A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The manufacturing method includes following steps. A mold is provided. The mold has a chamber and a plurality of protrusions in the chamber. A thermosetting material is injected into the chamber. The thermosetting material is cured. A parting step is performed to separate the cured thermosetting material from the mold, so as to form an interposer substrate. A plurality of blind holes corresponding to the protrusions is formed on the interposer substrate. A conductive material is filled into the blind holes to form a plurality of conductive pillars. A conductive pattern layer is formed on a surface of the interposer substrate. The conductive pattern layer is electrically connected with the conductive pillars.

In recent years, in the semiconductor industry, a 3D stacking technology is developed to shorten the wiring between chips, reduce the sizes of devices, and help to construct a complete 3D chip structure. Through-substrate vias (TSV) are key components for connecting vertically stacked chips in the 3D stacking technology.
An interposer can be disposed to replace the wire packaging technique for electrically connecting heterogeneous chips. Even though through-silicon vias (TSV) and a redistribution layer (RDL) of optimal dimension ratios can be realized in an interposer along with the development of the 3D stacking technology, many costly semiconductor process steps need to be performed repeatedly to achieve the TSV and the RDL of the optimal dimension ratios. As a result, the manufacturing cost cannot be effectively reduced.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Technologies for secure I/O data transfer includes a compute device, which includes a processor to execute a trusted application, an input/output (I/O) device, and an I/O subsystem. The I/O subsystem is configured to establish a secured channel between the I/O subsystem and a trusted application running on the compute device, and receive, in response to an establishment of the secured channel, I/O data from the I/O device via an unsecured channel. The I/O subsystem is further configured to encrypt, in response to a receipt of the I/O data, the I/O data using a security key associated with the trusted application that is to process the I/O data and transmit the encrypted I/O data to the trusted application via the secured channel, wherein the secured channel has a data transfer rate that is higher than a data transfer rate of the unsecured channel between the I/O device and the I/O subsystem.

Input data from an input/output (I/O) device to a software application of a system may have high security sensitivity and need to be protected from being stolen by a rogue application in the system. For example, a digital assistant may capture user's voice by an I/O device (e.g., microphone), which may have privacy sensitivity information and may require or preferred to be protected as the voice data gets transferred from the I/O device to an application running inside a trusted execution environment (TEE). In some cases, a digital assistant provider may opt for a service model in which a device or software running on the device may be offered by multiple third-party vendors. This may increase a number of vendors and the software, which is not necessarily trusted by the user, that the user has to trust to access the privacy sensitivity information. Additionally, in order to perform a secure I/O with the TEE, the TEE may authenticate and verify the identity of the I/O device. However, not all I/O devices have encryption capability to encrypt I/O data to enable security.

Technologies for establishing secure channel between I/O subsystem and trusted application for secure I/O data transfer


A fuel system includes a fuel injector having a split check assembly with a control piece, an outlet piece, and a check sleeve. A trapped volume is formed between the control piece and the outlet piece within the check sleeve, to hydraulically couple the control piece to the outlet piece. A starting rate shape clearance fluidly connects the trapped volume to a fuel cavity and is formed between the check sleeve and one of the control piece or outlet piece received therein, and modulates a starting rate shape of fuel injection from the fuel injector. Related methodology is disclosed.

In recent decades, emissions requirements for internal combustion engines have become increasingly stringent. Engine manufacturers and components suppliers continue to seek strategies for reducing undesired emissions such as particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen or "NOx". Various strategies are known for reducing such emissions in engine exhaust aftertreatment systems, as well as strategies for limiting production of such emissions in the combustion process itself. Most modern internal combustion engine systems employ a combination of strategies for limiting production of emissions as well as trapping or treating emissions that are still invariably produced.
Common targets for promoting a reduction in the production of certain emissions are the process and parameters of fuel delivery into an engine cylinder, notably direct fuel injection in the case of compression-ignition diesel engines. A variety of well-known techniques employ a pressurized reservoir of fuel, conventionally referred to as a common rail, that makes fuel available for injection at a desired injection pressure, and also for actuating various of the moving components within the fuel injectors. Common rail and related strategies have enabled engineers to develop systems that can control fuel injection timing, amount, and rate shape with relatively great precision, but still experience various limitations. It has been observed that optimal operation and performance can be at least theoretically achieved where relatively small quantities of fuel can be precisely injected. Fuel injection systems are often designed for robust performance at a rated load but can suffer from certain limitations when operated at lower loads. In other words, while much of the time an engine and fuel system can be operated as desired, instances remain where inherent hardware limitations of known systems do not practicably provide or support optimal performance. One known common rail fuel injection system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,593 to Wang et al.

Trapped volume split check assembly in fuel injector


The invention relates to a multiband antenna which finds utility particularly in mobile stations. The antenna structure includes a PIFA-type antenna positioned inside the covers of a mobile station, which antenna includes a slot radiator (231). In the planar element there is a second slot (232) so that, viewed from a feed point (F), two radiating conductive branches (B1, B2) of different lengths are formed. Each of the three radiators has a separate operating band of its own. The structure also includes a whip element (211) movable with respect to the PIFA part. When the whip element is pulled out, its lower end is galvanically coupled with the shorter branch of the planar element, with its relatively narrow side branch (B12). The whip enhances the operation of the antenna especially in the lowest operating band. The influence of the pulled-out whip on the location of the uppermost operating band is compensated for by a third slot (233) in the planar element. Matching for the whip element is provided by shaping the conductive patterns existing in the planar element in any case. The structure is relatively simple and economical to fabricate. A good three-band planar antenna can be provided without a whip element as well.

The invention relates to a multiband antenna which finds utility particularly in mobile stations.
In the field of portable radio equipment, mobile stations in particular, fabrication of antennas has become more demanding than before. As new frequency bands are introduced, an antenna often has to function in two or more frequency bands. For convenience, the antenna is preferably placed inside the covers of the apparatus. Understandably, however, the radiation characteristics of an internal antenna are somewhat weaker that those of an external antenna. This disadvantage can be reduced using a double-action antenna so that a movable antenna element belonging to the structure can be pulled partly out from the apparatus when necessary, in order to improve the quality of network connection. On the other hand, the increase in the number of radiating structural components means more matching problems.
An antenna with satisfactory characteristics which fits inside a small device is in practice most easily implemented as a planar structure: The antenna comprises a radiating plane and a ground plane parallel therewith. The number of operating bands can be increased to two by dividing the radiating plane into two branches of different lengths, as viewed from the feed point. The structure shown in FIG. 1, disclosed in patent application publication F1991359, represents such a known antenna. It comprises a ground plane GND, radiating planar element 120, feed conductor 103 of the latter, and a short-circuit conductor 104 which connects the radiating plane to the ground plane. So, considering this construction, the antenna is a so-called planar inverted F antenna (PIFA). The planar element 120 includes a slot 130 starting from the edge of the planar element and ending in the inner area of the planar element after a U-shaped bend. The feed point F of the planar element is near the U bend of the slot 130. Viewing from the feed point, the first branch B1 of the planar element which curves inside the U bend is electrically clearly longer than the second branch B2 at the other side of the planar element. Thus the PIFA has got two separate resonance frequencies and respective operating bands. The antenna structure of FIG. 1 further comprises a movable whip element 111, at the lower end of which there is a conductive connecting part 112. When the whip is in its lower position, it has no significant coupling with the PIFA parts. When the whip is in its upper position, as shown in FIG. 1, the connecting part 112 is in galvanic contact with the radiating planar element 120 near its feed point F. So, the whip element is fed via the planar element. The dimensions of the whip element are such that it resonates in the lower operating frequency band of the PIFA part, where it improves the electrical performance of the antenna. The whole structure thus has two operating bands. If one would attempt to provide a third operating band using e.g. a whip element, there would be matching problems and the antenna characteristics at least in one operating band would be unsatisfactory. A third operating band could be provided by a separate radiating element and antenna port but this would be space-consuming and require additional costs.
From patent application publication F1990006 it is known to use a slot radiator to provide a second operating band for an antenna. The publication discloses a PIFA-type antenna where the radiating planar element includes a slot extending from the edge to the middle region. The feed and short-circuit points of the antenna are close to the open end of the slot. The dimensions of the slot are such that it resonates in the upper one of the intended operating bands. The conductive planar element naturally resonates in the other, lower operating band. This antenna structure, too, has only got two operating bands. Moreover, to add a whip element in the known manner would result in matching problems in the operating bands of the PIFA.
An object of the invention is to realize in a new, more advantageous manner a mobile station antenna which has at least three useful operating bands. An antenna structure according to the invention is characterized by that which is specified in the independent claim 1. Some advantageous embodiments of the invention are presented in the dependent claims.
The basic idea of the invention is as follows: The antenna structure includes a PIFA-type antenna placed inside the covers of a mobile station, which antenna has a slot radiator formed by a first slot starting from near the feed and short-circuit points of the planar element. In addition, the planar element has a second slot so that, viewed from the feed point, there are formed two radiating conductive branches of different lengths. Each of the three radiators has a separate operating band of its own. The structure further includes a whip element movable in relation to the PIFA part. When pushed in, the whip element has no significant coupling with the antenna feed or PIFA parts. When pulled out, the lower end of the whip element is galvanically coupled to the shorter branch of the planar element. For this coupling, the shorter branch has a relatively narrow side branch. The dimensions are chosen such that the whip enhances the operation of the antenna especially in the lowest operating band. The influence of the pulled-out whip on the location of the uppermost operating band is compensated for by a third slot made in the planar element, with which third slot at the same time the shorter branch of the planar element is shaped.
An advantage of the invention is that the whip element enhancing the operation of the antenna can be coupled without any special matching arrangements. Matching is done by shaping the conductive patterns that exist in the planar element in any case. From this it follows that a structure according to the invention is relatively simple and economical to fabricate. Another advantage of the invention is that it provides a useful three-band planar antenna without a whip element, too.


An exhaust gas post treatment system for, in particular, a self-igniting internal combustion engine including a catalytic converter that is arranged in an exhaust gas line, a fine particle filter and an introduction device for a reduction agent arranged upstream of the catalytic converter in the direction of the flow of the exhaust gas, and to a method for operating said type of exhaust gas post treatment system. An exhaust gas post treatment system and a method for operating said type of system that is simple to use and compact. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that the catalytic converter is a reductively or oxidatively operated catalytic converter, or that the introduction device, the catalytic converter, that can be operated reductively or oxidatively, and the fine particle filter are arranged in said sequence and in the exhaust line in the direction of flow.

An exhaust gas aftertreatment system of this type is described, for example, in European Patent EP 1 054 722 B1. This system provides a method and a device, wherein the pollutant-containing exhaust gas of a Diesel engine is initially introduced into an oxidation catalyst to convert NO contained in the gas stream to NO2, and to increase the NO2-content in the gas stream. Subsequently, the gas stream is introduced into a particulate filter to remove, in particular, soot from the exhaust gas. Then, the gas stream is fed into an SCR catalyst to reduce the NOx in the exhaust gas. In addition, cooling devices may be disposed in the exhaust treatment train, in particular upstream of the SCR catalyst. This system is complex in design and requires a not insignificant amount of installation space because the individual components are arranged in series one behind the other.


A fabric material for high temperature gaseous filtration applications, including a fabric material capable of withstanding temperatures of at least 450 degrees Fahrenheit for prolonged periods without deformation or deterioration, and a chemical stiffener that has been applied to the fabric.

The present invention is directed to fabric filter media for commercial and industrial applications, and more particularly, to a stiffened, pleated filter medium for high-temperature gaseous filtration applications.
Over the last several decades, there has been an increased awareness and emphasis on environmental issues, including air and water quality. Increasingly strenuous governmental controls and limits have been imposed to preserve these natural resources and prevent associated health hazards.
Numerous advances have been made in effectively controlling air pollution by removing undesirable particular matter from gaseous processing streams and exhausts. One particular type of air filtration technique has been the employment of particulate collectors known as xe2x80x9cbaghousesxe2x80x9d. Baghouses operate much like a household vacuum cleaner. Dirty air is drawn into a chamber, or plenum, where a filter medium is positioned. The air passes through the filter into a clean air plenum, depositing the particulate matter, dust, etc. on the filter surfaces as it passes into the clean air plenum. Because of the high volumes of air being processed in industrial applications, these baghouses must be equently cleaned. Cleaning is typically conducted by reversing the flow of air or gas through from the clean air plenum into the dirty air plenum, dislodging the dust and particulate matter that has accumulated on the surfaces of the filter. In some industrial applications, these cleaning cycles must be repeated hundreds of times each day. As will be appreciated, the filters very quickly become structurally fatigued, tearing in short periods, thus requiring frequent, costly replacement.
The cleaning problems and failures of baghouse filters, including cartridge filters, are further exacerbated when the filters are installed in high temperature applications where the gaseous discharges exceed 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Fabric filter media very quickly deform and deteriorate, rapidly losing their structural rigidity and filtration efficiency. As a result, filtering high temperature gaseous discharges to meet regulatory requirements in a cost-effective manner, has been problematic.
The present invention is directed to a fabric filter material and a pleated filter formed therefrom that address the problems of filtering gaseous streams in high temperature applications; i.e., at temperatures between about 450 and 550 degrees Fahrenheit.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a fabric material to which a stiffener is applied for maintaining the form (rigidity) of the fabric in the spectrum of high temperature applications. A fibrous fabric material that is capable of being stiffened and formed is selected. In this embodiment, the fibrous fabric is woven entirely from yarns of fiberglass, preferably type ECDE (continuous filament electrical grade) yarns in which a portion of both the fill and warp yarns are air-jet texturized. It has been found that using texturized yarns substantially increases the wet pickup of the fabric and facilitates the more precise forming (shaping) of the fabric. xe2x80x9cWet pickupxe2x80x9d refers to the amount of a liquid finish, expressed as a percentage, that a finished fabric will absorb. The greater the wet pickup, the more effective the stiffener is in maintaining the form of the woven fabric during its anticipated high temperature service. It has also been found that fiberglass, as a filter material, retains superior durability after frequent and numerous fatigue cycles, and is quite adaptable to stiffening and forming.
The preferred stiffener is comprised of a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin solution, an acrylic resin emulsion, ammonia, hexamethylenetetramine, and water. The stiffener may be applied using any of the conventional methods known in the art for applying finishiners such as dipping, spraying, etc. Once the stiffener is applied, the treated fabric is heated until dry, but at a temperature and duration that will not exceed B-stage curing of the treated fabric. This allows the treated fabric to be later formed and set in a desired shape.
In a preferred embodiment, the stiffening system of the present invention includes three discrete layers that are sequentially applied to the woven fiberglass fabric, that is, two additional layers that complement the stiffener. An initial, or inner, layer serves as a lubricant for the subsequently applied stiffening layer and consists of water, a lubricant (desirably a silicon such as a phenyl silicone polymer because of its high temperature stability), and a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) dispersion. After the lubrication layer is applied, it is heated within a specified temperature range for a specified duration until dry. The stiffening layer is next applied. This layer is comprised of a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin solution, an acrylic resin emulsion, ammonia, hexamethylenetetramine, and water. The treated fabric is again heated until dry, but at a temperature and duration that will not exceed B-stage curing of the treated fabric. This allows the treated fabric to be later formed and set in a desired shape. Lastly, a protective layer is applied to the treated fabric, the protective layer consisting of a PTFE dispersion and water. The treated fabric is heated until dry, but again at a limited temperature and duration combination so that the fabric will not cure beyond the B-stage. The finished treated fabric may be immediately shaped and set, or may be stored in the B-stage for later forming.
In a preferred embodiment, the treated fabric is pleated as it is well known in the filtration arts that pleated filters provide substantially more (2 to 3 tires) filtration surface area for a selected filter size. Any of the known commercial pleating machines may be used to pleat the fabric. Sufficient heat and duration are required to set the pleats, fully curing and setting the treated fabric. An oven or infrared lights downstream of the pleating operation are employed to provide this curing, setting heat.
A further embodiment of the present invention is a filter device, such as a pleated cartridge filter, for high temperature filtration applications. Such a cartridge filter is easily adapted to the baghouse filter systems described above. The filter device is comprised of a perforated liner, a generally circular pleated portion of treated, stiffened fabric, at least one retainer, and end flanges. The perforated liner is preferably a metallic cylinder with open ends and perforations formed through and spaced about the cylinder walls. The perforations are sized and spaced to optimize the flow of air into the clean air plenum after passing through the pleated filter. The most important function served by the liner, however, is structural support for the surrounding fabric filter. Completely surrounding the outer wall surface of the cylindrical liner is the pleated fabric filter material. At least one retainer, such as a band, strap, wire, etc. holds the filter material in place around the cylindrical liner. This especially provides additional rigidity and support to the filter material during the frequent cleaning cycles which force air in a reverse flow through the liner and back across the filter material to dislodge trapped particulate. Finally, to secure the upper and lower free ends, or edges, of the pleated filter, caps or flanges are fitted around the ends or edges and adhered to the fabric with a conventional potting compound known in the art and adapted for high temperature applications.
The fabric filter material treated and formed as described hereinabove and in accordance with the detailed description that follows, is capable of achieving a filtration efficiency of greater than 99% for particulate matter of 10 microns or greater. Further, when pleated and incorporated into a filter device, such as a filter cartridge, the fabric filter material can withstand thousands of cleaning cycles without failure.

Fabric for high-temperature gaseous filtration applications


A power semiconductor component having a pn junction, a body with a first basic conductivity, a well-like region with a second conductivity which is arranged horizontally centrally in the body, has a first two-level doping profile and has a first penetration depth from the first main surface into the body. In addition, this power semiconductor component has an edge structure which is arranged between the well-like region and the edge of the power semiconductor component and which comprises a plurality of field rings with a single-level doping profile, a second conductivity and a second penetration depth, wherein the first penetration depth is no more than about 50% of the second penetration depth.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a power semiconductor component having at least one functional pn junction, such as a power diode, and comprising a basic body including a semiconductor material with a first conductivity, preferably including monocrystalline silicon.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art, by way of example according to German Patent No. DE 43 37 329 A1, discloses the method of fabricating power diodes by irradiating them with helium atom cores and/or electrons and possibly providing an additional platinum diffusion to improve particularly the switching response, specifically for use as a freewheeling diode.
European Patent No. EP 1 017 093 A1 discloses a power semiconductor component having two functional pn junctions, the reverse of which power semiconductor component has a two-level doping profile. This profile is produced by first deep diffusion with a dopant having the conductivity of the basic body, subsequent extensive abrasion of this doped region and second very shallow diffusion of a dopant with a second conductivity and a high dopant concentration.
It is an object of the invention to provide a power semiconductor component which is simple to manufacture without particle irradiation, and at the same time has small reverse currents and low forward and switching losses.

Power semiconductor element with two-stage impurity concentration profile


A method of performing a computer-assisted orthopaedic procedure includes securing a sensor support instrument to the patient's bone. A number of sensors are secured to the support instrument. A computer-assisted orthopaedic surgical instrument is also disclosed.

Many computer guided orthopaedic surgical procedures are based on determining the position of bones, and relating this position to the computer via some type of ultrasonic, magnetic resonance, or optical sensor. In such cases, a first sensor may be secured to the patient's bone, with a second sensor being secured to the surgical instrument so that the instrument may be subsequently guided via a computer into the desired position within the patient's bone. U.S. Patents and Patent Publications relating to computer guided surgery include U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,694 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2003/0153978 A1 and 2003/01538829 A1, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Similar computer-assisted navigation systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,514,259; 6,434,507; 6,428,547; 6,424,856; 6,351,659; 6,223,067; 6,187,018; 6,178,345; 5,889,834; 5,769,861; 5,702,406; 5,643,268; and 5,628,315, along with U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0038118 A1, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Method and apparatus for performing a computer-assisted orthopaedic procedure


Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for detecting leaks of liquids or gases in a transporting network. In one embodiment, a flow detector for detecting volume and direction of flow is attached to a system transporting such liquid or gas, changes are sensed over time, and data is sent to and from a controller. In alternative embodiments, static and dynamic states are identified and differentiated to identify relatively small leaks. In some embodiments, the transporting network is emptied in whole or in part, thereby allowing the measurement of relatively small leaks. In some embodiments, aggregate measurement data is processed to identify usage and performance features particular to the transporting network, which allows a continuous improvement in the measurement of leaks and flow direction. In some embodiments, corrective action is taken automatically, while in other embodiments human operators order corrective action.

We are used to thinking that a network that contains or transports liquid or gas will preserve its content, and that whatever enters the network leaves it without a loss. In reality, however, leakage is very common, as a result of a foreseen or unforeseen problem or fault in the network.
A leak from a network transporting liquid or gas may result in multiple types of damage, such as:                The cost of the lost liquid/gas.        Damage to the environment as a result of the leak.        Danger in the cases where the leak is a dangerous substance.
Often a leak occurs when the leak site is not accessible, or when people are not on site. Sometimes the leak is at the network's entrance as a result of pressure differences between the transporting network being checked and the feed into such network.
Most leaks start as drips. But if a small problem is not resolved early on, sooner or later the small problem grows. The growing problem can lead to
(1) Economic damage that becomes greater with time; and/or
(2) Physical damage to people or animals.
Early detection of a drip or other small leak is vital to prevent physical damage to person and property. Leakage should be detected even at a relatively early stage, and even if people are not on site.
Various solutions exist in the prior art for detecting leaks. Large leaks in particular are usually detected by one or more of:                Acoustic changes between the flow during a leak, and a normal or stable flow.        Physical stain. There are detectors that detect the content of the system outside of the system, even in small quantities.        Flood. There are detectors that detect the accumulation of liquids outside of the system, such as, for example, a puddle of water or even minor dampness.        Pressure. Leaks often cause a change in the pressure of the flow of liquid or case.        A change in the entrance of liquid or gas into a transporting network,        A change in the volume of liquid/gas over time.
None of these prior art solutions are entirely successful. They all have problems, such as:                Problems detecting relatively small leaks in the transport system, say on the order of about 1% of flow or less. For example, acoustic or electromechanical detectors are good for detecting major leaks, but not small flow changes.        Problems detecting the direction of flow at any one time, although changes in flow direction are often indicative of a leak or other problem in the transport system.        Problems detecting a minor standard deviation in flow. The flow and volume of liquid or gas in a transport system is not fixed, so changes do occur, and prior art detectors have difficulty detecting small problems in real-time. It is almost impossible to find the difference between a leak and a change in the flow due to normal operation.        Problems of statistics tools in measuring the rate of flow or throughput over a long period (day, month) and finding differences in flow or throughput. Statistics tools take a long time to detect small changes, and are in addition inaccurate as to such changes.
There are some measurement systems in the prior art that work by directly measuring small changes in flow. That is, two or more sensors will be placed at different points in a transporting network, and measurements are made between sensors. Thus, if the flow changes from one point to another, leak may be inferred. Although these measurement systems may work if the sensors are sufficiently sensitive, the systems are relatively complicated and expensive, since they require multiple points of measurement to determine a single leak.
What is required is a simpler system that requires less hardware, and relies more upon intimate knowledge of the transporting network and statistical analysis to infer leakage or other problems of flow within the transporting network.

Systems, devices, and methods for detecting and controlling leaks of liquids or gases


A phase frequency detector (PFD) utilizes hysteresis dead zone avoidance while maximizing the linear range and minimizing the power and area consumed by the PFD circuit. The PFD includes a hysteresis in a reset logic gate, which prevents the reset logic gate from switching its output before each of the corrective pulses from the PFD reach final steady state DC voltage values. The PFD response simulates an ideal response, such that linearity is maintained at the phase lock point and throughout a linear range of +/xe2x88x922xcfx80. In addition, the hysteresis reset logic gate monitors the corrective pulses to insert an appropriate amount of time delay into the PFD reset path without introducing additional delay elements. As a result, the linear range of the PHD is maximized and the power and area consumed by the PFD is minimized, due to the fact that additional delay elements are eliminated from the design.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a phase-locked loop circuit and, more particularly, to a phase frequency detector within a phase-locked loop circuit that imparts hysteresis into a reset signal to avoid dead zone and other non-linear problems associated with conventional phase frequency detectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are given as background only.
Phase-locked loop (xe2x80x9cPLLxe2x80x9d) circuits are typically used for frequency control. As such, PLL circuits are routinely used for data and telecommunications, frequency synthesis, clock recovery, and similar applications. A PLL circuit is often used as a frequency synthesizer, or clock generator. Most clock generators use one or more phase-locked loops to generate one or more different frequencies from one or more reference sources. A reference frequency is usually generated by a reference clock attached to the frequency synthesizer. Ideally, frequency synthesis results in one or more clocking devices that are in phase alignment with the reference clock.
A PLL circuit typically includes four main components: a phase frequency detector (xe2x80x9cPFDxe2x80x9d), a filter, a voltage controlled oscillator (xe2x80x9cVCOxe2x80x9d), and a frequency divider. The PLL circuit is arranged to receive a reference clock signal from a reference source. The phase frequency detector is configured to compare the reference clock signal to a feedback clock signal generated by components within the PLL circuit. In particular, the PFD is configured to detect differences in frequency and/or phase between the reference and feedback clock signals, and to generate compensating xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d signals depending on whether the feedback clock signal is lagging or leading the reference clock signal in frequency or phase. The up/down control signals may be passed through a filter to integrate the control signals into a control voltage, which may be sent to the VCO. The VCO may then convert the voltage information from the up/down control signals into an output signal, which preferably contains frequency and/or phase information. The VCO output signal may be sent back to the PFD via a feedback loop.
In this manner, the PLL circuit is configured to produce a feedback clock signal, which is in phase alignment (i.e. zero phase offset) with the phase of a reference clock signal. If phase alignment is not present, the PFD generates an error signal in the form of the up/down control signals to correct the phase-misalignment. Ideally, the PFD produces an error signal (or, net charge), which is a linear function of the phase offset measured between the reference and feedback signals. As shown in the idealized PFD charge versus phase plot of FIG. 1, a linear relationship may exist between the PFD phase offset and the net charge between about +/xe2x88x922xcfx80 (i.e., +/xe2x88x926.28 radians). A zero net charge may also exist when the phase offset is zero (i.e. when reference and feedback phases are substantially aligned). Thus, the PLL is said to be in frequency and phase xe2x80x9clockxe2x80x9d when operating at zero phase offset, or approximately 0.0 Coulombs (Cb), as shown in FIG. 1.
However, when the two input signals differ in phase by more than about 2xcfx80 radians, the output signal may have a negative net charge when the feedback clock signal occurs more often (i.e., when the feedback clock signal has a higher frequency), and a positive net charge when the reference clock signal occurs more often (i.e., when the reference clock signal has a higher frequency). In this manner, the PFD may deliver a negative net charge, or xe2x80x9cpump downxe2x80x9d pulse, when the feedback clock signal leads the reference clock signal, and a positive net charge, or xe2x80x9cpump upxe2x80x9d pulse, when the feedback clock signal lags the reference clock signal. Therefore, the error signal output from the PFD may drive the system to a zero phase offset even when the frequencies of the reference and feedback clocks are different.
Many conventional PLL circuits suffer from non-ideal characteristics, which may cause the response of an actual PFD circuit to deviate from the ideal response illustrated in FIG. 1. Non-ideal characteristics are illustrated in the non-idealized PHD charge versus phase plot of FIG. 2 and may include, for example, decreased linear range and PFD dead zone. The linear range of the PFD may be defined as the region in which a change in phase results in a linear change in net charge delivered to the PLL. Ideally, the linear range of the PFD extends between about +/xe2x88x922xcfx80, shown as range 10 in FIG. 1. In practice, however, non-zero gate delays and other timing factors may decrease the actual linear range. FIG. 2, for example, illustrates the response of a conventional PFD, which exhibits a decreased linear range extending between approximately +/xe2x88x921.5xcfx80 (represented by range 20). Decreasing the range in which the PFD is monotonic (i.e. linear) may result in a reduced tracking range and pull-in range, and may also increase lock acquisition time. Thus, it may be important to keep the minimum linear range greater than about +/xe2x88x92xcfx80, due to the inability of the PHD to acquire frequency lock within this range, since the net charge will not correspond to the frequency offset. For example, the PFD may generate the wrong direction (i.e. opposite net charge) for more than half of a +/xe2x88x922xcfx80 range if the linear range is less than +/xe2x88x92xcfx80. Preferably, a practical minimum linear range may be about +/xe2x88x924xcfx80/3.
Another problem common to conventional PLL circuits, known as the xe2x80x9cdead zone,xe2x80x9d is illustrated in the non-idealized PFD charge versus phase plot of FIG. 3 as range 30. The dead zone includes a narrow frequency band in a region near the phase lock point (i.e. at zero phase offset). Within this narrow phase region, the reference and feedback signals are so close in phase that there may not be enough time for the PFD corrective output pulses to fully switch so that the charge pump can determine the correct phase error value. Once the phase offset drifts out of this phase region, the PFD may start properly correcting again. However, the dead zone tends to reduce the PLL gain at the phase lock point, and thus xe2x80x9cdeadensxe2x80x9d the response.
The PFD circuits described in early literature appear to attribute the dead zone response, such as that shown in FIG. 3, to large jitter or wandering phases at the lock point. Jitter is a problem common in almost all high-speed synchronous systems, and may occur when a signal deviates in phase or frequency from that of an ideal clock. Jitter, however, may not be the cause of the dead zone problem. The actual cause of the problem may have been previously unknown due to the common misconception that all PLLs had to live with the effects of the dead zone. In an effort to avoid the dead zone, less than desirable fixes were used to reduce the dead zone effects to more tolerable levels. In one example, a current leaking resistor was added to the low pass filter of the PLL circuit to xe2x80x9cpullxe2x80x9d the PLL out of the dead zone. Though the addition of a leakage resistor did result in reducing jitter, it also introduced a large and variable phase offset, which made it difficult to achieve zero phase lock. Thus, the inability of conventional PLL circuits to achieve a zero phase offset with the reference clock signal may be one disadvantage of previous methods.
Therefore, it may be desirable to provide an improved PFD having a response that closely follows an ideal phase offset response. As such, it may be desirable to provide an improved PFD that avoids the dead zone problem, while maximizing the extent of the linear range. It may further be desirable to provide an improved PFD that offers lower power and smaller area than currently available PFDs.
The problems outlined above may be in large part addressed by a PFD, alternatively known simply as a detector, which avoids the dead zone problem while maximizing the linear range and minimizing the power/area concerns of currently available PFDs. As such, the phase frequency detector described herein includes a reset logic gate having a hysteresis input. Including hysteresis in the reset logic gate helps prevent the reset logic gate from switching its output response before corrective output pulses (i.e., pump up and pump down pulses) from the PFD transition to final steady state voltage values.
The phase frequency detector preferably has a linear response at the zero phase offset, or phase lock point, and sustains linearity throughout the entire linear range. In addition, the hysteresis logic gate monitors the corrective output pulses to insert an appropriate amount of time delay into the reset path without introducing additional delay elements. Inappropriate use of delay elements would contribute an arbitrary amount of delay, which may vary with process and could be more than the amount needed by an actual PFD circuit. By including hysteresis in the reset logic gate, however, the linear range of the present PFD is maximized by not taking more delay (or reset time) than is actually needed by the PFD output. Avoiding conventional delay elements (which introduce inappropriate delay amounts) also avoids the additional power consumption of those elements and minimizes the area needed to implement the PFD.
According to one embodiment, a phase frequency detector is described herein as including a first and second latch, where each latch includes a reset input, a clock input, and a pulse output upon which pump up and pump down pulses are produced. In addition, the PFD circuit may include a pair of input conductors adapted to receive a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal. The reference clock signal may have a reference frequency and phase and the feedback clock signal may have a feedback frequency and phase. As such, a clock input of the first latch may be adapted to receive the reference clock signal, while a clock input of the second latch may be adapted to receive the feedback clock signal. In response to a phase difference between the reference and feedback clock signals, the second latch may generate a first corrective output pulse upon a first output conductor when the phase of the feedback signal xe2x80x9cleadsxe2x80x9d the phase of the reference signal. In this manner, the first output conductor is adapted to receive a pump down signal that transitions to a logic high voltage value if a leading edge of the feedback clock signal precedes a leading edge of the reference clock signal. Alternatively, the second latch may generate a second corrective output pulse upon a second output conductor when the phase of the feedback clock signal xe2x80x9clagsxe2x80x9d the phase of the reference clock signal. Thus, the second output conductor is adapted to receive a pump up signal that transitions to a logic high voltage value if the leading edge of the feedback clock signal follows the leading edge of the reference clock signal.
The PFD may further include a reset path coupled between the first and second output conductors and reset inputs of the first and second latches. Arranged within the reset path is a reset logic gate having hysteresis, which is used to generate a time delay output signal (otherwise referred herein as a xe2x80x9creset signalxe2x80x9d). In this manner, the reset logic gate is coupled to forestall transition of the pump down signal to a logic low voltage value until after the transition of the pump up signal reaches a steady state logic high voltage value for each cycle of the reference clock signal. Alternatively, the logic gate is further coupled to forestall transition of the pump up signal to a logic low voltage value until after the transition of the pump down signal reaches the steady state logic high voltage value for each cycle of the feedback clock signal. Thus, the reset logic gate avoids setting the first and second latches to a reset state until the each of the corrective output pulses substantially reach steady state DC voltage values. As such, the reset logic gate is configured to introduce an appropriate amount of delay without adding delay elements to the reset path of the PFD circuit.
According to another embodiment, a PLL circuit is provided herein. In general, the PLL circuit includes a PFD circuit, which as described above, produces a pump down signal if the detector receives a feedback clock signal before receiving a reference clock signal and forestalls termination of the pump down signal until after a pump up signal achieves a steady state voltage value. In addition, the PFD produces a pump up signal if the detector receives a feedback clock signal after receiving a reference clock signal, and forestalls termination of the pump up signal until after a pump down signal achieves a steady state voltage value. The PLL circuit further includes a charge pump, filter, voltage-controlled oscillator, and feedback frequency divider. The charge pump may be configured to subtract the duration of the pump down signal and the pump up signal and produce a net voltage value that controls the feedback clock signal to match in frequency or phase the reference clock signal. As such, the PLL circuit may receive a reference clock signal from a reference source and may generate an output signal, which may be in phase alignment with the reference clock signal. Optionally, a reference frequency divider may divide the frequency of the reference clock signal to allow the use of higher frequency reference sources or, alternatively, to produce high-frequency phase-locked outputs.
Furthermore, a method for reducing the dead zone of a circuit, which detects a phase or frequency difference between a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal, is also contemplated. Such a method may include receiving a reference clock signal having a reference clock frequency and phase, and a feedback clock signal having a feedback frequency and phase. The method may also include generating corrective output pulses (i.e., pump up or pump down pulses) depending on whether the feedback clock signal lags or leads, respectively, the reference clock signal. The corrective output pulses may be supplied to a reset logic gate arranged within the reset path of the PFD. The reset logic gate monitors the corrective output pulses and generates a new time delay output signal (i.e., a new reset signal) when the corrective output pulses substantially equal steady state DC voltage values. In this manner, the steady state voltage values of the corrective output pulses are achieved before initiating a reset condition upon a pair of latches that produce the corrective output pulses. Such achieving may impart an amount of delay in the output of the reset logic gate that feeds the reset inputs of the pair of latches. The delay may occur for each cycle of the reference clock signal (when the feedback clock signal lags the reference clock signal) or for each cycle of the feedback clock signal (when the feedback clock signal leads the reference clock signal).

Circuit, system, and method for using hysteresis to avoid dead zone or non-linear conditions in a phase frequency detector


A mobile gas detector comprising a laser transmitter and signal analyser carried on a vehicle, the vehicle having an exterior, a laser absorption cell carried on the exterior of the vehicle, a light guide connecting light from the laser transmitter into the laser absorption cell, a photo-detector mounted with the laser absorption cell exterior to the vehicle to convert light that has traversed the laser absorption cell into electrical signals, and a cable connecting the photodetector to the signal analyser.

This invention relates to vehicle mounted gas detectors using laser absorption cells.
Vehicle mounted gas sensors pose difficult problems not found with stationary sensors. In particular, for aircraft mounted gas sensors the difficult environmental conditions make accurate and reliable measurement difficult. Aircraft and other fast moving vehicles are subject to mechanical disturbance such as from rapid temperature variations, from xe2x88x9250xc2x0 C. to 30xc2x0 C., high wind speed, high vibrations and impact from fast moving objects, including birds, flies, ice pellets, rain and snow. Aircraft, other fast moving vehicles and in particular helicopters are also subject to electrical interference. The design of a robust and sensitive mobile gas sensor poses a difficult design challenge.
Canadian patent application no. 2,219,335 published Nov. 24, 1997 shows a prior art laser absorption cell for a gas detector. The gas detector is designed for use with aircraft and has a laser absorption cell of the Herriot type carried on the exterior of the aircraft. This laser absorption cell was used for example to detect methane leaks from pipelines. A laser transceiver and analyser module mounted on board the aircraft is coupled to the laser absorption cell through multi-mode fiber optics. Use of multi-mode fiber optics caused optical noise and reduced detection sensitivity. To reduce optical noise, detection of methane took place in the 1300 nm absorption wavelength since that wavelength was less affected by the telecommunication fiber optic. However, since absorption of light in the methane absorption band at 1300 nm is relatively weak, multiple passes of the Herriot cell were required to obtain a suitable strong signal. Due to the multiple passes of light across the Herriot cell, and the necessity of collimating the light into an optical fiber for delivery of light to the laser receiver, the gas detector was sensitive to thermal and mechanical misalignment that decreased the detector""s reliability and required high maintenance. Reduced reliability and high maintenance of the gas detector restricted its use to the rental market.
To overcome problems of the prior art gas detector, a gas detector is now proposed according to an aspect of the invention that uses a photo-detector mounted with the laser absorption cell exterior to the vehicle to detect light that has made at least one pass of the laser absorption cell.
Therefore, there is provided, according to an aspect of the invention, a laser transmitter and signal analyser carried on, and preferably within, a vehicle, the vehicle having an exterior, a laser absorption cell carried on the exterior of the vehicle, a light guide connecting light from the laser transmitter into the laser absorption cell, a photo-detector mounted with the laser absorption cell exterior to the vehicle to convert light that has traversed the laser absorption cell into electrical signals, and a cable connecting the photo-detector to the signal analyser.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of detecting a target gas, the method comprising the steps of:
traversing a target area with a vehicle having an exterior;
passing air through a laser absorption cell carried on the exterior of the vehicle;
directing light through the laser absorption cell;
converting light that has made at least one pass through the laser absorption cell into electrical signals using a photo-detector mounted with the laser absorption cell exterior to the vehicle; and
analysing the electrical signals for a signal indicative of the presence of the target gas.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a laser absorption cell, in which light emitted from a light guide traverses the cell and is collected by a photo-detector, is provided with a retro-reflector to reflect light that has entered the light absorption cell from the light guide towards the photo-detector. The retro-reflector accommodates misalignment of the light guide and photo-detector in the high vibration environment of a fast moving vehicle.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a mirror is mounted on the frame to reflect light from the light guide across the light absorption cell in at least two back and forth passes before the light reaches the photo-detector.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the gas detector further comprises a protective window mounted on the frame over the retro-reflector to protect the retro-reflector from airborne contaminants.
In one optical arrangement, light from the light guide traverses the laser absorption cell reflected off a mirror across the cell, and is directed onto the photo-detector, for example by a collecting mirror such as an offset parabolic mirror.
In another optical arrangement, light from the light guide traverses the laser absorption cell to a retro-reflector and reflected from the retro-reflector onto a photo-detector.
The mobile gas detector is primarily used for airborne detection. Use of a photo-detector allows detection of methane using light within the methane absorption band at 1650 nm. The photo-detector is preferably a photo-diode operating in photo-voltaic mode to avoid the need for an external power supply for the photo-detector.
These and other aspects of the invention are described in the detailed description of the invention and claimed in the claims that follow.


An image processing apparatus includes a storage unit, a selection unit, and an encoding unit. The storage unit stores pre-synchronized image data. The selection unit selects as a reference image at least one of the pre-synchronized image data based on a result of comparison between the pre-synchronized image data and an original image data. The encoding unit generates a compressed image data by compressing the original image data using the reference image. The selection unit calculates similarity between the original image data and at least one of the pre-synchronized image data and selects the reference image among the synchronized image data based on the calculated similarity.

In order to efficiently exchange information in network communication, it is required to ensure a high information transmission/reception speed. In order to improve the information transmission/reception speed, it is required to increase a bandwidth of a network or to increase a data compression rate of information.
In a network communication system having a limited bandwidth, such as an underwater communication environment, a satellite communication environment, or the like, it is required to increase the data compression rate to ensure the high information transmission/reception speed. Further, in a storage system such as a cloud, a distributed system, or the like, it is required to increase the data compression rate to efficiently utilize a storage capacity.
As an example of the data compression, a conventional image compression technique generates compressed image data by eliminating spatial redundancy in an image to be compressed. For example, a video signal is generated by continuously capturing the same background and, thus, a lot of duplicate data exist between a previous video frame and a current video frame. Therefore, the size of the video signal can be reduced in the case of storing only information on a part different from the previous video frame, compared to the case of storing all the information on the current video frame. At this time, it is required to compress the current video frame so that it can be restored from the information on the part different from the previous video frame.
However, in the conventional technique (see, e.g., Korean Patent No. 2012-0003909 (Published on Jan. 11, 2012)), the compressed image data is generated using only redundancy elimination in an image to be compressed and, thus, there is a limit in improving the compression rate of the image data.

Image processing apparatus and data receiving apparatus, and methods thereof

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology


A section of wireway having an elongate channel-shaped body and cover for the body. The cover has a releasable hinge connection with the body for swinging between open and closed positions. In one embodiment, the hinge connection comprising at least two T-shaped slots in a side wall of the body at locations spaced along the length of the body and at least two T-shaped hinge members on the cover receivable in said slots for hinging the cover to the body.

This invention relates generally to wireways for enclosing electrical conduit, wires, cable and the like ("wire"), and more particularly to an improved construction for hinging a cover to a body of the wireway.
In general, wireways are fabricated in longitudinal sections connected end to end and mounted on ceilings, walls and other supporting surfaces. These surfaces are often elevated. A typical section of wireway includes a channel-shaped body and a cover for closing the open top of the body. In some designs, the cover is hinged to the body for swinging between open and closed positions. While the use of a hinge construction has certain benefits, conventional hinge designs require tools to install and remove the cover. As a result, the installation and removal process is inconvenient and time-consuming, especially when the wireway is elevated and the worker is working high off the floor on a ladder or other elevated support. There is a need, therefore, for an improved hinge design.


An air pressure maintenance apparatus and method uses one or more high-pressure gas storage tanks coupled to an inflation hose via a calibrated rigid measurement chamber and automated system of valves to permit rapid inflation of a tire or other inflatable device to an accurate target pressure accounting for temperature effects, and recording accurate pre- and post-inflation pressure for analysis of deflation over time.

This invention generally relates to automobile tire pressure maintenance.
The basis of this invention was conceived by the inventor after experiencing a tire blow-out at 60 MPH on a crowded highway in a pickup truck pulling a 4,000 pound boat. Failure was likely do to under-inflation and rising tire temperatures, traveling at speed, on a hot summer day.
The tires for this vehicle required 80 pounds per square inch (PSI) pressure, which was very difficult to maintain since common compressor-based air filling stations cannot meet this pressure demand. These compressor-based systems are also highly inaccurate, provide no means of recordation of pressure, and are difficult to use.
As a result of the tire failure, the inventor recognized that current tire inflation technology that is commercially available to the general public was inadequate for such a critical safety component of the automobile driving experience. Further, there is little technology available to the average vehicle owner and operator that promotes proper tire maintenance and monitoring of deflation patterns for tire problem detection.
The economics in favor of proper tire inflation are compelling; the relative low cost of properly maintaining tire pressure results in significant fuel savings and reduced tire wear resulting in an economic financial benefit estimated at 8% or better return on investment. Studies report that about 0.4% fuel savings can be achieved for each 1 PSI a tire is underinflated. Although there is no accurate public data available for the average under-inflation of tires, the inventor's preliminary research indicates the average under-inflation of passenger cars is 5 to 6 PSI. Thus, fuel economy can typically be improved by 2-3% through proper tire inflation. Further, this economic advantage does not account for the reduction in deaths, injury and property damage from the reduction in tire-inflation related accidents.

Tire pressure maintenance apparatus and method


An anti-shock device has at least two sliding members placed in at least two layers. Each sliding member is comprised of a slotted seat, an inner seat, and a rolling shaft. The slotted seat has a slot defined longitudinally in a face and has outer curved rails defined in two sidewalls. The inner seat mounted slidably in the slot has an inner curved rail defined therein, corresponding to and curving in the opposite direction of the outer curved rails. The rolling shaft is mounted rotatably through the outer curved rails and the inner curved rail. When subjected to vibration, the anti-shock device converts the horizontal forces into vertical forces. In addition, an energy dissipation member is provided in the anti-shock device that eliminates vertical vibrations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-shock device, and particularly relates to an anti-shock device that is small in size and can eliminate shock in the vertical and horizontal axes.
2. Description of the Related Art
As land in modern cities becomes more limited, buildings are being built taller and taller to provide more accommodation. Skyscrapers have even become an important index of a city's development.
However, skyscrapers are faced with potential dangers, for example, earthquakes. The United States, Taiwan and Japan are located on a seismic zone and suffer frequent earthquakes, so it is especially vital to have an anti-shock device to protect skyscrapers in these countries.
In addition, historical cultural relics, important instruments in hospitals, rescue centers, electronic elements and precision machinery also need to be protected by anti-shock devices.
In general, there are two methods that are applied in anti-shock devices; one is isolating vibration transmission and the other is absorbing vibration energy. A conventional anti-shock device is comprised of a top seat, a base seat and a swiveling mechanism mounted between the top seat and the base seat. The top seat is mounted at the bottom of a skyscraper or machine, the base seat is mounted on the ground. When the vibration is transferred to the anti-shock device, the top seat will have a displacement with the bottom seat due to the swiveling mechanism, whereby the vibration is reduced or eliminated. Nevertheless, the conventional anti-shock device can only reduce the horizontal vibration, but is of no use for vertical vibration. Another conventional anti-shock device is comprised of a seat and an inner member, which have a relative movement to each other when they receive vibrations, so the device is capable of eliminating vibrations in both the horizontal and vertical axes. A curved rail is defined in the seat or in the inner member, so it is necessary to have a long curved rail to increase vibration elimination capacity, but the entire device would be too large to be packaged conveniently.
Therefore, the invention provides an anti-shock device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A self-referencing interferometer includes an optical system to split an alignment beam to create a reference beam and a transformed beam. The optical system includes a beam splitter to combine the reference beam and the transformed beam so that the diffraction orders in the reference beam spatially overlap with their respective opposite orders in the transformed beam. A detector system receives the spatially overlapping reference beam and transformed beam from the optical system and determines a position signal. The detector system includes a polarizing system for manipulating the polarization of the beams so that they interfere, and for directing the interfering reference beam and transformed beam to a detector for determining a position signal from the variation of intensity of the interfering beams.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g., comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g., a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at one time, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
To ensure that the pattern of a patterning device is transferred onto the correct target position on a substrate, it is important that the substrate is accurately aligned with respect to the lithographic apparatus. Especially in the manufacturing of ICs, which usually contain many individual layers (e.g., 30 layers), it is extremely important that the several individual layers are lined up with respect to each other very accurately. When the line up of the individual layers of an IC is not very accurate the IC might not be an operable IC. Overlay is defined as being the accuracy within which a pattern is imaged on a substrate in relation to the patterns that have previously been imaged on the substrate. As in the manufacture of ICs ever smaller features are imaged, the overlay requirements and hence the necessary accuracy of the alignment process, become stricter.
Lithographic apparatus are known to use multiple alignment systems to align the substrate with respect to the lithographic apparatus. Reference is made in particular to the European patent application EP 1 372 040 A1, which document is hereby incorporated by reference. EP 1 372 040 A1 describes an alignment system using a self-referencing interferometer that produces two overlapping images of an alignment marker. These two images are rotated over 180° with respect to each other. EP 1 372 040 A1 further describes the detection of the intensity variation of the interfering Fourier transforms of these two images in a pupil plane. These intensity variations correspond to a phase difference between different diffraction orders of the two images, and from this phase difference positional information is derived, which is required for the alignment process.
A disadvantage of the known alignment system is that the self-referencing interferometer in the alignment measurement system may be relatively expensive as its optical design requires the use of specially manufactured optical components. A further disadvantage of the known alignment system is that the known self-referencing interferometer is usually quite bulky. This bulkiness may cause unwanted side-effects in the alignment process, such as low bandwidth vibrations modes that can impede the accuracy of the alignment process.

Self-referencing interferometer, alignment system, and lithographic apparatus


A device forming method including: forming a diffusion layer by ion-implanting a dopant into a silicon single crystal substrate; and activating the diffusion layer by laser annealing. When the silicon single crystal substrate to be used has an oxygen concentration of less than 5 ppma in a region for forming the diffusion layer, the device forming method includes a step of controlling the region for forming the diffusion layer to have an oxygen concentration of 5 ppma or more before the diffusion layer is activated by the laser annealing. A device forming method capable of easily enhancing dopant activation level by laser annealing even when a region for forming a diffusion layer has a low oxygen concentration.

In the process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, for example, diffusion layers as source and drain regions are formed by ion-implanting a dopant. Then, annealing is performed to recover a defect caused by the ion implantation and to electrically activate the dopant (to decrease the resistance). Meanwhile, this annealing has such a problem that the ion-implanted atoms diffuse and expand the diffusion layers. Along with the recent advancement in miniaturization, such diffusion layers need to be formed as shallow as 50 nm or less. Since conventionally employed furnace anneal and RTA (Rapid Thermal Anneal) require long heating times and expand diffusion layers, annealing methods for applying high energy within a very short time are thus adopted.
As the annealing method, a flash lamp annealing method has been adopted which uses a flash lamp having a rare gas such as xenon sealed therein to apply pulsed light of 0.1 to 100 msec for heating. Furthermore, a laser annealing method has been recently studied which can further shorten the heating time by applying pulsed laser beam for 10 to 1000 nsec for heating.
Meanwhile, in the step of activating an impurity which is ion-implanted into the back surfaces of a power device IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and back-side illuminated image sensor, laser annealing is sometimes employed which can selectively heat only the back surface side within a short heating time so as to avoid thermal damage to a device layer on the front surface side (for example, Patent Document 1, Non Patent Document 1).
The laser annealing method forms a melted portion by laser irradiation, while a dopant can be activated by epitaxial growth utilizing a non-melted portion as a seed crystal (for example, Non Patent Document 1). Additionally, to increase the activation level, there have been proposed: a method in which laser beams with different pulse widths are combined for the activation (for example, Patent Document 2); and a method in which laser beams with different wavelengths are combined for the activation (for example, Patent Document 3).


A method of detecting wear and damage to a rotary cutting blade for singulating a substrate is provided comprising the steps of providing a sensor to locate a first detecting position at an edge of the blade and performing dicing with the blade while the sensor is maintained substantially at the first detecting position for detecting damage to the blade. Subsequently, an extent of wear of the blade is determined by driving the sensor in the direction of the blade to locate a second detecting position at the edge of the blade as a diameter of the blade is reduced due to dicing. Thereafter, while dicing is performed with the blade, the sensor is maintained substantially at the second detecting position for detecting damage to the blade.

A singulation system for singulation or dicing electronic components, such as semiconductor substrates or packaged semiconductor devices, comprises at least a spindle system and a carrier support such as a chuck table. The axis of the spindle system is orthogonal to the axis of the chuck table and a theta axis table is located on top of the chuck table. The spindle system typically includes either one or two high speed rotary shafts with a cutting blade comprising a circular saw blade each.
Dicing may be performed on the semiconductor substrate in one direction by moving the chuck table under a spindle axis while the saw blade is cutting the semiconductor substrate on a carrier, such as a saw jig, on the theta axis table of the chuck table. The spindle axis may index line by line to complete all the cutting lines required in one direction. Next, the theta table on the chuck table rotates 90 degrees about the theta axis to perform dicing in a direction orthogonal to the first direction. Thus, the semiconductor substrate is singulated into rectangular units.
As singulation is operated by rotating the circular saw blade at high speed, for safety reasons, it is important to monitor and detect the condition of the blade in order to halt the singulation process when the blade is chipped or otherwise damaged. Additionally, the blade will wear out after a period of sawing, resulting in the blade having a reduced diameter. The wearing-out rate of the blade should be monitored regularly in order to accurately adjust the cutting depth of the blade to maintain a constant sawing depth and to replace the blade at an appropriate time.
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a typical through beam sensor 100 located near a saw blade 102 for detecting blade damage. The sensor 100 is placed at a fixed distance from the edge of the blade 102 such that a sensing line 106 monitors the edge of the blade 102 continuously and is able to detect a chipped blade. However, the position of the sensor 100 relative to the edge of the blade must be adjusted manually with a screw 104 when the diameter of the blade 102 decreases as the blade wears off. During adjustment of the sensor 100, the singulation operation must be stopped, which affects productivity. It would be beneficial to be able to monitor damage to the saw blade without interrupting the singulation operation to manually adjust the position of the sensor 100.
Conventionally, optical or contact methods may be used for detecting and measuring the extent of wearing off of a saw blade. These methods are illustrated in FIG. 2. The optical method uses an optical sensor 106 located at a fixed position at some distance from a rotary blade 102. The sensor 106 comprises a light emitting component and a light receiving component positioned opposite each other across a gap which receives the saw blade. Separate water and air nozzles 108 are located within the gap for cleaning the light emitting and receiving components of the optical sensor 106.
After the water nozzles are deactivated, water droplets remaining on the light emitting and receiving components are removed by air jets directed from the air nozzles. Therefore, the light emitting and receiving components are kept clean and dry, that is, they are free from contaminants such as chips and sawing dust from the singulation process. This allows accurate measurement of the extent of wear of the rotary blade. Measurement of wear is conducted by indexing the rotary blade 102 downwards to an optical sensing line in the gap and its index position at the sensor 106 is recorded. When the blade diameter is reduced due to wearing off during singulation, the blade 102 would have to be indexed further downwards to be level with the same optical sensing line. The difference in the index positions is equivalent to the extent of wear of the blade.
In the contact method, the blade 102 is indexed downwards to a standard reference surface 110 located at some distance from the blade 102. When the blade 102 touches the reference surface 110, the index position is recorded. Next, if the blade diameter is reduced as the blade 102 is worn off, the blade 102 will be required to index further to become level with the reference surface 110. The difference in index positions is equivalent to the extent of wear of the blade 102.
Both the contact and optical methods of measuring the extent of wear of the saw blade as described above are slow and inhibit normal machine operation as the saw blade 102 during the singulation operation is far from the optical sensor or the reference surface. It would thus be advantageous to be able to measure an extent of wear of the blade without moving the saw blade 102 over relatively large distances for detecting its edge.
A prior art example of an optical method for damage and wear detection of a saw blade is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,811 entitled "Cutting Blade Detection Mechanism for a Cutting Machine". It discloses a dicing machine comprising a typical through beam sensor similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1 herein for detecting a chipped saw blade. It further discloses an optical sensor comprising light emitting and receiving components as described above for measuring wear value of the saw blade. Contamination of the sensor by the chips and sawing dust during singulation is cleansed by jetting water followed by jetting air at the sensor. Whilst this increases the reliability of readings with regard to the blade, multiple nozzles comprising separate water supply nozzles and air supply nozzles are deployed. This makes the machine complex and increases the number of components required. It is desirable to reduce the number of components for easier machine maintenance and to reduce the need for stocking additional spare parts.
Another prior art example of a singulation system which uses the optical method for detecting the extent of wear is Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-287111 entitled "Cutting Device and Blade Condition Detecting Method". This prior art discloses a single blade detection sensor for both damage detection and wear detection of a saw blade. The sensor can be indexed by migration means to two different locations for separately carrying out the functions of damage detection and wear detection of the saw blade. Switching means is employed to toggle the sensor between the two locations for carrying out the two detection functions. The toggling between the two detection functions at the two locations is undesirable as this affects the reliability and stability of measuring the blade wear value. Additional time is also required to repeatedly move the sensor between the two locations to perform the two functions. It would be advantageous to eliminate the need for switching between the two detection modes and locations to simplify the measuring algorithm and to achieve increased accuracy and stability.

Damage and wear detection for rotary cutting blades


The present invention provides an inkjet pigment dispersion liquid including a carbon black, a dispersant, and water, wherein the total number of coarse particles having a particle diameter of 0.5 μm or greater contained in the inkjet pigment dispersion liquid is 1,000,000/5 μL or less, and provides an inkjet ink using the inkjet pigment dispersion liquid.

Inkjet recording systems enable simple process as compared to other recording systems, and thus have such advantages that full-color images can be easily printed, and even with use of an apparatus having a simple structure, high-resolution images can be obtained.
As inkjet inks, dye-based inks are used in which various types of water-soluble dyes are dissolved in a mixture liquid containing water or water and an organic solvent. Such dye-based inks have a drawback of being poor in light resistance, although they are excellent in color tone sharpness.
In the meanwhile, pigment-based inks in which carbon black and various types of organic pigments are dispersed are more excellent in light resistance than dye-based inks, and thus studies on pigment-based inks are being intensively made.
However, pigment-based inks tend to cause nozzle clogging as compared to dye-based inks.
Pigment inks are usually prepared as follows. A coloring material and a dispersant are preliminarily dispersed in an aqueous solvent to prepare a dispersion, and then, the dispersion is dispersed to a predetermined degree by a medium dispersion device, followed by diluting at a predetermined concentration.
Pigment-water-based aqueous inks usually contain a surfactant and an aqueous resin to disperse a hydrophobic pigment therein, but the reliability of images obtained is extremely low. Then, in view to improving the quality of images, a film-formable resin particle is added into an ink liquid, however, it is difficult to disperse a plurality of components in a state of being finely and stably dispersed for a long period of time. When a dispersant such as a surfactant is used in a large amount in order to stably disperse such a fine particle, a problem inconveniently occurs, for example, air bubbles occur inside an ink tank and or an inkjet head, causing a degradation in the image quality. Studies are made to introduce a hydrophilic group into a surface of a pigment or to use a resin containing a hydrophilic group, but when a plurality of these resins are mixed, the dispersed state is unstable to cause a degradation of storage stability, although these resins are stable in single use thereof.
Many techniques have been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems.
There are the following techniques, for example, an inkjet recording image excellent in visibility is obtained by using a recording medium which contains a specific fine particle and is provided with an ink receiving part in which the gloss values of white parts and printed parts are specified (e.g., see PTL 1); an ink recorded matter having an image excellent in glossiness, smoothness and texture is obtained by inkjet recording on a recording medium having a surface roughness (Ra) value A using each color ink having a surface roughness (Ra) value B (for example, see PTL 2), a recorded matter having a high image density and less reduction in glossiness is obtained with maintaining excellent dispersion stability but without causing nozzle clogging by printing using an ink, which contains a resin emulsion in an aqueous medium, on a recording paper having an ink receiving layer containing a silica fine particle and/or an alumina fine particle and having a specified glossiness (for example, see PTLs 3 and 4); an ink recorded matter excellent in glossiness is obtained by printing an aqueous color ink on a recording medium whose surface is treated with a coating liquid containing an alumina particle and the like (for example, see PTL 5); and an image quality close to a photograph, in which a reduction in glossiness at an image part can be prevented, is obtained by print-recording on a recording medium having a porous layer as an uppermost surface layer using an ink containing a polymer fine particle containing a water-insoluble or sparsely water soluble coloring material (for example, see PTL 6), and the like.
Besides the above, the following techniques are also reported: a recorded matter having an improved glossiness is obtained by using an inkjet recording ink containing an aqueous dispersion liquid of a microcapsulated pigment in which a pigment particle is covered with a polymer (for example, see PTL 7); an image having a uniform solid-part image density and excellent quality is obtained by printing an aqueous ink having a surface tension of 25 mN/m to 45 mN/m on a recording medium having a specific contact angle (for example, see PTL 8); for the purpose of obtaining a high image density, a water-insoluble coloring material and a chargeable pseudo-resin fine particle which is smaller than the coloring material are incorporated into an ink (for example, see PTL 9); a self-dispersible pigment having a specific oil absorption (DBP) is incorporated into an ink (for example, see PTL 10); and an aqueous carbon black dispersion liquid is used which is composed of a surface-modified carbon black, has a HLB value of from 7 to 18 and contains a nonionic surfactant having an acetylene skeleton (for example, see PTL 11), and the like.
Further, for the purpose of obtaining a high image density and high image quality, there have been reported inventions such as an inkjet ink in which the amount of a surfactant having a HLB equal to or more than 3 and less than 10 is specified (for example, see PTL 12); an ink set composed of a recording liquid containing a coloring material and of a treatment liquid having a specific isoelectric point (for example, see PTL 13), and the like.
Further, in order to stabilize the dispersibility of ink, the following methods have been reported: a method of dispersing a water-dispersible resin having a carboxyl group and a nonionic hydrophilic group in water (for example, see PTL 14); a method of making the polarity of a water-soluble polymer the same as that of a surfactant used or adding a nonionic surfactant to the water-soluble polymer (for example, see PTL 15); a method of making the polarity of a colored ionic polyester resin the same as that of a hydrophilic group of a colorant in an aqueous recording liquid (for example, see PTL 16); a method of making the dispersion polarity of a pigment the same as that of a resin fine particle (for example, see PTL 17), and the like.
Similarly to the above, for the purpose of stabilizing the dispersibility of ink, there have also been proposed an aqueous inkjet ink composition in which an aldehyde naphthalene sulfonate dispersant, a pigment dispersion liquid having such a particle size distribution that at least 70% of pigment particles having a diameter smaller than 0.1 μm and other pigment particles having a diameter equal to or smaller than 0.1 μm, and/or at least one sulfone solvent are contained (for example, see PTL 18); a recording liquid composed of an aqueous medium containing a pigment, a polymer dispersant and a nonionic surfactant (for example, see PTL 19); and using an AB or BAB block copolymer as a dispersant for pigment (for example, see PTLs 20 and 21). Furthermore, it has been proposed to use a specific pigment, a water-soluble resin and a solvent (for example, see PTL 22).
In the meanwhile, as a method of dispersing a pigment, there have been proposed a method of introducing a substituent containing a water-soluble group into a carbon black (for example, see PTL 23); a method in which a water-soluble monomer or the like is polymerized onto the surface of a carbon black (for example, see PTL 24); and a method of subjecting a carbon black to an oxidization treatment (for example, see PTL 25) as well.
Also, a method of ensuring the water resistance and ejection stability by using an ink containing a ternary polymer composed of an oxidized carbon black, an acrylic acid, styrene, and α-methylstyrene is disclosed in PTL 26.
In addition, an inkjet recording liquid is disclosed in PTL 27, which is characterized in that the volume average particle diameter of dispersed particles therein is 30 nm to 200 nm.
However, with respect to the above-mentioned conventional ink liquids, black pigment inks are not sufficient in high image density and do not satisfy the demands, although color pigment inks can meet the demands for high image density.
PTLs 28 to 30 each disclose an example of ink liquid using a bead having a bead diameter of from about 0.05 mm to about 1.0 mm for use in bead mill dispersion treatment, and PTL 31 proposed an ink liquid using an anionic surfactant as a dispersant, and discussed that the molecular weight of the anionic surfactant is preferably in the range of 1,000≦m≦30,000. However, both the proposed ink liquids are insufficient in terms of dispersion stability, and pigment components weak to strong impact during dispersion are poor in stability after being dispersed, and these ink liquids still have drawbacks with regard to ejection stability and the like.
Meanwhile, in order to provide an ink having improved ejection stability, there have been proposed a method in which the water evaporation rate, the viscosity increasing rate and the particle diameter are defined so as to improve the ejection stability of the ink (for example, see PTL 32); an inkjet liquid composition free from clogging at the nozzle tip, in which values of the conductivity, the viscosity and the surface tension of a water-soluble solvent are defined (for example, see PTL 33); and an ink liquid in which a colored fine particle having a quaternalized carboxyl group on its surface and a diameter of 0.5 μm or smaller is contained (for example, see PTL 34).
In the above mentioned Patent Literatures, an inkjet ink, which has a good balance in glossiness between an image part having a high image density and capable of imparting excellent visibility as well as good texture and a non-image part and which is excellent in high image density as well as ejection stability, and a recording medium having the above features have not yet been provided, and further improvements are required therefor. Note that inventions of inkjet inks (PTLs 35 to 37) made by the present inventors have been also known.

Pigment dispersion liquid, inkjet ink, ink cartridge, image forming apparatus, recording method , and image formed matter


A method for mounting a tank in a compatible precast concrete half shell wherein the tank is supported on ribs at a spaced distance from the inner wall of the half shell includes positioning of the half shell by means of at least partially filled, flexible containers of coagulate material which are wedged between the container and the inner wall of the half shell.

This invention relates to an improved method for mounting a generally cylindrical tank in a precast or preformed, generally congruent shaped half shell.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,638 entitled "Above Ground Hazardous Liquid Storage Apparatus," there is disclosed a liquid storage tank construction comprised of a supportive, precast, outer lower half shell which receives and retains a separate internal cylindrical steel tank for storing liquids. The precast, outer half shell is combined with a generally mirror image, upper half shell that covers the tank. The half shells both include internal ribs which support and locate the cylindrical tank and maintain it in a generally fixed position spaced from the interior walls of the half shells.
The half shells are typically constructed from a reinforced concrete material. The lower half shell in combination with the upper half shell thus defines a vault for a tank. The vault retains fluid which might be leaking from the tank. In this manner, leakage from the tank into the environment is precluded. Consequently, the tank, which may contain hazardous materials, can be easily stored above ground where it is protected by the concrete shell from environmental hazard and other hazards which might impact on the tank, but where it is easily inspected and accessible for replacement or repair.
During the fabrication of such apparatus, it is necessary to appropriately align the tank on the support ribs within the lower half shell. Because the tolerances associated with the materials comprising the half shells are quite different from those associated with the storage tank, there may be a significant dimensional difference between the support ribs of the lower half shell and the tank. Thus, merely lowering the steel tank onto the ribs within the lower half shell may not satisfactorily position the tank within that half shell. Consequently, there has developed a need for a device and a process by which the cylindrical tank may be appropriately and properly positioned within the lower half shell so that the upper half shell may be properly placed over and mated with the lower half shell to effectively and efficiently protect the internal steel tank.

Storage tank in a precast, protective shell


An apparatus is for use by an operator in forming boreholes in a mine passage including a rib and a roof. The apparatus includes a boom having a proximal end mounted to a base, such as a vehicle. A drill supported by the boom near a distal end thereof is adapted for drilling into the rib of the mine passage. An operator's station carried by the boom adjacent the drill includes a platform for supporting the operator arranged at least partially between a generally vertical plane aligned with the second lateral side and the rib. Accordingly, the operator can access the rib when positioned on the operator's station without interference from the boom.

During underground mining, it is a requirement for purposes of safety as well as federal law to install support to the roof of a passage at various intervals. This is often done using a mining machine known in the vernacular as a "roof" bolter. Typically, such a roof bolter is capable of both forming (drilling) boreholes and then installing roof anchors or "bolts" in the boreholes.
Bolters sometimes include an elongated boom for raising and lowering an attached bolting module, which incorporates a drill for forming the borehole for receiving the bolt or anchor. Sometimes, these booms are unmanned. However, in some cases they include an onboard station designed to support the operator of the bolting module.
In such cases where an operator station is provided, it has in the past been the case that the elongated boom is positioned between the operator and the corresponding rib of the mine passage to protect the operator from lateral hazards, such as rib rolls. From this position the boom serves as an obstacle that prevents the operator from easily and efficiently accessing the rib, such as to install the resin or bolt in the borehole once formed. As a result, it has in the past been proposed to use mechanical systems for installing the resin and bolts in the rib, but this increases the complexity and cost of the resulting bolting module.
Accordingly, a need is identified for a boom arrangement carrying an operator station adapted for installing support in the rib of a mine passage. The boom would allow an operator positioned at the station easy access to the rib for drilling a borehole, inserting resin in the borehole, and installing an anchor, such as a bolt. Despite the enhanced access, the boom would also incorporate features that check the operator's activities and help prevent use of the boom in an unintended manner.

Mining machine with improved rib reach capability and method of use thereof


Reducing power to a minimum permissible value based on temperature of a component may permit savings in power consumption.

In order to preserve energy of electronic devices, which may or may not be mobile, leakage current, and the corresponding leakage power reduction, needs to be addressed. This is especially true for electronic devices in mobile platform applications, such as notebook computers, cellular radiotelephone communication systems, two-way radio communication systems, one-way pagers, two-way pagers, personal communication systems (PCS), Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's) or other mobile electrical devices, which rely upon batteries to keep their applications running. The leakage current of an electrical device coupled to a battery in the idle state runs the battery down, and as a result shortens the amount of power available for the full operation of the electrical device and shortens the life of the battery.

Reduction of power consumption in electrical devices