A semiconductor-processing apparatus comprises a susceptor and removable placing blocks detachably placed at a periphery of the susceptor for transferring a substrate. Retractable supporting members are provided for detaching/attaching the placing blocks from/to the susceptor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor-processing apparatus, and particularly to a semiconductor-processing apparatus in which a substrate is moved between a reaction area and a transfer area by moving a susceptor up and down.
2. Description of the Related Art
As high integration of semiconductor devices has progressed, ALCVD (Atomic Layer Chemical Vapor Deposition) having better thin film formation controllability than CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) has received increased attention.
ALCVD is a thin film formation method for forming a thin film by introducing multiple source gases alternately or in order into a reactor and causing the source gases adsorb to a surface of a semiconductor wafer. In this method, because thin film formation is performed using only an adsorption layer, controlling film formation at a film thickness of several molecules is possible. Additionally, this method demonstrates a satisfactory step coverage characteristic.
When a thin film is formed by ALCVD, evacuating a source gas used until that time from within the reactor is required at the time of source gas switching. If any previously-used source gas remains in the reactor, a CVD reaction may occur in vapor phase, thereby making it difficult to control a film thickness at a molecular layer level. Additionally, fine particles generated by a CVD reaction in vapor phase may cause particle contamination.
If a purge time for eliminating a remaining gas completely from within the reactor lengthens, throughput declines. Given this factor, in conventional semiconductor-processing apparatuses, the inside of the chamber is divided into a reaction area and a transfer area to reduce dead space as well as to shorten the purge time.
Conventional semiconductor-processing apparatuses are configured, for example, as shown in FIG. 11 (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1994-318630).
The semiconductor-processing apparatus shown in FIG. 11 comprises a chamber 100 and a drive portion 200. In the chamber 100, a susceptor 102 for placing a semiconductor wafer 101, which is an object to be processed, on it is provided movably up and down. The drive portion 200 is rotated and driven along with the susceptor 102 moving up and down.
FIG. 11 shows a position in which the susceptor 102 is in a processing position (an ascent position). In this position, the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion of the susceptor 102 contacts the undersurface of the inner circumference of a separation plate (base ring) 103; by this, the inside of the chamber 100 is divided into a reaction area (a reactor) 104 and a transfer area 105.
The susceptor 102 hangs multiple (normally three) lift pins 106 movably up and down. When the susceptor 102 goes down, the lift pins 106 go down together with it. When the lift pins 106 go down together with the susceptor 102 and their lower edges bump into a cradle 107 for supporting use, the lift pins 106 stop going down at that point. Subsequently, when the susceptor 102 further goes down toward a transfer position (a descent position), the lift pins 106 go up relatively to the susceptor 102. As a result, the lift pins 106 lift the semiconductor wafer 101 placed on the susceptor 102 up from the susceptor 102.
The semiconductor wafer 101 lifted up from the susceptor 102 by the lift pins 106 can be carried out of the chamber 100 through an access port 108 by a transfer arm (a manipulator) not shown in the figure.
Additionally, by the actions in reverse order to the above-mentioned, a new semiconductor wafer to be processed next can be introduced into the chamber.
In a conventional semiconductor-processing apparatus, a reaction area and a transfer area are divided by physically contacting a susceptor with a base ring. However, placing the susceptor and the base ring in contact with each other without a gap is exceedingly difficult because it requires, for example, parallelizing contact surfaces of the susceptor and the base ring with precision and so forth. Additionally, in the conventional semiconductor-processing apparatus, because a lift pin is inserted movably up and down into a through-bore formed in the susceptor, a gap exists between the lift pin and the through-bore. Consequently, the conventional semiconductor-processing apparatus has a problem that the reaction area and the transfer area cannot be divided airtightly.
If the reaction area and the transfer area are not divided airtightly, a reaction gas flows into the transfer area from the reaction area; because evacuating the reaction gas having flowed in becomes difficult, a purge time is lengthened. Further, because the reaction gas reacts with a secondly-introduced reaction gas in CVD, particle contamination is caused. Additionally, because a thin film is formed inside the transfer area, a maintenance cycle is shortened.
Although a flow of a reaction gas passing through the gap between the lift pin and the through-bore can be blocked or reduced by reducing the gap, this increases wear debris, thereby causing particle contamination.
Additionally, in the conventional semiconductor-processing apparatus, there is another problem: If a pressure inside the reaction area becomes lower than a pressure inside the transfer area (e.g., when a reaction gas is evacuated), a semiconductor wafer rises being affected by a gas passing through a gap between the lift pin and the susceptor and moves, thereby generating wear dust and causing particle contamination.

Semiconductor-processing apparatus provided with susceptor and placing block


A butene-1 polymer composition having MFR values of from 20 to less than 100 g/10 min., measured according to ISO 1133 at 190° C. with a load of 2.16 kg, made from or containing:                A) a butene-1 homopolymer or a copolymer of butene-1 with one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of ethylene and higher alpha-olefins, having a copolymerized comonomer content of up to 5% by mole; and        B) a copolymer of butene-1 with one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of ethylene and higher alpha-olefins, having a copolymerized comonomer content of from 6% to 20% by mole;            wherein the composition having a total copolymerized comonomer content from 4% to 15% by mole, referred to the sum of A) and B), and a content of fraction soluble in xylene at 0° C. of 75% by weight or less, determined on the total weight of A) and B).

Butene-1 polymers having high melt flow rate have been used in many application fields. In those applications, the utility of the butene-1 polymers is believed due to properties such as chemical inertia, mechanical properties and nontoxicity.
In some instances, the molecular weights and molecular weight distribution of the butene-1 polymer have an effect on the final polymer properties.

Butene-1 polymer composition having high melt flow rate


A rotating motor control apparatus for a recordable optical disk unit is constructed to include a data synchronizing rotation control circuit controlling rotation of a rotating motor in synchronism with a recorded data signal, a zigzag synchronizing rotation control circuit controlling the rotation of the rotating motor in synchronism with a zigzag of a guide groove of a disk, a phase synchronizing circuit synchronizing to a phase of the data signal, and a synchronous detection circuit detecting a synchronized state of the phase synchronizing circuit and outputting a lock signal, where the data synchronizing rotation control circuit drives the rotating motor when the lock signal is obtained, and the zigzag synchronizing rotation control circuit drives the rotating motor when no lock signal is obtained.

The present invention generally relates to optical disk units (hereinafter referred to as recordable optical disk units) for driving recordable optical disks and rotating motor control apparatuses, and more particularly to a recordable optical disk unit and a control circuit and a LSI for a rotating motor control apparatus in the recordable optical disk unit.
Optical disks are used as devices for recording a large amount of information.
A general description will be given of the optical disk and a drive structure.
General CD-R and CD-E are writable (recordable) CDs (compact disks). The CD-R (CD-Recordable) is a once-writable CD (also referred to as CD-Write Once). On the other hand, the CD-E (CD-Erasable) is a multiple-times-writable CD (also referred to as CD-RW or CD-Rewritable).
These optical disks such as the CD-R and the CD-E are used with a drive shown in FIG. 1 when recording and reproducing information.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of an important structure of an optical disk drive. FIG. 1 shows an optical disk 1, a spindle motor 2, an optical pickup 3, a motor driver 4, a read amplifier 5, a servo means 6, a CD decoder 7, an ATIP decoder 8, a laser controller 9, a CD encoder 10, a CD-ROM encoder 11, a buffer RAM 12, a buffer manager 13, a CD-ROM decoder 14, an ATAPI/SCSI interface 15, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 16, a ROM 17, a central processing unit (CPU) 18, a RAM 19, a laser beam LB, and an audio output signal Audio.
In FIG. 1, arrows indicate directions in which data mainly flow. Further, in order to simplify the drawing, only one representative signal line is indicated by a bold line and added to the CPU 18 which controls various parts in FIG. 1, and the illustration of the connections to the various parts is omitted.
The construction and operation of the optical disk drive are as follows.
The optical disk 1 is driven and rotated by the spindle motor 2. This spindle motor 2 is controlled by the motor driver 4 and the servo means 5 so that a linear velocity becomes constant. This linear velocity can be changed in steps.
The optical pickup 3 is built-in with a semiconductor laser, an optical system, a focus actuator, a track actuator, a light receiving element and a position sensor which are not shown, and irradiates the laser beam LB on the optical disk 1. This optical pickup 3 is movable in a sledge direction by a seek motor.
Based on signals obtained by the focus actuator, the track actuator, the seek motor, the light receiving element and the position sensor, the motor driver 4 and the servo means 5 carry out a control so that a spot of the laser beam LB is positioned at a target location on the optical disk 1.
In a read mode, a reproduced signal obtained from the optical pickup 3 is amplified by the read amplifier 5 and input to the CD decoder 7 after being binarized. The input binarized data is demodulated in the CD decoder 7 in accordance with an EFM (Eight to Fourteen Modulation).
Recorded data is modulated by the EFM in units of 8 bits, and according-to the EFM, 8 bits are converted into 14 bits and a total of 17 bits are obtained by adding 3 coupling bits. In this case, the coupling bits are added so that the number of "1"s and the number of "0"s become the same on an average. This is called "D.C. component suppression", and a slice level deviation of the reproduced signal is suppressed by cutting the D.C. component of the reproduced signal.
The demodulated data is subjected to a deinterleaving process and an error correction process. Thereafter, the data is input to the CD-ROM decoder 14 so as to improve the data reliability, and an error correction process is then carried out.
The data subjected to the two error correction processes is temporarily stored in the buffer RAM 12 by the buffer manager 13. The stored data when completed as sector data, is transferred in one operation to a host computer which is not shown, via the ATAPI/SCSI interface 15. In the case of musical data, the data output from the CD decoder 7 is input to the D/A converter 16 and obtained as an analog audio output signal Audio.
In a write mode, the data obtained from the host computer via the ATAPI/SCSI interface 15 is temporarily stored in the buffer RAM 12 by the buffer manager 13. The write operation is started in a state where a certain amount of data is stored in the buffer RAM 12, and in this case, it is necessary to first position the laser beam spot to a write starting point. This write starting point is obtained by a wobble signal which is prerecorded on the optical disk 1 by the zigzag of the track.
Absolute time information called ATIP is included in the wobble signal, and this absolute time information is obtained by the ATIP decoder 8. In addition, a synchronizing signal generated by the ATIP decoder 8 is input to the CD encoder 10, thereby making it possible to write the data at an accurate position on the optical disk 1.
The data stored in the buffer RAM 12 is subjected to a process of adding an error correction code and an interleaving process in the CD-ROM encoder 11 and the CD encoder 10, and is recorded on the optical disk 1 via the laser controller 9 and the optical pickup 3.
The EFM data drives the laser as a bit stream at a channel bit rate of 4.3218 Mbps (standard rate). The recording data in this case forms an EFM frame in units of 588 channel bits. A channel clock refers to a clock having a frequency of the channel bits.
The general construction and operation of the optical disk drive shown in FIG. 1 are as described heretofore.
A spiral guide groove is formed in the MD (mini disk), the CD-R (CD recordable: compact disk that can be written once), and the CD-E (CD erasable: compact disk that is erasable and writable a plurality of times). This guide groove makes a zigzag in a radial direction of the disk by an extremely small amount (for example, on the order of 0.03 .mu.m) at a constant spatial frequency (for example, 17,00 cycles/m: 1 period per 59 .mu.m) so that the rotation can be controlled to a CLV (Constant Linear Velocity).
When the drive drives the rotating motor so that this zigzag signal frequency becomes constant (for example, 22.05 kHz), it is possible to rotate the disk at a constant linear velocity (for example, 1.3 m/s).
Therefore, the guide grooves makes a zigzag, and a disk unit which controls the rotation of the disk by detecting the zigzag signal frequency is known (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-338066).
In addition, address information is frequency modulated (FM) and multiplexed to the zigzag signal frequency.
For example, the information "1" is modulated to 23.05 kHz, and the information "0" is modulated to 20.05 kHz.
Since the number of the information "1" and the number of the information "0" mare made the same on the average, the CLV control is actually set so that an average frequency of the zigzag signal becomes 22.05 kHz.
The address information is called ATIP (Absolute Time In Pre-groove). Moreover, the zigzag signal is called wobble signal. This wobble signal is a carrier signal of the ATIP.
An apparatus which obtains an address signal from a carrier wave modulation component by carrying out a CLV control by controlling the rotation so that the carrier wave of the zigzag groove becomes constant, is also known (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-225580).
A 1-chip LSI which is used in the optical disk drive such as the CD-R drive, for example, is already on the market (for example, LC89590 manufactured by Sanyo Electric Company Limited of Japan and materials related to the explanation and application thereof).
Therefore, a circuit which carries out the CLV control in synchronism with the wobble signal, and a circuit which carries out the CLV control in synchronism with the address synchronizing signal (ATIPSYNC) of the ATIP, are both known as conventional techniques.
However, according to these conventional techniques, there is no disclosure as to the relationship of a rotation control circuit which is used when reproducing signals from a reproducing disk and a rotation control circuit which is used when rotating a recording disk.
Furthermore, the conventional techniques do not teach a rotation control in a data region which is partially recorded on the recording disk.
As described above under prior art, a circuit which carries out the CLV control in synchronism with the wobble signal, and a circuit which carries out the CLV control in synchronism with the address synchronizing signal (ATIPSYNC) of the ATIP, are both known as conventional techniques.
However, in the region of the recording disk recorded with the data, the wobble signal cannot be detected accurately in some cases because the wobble signal is distorted by the recorded data. For this reason, there is a problem in that the rotation control easily becomes unstable when the rotation control is continuously carried out using the wobble signal.
In order to improve a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of the wobble signal, the wobble signal must in general be detected via a narrow band bandpass filter (BPF). But when the target linear velocity is not yet reached, such as when making an access and starting the rotation, the wobble signal is in a state shifted from the passband of the bandpass filter and the wobble signal cannot be detected accurately.
Accordingly, there is a problem in that the rotation control easily becomes unstable in such cases.
Furthermore, it is also known to set a mode for controlling the rotation in synchronism wit the address synchronizing signal (ATIPSYNC) (above described LC89590 manufactured by Sanyo Electric Company Limited of Japan and materials related to the explanation and application thereof).
This mode is added because the wobble signal cannot be completely synchronized to the address information due to a bit slip or the like according to the rotation control using the wobble signal.
But since the address synchronizing signal (ATIPSYNC) has a low frequency of 75 Hz, the rotation control cannot be made in the high band, and there is an inconvenience in that a fine control is difficult to achieve.
In addition, according to the rotation control described above, an instruction from a CPU (microcomputer) or an external circuit must be used in general to switch the mode among a control mode of the reproducing disk, a control mode of a wobble signal, a control mode of an address synchronizing signal (ATIPSYNC), and the like. As a result, there are various problems in that the programming is difficult to perform, and the cost of the system increases due to the need for the external circuit.

Disk unit and rotating motor control apparatus for recordable optical disk unit


The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thin polarizer, including: forming a film laminate by attaching a polyvinyl alcohol-based film to at least one surface of a polymer film by using attraction force or an adhesive; swelling the film laminate so that a degree of swelling of the polyvinyl alcohol-based film is 0.36 to 0.44; dyeing at least one of iodine and a dichromatic dye on the film laminate; and stretching the film laminate.

A polarizer used in a polarizing plate is an optical diode for converting natural light or any polarization into polarization in a specific direction, and is extensively used in a display device such as a liquid crystal display and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). Recently, as the polarizer used in the display device, a polyvinyl alcohol-based polarizing film where molecular chains containing an iodine-based compound or a dichromatic dye are aligned in a predetermined direction has been generally used.
The polyvinyl alcohol-based polarizing film is manufactured by a method of dyeing a polyvinyl alcohol-based film with an iodine or dichromatic dye and then performing stretching in a predetermined direction and cross-linking, and in this case, the stretching process may be performed by wet stretching performed in a solution such as a boric acid aqueous solution or an iodine aqueous solution, dry stretching performed under atmosphere, or the like. However, in an existing manufacturing process as described above, in order to perform stretching without occurrence of breakage, a thickness of the polyvinyl alcohol-based film before stretching needs to exceed 60 μm. This is because in the case where the thickness of the polyvinyl alcohol-based film before stretching is 60 μm or less, the degree of swelling of the polyvinyl alcohol-based film is increased and a modulus acted per unit area in the stretching process is increased due to the small thickness which easily causes breakage.
Meanwhile, in accordance with a recent trend of reducing a thickness of the display devices, the polarizing plate needs to have a smaller thickness. However, like the related art, in the case where the polyvinyl alcohol-based film having the thickness before stretching exceeding 60 μm is used, there is a limit in reducing the thickness of the polarizer. Accordingly, research for manufacturing the polarizer having a smaller thickness has been conducted.
Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-0071998 discloses a method of manufacturing a thin polarizing plate by using a laminate manufactured by applying a hydrophilic polymer layer on a base material layer or co-extruding a base material layer forming material and a hydrophilic polymer layer forming material. However, in the case of the coating or co-extruding method, since it is not easy to separate a polyvinyl alcohol layer and the base material layer after stretching and high peel strength is required for separation, problems such as damage or deformation of the polyvinyl alcohol layer easily occur in a separation process, and as a result, an optical property such as the degree of polarization of the polyvinyl alcohol film is degraded. Further, in the case where the coating method or the co-extruding method is used, since the thin polarizing plate is manufactured by a method of melting a polyvinyl alcohol resin and then extruding the polyvinyl alcohol resin or manufacturing the polyvinyl alcohol resin in a coating liquid and then applying the polyvinyl alcohol resin, physical properties of the manufactured polyvinyl alcohol film are easily changed according to an extrusion condition, a coating condition, or a film manufacturing condition, and thus physical properties of the finally manufactured polyvinyl alcohol are degraded and it is difficult to implement uniform physical properties.
Accordingly, a thin polarizer having an excellent optical property needs to be manufactured.

Thin polarizer with excellent optical properties, manufacturing method therefor and polarizing plate including same


A diver's air tank pressure gauge having audible and visual alarms, an alarm pointer for indicating the pressure at which the alarms will activate, and a crank assembly for changing the position of the alarm pointer. The pressure gauge dial has a cutout for limiting the travel of the alarm pointer between acceptable high and low pressure limits. When the air tank pressure equals a preset alarm pressure, an electrical circuit is completed which activates the alarms. The diver can then turn off the alarms by resetting the alarm indicator to a lower pressure setting and continue the dive at a shallower depth.

1. Field Of The Invention
This patent relates to pressure gauges, and, more particularly, to an air tank pressure gauge with audible and visual alarms for scuba divers.
2. Description Of The Related Art
Pressure gauges with alarms are known in the prior art (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,977). However, there remains a need for an air tank pressure gauge with audible and visual alarms for scuba divers. Such a pressure gauge should be capable of measuring pressures from at least 1000 lbs. (P.S.I.G.) down to at least 250 lbs. The gauge should be provided with both audible and visual alarms which are activated when a diver's air tank pressure reaches a preset level. The gauge should also be provided with an adjustable alarm pressure indicator such that a diver can turn off the alarms by lowering the alarm pressure and continue the dive at a shallower depth, and repeat this process until the air tank pressure reaches a minimum acceptable level.

Air pressure gauge with self contained adjustable alarms


A fluid conduit system that employs fittings having ends with a structural portion and a seal portion. The ends of the fittings are inserted into a tube, which may be a hard, i.e., rigid, or soft, i.e., flexible, tube. The seal portion sealingly engages the inner diameter of the tube upon its insertion into the tube. The tube is deformed to prevent the fitting from being withdrawn from the tube; the portion of the tube in the immediate vicinity of each seal that forms the seal portion is not deformed. A method for forming a fluid conduit system is also provided.

Sweat soldering has long been used for the supply and distribution of potable water, especially in single family residential constructions, due to its durability and the relative ease with which solder connections were made. Modern changes to various plumbing codes, which mandate lead-free solders and water soluble fluxes, have, however, greatly increased the difficulty in making sweat solder connections as these lead-free solders and water soluble fluxes tend to be less tolerant of certain variables (e.g., the presence of oxidation or the use of excessive heat) than the lead-based solders and acid-based fluxes that had been previously used.
Furthermore, the sweat soldering task is relatively time consuming as compared to the crimp-type connections that are employed in a PEX (i.e., cross-linked polyethylene) system. A PEX system utilizes lengths of plastic PEX tubing, barbed fittings (which are inserted into the PEX tubing) and collars that are employed to crimp the tubing to the fitting. As the crimping operation may be accomplished in roughly ¼ to ½ the time that is necessary to complete the soldering of a sweat solder joint, plumbing contractors have observed the potential for substantial savings in labor costs by utilizing a PEX system.
In an effort to eliminate the disadvantages of sweat solder connections, manufacturers such as Viega, have introduced fittings that may be crimped directly to conventional lengths or sticks of hard drawn copper tubing. The ProPress system marketed by Viega includes an inner O-ring seal that is carried on the inner diameter of the fitting; the O-ring sealingly engages the tubing upon insertion of the tube into the fitting. A crimping tool is subsequently employed to crimp the fitting to thereby fix the fitting and the tube to one another. This system, however, is known to suffer from several drawbacks.
One such drawback concerns the sealing of the fitting to the outside surface of the copper tubing. It is well known in the art that the outside surface of a copper tube is relatively susceptible to imperfections during its formation via extrusion, such as gouges or scratches, as well as relatively susceptible to damage during shipping and storage. As such imperfections and damage may adversely affect the ability of the fittings to seal against the outer surface of the tubing, manufacturers of the copper tubing typically subject the extruded sticks of tubing to an eddy current test to verify the integrity of each stick's outside surface. This testing is costly and as we have found, leaks are possible even when the tubing conforms to published standards. Accordingly, it appears that a relatively time consuming manual inspection must be made of each tube prior to its coupling to a fitting.
Another drawback concerns the incompatibility of the known systems with lengths of annealed copper tubing. In this regard, the annealed copper tubing is readily deformable so that the crimping process fails to secure the fitting and the annealed copper tubing together. Accordingly, plumbing contractors must equip themselves with two discrete sets of fittings: one set of crimp fittings that is compatible with the hard drawn sticks of tubing, and another set (e.g., flare or compression fittings) that are compatible with the annealed coils of tubing.
In view of the aforesaid drawbacks, there remains a need in the art for an improved fluid conduit system that permits the joining of all types of copper tubing with one style of fitting.

Fluid conduit system and fittings therefor


Embodiments relate to a virtualized storage environment with one or more virtual machines operating on a host and sharing host resources. Each virtual machine has a virtual disk in communication with a persistent storage device. The virtual machine(s) may be misaligned with the persistent storage device so that a virtual block address does not correspond with a persistent storage block address. A relationship between the virtual disk(s) and the persistent storage device is established, and more specifically, an alignment delta between the devices is established. The delta is employed to translate the virtual address to the persistent address so that the virtual and persistent storage blocks are aligned to satisfy a read or write operation.

The present embodiments relate to a virtualized storage environment. More specifically, the embodiments relate to alignment of a virtual disk storage device with an underlying persistent data storage device.
A virtualized machine environment commonly employs a virtual machine manager to allow multiple operating system images to share a single hardware host. In one embodiment, each operating system image is referred to as a virtual machine. Each operating system image appears to have sole access to the processor and memory of the host machine. However, the virtual machine manager actually controls the processor, memory, and resources of the host machine by allocating such resources to one or more of the virtual machines in a manner that minimizes processing disruptions.
A virtual hard disk is a disk image file format for storing content. More specifically, the virtual disk replicates an existing hard drive and includes all data and structural elements. An operating system running in the virtual machine may perform read, modify, and write operations on one or more virtual storage blocks, which accesses an underlying persistent device and the associated persistent storage blocks.

International Business Machines Corporation


In a link device for surgical tool and a surgical tool suitable for used with an endoscope, the diameter of an insertion section can be made narrow. A multi-free forceps (surgical tool) is used as a soft surgical tool for use with an endoscope. The multi-free forceps comprises a link device for surgical tool that is inserted into a human cavity. The link device for surgical tool comprises a pipe-like insertion section, a surgical section that connects to a tip of the insertion section, and a control section that controls the surgical section. A base side of a deviating link member is securely connected to a first control axis member, and a base side of the deviating link member that forms the surgical section side extends in parallel to the first control axis member at a position that is further to the inside than the outer peripheral face of the insertion section, while deviating further to the outside of the diameter direction than the central axis of the first control axis member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a link device for surgical tool that connects to a forceps member and the like, and a surgical tool.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-163570, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In surgical treatment performed by inserting a surgical instrument into human abdominal cavities, the abdominal cavities are minimized so as to reduce the burden on the patient; consequently, the treatment must be performed by inserting the surgical instruments of limited numbers and sizes into cavities. To accomplish this, after inserting the surgical instrument into an abdominal cavity, the surgeon uses a forceps for endoscope, which enables him to perform multi-free operations via a one-directional operation (e.g. see Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-299768 (FIG. 3)).
According to the multi-free forceps of Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-299768 (FIG. 3), connecting pins and supporting pivots for supporting a connecting member are arranged around the central axis of drive rods, which deviate from their central axis in order to avoid the connecting pins and the supporting pivots. This makes it possible to perform an oscillating operation by assembling a link device, which is connected to control axis members comprising a plurality of operating rods, it being possible to the direction of the device section by a rotating the handle while the multi-free forceps is inserted so as to clasp the organism, and stitch up the organism and the like.

Link device for surgical tool and surgical tool


It is an object of the present invention to provide a polyester fiber for artificial hair which has an excellent spinning processability, maintains fiber properties possessed by conventional polyester fiber, and has excellent flame retardance, heat resistance, transparency and the like.

Fibers made of polyethylene terephthalate or a polyester comprising polyethylene terephthalate as a main component have a high melting point, a high modulus of elasticity, excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance. Thus, they are widely used in curtains, carpets, clothes, blankets, sheetings, table clothes, upholstery fabrics, wall coverings, artificial hair, interior materials for automobiles, outdoor reinforcing materials, and safety nets.
On the other hand, human hair or artificial hair (modacrylic fibers, polyvinyl chloride fibers) or the like have conventionally been used in hair products such as wigs, hair wigs, extensions, hair bands, and doll hair. However, because it has now become difficult to obtain human hair, artificial hair has become more important. Modacrylic fibers have often been used as artificial hair materials because of their flame retardance, but they have insufficient heat resistance.
In recent years there has been proposed, as a main component for artificial hair, a polyester typified by polyethylene terephthalate which has excellent heat resistance. However, fibers made of a polyester typified by polyethylene terephthalate are flammable, and thus have insufficient flame resistance.
Historically, various attempts have been made to improve the flame resistance of polyester fibers. Known examples include using a fiber made of a polyester obtained by copolymerizing a flame retardant monomer containing a phosphorus atom. Known examples also include adding a flame retardant to a polyester fiber.
As a method which involves copolymerizing a flame retardant monomer, for example, several methods have been proposed. Copolymerizing a phosphorus compound with excellent heat stability having a phosphorus atom as a ring member is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-41610, copolymerizing carboxyphosphinic acid is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-13479, and copolymerizing a polyester containing a polyarylate with a phosphorus compound is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 11-124732. As artificial hair to which flame retardant technology is applied, a polyester fiber copolymerized with a phosphorus compound has been proposed in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 03-27105 and in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 05-339805, for example.
However, since artificial hair is required to be highly flame resistant, the copolymer polyester fiber used for artificial hair must have a high copolymerization amount. This results in a significant decrease in heat resistance of the polyester, and causes other problems which make it difficult to perform melt spinning. Also, when a flame approaches, the artificial hair does not catch fire and burn, but becomes molten and drips. When a phosphorus flame retardant is added, stickiness is increased because it must be added in a large amount to provide flame retardance, and the resulting artificial hair made of a polyester fiber tends to be devitrified by prolonged heat or high humidity conditions so as to affect the appearance of the fiber.
On the other hand, as a method which involves adding a flame retardant, it has been proposed to add a halogenated cycloalkane compound as fine particles to a polyester fiber, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 03-57990, or add a bromine-containing alkylcyclohexane to a polyester fiber, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 01-24913. However, in the method which involves adding a flame retardant to a polyester fiber, in order to achieve sufficient flame retardance the addition treatment temperature must be as high as 150° C. or more, the addition treatment time must be long, or a large amount of a flame retardant must be used. This causes problems such as deteriorated fiber properties, reduced productivity and an increased production cost.
In the spinning process for producing a polyester based filament for artificial hair, water-cooling of the process is conventionally employed. However production speed is low in this case and, further, the process is expensive because drying is necessary. In a melt spinning by air-cooling process, it is important to maintain high melt viscosity of the resin composition in order to obtain desired filament size (fineness of filament). A decrease in the melt viscosity results in lowered spinning processability and causes a problem in which a desirable filament cannot be produced stably. As described above, artificial hair fiber which has excellent spinning processability, maintains fiber properties possessed by a conventional polyester fiber and has excellent flame retardance, heat resistance and transparency, has not yet been produced.

Flame-retardant polyester fiber for artificial hair

Abstract: A flame retardant polyester fiber for artificial hair which achieves the above object can be obtained by melt spinning a composition in which 5 to 30 parts by weight of (B) a brominated epoxy based flame retardant and 0.05 to 1 parts by weight of (C) a reaction accelerator is mixed with 100 parts by weight of (A) a polyester made of one or more of polyalkylene terephthalate or a copolymer polyester comprising polyalkylene terephthalate as a main component.


It can prevent extension of the time required for bonding, even when relatively large members are bonded. a bonded member manufacturing apparatus comprises a first holder 11 for holding a first member D, a second holder 12 for holding a second member E, an application device 40 for applying the intermediate substance G to a first bonded surface Df, a moving device 20 for moving the first holder 11 and/or the second holder 12, and a controller. The controller controls the first holder 11, the second holder 12 and the moving device 20 so that a first extended plane De and a second extended plane Ee are arranged such that the first extended plane De and the second extended plane Ee oppose each other in parallel and such that a range where the first bonded surface Df overlaps with the second bonded surface Ef is equal or smaller than a predetermined range when viewed in a direction of the thickness, and then so that the first member D is moved relatively to the second member E in a direction that the range where the first bonded surface Df overlaps with the second bonded surface Ef gradually increases when viewed in the direction of the thickness while maintaining a distance between the first extended plane De and the second extended plane Ee.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a bonded member and a bonded member manufacturing apparatus, and particularly relates to a method of manufacturing a bonded member and a bonded member manufacturing apparatus that prevent extension of time required for bonding.
2. Related Art
It is requested that two rectangular plate members be bonded via an adhesive without forming air bubbles therebetween as e.g. in the case of bonding a liquid crystal panel to a protection glass. In general, when circular plate members are to be bonded, it is common to spin the circular plate member at high speed so that a droplet of the adhesive near the center of the circular plate member is spread. However, when the rectangular plate members are to be bonded, it is difficult to spread the adhesive appropriately by spinning the plate member at high speed with the same method that is used for the circular plate members. Therefore, when the rectangular plate members are to be bonded, the following technology is used. The adhesive is applied to the rectangular plate member such that the adhesive that is applied to the rectangular plate member is formed with a main part and four guiding parts. The main part covers a centroid of the rectangular plate member and is extended in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular plate member. Each of the four guiding parts extends from one of the four corners of the main part toward the nearest corner of the rectangular plate member. Then, surfaces of the two rectangular plate members that will be bonded are faced each other, and the adhesive on one of the plate members is brought into contact with the other plate member without forming air bubbles therebetween. The adhesive that is sandwiched between the plate members are then spread (see Patent Document 1, for example).    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-024321 (paragraph 0043, FIG. 4, etc.)
However, in the case of spreading the adhesive as described above that is sandwiched between the plate members by bringing the plate members into a closer relationship, the time required for spreading the adhesive is extended in proportion to the size of the plate member (by power approximation, for example). Consequently, it takes a long time for a bonding process.
In view of the above problem, the present invention therefore has an object to provide a method of manufacturing a bonded member and a bonded member manufacturing apparatus that can prevent extension of the time required for bonding, even when relatively large members are bonded.

Method of manufacturing bonded member and bonded member manufacturing apparatus


In general, a determination as to whether image data generated by reading an image of a document is read from a first storing unit or a second storing unit may not be made in accordance with a result of a determination as to whether printing is performed on a first set or a second set onward among sets to be printed. Accordingly, a control method in a printing apparatus includes reading a document, storing image data of the document in a first storing unit, storing the image data read from the first storing unit in a second storing unit, and performing printing based on the image data read from the first storing unit when the printing is performed on a first set and performing printing based on the image data read from the second storing unit when the printing is performed on a second set onward.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which executes printing, a method for controlling the printing apparatus, a program, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
In general, an image of a document is read by two methods including a skimming method and an optical system moving method. In the skimming method, a document is placed on a document tray and an image of the document is read in a position of a fixed optical system while the document is conveyed by an automatic document feeder (ADF).
In the optical system moving method, a document is placed on a platen glass and an image of the document in a fixed document position is read while an optical system is moved.
Furthermore, a technique of reducing a period of time from when an image of a document is read by the optical system moving method to when the image is output to a sheet based on image data generated by reading a first page of the document (First Copy Out Time (FCOT)) is widely used.
As such a technique, the following technique is widely used. A processing speed of a scanner and a processing speed of a printer are calculated in accordance with copy setting information including enlargement and reduction. Furthermore, a print start timing in a case where the processing speed of the scanner is higher than the processing speed of the printer and a print start timing in a case where the processing speed of the scanner is lower than the processing speed of the printer are individually calculated. Then a print start timing is controlled in accordance with the processing speed of the scanner and the processing speed of the printer (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-314763).
Furthermore, the following technique is also widely used. A compression rate in a case where a collating process is performed and a compression rate in a case where a collating process is not performed are individually calculated in accordance with a transfer rate between an image processing apparatus and a print controlling apparatus, the size of a target image of a print job, and a processing speed of an engine. Then the compression rate of image data generated by reading an image of a document in accordance with an output format of the print job (a determination as to whether the collating process has been performed) is controlled (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-287519).
In an image forming apparatus having the scan function and the print function described above, when the preset number of sets of copy is 1, the FCOT may be reduced without compressing image data generated by reading an image of a document.
On the other hand, when a plurality of number of sets are to be copied, a period of time in which image data is read from and write to a storage unit may be reduced by compressing image data generated by reading an image of a document.
However, a determination as to whether image data generated by reading an image of a document is to be compressed in accordance with the number of sets which is set when a copy job is executed may not be performed.

Printing apparatus, printing apparatus control method, and storage medium for reducing a period of time between starting of a copy process for a preset plurality of copies to when the copy process is terminated


A tear away seam stabilizer for a vehicle seat component is provided for use with the pour-in-place molding process. The stabilizer, or welt, has an annular body attached to a notched tab portion by a tapered portion and neck portion which is sewn between covering members to form the desired shape of a component. A mold is provided within which the sewn cover, with the seam stabilizers in place, is inserted. The stabilizers maintain alignment of the seams in the cover member during the pour-in-place process and also prevent wrinkles in the cover. The end result is a vehicle seat component with the cover member tightly adhered to the foam body and conforming to a surface of predetermined shape. Once the foam pad is adhered to the cover member, the annular body of the stabilizer is readily torn off.

This invention relates generally to covers for foam parts of vehicle seat assemblies, such as the seat members and headrests, and more particularly to such foam parts which are improved from the standpoints of comfort and appearance by virtue of the use of the seam stabilizers of this invention in the covers for these parts.
It is a desirable objective in seating of all types, particularly vehicle seating, to provide seat components with covering materials which conform tightly to the surface of the foam pads. Such seat members are desirably formed with an interior load support section bounded by peripheral sections that function as bolsters to impart a feeling of stability and comfort to the occupant of the seat. The interior sections should further include a contoured surface to enhance the seat cushion's appearance and occupant's comfort. In order to accomplish this, the present invention utilizes separate covering members to cover the interior section and the peripheral sections of the seat member. The separate covering members are secured in place by the attachment of these members to a tear away welt, or trim strip, which is integrated into a seam at the juncture of the sections, thereby stabilizing the seam and preventing wrinkling of the cover during the pour-in-place molding process of the foam pad.
Tear away welts have previously been used in the manufacture of vehicle seats, as shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,045, assigned to the assignee of this application. However, the welt shown in the patent is for seam locating purposes, not seam stabilizing.
The above mentioned patent teaches the use of the welt to position the covering material on a mold and subsequently on a pre-shaped pad. In the present invention, the welt is not secured to the mold and a pre-shaped foam pad is not required. Rather, a pour-in-place process is used to form the foam pad. There are several benefits from using the pour-in-place process to mold the foam pad instead of using a pre-shaped pad. For example, the overall production cost is lower since the step of attaching the foam pad to the cover is eliminated. Additionally, the difficulties associated with aligning a pre-shaped pad with a shaped cover are nonexistent in the pour-in-place process, thereby resulting in a better fitting cover and a faster production process.
The tear away welt of this invention is preferably molded of bendable plastic material, however, other materials providing sufficient rigidity may also be used. Initially, the welt is sewn into the covering members at their junctures, so as to stabilize the resulting seams and insure that the seam will maintain the desired shapes. A first mold member supports the covering members, and the welt, prior to molding of the foam pad. A second mold member is then positioned above the first mold member and a liquid foam material is injected into the mold cavity onto the cover members to form the foam pad to the cover assembly. The tear away welt provides accurate location of the covering members in the mold during the injection of the liquid foam material and also prevents the seam from moving and being out of alignment.
The above mentioned welt has an annular body, positioned outside the seat component during assembly, and a notched tab portion, remaining within the seated component after assembly. At the juncture of the notched tab portion with the annular body, the welt is tapered to a reduced thickness to facilitate sewing and tearing.
Once the foam pad has been poured and formed within the mold, the covering members become adhered to the foam pad. The covering members and foam pad are then removed from the mold and the annular body portion of the tear away welt strip may be removed, if desired, by tearing it away from the notched tab portion. The result is a vehicle seat component in which the covering members are tightly adhered to the foam pad and conformed to the surface irregularities and designs of the foam pad. If desired, the interior and peripheral covering members can be formed of contrasting materials since different covering members are used in covering foam parts with this invention.
The result is an apparatus and a process that is improved from the standpoints of reliability in quality assurance and a seat product that is improved from the standpoints of appearance and comfort.

Method of making covers for foam bodies using a seam stabilizer


A tracking method is disclosed. The method determines the position of a location marked on a wall on the basis of image coordinates of a first image point, image coordinates of a second image point, the emission direction associated with the second image point, and the respective distances of the axis of a base station from the wall in the associated emission direction.

The present invention relates to a tracking method, which is set up for measuring a position on a wall.
A tracking method determines the position of a location marked on a wall using the following steps. The marked location is recorded in a first image with a camera, oriented in a viewing direction, of a mobile measuring station. The image coordinates of a first image point, on which the marked location is imaged in the first image, are determined. A bundle having at least one light beam is intrinsically rotated or swiveled about at least one axis of the base station according to a predefined sequence of changing emission directions to generate a migrating pattern of points of light on a wall of the interior space. A series of images of the wall is recorded under the viewing direction, wherein in the series on at least a second image point, there is imaged one of the migrating points of light. The image coordinates of at least a second image point are determined. The emission directions of the light beams, whose points of light are imaged at a point in time in one of the images on at least one second image point, are determined based on the instants at which the respective image is recorded. The distance of the axis of the base station to the wall in the emission directions is determined based on distance measurements to the wall, stored in a reference database, in measuring directions originating from the base station. The position of the marked location is determined based on the image coordinates of the first image point, the image coordinates of the second image points, the emission direction associated with the second image points, and the respective distances of the axis of the base station to the wall in the associated emission direction.
The bundle may consist of exactly one light beam or multiple light beams arranged in constant angular distances to each other. The series may comprise one or multiple images, which are characterized by the same viewing direction. For a series of different images, one can image the point of light of a light beam on various image points or one can image points of light of various light beams on the various image points.
One design provides that a first one of the images from the series is taken at a first instant and a second one of the images from the series is taken at a second instant different from the first instant. The first instant can be adaptively adjusted to image one of the points of light of the migrating pattern on an image point at the edge of the image, and the second instant is adaptively adjusted to image one of the points of light of the migrating pattern on an image point at another edge of the image.
The distance measurements in the measurement directions occur preferably with a measuring light beam of an optical distance measuring unit. The tracking method may have an initialization phase that is separate from a tracking phase. During the initialization phase, at least one measuring light beam is rotated or swiveled about at least one axis in measuring directions that change according to a predefined sequence. The respective distance of the axis to the wall in the measuring directions is measured based on a duration and/or interference measurement of the measuring light beam. The measuring directions and associated measured distances may be stored in a reference database. During the tracking phase, the distance in an emission direction of the light beam is determined by means of a measuring direction corresponding to the emission direction in the reference database or a mean value of the stored distances weighted according to the respective differences of the stored measurement directions to the emission direction.
One design provides that during the initialization phase, the measuring light beam is rotated or swiveled at a first angular velocity, and during the tracking phase, the bundle of light beams is rotated or swiveled at a second angular velocity, wherein the second angular velocity is greater than the first angular velocity.
One design provides that the sequence according to which the bundle with at least one light beam is rotated or swiveled is identical to the sequence according to which the measuring light beam is rotated or swiveled.
One design provides that the bundle is rotated or swiveled about precisely one axis and the bundle has at least two light beams, which are angled to each other at an angle in a plane containing the axis. The base station moves the bundle about a vertical axis for example, and through the movement and instants, it achieves a horizontal resolution. The vertical resolution is obtained by the resolution of the light beams in various elevation angles. The vertical resolution is limited by the number of light beams and significantly less than the resolution, limited by the time measurements, in the horizontal plane. However, the structures of typical interior spaces exhibit comparatively fewer changes along the vertical direction in comparison to the horizontal directions.


Flat heat exchanger tubes having two narrow and two broad sides are shown and described, wherein the flat tubes can be manufactured from two continuous strips having a relatively large curve on one longitudinal edge of the strips and having a relatively small curve on the other longitudinal edge of the strips. The two strips can be arranged laterally transposed with respect to one another to form the wall of the flat tubes, so that the relatively large curve of the longitudinal edge of one strip holds in itself the relatively small curve of the longitudinal edge of the other strip to form the narrow sides of the flat tubes. The strips can be formed with at least one further contoured portion which extends in the longitudinal direction of the flat tubes and which improves cohesion of the flat tube.

Flat tubes are known from a number of older applications. One of the applications is German Patent App. No. DE 10 2006 006 670.7. FIG. 1 of German Patent App. No. DE 10 2006 006 670.7 shows a flat tube in cross section. This flat tube has a corrugated inner part z in addition to the features enumerated above. The flat tube is defined by an extremely thin wall thickness, for example in the range from 0.03 mm-0.15 mm or slightly above. Such flat tubes have already been manufactured by the applicant and installed on a trial basis in heat exchangers. Until now, such heat exchangers have successfully passed all the validation phases so that they are expected to be made commercially available soon.
In some flat tubes, undesired changes in shape of the not yet brazed flat tubes occurs within the course of manufacture. The flat tubes are brazed later, after they have been pre-mounted in the heat exchanger core using fins. The changes in flat tube shape are possibly due to stresses present in the material (e.g., aluminum or steel in sheet form), or are generated by the necessary shaping of the strips. The changes in shape can lead to unsatisfactory braze connections, but they can also, for example, impede the joining to the corrugated inner part z (see FIG. 1). FIGS. 2a and 2b of the present application are intended to clarify the problem referred to here. One of the narrow sides of the flat tube is illustrated in the left of FIG. 2a. From the two illustrations on the right hand side of FIG. 2a, it is apparent that the curves in the narrow sides of the flat tube can spring apart from one another as a result of the effect of the shaping force during manufacture of the flat tubes. As a result, and as stated above, the brazing quality in the subsequent brazing process suffers. The arrows in FIG. 2a are intended to illustrate the forces which can lead to the aforementioned springing apart, and which act on the flat tube in the course of its processing to form the heat exchanger. One of the narrow sides of the flat tube is also illustrated in FIG. 2b. From the illustration on the right hand side of FIG. 2b it is apparent that, as a result of unequal application of force during the shaping process of the flat tubes, the relatively large curve does not remain in its provided position as a result of internal stresses.
In the already mentioned FIG. 1, it is also apparent that the strips or the wall parts of the flat tube can be displaced in the directions of the arrows shown there, which ultimately could cause the strips to fall apart if the above-mentioned inner part z were not present.

Heat exchanger tube and method of forming the same


The present invention is directed to a fuze application capable of GPS (Global Positioning System) and proximity radar functionality by co-locating a proximity radar antenna with a GPS DRA (Dielectric Resonator Antenna) fuze. The GPS DRA fuze has a HE11δ mode structure resulting in an E-field null at the center. The monopole proximity radar antenna is mounted in the E-field null center and is thus electrically isolated from the GPS DRA fuze. The high dielectric constant permits the GPS DRA fuze to operate in the L1 frequency and the electrically shortened proximity radar antenna to resonate in the C-Band within a small form factor. The GPS DRA fuze maintains a forward-looking CP (circular polarization) pattern while proximity antenna maintains a desirable monopole pattern. Nesting allows mounting of both GPS and proximity radar antennas on the fuze nose while reducing the total space occupied.

A fuze is a mechanical and/or electrical device typically located at the leading end of a delivery system, such as an artillery shell, designed to control detonation. Delivery systems, such as artillery shells, utilize various technologies to accurately control detonation in order to maximize damage to the target while minimizing collateral damage. Fuze applications may utilize GPS (Global Positioning System) functionality for flight and proximity radar functionality for descent. GPS and proximity radar provide fuze applications with improved accuracy and detonation control, thus reducing collateral damage.
Typically, fuze applications have either GPS antennas or proximity radar antennas located on the tip of the fuze. The tip of the fuze is an ideal location for both antennas. However, due to space and interference considerations, the proximity antenna is typically mounted on the fuse tip. Fuze application antenna configurations with either GPS antennas located on the side of the fuze are subject to performance degradation such as carrier-phase roll-up. It would be optimal to mount antennas for both GPS and proximity radar on the nose of the fuse.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a nose-mounted fuze antenna capable of optimal GPS and proximity radar operations.

Proximity radar antenna co-located with GPS DRA fuze


There is provided a spindle motor including: a lower thrust member fixedly installed on a base member and including an extension part extended upwardly in an axial direction; a shaft having a lower end portion fixedly installed on the lower thrust member; a sleeve rotatably installed with respect to the shaft; an upper thrust member fixedly installed on the shaft to correspond to an upper portion of the sleeve; and a rotor hub rotating together with the sleeve, wherein an end portion of the extension part and a surface of the sleeve opposed thereto are provided with rounded surfaces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spindle motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a fixed shaft-type spindle motor in which a shaft having high impact resistance is fixed to a case of a hard disk driving device is generally mounted in an information recording and reproducing device such as a hard disk driving device for a server.
That is, the shaft is fixedly installed in the spindle motor mounted in the hard disk driving device for a server in order to prevent a hard disk mounted thereon from being damaged and thereby stopping information from being recorded thereon or read therefrom, due to an external impact.
In addition, since it is demanded that a spindle motor used for an enterprise hard disk driving device have a high degree of reliability, it is necessary to manage an amount of a lubricating fluid provided in a fluid dynamic bearing assembly including a fixed-type shaft.
Meanwhile, in the case in which lubricating fluid is provided in the fluid dynamic bearing assembly, generally, the lubricating fluid is provided in a space formed between a sleeve and a lower thrust member.
However, a end portion of the lower thrust member and a surface of the sleeve opposed thereto, between which the lubricating fluid is provided and flows, are formed to have a predetermined angle, such that a phenomenon of condensation of the lubricating fluid may be generated in a space formed between the end portion of the lower thrust member and the surface of the sleeve opposed thereto.
That is, in the case in which the lubricating fluid is injected into the space formed between the end portion of the lower thrust member and the surface of the sleeve opposed thereto, the lubricating fluid may not be further introduced by a capillary phenomenon and a flow of the injected lubricating fluid may be hindered.
Therefore, a process of injecting the lubricating fluid may not be smoothly performed, such that a manufacturing yield may be reduced.


The method and apparatus serve to treat a multi-walled glass body, in particular a glass body (20) with a glass membrane (25) for a chemical sensor or measuring probe, wherein a portion of at least one wall or of an interior tube (21) is to be fused, and wherein the fusing can have the purpose of closing off a first chamber (291). A glass element (286) which serves to absorb radiation energy is inserted in the vicinity of the portion (210) of either the wall or of the interior tube (21) that is to be fused. The glass element (286) is exposed to the radiation energy of at least one energy radiator (17), whereby the glass element (286) and the portion (210) of either the wall or the interior tube (21) are fused together.

The invention relates in particular to a method and apparatus for treating glass bodies that are equipped with measuring components and are used for chemical sensors, in particular pH electrodes of the kind described, e.g., in the following product sheets of Mettler-Toledo GmbH, CH-8902 Urdorf, Switzerland: "Low-maintenance pH electrodes and systems", September 2002; "InPro 2000 pH-Elektroden mit Flüssigelektrolyt und integriertem Temperaturfühler" (InPro 2000 pH electrodes with fluid electrolyte and integrated temperature sensor), October 2000; or "InPro 3200 (SG) pH-Elektroden mit Gelelektrolyt und integriertem Temperaturfühler" (InPro 2000 pH electrodes with gel electrolyte and integrated temperature sensor), January 2002.
The principal arrangement of the pH electrodes, which are configured as combination electrodes and include a glass electrode and a reference electrode, is presented in the above-cited references, as well as in the attached FIG. 1. Under the design concept of the combination electrode, the glass electrode which has a lead-off element 281 and the reference electrode which has a reference element 282 are built as a combined unit. The reference electrode surrounds the glass electrode like a ring. The functional principle of these pH electrodes is described in Charles E. Mortimer, "Chemie, Das Basiswissen der Chemie", 5. Auflage, Georg Thieme Verlag, New York 1987, pages 337-338, with reference to Figure 20.9 which illustrates an experimental setup.
Inside a first chamber 291, which is enclosed in an interior tube 21 and terminates in a thin-walled glass hemisphere or glass membrane 25, the lead-off element 281, which normally consists of silver/silver chloride, is immersed in a solution of defined pH value or in an inner buffer 271 representing the electrically conductive connection between the inside surface of the glass membrane 25 and the lead-off element 281 (concerning buffer see Mortimer, page 292).
The semi-permeable glass membrane 25 is pH-sensitive. An electrical potential, which occurs across the semi-permeable glass membrane 25 represents a direct measure for the pH value of the tested solution or other substance to be measured. As soon as the pH electrode is dipped into the substance to be measured, the glass membrane 25 begins to swell on the outward-facing side, as sodium ions Na+ are replaced by hydrogen ions H+. The inside is always in a swollen state as it is permanently wetted by the inner buffer 271. The pH value of the inner buffer is normally set at pH7, i.e., at the neutral level. The swollen surface layers, which have a depth of less than 0.0001 mm, can absorb the hydrogen ions of the solution and the ions of the inner buffer by diffusion. If the pH electrode is immersed in a test substance with the same concentration of protons as the inner buffer 271, the difference between the respective electric charges of the inner buffer and the test substance is ideally equal to zero. Consequently, no electrical potential occurs in this case across the glass membrane 25. From the absence of an electrical potential, one can derive the conclusion that the test substance has likewise a pH value of 7. If the test substance has more or fewer positive charges than the inner buffer 271, there will be a difference in the electrical potential, where the polarity of the difference indicates whether the test substance has a surplus or deficit of positive charges.
The voltage potential that occurs in the lead-off element 281 is compared to the voltage potential that establishes itself at the reference element 282. Under idealized assumptions, the voltage potential at the reference element 282 remains constant, independent of the ion concentration in the test substance. The difference between the two voltage potentials forms the actual measuring signal which provides information about the ion concentration in the test substance.
The reference element is immersed in an electrolyte, normally a potassium chloride (KCl) solution 272, and conductively connected to the latter through ion migration. The KCl solution 272, which is enclosed inside a second chamber 292 between the outside wall of the interior tube 21 and the inside wall of the exterior tube 22 diffuses slowly through a porous separating wall or diaphragm 26 into the test substance and thereby establishes the electrical connection to the latter. It is important for the diaphragm 26 to be fluid-permeable for the KCl solution 272, but on the other hand, the test substance cannot be allowed to migrate from the outside into the KCl solution 272. This can be prevented for example by always keeping the top surface of the KCl solution 272 at a higher level than the top surface of the test substance. Furthermore, the outward diffusion of the KCl solution should be as strong as possible in order to keep the internal electrical resistance small. Thus, the diaphragm 26 is a porous separator between the KCl solution 272 and the test substance, which normally has a different ion concentration. The diaphragm 26 prevents the solutions on the one hand from equalizing their levels of ion concentration, while on the other hand an ion stream flows through the diaphragm.
The glass membrane 25 consists of a special glass with a thickness of for example 0.3 to 0.5 mm, which is preferably blown into a hemispherical shape to optimize its mechanical stability. The composition of the glass is for example 72% SiO2, 22% Na2O, and 6% CaO, which can be obtained by melting corresponding quantities of SiO2, Na2CO3 and CaCO3.
The preferred way of producing the glass body of the pH electrode is to use an immersion tube 2 which, as shown in FIG. 2a, has an exterior tube 22 whose inside wall is connected to the interior tube 21 by means of a ring plate 23 so as to form a first chamber 291 which is to be closed off on one side by the glass membrane 25, and a second chamber 292 which is closed off on one side by the ring plate 23.
To form the glass membrane 25, the immersion tube 2 is introduced into a crucible containing molten glass and a small quantity of the molten glass, a so-called gob 24 is taken out which attaches itself to the lower rim of the exterior tube 22, as shown in FIG. 2b. Through an in-flow of a gaseous medium, the molten glass gob 24 can be blown into a thin-walled hemispherical glass membrane 25, whereby the glass body 20 shown in FIG. 2c is produced.
FIG. 3a shows the glass body 20 of FIG. 2c with the first chamber 291 filled with an inner buffer 271 and with a lead-off element 281 installed. The lead-off element 281 has a terminal wire 285 which is connected, preferably by means of a press-clamped connection 284, to a plug contact 283 which serves to connect the measuring instrument. Of course, there are other ways to connect the terminal wire 285 to the measuring instrument. For example, a connecting portion of the terminal wire 285 can be taken to the outside of the glass body 20 and electrically contacted, e.g., by soldering.
To separate the first chamber 291 and the second chamber 292 from each other, it is preferred to seal the first chamber 291 tightly after the chamber 291 has been filled with the inner buffer 271 and the lead-off element 281 has been installed. Among other things, this serves to avoid contamination of the inner buffer 271, for example when contacting the plug connector 283.
Under the prior art concept, which is illustrated in FIG. 3b, a part 220 of the exterior tube 22 was removed in order to expose the interior tube 21, so that a portion 210 of the interior tube could be heated by means of a burner and fused together. Thus, the first chamber 291 is closed off by the fused portion 210 of the interior tube 21, whereby the inner buffer 271 is prevented from leaking out, and foreign substances are prevented from entering.
After the interior tube has been fused, the separated portions of the exterior tube 22 need to be joined again. The rejoined portions need to be in precise coaxial alignment so that, e.g., a pH electrode equipped with the finished glass body 20 can be installed with a precise fit in an appropriate receptacle, for example in an armature.
However, the foregoing prior-art method of producing glass bodies and, more specifically, of fusing an interior tube of a glass body containing measuring components, can only be performed by experienced personnel at considerable expense.
A method and apparatus for producing a fluid electrode with an interior tube and an exterior tube are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,236 to Gelo ("Gelo '236"), wherein the interior tube is filled with a solution in which a metal contact is immersed. The metal contact passes from the interior tube through a hermetically sealed closure which separates the fluid from the surrounding space. The method is distinguished by the fact that the interior tube consists of a glass that absorbs electromagnetic waves of selected wavelengths, while the exterior tube is transparent for the same wavelengths with almost no absorption. To produce the hermetic closure, the interior tube is fused shut through irradiation at an appropriately selected wavelength, so that the tube melts and contracts itself around the metal contact.
The foregoing method can pose a problem that occurs in a process step prior to the fusing of the interior tube, specifically in the step of forming the membrane, in that the heat which is radiated from the molten glass in the crucible is absorbed by the material of the interior tube, whereby the connection between the interior tube and the exterior tube, e.g., by way of the aforementioned ring plate, can come loose. According to Gelo '236, this problem can be solved by using two different types of glass for the interior tube, where the lower portion of the interior tube is made of the same type of glass as the exterior tube, and the upper portion of the interior tube is made of the type of glass that absorbs the electromagnetic waves.
This kind of tube, which is made of two types of glass, is relatively expensive to produce. Moreover there is a risk, when the tube contracts in the melting region, in that the closure between the wall of the tube and the metal contact will occur not to be complete. Therefore the described method of fusing needs a length of time that is exactly scheduled. Furthermore, controlling the exact position of the fusion of the interior tube requires a complex optical adjustment in order to focus the radiation on the right spot.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,095 to Leonard discloses an electrode having an interior tube and an exterior tube both made of glass, wherein the interior glass tube is fuse-melted by means of a glass element. The fuse-melting process occurs by means of inductive heating, wherein a tool is used for the coupling of the heat to the glass element. The application of means to produce sonic energy is proposed as well.
The present invention therefore has the objective to provide an improved process and an improved apparatus for treating multi-walled glass bodies, further to provide a glass body that is produced in accordance with the improved method, as well as a measuring probe that is equipped with the glass body.
In particular, the invention aims to provide an improved method of treating multi-walled glass bodies, wherein the method offers an inexpensive way in which chambers inside a glass body can be tightly closed off.
As a further objective, the invention aims to provide an apparatus that is inexpensive to build and easy to operate, whereby glass bodies can be finished rapidly and precisely, preferably through an automated process.

Method and apparatus for treating glass bodies, as well as a glass body and measuring probe


Methods of controlling an across-wafer profile of a semiconductor process, as well as related systems and computer program products. A target profile of a semiconductor process over a radius of a wafer is fit to a polynomial. A plurality of gain matrices between a first plurality of process inputs and a plurality of polynomial coefficients of the polynomial are determined. An offset is estimated between the plurality of polynomial coefficients and an effect of the first plurality of process inputs. An objective function is defined as an integral of a squared deviation between an estimated profile and the target profile over the radius of the wafer. A second plurality of process inputs are mapped to the objective function by vector convolution using the plurality of gain matrices. The objective function is solved to optimize the second plurality of process inputs.

The present invention relates to semiconductor device fabrication and integrated circuits and, more specifically, to methods of controlling an across-wafer profile of a semiconductor process, as well as related systems and computer program products.
Across-wafer non-uniformity is a significant source of inline variability during semiconductor manufacturing at a foundry. Each wafer may be subjected to hundreds of discrete process steps over several weeks, and each process step should be satisfactorily controlled. Conventional profile control approach may fail to provide optimal, or even acceptable, across-wafer profile control for a semiconductor process. An inability to accurately control an across-wafer profile of a semiconductor process may prove expensive due to lost capacity resulting from system downtime, scrapped wafers, and test and quality assurance activities. As device size shrinks, the margin for error during a semiconductor process becomes smaller.
Improved methods of controlling an across-wafer profile during a semiconductor process, as well as related systems and computer program products, are needed.

Across-wafer profile control in semiconductor processes


A method and apparatus are provided for measuring the temperature of articles such as semiconductor wafers in a sealed chamber of a processing apparatus such as a batch preheating module of a semiconductor wafer processing cluster tool. Wafers of generally known nominal diameter and coefficient of thermal expansion are placed at a known initial temperature into a processing chamber which is then sealed. A pair of beams of parallel light are passed by opposite edges of the wafer and the uninterrupted light from both beams are detected and summed. When the wafer is heated in processing, light from the beams is measured again. Expansion of the wafers changes the amount of uninterrupted light detected, and the changed amount of light is measured. From the measurement, the initial temperature, the nominal diameter and the known coefficient of expansion, processing temperature is calculated and displayed or used to control chamber heaters. The beams are preferably angled to the wafer planes so that vertical alignment is not critical and so that the beams are interrupted by a single wafer when in a stack. The signals from the detectors can be used to vertically position the wafers.

In the processing of thin, flat articles such as semiconductor wafers, the articles are frequently heated to elevated temperatures for processing in sealed vacuum chambers. Thermal treatment of the wafers is sometimes a necessary or incidental component of a coating or etching process and at other times is the essence of the process itself, such as in rapid thermal processing, annealing or degassing.
In sealed chambers such as vacuum processing chambers, where semiconductor wafers are usually processed, various temperature schemes have been employed. Thermcouples, for example, attached to or are held in contact with the wafer, or mounted in the wafer support are slow to respond to temperature changes and are often introduce a source of wafer contamination. Pyrometers, on the other hand, may avoid direct contact with the articles being processed, but have the disadvantage of being sensitive to the emissivity of the material of which the wafer or coatings added to it are made. Emissivity is also subject to change during processing.
Optical methods for indirectly measuring the temperature of an article by measuring its thermal expansion have been proposed. These optical methods provide an advantage of being related only to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material that forms a structural core of the wafer, which is constant and can be reliably determined. Such proposed methods have, for example, included the formation of images of the article, and have required equipment such as optical sensors placed close to the article where their accuracy is affected by the process within the chamber. Such methods are in practice used off-line, and where so used, atmospheric refraction can detract from the accuracy of the measurement process.
Where articles such as semiconductor wafers are mounted on a support within a sealed chamber for processing, particularly where wafers are processed in batches, as is often the case in degassing or other thermal treatment processes, misalignment or distortion of the support may alter the wafer position and render optical temperature determination methods unreliable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a temperature determination method and apparatus particularly useful for the processing of semiconductor wafers in sealed chambers, and more particularly useful in processes wherein multiple wafers are simultaneously processed, to accurately and instantaneously determine the wafer temperature. Further, there is a need to provide such a temperature determination method which is less affected by sources of measurement error such as the accuracy and the positioning of the article, changes in article emissivity or atmospheric distortion of the measured medium.

Semiconductor wafer temperature determination by optical measurement of wafer expansion in processing apparatus chamber


The invention provides for a method of operating a stairlift, the stairlift having non-contact sensors to monitor the path along which the stairlift carriage is traveling, and to determine the presence of an obstruction on that path. Features of the stairlift in a ‘safe’ or ‘un-obstructed’ mode, including the path, may be stored as a ‘map’ in memory and sensor readings compared with the map as the carriage moves along the path. The invention allows the use of momentary commands to initiate and maintain movement of the stairlift.

At present stairlifts are provided with a number of features to ensure user safety. These include the hand control operated by the user, and mechanical safety edges or surfaces which are positioned so that, if the stairlift encounters an obstacle during its journey, the safety edges or surfaces are displaced and operate a safety switch to cut the supply of power to the stairlift drive motor.
Current hand controls require the user to maintain a constant pressure on the is control to effect movement of the stairlift. When moving, the stairlift may be brought to a halt in the event that either pressure on the hand control is released or a mechanical safety edge or surface comes into contact with an obstruction in the path of the stairlift.
Existing hand controls and existing safety edges each have their own shortcomings.
As far as hand controls are concerned, the direction and degree of pressure required to operate these controls often causes discomfort, and even pain.
Many stairlift users suffer from limited manual dexterity in different forms and it simply is not possible to arrive at a single form of hand control which all users will always find comfortable to operate.
A further shortcoming is that, in the event a danger is anticipated and that danger is of a type not accommodated by the mechanical safety edges, the expected reaction is for the stairlift user to release the hand control to stop the stairlift. Given the nature of those persons typically using stairlifts, it must be assumed that their reaction time will be relatively slow and, as a consequence, the anticipated danger may not, in fact, be avoided.
As regards safety edges, existing safety edges or surfaces are designed to react to an obstacle. The obstacle may, for example, be a stationary object on the staircase, or may be clothing or even a limb of a stairlift user being in a position in which it becomes trapped between the moving stairlift and a stationary surface.
Obviously the broad objective of safety edges or surfaces is to ensure that a stairlift user, or a person in close proximity to a moving stairlift, is protected against a trapping, shearing or crushing hazard and the safety edges are positioned about the stairlift carriage with that objective in mind.
A first problem with existing safety edges is that such edges are typically included in displaceable pads positioned about the lower edges of the carriage and about the edges of the footrest. Other potential sources for trapping, crushing and/or shearing exist but these are not addressed as the existing pads are cumbersome and do not lend themselves to positioning elsewhere on the carriage and/or chair.
A second problem is that the safety edges or surfaces are reactive in that they only operate to stop the stairlift once the stairlift has, through one of the safety edges, engaged the obstruction. Standards governing the design of stairlifts require that, in the event the moving carriage encounters an obstruction while moving, the stairlift carriage be brought to a halt within a defined distance (currently 20 mm). Clearly a part of this defined distance will be taken up by the displacement of the edge or surface itself before the cut-out switch operates and the stairlift comes to a halt.
A third problem is that safety edges and the switches which they operate, occupy significant space. This runs counter to the objective of ensuring that the stairlift installation is as compact as possible and occupies as little space as is possible. Further, the resulting safety edge configuration invariably detracts from the aesthetics of the stairlift installation.
The fact that both existing hand controls and safety edges are reactive in bringing a stairlift to a halt, has an adverse effect on the speed at which a stairlift can operate, and thus the installation may fail to meet users' expectations or requirements. Current regulations in force in the UK limit the maximum speed of a stairlift to 0.15 m/sec. A significant reason underlying this limit is the need to halt the stairlift within the 20 mm defined distance mentioned above and, even at this speed, bringing the stairlift to a halt within 20 mm of engaging an obstruction can cause an uncomfortable and even alarming jolt.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of and/or means for controlling the operation of a stairlift which will go at least someway in addressing the aforementioned problems; or which will at least provide a novel and useful choice.


A method of controlling degradation of a degradable material including forming a fluid in a hydration unit, admixing one or more additives to the fluid in a blender, introducing the fluid into a wellbore, injecting a degradation fluid between the hydration unit and the blender. The degradation fluid forms a degradation zone in the fluid. A degradable component formed from a degradable material is introduced into the degradation zone, and the degradable material and the degradation zone is pumped into a wellbore.

In the resource recovery and extraction industry, various degradable materials are used to control fluid flow and/or activate mechanisms arranged in a borehole. In a fracturing operation, often times degradable check balls are pumped downhole with a fracturing fluid. The check balls seat against a ball set, and pressure is applied to the fracturing fluid to create a fracture in a formation. Over time, the check ball degrades and may pass or be pumped through the ball seat. The fracturing fluid is designed to have properties that promote fracturing and degradation of the check ball.
Given that the fracturing fluid is designed to accommodate multiple tasks, fracturing being a primary task, degradation of the check ball may take time. More specifically, the fracturing fluid is not specifically designed to degrade the check ball as a primary task. Thus, often times it may take an extended time to promote degradation of the check ball. During that time, operation at the borehole may be put on hold. Therefore, the art would be receptive to a method of targeting degradation of a downhole component without diminishing other properties of a downhole fluid.

Method of controlling degradation of a degradable material


A charge calculation method executed by a processor included in a computer to execute a process, the process includes determining a degree of possibility that a virtual machine having redundant configuration exists in a plurality of virtual machines that provide a service, calculating a difference of charges for using the service before and after a first virtual machine among the plurality of virtual machines is migrated to an another location different from a location where the first virtual machine is located, and displaying the degree of possibility and the difference with respect to the service.

With the development of virtualization technology, a cloud that provides various services to a user by using virtual machines running in a data center is widespread. In the cloud, since data and programs required for the service are managed by the virtual machine, it is not necessary for the user to manage the data and the programs, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of user's business and reduce a cost.
In recent years, a new service that combines clouds from different cloud providers is also proposed. In this service, each of a plurality of virtual machines is realized by the clouds of a plurality of different cloud providers. Thereby, even if a failure occurs in any of the cloud providers, the virtual machines can continue to operate in the cloud of the remaining cloud providers, so that the virtual machines can be made redundant.
In such a service, some cloud providers may reduce the charge of their own virtual machine. In that case, a usage charge of the service becomes cheaper than a current charge by using the virtual machine after the charge reduction. Therefore, it is preferable to encourage the users of the service to migrate their virtual machine to the virtual machines of the cloud provider that reduce the charge. Note that the technique related to the present disclosure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-142673.

Non-transitory computer-readable recording medium and charge calculation method