease. After the pressure roller re-presses the sheet set, the folding rollers convey the sheet set to a tray out of the bookbinding system. A technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-162345 is an example of the second approach.
A sheet finisher disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-162345 receives the sheets on which images are formed and performs a finishing process on those sheets. The sheet finisher includes a guiding unit, a re-pressing unit, and a supporting unit, as salient features. The guiding unit guides, after the sheet set is aligned and half-folded, the folded sheet set, carrying the folded sheet set on a surface of the guiding unit. The re-pressing unit re-presses the folded side of the sheet set, moving in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction in which the guiding unit conveys the sheet set. The supporting member supports sides of the sheet set while the re-pressing unit is re-pressing the sheet set.
However, in some cases, especially when there are many sheets to be processed in one operation, the conventional sheet finisher cannot make the crease strong enough. It is considered that a manner of conveying the sheet set by the folding rollers affects the strength of the crease. The sheet set is tightly folded immediately after the folding rollers folds the sheets set. However, if the manner of conveying is poor, as shown in FIG. 28A, an inner surface of the folded sheet set gets wavy and the wavy inner surface causes the outer surface to expand. Therefore, a crease SH1 of the sheet set is weak. Even if the pressure roller re-presses the crease SH1 shown in FIG. 28A, because the crease SH1 is swollen, the crease SH1 cannot be strong enough.
A creaser disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3990256 includes the folding rollers that fold the sheet or the sheet set passing through a nip between the folding rollers, a pressing unit that applies a pressure to the folding rollers when the folding rollers fold the sheet or the sheet set, a pressure changing unit that changes the applied pressure depending on a conveying state of the sheet or the sheet set. Components of the pressing unit are arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the center of a conveyer path, through which the sheet or the sheet set passes, running through the nip between the folding rollers. The pressing unit includes a first elastic member that generates a first biasing force, a first transmission member that transmits the first biasing force to the folding rollers, a second elastic member that generates a second biasing force, a second transmission member that transmits the second biasing force to the folding rollers. The first biasing force is set smaller than the second biasing force. The pressure changing unit changes the pressure by switching between the first biasing force and the second biasing force.
In the creaser disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3990256, when a leading end of the sheet enters the nip between the folding rollers, the pressure changing unit causes the first transmission member to transmit the first biasing force to the folding rollers. When the leading end passes the nip, the pressure changing unit causes the second transmission member to transmit the second biasing force to the folding rollers.
However, even in the creaser disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3990256, the state when the re-pressing roller re-presses the sheet set is unchanged, i.e., the sheet is in the state as shown in FIG. 28A. Therefore, as described above, the creaser cannot make the crease strong enough.

Sheet creaser, sheet finisher, image forming apparatus, sheet folding method, and computer program product


An apparatus includes a controller that monitors an error voltage indicating a difference between an output voltage and a setpoint voltage. Based on the monitored error voltage, the controller generates modulation adjustment signals including a frequency adjustment signal and an ON-time adjustment signal. The controller modulates a pulse width modulation signal of a first power supply phase in accordance with both the frequency modulation adjustment signal and the ON-time adjustment signal.

In a conventional Fixed Frequency PWM controller (Digital Controller, PID based voltage mode with Vin Feedforward), Vtarget is the regulator's target output voltage, adjusted for the feedback ratio of the voltage sensor. Verror is the error voltage, such as the difference between the feedback voltage and target voltage. A feed forward module provides feedforward computation of the nominal duty cycle ratio D0, based on measured, estimated, or fixed Vin.
A respective Pulse width modulator (PWM) converts a received control signal and produces a pulse width modulation signal. This results in a PWM signal at a fixed frequency of F0, with variable duty cycle D responsive to the error voltage. The feedback loop thus tries to reduce the error voltage, such that the output voltage matches Vtarget, adjusted for the ratio of the voltage sensor.

Multi-dimensional pulse width modulation control


An ultraviolet reactor for treating a fluid. The reactor includes a vessel having an inlet for receiving fluid and an outlet for discharging fluid. The reactor further includes an ultraviolet light source and baffle plates. The baffle plates include holes arranged in a predetermined pattern for providing plug flow in areas in the reactor near the ultraviolet light source.

An ultraviolet (UV) reactor may be used to disinfect water by rendering bacteria harmless or to energize oxidants to reduce total organic carbon (TOC). In certain applications, the UV reactor includes baffle plates to provide plug flow with respect to inlet water so as to maximize the exposure time of the water to UV radiation. Plug flow may be defined as flow across the entire cross section of a vessel that is within a small velocity range. However, a desirable plug flow is not met by many available reactors due to the design of the baffle plates.
FIG. 1 depicts a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study which shows flow vectors for a conventional reactor. FIG. 1 will be described in conjunction with selected elements of a conventional reactor. Water 10 enters an inlet pipe 12 and flows through a UV chamber 14 at a much higher velocity than a targeted plug flow velocity. Due to the configuration of the reactor, the water flows around a side of a tank 16 and subsequently exits through an outlet pipe 18. Flows along a side wall of the tank 16 are not desirable as they have a strong tendency to create a short circuit path as shown by arrow 20 in FIG. 1. A short circuit path may be defined as passage through the UV chamber 14 at a velocity that is much higher than a desired plug velocity. Thus, a substantial portion of the water in the UV chamber 14 is not subjected to sufficient UV energy.
In FIG. 1, areas A, B, C and D depict velocities of greater than approximately 14.25, 0.75, 0.75 and 3.75 in/s, respectively, that exist in a conventional reactor, thus indicating that desirable plug flow does not exist. In addition, it has been determined that conventional reactors may have a velocity profile which exceeds 7 in/s which is known to be an undesirably high flow velocity for a UV reactor.

Baffle plates for an ultraviolet reactor


Methods and apparatuses for generating compressed test data for use by a tester, decompressing the test data during test, and routing the decompressed test data into a set of scan chains within a circuit under test are described.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to circuit testing. More specifically, this disclosure relates to circuitry for test stimulus decompression.
2. Related Art
Electronic design automation (EDA) is used by the semiconductor industry for virtually all integrated circuit (IC) design projects. More specifically, after developing a product idea, EDA tools are used to define a specific implementation. The implementation defined using the EDA tools is then used to create mask data, which is subsequently used for producing masks in the production of the finished chips, in a process referred to as "tape-out." The physical masks are then created and used with fabrication equipment to manufacture IC wafers. Testing is typically performed on the IC wafers to identify defective wafers. Next, diagnosis is applied to the defective wafers to identify root-causes for systematic defects, wherein the identified root-causes are used for mask correction in order to improve manufacture yield. Finally, the wafers are diced, packaged and assembled to produce IC chips for distribution.
An IC design flow using EDA tools typically begins with an overall system design using architecture defining tools that describe the functionality of the product to be implemented by the IC. Next, logic design tools are applied to the overall system description to create a high-level description based on description languages such as Verilog or VHDL, and functional verification tools are applied on the high-level description in an iterative process to ensure that the high-level description accomplishes the design objectives. Next, synthesis and design-for-test tools are used to translate the high-level description to a netlist, optimize the netlist for target technology, and design and implement tests that permit checking of the finished chip against the netlist.
The typical design flow might next include a design planning stage, wherein an overall floor plan for the chip is constructed and analyzed to ensure that timing parameters for the netlist can be achieved at a high level. Next, the netlist may be rigorously checked for compliance with timing constraints and with the functional definitions defined at the high level using VHDL or Verilog. After an iterative process which settles on a netlist and maps the netlist to a cell library for the final design, a physical implementation tool is used for placement and routing. Specifically, the physical implementation tool includes a placement tool for positioning circuit elements on the layout, and a routing tool for defining interconnects for the circuit elements.
The components defined after placement and routing are typically analyzed at the transistor level using an extraction tool, and verified to ensure that the circuit function is achieved and timing constraints are met. The placement and routing process can be revisited as needed in an iterative manner. Next, the design is subjected to physical verification procedures, such as design rule checking (DRC), layout rule checking (LRC) and layout versus schematic (LVS) checking, that analyze manufacturability, electrical performance, lithographic parameters and circuit correctness.
After settling on an acceptable design by iteration through design and verification steps, such as those described above, the resulting design can be subjected to resolution enhancement techniques that provide geometric manipulations of the layout to improve manufacturability. Finally, the mask data is prepared and taped-out for use in producing finished products.
An IC generated from the above-described design flow typically includes circuitry that allows the finished product to be tested. Note that efficient testing of ICs often uses structured design for testability (DFT) techniques. In particular, these techniques may be based on the general concept of making all or some state variables (e.g., memory elements such as flip-flops and latches in the circuit) directly controllable and observable. One of the well-known DFT techniques is based on scan chains. This technique assumes that during testing all (or substantially all) memory elements are coupled together to form one or more shift registers. As a result, a logic circuit in an IC design can have two or more modes of operation, including a normal mode and a test (or scan) mode. In the normal mode, the memory elements perform their regular design functions. In the scan mode, the memory elements become scan cells that are coupled to form the one or more shift registers which are often referred to as "scan chains." During the scan mode, these scan chains are used to shift the test stimulus into a circuit under test (CUT) and shift out test responses. More specifically, the scan mode involves applying a test pattern to the scan chains, which further includes scanning in the test stimulus, applying one or more functional clocks, and then scanning out the captured test response. The test responses are then compared with fault-free test responses to determine whether the CUT works properly.
Scan-based design techniques have been widely used to simplify testing and diagnose ICs. From the viewpoint of automatic test pattern generation (ATPG), a scan circuit can be treated as a combinational or partially combinational circuit. Currently, ATPG tools are capable of generating a complete set of test patterns based on different fault models, including stuck-at, transition, path delay, and bridging faults. Typically, when a particular fault in a CUT is targeted by an ATPG tool, only a small number of scan cells needs to be specified and one scan cell needs to be observed in order to detect this particular fault.
Note that in order to reduce test data volume and test application time, scan-based design techniques typically generate a compacted test stimulus and compacted test response rather than loading the entire test stimulus and unloading the entire test response. FIG. 1 presents a block diagram illustrating an IC 100 having an on-chip test compression capability. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, a tester 102 is coupled to IC 100 which comprises a CUT 104 which further includes a set of M scan chains, a decompressor 106, and a compressor 108. Decompressor 106 is configured to receive the compacted test stimulus from tester 102 and expand the compacted test stimulus to fill the M scan chains in CUT 104. Compressor 108 is configured to compress the test responses from the M scan chains and send the compacted test responses to tester 102.
FIG. 2 illustrates a number of conventional linear or nonlinear decompressor schemes. Generally, decompressor schemes can be classified as either combinational or sequential. A combinational decompressor, for example decompressor 202, comprises a combinational block 204 typically including XOR, NXOR, and MUX gates such that the loaded test stimuli of each scan chain are derived as a logic function of tester channels. This design scheme uses simple hardware and control logic. However, the drawback of this scheme is that combinational decompressors have to encode all specified care bits in the test stimulus in one shift cycle using only test data bits (or variables) supplied from the tester for this shift cycle (typically comprising one test data bit for each tester channel). This drawback can seriously limit the achievable compression ratio for the most highly specified shift cycles because the number of tester channels needs to be sufficiently large to encode the most highly specified shift cycles.
Sequential decompressors are based on linear finite state machines such as shift registers, linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs), cellular automata, or ring generators. For example decompressor 206 which comprises a shift register 208 and a combination block 210 is illustrated in FIG. 2. The sequential decompressors allow variables from earlier shift cycles to be used for encoding care bits in the current shift cycle. This property allows the sequential decompressors to provide much higher encoding flexibility than the combinational decompressors, and also helps to avoid the problem of the most highly specified shift cycles associated with the combinational decompressors. More recently, sequential linear decompressor designs often include a phase shifter placed between the scan chains and the LFSR or the ring generator to further improve encoding efficiency. One such example, decompressor 212 comprising a LFSR 214 and a phase shifter 216, is illustrated in FIG. 2.
Typically, a decompressor (either combinational or sequential) receives test data bits supplied by the tester represented by a set of variables {v0, v1, . . . , vn−1} and attempts to generate a test sequence C comprising a set of specified care bits {c0, c1, . . . , Cm−1}, which is also referred to as a "test cube." This process is often referred to as "encoding" a test cube. A decompressor can generate the test cube C if and only if there exists a solution to a system of linear equations AV=C, wherein A is an n×m characteristic matrix specifying the decompressor, and V is the set of variables {v0, v1, . . . , vn−1}. (The characteristic matrix for a decompressor is typically derived by symbolic simulation of the decompressor such that each symbol represents one variable.) Hence, encoding a test cube using a decompressor requires solving a system of linear equations of the set of variables which is composed of one linear equation for each care bit. If no solution exists, then the test cube is considered "unencodable." Note that it is difficult to encode a test cube that has more care bits than the number of available variables (or test data bits). However, if the number of variables is sufficiently larger than the number of care bits in the test cube, the probability of not being able to encode the test cube becomes negligibly small. For an LFSR with a primitive polynomial, if the number of variables is 20 more than the number of specified care bits, then the probability of not finding a solution (or an encoding conflict) is often less than 10−6.
On the other hand, the conventional sequential linear decompressor based on LFSRs or ring generators can imply very complex dependencies because each scan cell in the CUT can depend on the XOR of a large number of variables. Incorporating such complex dependencies in the ATPG implication process can greatly increase the computational complexity of the ATPG. For example, consider a scan cell whose state depends on q variables. In order to justify a particular state at this scan cell, q variables need to be assigned, and the number of possible ways to assign each variable with a value of 0 or 1 would be 2q−1. As q increases, this computational complexity grows exponentially. For this reason, the conventional sequential linear decompressors based on LFSRs or ring generators typically do not attempt to directly include the dependencies in the ATPG implication process. Because of this limitation, the conventional sequential linear decompressors do not fully utilize the degree of freedom in the ATPG.
Hence, it is desirable to design a decompressor which has the following properties: 1) a very high encoding efficiency; 2) a flexible mechanism to receive as many variables as needed; 3) a computationally efficient encoding process that can be directly incorporated into the ATPG implication process; and 4) an ability of the encoding process to extract as many as possible (or all) necessary state assignments due to dependency in the decompressor scheme.

Linear decompressor with two-step dynamic encoding


The present invention concerns a pedal cycle which is devised in such a way that, in order to improve on the fact that principally with unicycles the rider cannot easily mount, the space inside the hub is provided with a plurality of rollers for dividing up and receiving the weight transmitted to the frame at a downwardly widening angle rather than in the center of the wheel, and a geared drive force is transmitted to the wheel via a gear coupled to a pedal shaft passing through one end of the rollers.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a unicycle or a front-wheel drive bicycle, and relates to a bicycle which is advantageous in balancing and is more stable and convenient in a posture in which pedals are pressed down and which has solved a difficulty of riding a unicycle by making the number of revolutions of a wheel, rotated by the driving of the pedals, greater than the number of revolutions of the pedals. In this specification, the term "bicycle" is a term including a "unicycle."
2. Background Art
In implementing and manufacturing a transmissible bicycle having improved stability, which is to be implemented in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0086196 (filed on Sep. 12, 2009), a device in which claim 1 and claim 2 of the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0086196 have been harmoniously combined has been devised, and is based on priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0023144.

Bicycle having a power transmission device


A pseudo-random, incoherent sampling technique, called Variable density Incoherent Spatiotemporal Acquisition (VISTA) is disclosed, which is based on minimal Riesz energy problem. Compared with other pseudorandom methods (e.g., PDS), VISTA has the unique ability to incorporate a variety of problem-specific constraints. In this study, VISTA was applied to real-time CMR, where it not only provided an incoherent sampling with variable density but also ensured a constant temporal resolution and a fully sampled time-averaged data.

Led by technological advances, the field of MRI has evolved considerably over the last two decades. In recent years, compressive sensing (CS) has attracted considerable attention in the scientific community and demonstrated notable impact on several applications, including MRI. CS exploits the underlying sparsity of the image and allows image recovery from measurements that are far fewer than the ambient degrees of freedom. Recent studies have shown that the combination of CS and parallel MRI (pMRI) is effective in improving image quality and reducing acquisition time by achieving high acceleration rates for both static and dynamic applications.
An effective application of CS typically has three major requirements: the image is sparse in some transform domain, the undersampling artifact is incoherent (noise like) in the sparsifying transform domain, and the image is recovered by a nonlinear method that enforces both image sparsity and data consistency. For MRI, the first requirement is generally met as most MRI images are compressible in an appropriate transform domain, e.g., discrete Wavelet domain. In recent years, significant strides have been made towards the third requirement by developing fast recovery algorithms for large imaging problems. For the second requirement, the high degree of incoherence is generally achieved by employing either Cartesian patterns with random or pseudo-random sampling or non-Cartesian patterns. Although non-Cartesian sampling methods allow far greater flexibility in designing low-coherence sampling patterns, such sampling schemes are highly sensitive to system imperfections and have found limited use in clinical practice.
Even though random sampling generally provides a high degree of incoherence, such sampling patterns can generate inconsistent results due to excessively large gaps or clustering in the sampling pattern. The large gaps lead to high g-factor for pMRI, i.e., ill conditioning of the underlying inverse problem, and the clustering leads to high correlation among k-space data samples, leading to reduced acquisition efficiency. In contrast, pseudo-random sampling provides a high degree of incoherence while regulating the gaps between samples to a nearly uniform size. For MRI applications, empirical evidence indicates that pseudo-random sampling methods tend to generate superior results compared to random sampling methods. For purely spatial MRI applications, Poisson-disk sampling (PDS) remains a popular pseudo-random sampling scheme. Also, PDS can easily incorporate variable sampling density to preferentially sample center regions of k-space with high SNR. PDS, however, cannot be readily extended to heterogeneous domains because it does not allow incorporating domain-specific constraints. For example, in k-t domain, PDS does not provide a mechanism to maintain a constant temporal resolution by fixing the number of samples (readouts) in each time frame. Therefore, in order to effectively apply CS to MRI in heterogeneous domains, often random sampling is employed, which has the tendency to generate inconsistent results.

Variable density incoherent spatiotemporal acquisition (VISTA) for highly accelerated magnetic resonance imaging