The technology disclosed relates to maintaining throughput of a stream processing framework while increasing processing load. In particular, it relates to defining a container over at least one worker node that has a plurality workers, with one worker utilizing a whole core within a worker node, and queuing data from one or more incoming near real-time (NRT) data streams in multiple pipelines that run in the container and have connections to at least one common resource external to the container. It further relates to concurrently executing the pipelines at a number of workers as batches, and limiting simultaneous connections to the common resource to the number of workers by providing a shared connection to a set of batches running on a same worker regardless of the pipelines to which the batches in the set belong.

The subject matter discussed in this section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in this section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in this section or associated with the subject matter provided as background should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in this section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology.
The technology disclosed relates to maintaining throughput of a stream processing framework while increasing processing load. In particular, it relates to defining a container over at least one worker node that has a plurality workers, with one worker utilizing a whole core within a worker node, and queuing data from one or more incoming near real-time (NRT) data streams in multiple pipelines that run in the container and have connections to at least one common resource external to the container. It further relates to concurrently executing the pipelines at a number of workers as batches, and limiting simultaneous connections to the common resource to the number of workers by providing a shared connection to a set of batches running on a same worker regardless of the pipelines to which the batches in the set belong.
The technology disclosed reduces the amount of dedicated hardware and clients required to connect multiple pipelines in a container to common resources. For example, if thousand pipelines are processed over hundred worker nodes in a container, then at least ten connections are needed to be configured with relevant container resources such as a message bus (like Apache Kafka™), an output queue or sink (like Apache Kafka™), a persistence store (like Apache Cassandra™) and a global service registry (Zookeeper™). Thus, in total, for such a container, a thousand connections need to be made to each of the different relevant resources.
The technology disclosed solves this technical problem by allowing the multiple pipelines in a container to connect to relevant resources using common connections, thereby substantially reducing the number of simultaneous connections to relevant container resources.
For many analytic solutions, batch processing systems are not sufficient for providing real-time results because of their loading and processing requirements: it can take hours to run batch jobs. As a result, analytics on events can only be generated long after the events have occurred. In contrast, the shortcoming of streaming processing analytics systems is that they do not always provide the level of accuracy and completeness that the batch processing systems provide. The technology disclosed uses a combination of batch and streaming processing modes to deliver contextual responses to complex analytics queries with low-latency on a real-time basis.
In today's world, we are dealing with huge data volumes, popularly referred to as "Big Data". Web applications that serve and manage millions of Internet users, such as Facebook™, Instagram™, Twitter™, banking websites, or even online retail shops, such as Amazon.com™ or eBay™ are faced with the challenge of ingesting high volumes of data as fast as possible so that the end users can be provided with a real-time experience.
Another major contributor to Big Data is a concept and paradigm called "Internet of Things" (IoT). IoT is about a pervasive presence in the environment of a variety of things/objects that through wireless and wired connections are able to interact with each other and cooperate with other things/objects to create new applications/services. These applications/services are in areas likes smart cities (regions), smart car and mobility, smart home and assisted living, smart industries, public safety, energy and environmental protection, agriculture and tourism.
In today's world, we are dealing with huge data volumes, popularly referred to as "Big Data". Web applications that serve and manage millions of Internet users, such as Facebook™, Instagram™, Twitter™, banking websites, or even online retail shops, such as Amazon.com™ or eBay™ are faced with the challenge of ingesting high volumes of data as fast as possible so that the end users can be provided with a real-time experience.
Another major contributor to Big Data is a concept and paradigm called "Internet of Things" (IoT). IoT is about a pervasive presence in the environment of a variety of things/objects that through wireless and wired connections are able to interact with each other and cooperate with other things/objects to create new applications/services. These applications/services are in areas likes smart cities (regions), smart car and mobility, smart home and assisted living, smart industries, public safety, energy and environmental protection, agriculture and tourism.
Currently, there is a need to make such IoT applications/services more accessible to non-experts. Till now, non-experts who have highly valuable non-technical domain knowledge have cheered from the sidelines of the IoT ecosystem because of the IoT ecosystem's reliance on tech-heavy products that require substantial programming experience. Thus, it has become imperative to increase the non-experts' ability to independently combine and harness big data computing and analytics without reliance on expensive technical consultants.
Stream processing is quickly becoming a crucial component of Big Data processing solutions for enterprises, with many popular open-source stream processing systems available today, including Apache Storm™, Apache Spark™, Apache Samza™, Apache Flink™, and others. Many of these stream processing solutions offer default schedulers that evenly distribute processing tasks between the available computation resources using a round-robin strategy. However, such a strategy is not cost effective because substantial computation time and resources are lost during assignment and re-assignment of tasks to the correct sequence of computation resources in the stream processing system, thereby introducing significant latency in the system.
Also, an opportunity arises to provide systems and methods that use simple and easily codable declarative language based solutions to execute big data computing and analytics tasks.
Further, an opportunity arises to provide systems and methods that use a combination of concurrent and multiplexed processing schemes to adapt to the varying computational requirements and availability in a stream processing system with little performance loss or added complexity. Increased revenue, higher user retention, improved user engagement and experience may result.

Maintaining throughput of a stream processing framework while increasing processing load


In an interstice 6 between a film reel 8 and a contact roll 3, two air displacement rollers 5a, 5b are arranged parallel to the film reel 8 and the contact roll 3. In comparison with the contact roll and the winding core 2, these two air displacement rollers have a smaller diameter of about 7.5 to 50 mm. The rollers squeeze out the air boundary layers 4 at the film web layers 1 moving into the interstice 6. The contact roll 3 and one of the air displacement rollers 5a have a smooth hard surface layer with an average peak-to-valley height Ra of less than 0.4 microns and a Brinell hardness HB of greater than 10 HB 2.5/62.5. The distance between the two air displacement rollers and the contact point of film reel with the contact roll is chosen so small that new air boundary layers on the film web sections within the interstice can form only to a slight extent.

1) Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a process for winding-up a film web onto a winding core to form a film reel, having a contact roll, via which the film web is fed to the film reel. The film reel and the contact roll rotate in opposite directions but at the same circumferential speed. Air boundary layers on the circumferential surface of the film reel and air boundary layers at the film web running over the contact roll are squeezed out before bringing together the two film webs. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for winding a film web.
2) Prior Art
Such a process and an apparatus for winding a film web are known from German Offenlegungsschrift 37 10 412 and operate, for example, satisfactorily for winding speeds up to about 100 m/min in the case of very thin film webs, for example 3 microns PET films.
In the production of films, the winding of the film web as the last process step has a considerable importance, since, in so doing, the film web meeting the specification may be wound "wrongly" to such an extent that a total loss of the film reel can occur due to damages to the film web, particularly during storage.
A particularly important problem in this context is represented by the phenomenon that considerable quantities of air can be enveloped in the film reel during winding. Some of this enveloped air escapes during the storing of the film reel and various defects, such as marks, stretches and cross waves, can occur in and on the film reel, which may cause the film reel to be completely unusable.
In the case of a known apparatus for winding sheet-like structures, the film web running onto the reel is pressed against the reel with the aid of a so-called contact roll, achieving the result that lesser quantities of air are enveloped during winding than without this measure. This apparatus is described in German Patent 32 65 570 (equivalent to U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,344). However, the air-displacing effect of the contact roll decreases with increasing winding speed, so that a compromise must be made between the winding speed and the enveloping of air. The entire phenomenology of air envelopment, with special consideration of the dependence of air envelopment on contact roll pressure against the reel, is the subject of research and development.
It has also been proposed to carry out the entire winding operation in a vacuum in order to solve the problem of air envelopment in this way, but the great financial expenditure is a factor against a realization of this proposal.
The object of the invention is to improve the process described at the beginning and to develop an apparatus for winding-up a film web in such a way that the winding speed can be increased substantially and that wind-up application for ultra-thin films with a thickness down to about 1 micron is possible.

Process and apparatus for winding a film web


A process and composition for controlling ice and/or snow with reduced corrosion involves a mixture comprising an alkali metal salt; a lignosulfonate; and a corrosion reducing additive in the form of a salt of aluminum, antimony, cadium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, zinc, and combinations thereof.

The present invention relates to deicing agents and their methods of use. More specifically, the present invention relates to a combination of spent sulfite liquor, chloride salts of alkali metals or alkaline earth metals as deicing agents, and one or more additives which reduce the corrosive tendencies of the deicing agent. The amount of corrosion damage normally encountered in road deicing is reduced by the present invention.
It is generally recognized that the needs of business, industry, and the general public demand that traffic be kept moving with reasonable safety in the face of snow or ice. Reliance on mechanical means of snow or ice removal alone, however, is insufficient to ensure the safe and efficient movement of traffic. At present the only feasible means for "bare pavement" maintenance is by the use of deicing salts. Rock salt or sodium chloride is the primary chemical used for deicing primarily because of its low cost, ease of transportation, and readily dispersible form.
The cost of deicing salt is deceptively low given the unassumed cost of corrosion to metal guardrails, bridge supports, metal concrete reinforcing rods and automobiles. The estimated cost of upgrading deficient bridges in the United States alone approaches $50 billion dollars. Chemical Marketing Reporter, Aug. 27, 1984.
Other chemicals have been used in place of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal chlorides, e.g. mixtures of urea and calcium formate with a formamide spray, calcium magnesium acetate, metal sulfates, phosphates, nitrates, amides, alcohols, long-chain amines, and sodium dichromate. None of these chemicals have gained wide-spread popularity due to their high cost, low effectiveness and/or high degree of toxicity. Chlorides remain the standard notwithstanding their corrosivity.
Some work has been performed on reducing the corrosivity of alkaline earth metal chloride salts applied to road surfaces by utilizing lignosulfonate as one component of a deicing agent. Japanese Pat. No. 51-12310 discloses the use of a three-part mixture of calcium chloride, a small amount of calcium lignosulfonate and calcium hydroxide as a dust-control or anti-freezing agent. A 1 to 3 percent (dry weight) mixture of calcium lignosulfonate to calcium chloride (lignosulfonate:calcium chloride ratio up to 1:35) was tested, with essentially no corrosion inhibition. Some rust preventing effect was observed when calcium hydroxide was combined with calcium chloride. When both calcium lignosulfonate and calcium hydroxide were mixed with calcium chloride, however, a greater rust-preventing effect was demonstrated and the Japanese patent is specifically directed to the combination that contains both lignosulfonate and calcium hydroxide in combination with calcium chloride. Each of the combinations disclosed in the Japanese patent contains 1-5% calcium lignosulfonate and also contains at least as much calcium hydroxide. Tests have demonstrated that those solutions have a pH of about 10 or higher.
Spent sulfite liquor has been used for many years as a dust-control agent applied directly to dirt or gravel roads. Use of chloride salts of alkaline earth metals to prevent dusting is also known. Freight considerations often determine whether spent sulfite liquor or chloride salts are used in any particular locality.
The prior art deicing agents such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, or rock salt, ultimately cost the consuming public far more in corrosion damage than the initial material cost would indicate. Accordingly, a composition which alleviates the corrosion problem would be a highly desirable advance in the art of deicing agents for road surfaces.
Recently disclosed and commercialized under U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,416 is a deicing composition of one or more chloride salts and a lignosulfonate salt. The commercial composition comprises chlorides of sodium and magnesium in addition to lignosulfonate. The lignosulfonate additive is available under the name PCI.RTM. and acts to decrease the corrosion rate of the mixture at pH values of about 4.5 to about 8.5. Notwithstanding the beneficial decrease in corrosion achieved with the '416 patent, it would be desirable to reduce the corrosive action of deicing agents even further.


Laser transfer film for durable inscription on components made from at least one backing layer, where on at least part of the underside of the backing layer there is an adhesion layer, wherein a pigment layer which comprises at least one laser-sensitive pigment has been applied to at least part of the adhesion layer and/or backing layer.

The invention relates to a laser transfer film for durable inscription on components made from a backing layer, where on the underside of the backing layer there is an adhesion layer with pigmented boundary layer.
Technical labeling is one of the methods used for the identification marking of components on vehicles, on machinery, and on electrical and electronic devices, examples being model-identification plates, labels for process control, and guarantee batches and test batches.
Increasing importance is being attached to identification marking by means of laser labels or printed or coated metal plates, specifically in the automotive industry, in particular for high-quality markings. This method is used to place information and advice, such as tire pressure or fuel type, on a very wide variety of components in the automobile for its subsequent user. A laser label may also be used to convey important production data within upstream stages of manufacture.
For this use, the label may be inscribed with a bar code. A suitable reading device gives an assembly team the opportunity of using the bar code for read-off of information concerning model, color, and special equipment, directly on the manufacturing line. Labels are used on the vehicle not only for this standard information but also for the placing of sensitive security data, such as chassis number and identification numbers. In the event of theft or an accident, this information is very important for tracing of a vehicle and of stages in manufacture.
The label material used therefore has to be highly counterfeit-proof, in order to prevent any attempt at manipulation. It has to be impossible to remove the label intact from the base to which it adheres.
Additional security is achieved by using highly breakable material in combination with high adhesive strengths. The adhesive strength of the material on the adhesion base is very significant. It is a decisive factor for resistance to any attempt at manipulation by removal.
Besides the standard material, there are modified labels intended to eliminate any possibility of imitating the material by using other safety features, such as embossments, holograms, or a lasting UV impression (footprint).
There are widely used high-performance controllable lasers for introducing markings, such as inscriptions, codings, and the like, using a burning process. Some of the requirements placed upon the material to receive the inscription, or used for the inscription process, are:
It has to be capable of rapid inscription.
A high degree of spatial resolution capability has to be achieved.
It has to be very simple to use.
The decomposition products have to be non-corrosive.
For particular cases moreover, additional properties are demanded:
The markings produced by applying the laser have to have sufficient contrast to be capable of being read without error even under unfavorable conditions and over large distances.
Heat resistance has to be high, for example extending above 200xc2x0 C.
Good resistance to weathering, water, and solvents is desirable.
Complete separation of labels from the substrate is possible using sharp, flat blades. The bond between adhesive mass and substrate exhibits particular weaknesses on plastics substrates, such as polyethylene or polypropylene.
Despite increased adhesive strength on metallic or coated substrates, it is also possible here to remove part of the labels without irreversible damage, by using specific tools. A specific tool with a blade can be passed under the label at a shallow angle. Careful cutting movements can lift an edge, producing what is known as a grab site. This method creates a point of attack, which facilitates release.
If printing, rather than a laser label, is used to apply the inscriptions to the component, third parties can easily remove the inscription by washing or scratching. Simple rubbing of the inscribed article on a second article, for example a packing, is also often sufficient to reduce the clarity of the individual letters or numerals.
It is an object of the invention to provide a laser transfer film which permits rapid and precise inscription of any desired component, and which meets the abovementioned demand for improved security against counterfeiting, and which cannot be removed intact, even with the aid of a cutter, and which besides this in particular also has high contrast, high capability for resolution, high heat resistance, and good ease of use.
This object is achieved by means of a laser transfer film as described in the main claim. The subclaims provide particularly advantageous embodiments of the subject-matter of the invention, and also the use of the same.
The invention therefore provides a laser transfer film for durable inscription on components made from at least one backing layer, where on at least part of the underside of the backing layer there is an adhesion layer, wherein a pigment layer which comprises at least one laser-sensitive pigment has been applied to at least part of the adhesion layer and/or backing layer.
It is preferable that the matrix of the layer comprising the laser-sensitive pigments is likewise composed of the adhesive of the adhesion layer, so that the first adhesion layer and the pigment layer form a single homogeneous layer. The pigments have their distribution only in the periphery of the homogeneous layer, and specifically on the side facing away from the backing layer, and in particular in a narrow region of the homogeneous layer, and they therefore form a type of boundary layer.
For further improvement of the adhesion properties of the laser transfer film on the component to receive an inscription, there is preferably a second adhesive layer applied to the pigment layer comprising the laser-sensitive pigment.
A particular manner of application of the second adhesive layer is that of dots or screen print, or, where appropriate, an edge print, the result being that the transfer film can be adhesive-bonded to the substrate in any desired manner.
The thicknesses of the individual layers are preferably selected from the following ranges:
The films intended for use according to the invention have to be transparent and/or translucent, and at least designed in such a way as to prevent any absorption of the laser beam, which would cause serious damage to the same. In particular, it is desirable that the backing material absorbs no light within the wavelength range from 530 to 1064 nm.
According to the invention, the backing materials used preferably comprise films which, in another outstanding embodiment of the invention, are transparent, in particularly monoaxially or biaxially stretched films based on polyolefins, i.e. films based on stretched polyethylene or on stretched copolymers, comprising ethylene and/or polypropylene units, and, where appropriate, also PVC films, films based on vinyl polymers, on polyamides, on polyester, on polyacetals, or on polycarbonates. PET films in particular have outstanding suitability as backing.
According to the invention, the backing film used also comprise films based on stretched polyethylene or on stretched copolymers comprising ethylene and/or polypropylene units.
Monoaxially stretched polypropylene has a high tensile stress at break and low longitudinal strain. Monoaxially stretched films based on polypropylene are preferred for producing the labels of the invention.
For the last transfer films of the invention, particular preference is given to single-layer biaxially or monoaxially stretched films and multilayer biaxial or monoaxial films based on polypropylene which have a sufficiently strong bond between the layers, since delamination of the layers during use is disadvantageous.
Films based on rigid PVC or films based on plasticized PVC may be used for producing laser transfer films.
For the laser transfer films of the invention, it is preferable to use films based on rigid PVC.
Films based on polyester, for example polyethylene terephthalate, are likewise known and may also be used for producing the transfer films of the invention.
Polyesters are polymers whose skeletal units are held together by ester bonds (xe2x80x94COxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94). The materials known as homopolyesters may be divided into two groups according to their chemical structure,
the hydroxycarboxylic acid types (AB polyesters), and
the dihydroxy dicarboxylic acid types (AA-BB polyesters).
The former are prepared from just one single monomer, for example by polycondensing a xcfx89-hydroxycarboxylic acid 1, or by ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters (lactones) 2, for example
The structure of the latter arises, in contrast, by polycondensing two complementary monomers, for example a diol 3 and a dicarboxylic acid 4:
Branched and crosslinked polyesters are obtained by polycondensing tri- or polyhydric alcohols with polyfunctional carboxylic acids. Polycarbonates (polyesters of carbonic acid) are generally also regarded as polyesters.
Examples of AB-type polyesters (I) are polyglycolic acids (polyglycolides, R=CH2), polylactic acids (polylactides, R=CHxe2x80x94CH3), polyhydroxybutyric acid [poly (3-hydroxybutyric acid), R=CH(CH3)xe2x80x94CH2], poly(xcex5caprolactone)s [R=(CH2)5], and polyhydroxybenzoic acids (R=C6H4).
AA-BB-type polyesters (II) which are purely aliphatic are polycondensates made from aliphatic diols and dicarboxylic acids, and are used, inter alia, as products having terminal hydroxyl groups (as polydiols) for preparing polyester polyurethanes (an example being polytetramethylene adipate; R1=R2=(CH2)4].
In quantity terms, the greatest industrial significance attaches to AA-BB type polyesters made from aliphatic diols and from aromatic dicarboxylic acids, in particular the polyalkylene terephthalates [R2=C6H4, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) R1=(CH2)2, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) R1=(CH2)4, and poly(1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene terephthalate)s (PCDT) R1=CH2xe2x80x94C6H10xe2x80x94CH2], which are the most important representatives. These types of polyester can be given widely varying properties and be adapted to various application sectors through concomitant use of other aromatic dicarboxylic acids, (for example isophthalic acid) and, respectively, through the use of diol mixtures during the polycondensation.
Polyesters which are purely aromatic are the polyarylates, which include poly(4-hydroxybenzoic acid) (formula I, R=C6H4and phthalic acids (formula II, R1=C6H4xe2x80x94C(CH3)2xe2x80x94C6H4, R2=C6H4), or else made from bisphenols and phosgene.
The laser transfer films of the invention may comprise a self-adhesive mass based on natural rubber, on PU, on acrylates, or on styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers.
The use of adhesive masses based on natural rubber, on acrylates, or on styrene-isoprene-stryrene is known, and this also described in the xe2x80x9cHandbook of pressure sensitive adhesive technologie [sic], second edition, edited by Donatas Satas, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1989.
A particular self-adhesive mass used is a commercially available pressure-sensitive adhesive mass based on PU, or on acrylate, or on rubber.
An adhesive mass which has proven particularly advantageous is one based on acrylate hot-melt and having a K value of at least 20, in particular more than 30, obtainable by concentrating a solution of this mass to give a system processable as a hot melt.
The concentration process may take place in appropriately equipped tanks or extruders, and for the associated devolatilization process here particular preference is given to a vented extruder.
An adhesive mass of this type is presented in DE 43 13 008 A1, the content of which of which is hereby incorporated herein by way of reference and is included in this disclosure and invention. The solvent is completely removed in an intermediate step from the acrylate masses prepared in this way.
At the same time, other volatile constituents are also removed. After coating of these masses from the melt, they have only small remaining contents of volatile constituents. Any of the monomers/mixes claimed in the abovementioned patent may therefore be adopted. Another advantage of the masses described in the patent is that they have a high K value and therefore a high molecular weight. The skilled worker is aware that systems with relatively high molecular weights can be crosslinked more efficiently. The result is a corresponding reduction in the content of volatile constituents.
The solution of the mass may comprise from 5 to 80 % by weight, in particular from 30 to 70% by weight, of solvents.
It is preferable to use commercially available solvents, in particular low-boiling hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols, and/or esters.
Preference is also given to the use of single-screw, twin-screw, or multiscrew extruders with one, or in particular two or more, devolatilizing units. In the adhesive mass based on acrylate hot melt there may be benzoin derivatives incorporated into the polymer, e.g. benzoin acrylate or benzoin methacrylate, or acrylic esters or methacrylic esters. Benzoin derivatives of this type are described in EP 0 578 151 A1.
The adhesive mass based on acrylate hot melt may, however, also have been chemically crosslinked.
In one particularly preferred embodiment, the self-adhesive masses used comprise copolymers made from (meth)acrylic acid and esters thereof having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, maleic, fumaric and/or itaconic acid, and/or esters thereof, substituted (meth)acrylamides, maleic anhydride and other vinyl compounds, such as vinyl esters, in particular vinyl acetate, vinyl alcohols, and/or vinyl ethers.
The residual solvent content should be less than 1% by weight.
An adhesive mass found to be particularly suitable is a low-molecular-weight acrylate hot melt adhesive mass as available from BASF with the name acResin UV or Acronal(copyright), in particular Acronal DS 3458. This adhesive mass has a low K value and undergoes a final crosslinking initiated by radiation chemistry in order to obtain properties appropriate to its use.
Another adhesive mass which may be used is composed of the group of natural rubbers or of the synthetic rubbers, or of an desired blend of natural rubbers and/or synthetic rubbers, where the natural rubber or the natural rubbers may in principle be selected from any of the available grades, such as crepe, RSS, ADS, TSR, or CV grades, depending on the purity level and viscosity level needed, and the synthetic rubber or the synthetic rubbers may be selected from the group consisting of the randomly copolymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers (SBR), the butadiene rubbers (BR), the synthetic polyisoprenes (IR), the butyl rubbers (IIR), the halogenated butyl rubbers (XIIR), the acrylate rubbers (ACM), the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), and the polyurethanes, and/or blends thereof.
The rubbers may preferably also have thermoplastic elastomers added, at a proportion by weight of from 10 to 50% by weight, based on the total elastomer content, to improve processability.
Representatives which may be mentioned at this point are especially the particularly compatible styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS) and styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) grades.
As tackifying resins, use may be made of any, without exception, of the adhesive resins which are known and described in the literature. Representatives which may be mentioned are the rosins and their disproportionated, hydrogenated, polymerized, or esterified derivatives and salts, the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon resins, terpene resins, and terpene phenol resins. Any desired combinations of these and other resins may be used in order to establish the desired properties of the resultant adhesive mass. Express reference is made to the prior art presented in xe2x80x9cHandbook of Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Technologyxe2x80x9d by Donatas Satas (van Nostrand, 1989).
Hydrocarbon resin is a collective term for thermoplastic polymers which are colorless to intensely brown in color, with a molar mass which is generally  less than 2000.
They can be divided up into three major groups according to their source: petroleum resins, coal tar resins and terpene resins. The most important coal tar resins are the coumarone-indene resins. Hydrocarbon resins are obtained by polymerizing the unsaturated compounds which can be isolated from the raw materials.
Polymers which have appropriately low molecular weight and are obtainable by polymerizing monomers such as styrene or by polycondensation reactions (certain formaldehyde resins) are also regarded as hydrocarbon resins. Hydrocarbon resins are products whose softening range varies within wide boundaries from  less than 0xc2x0 C. (in the case of hydrocarbon resins liquid at 20xc2x0 C.) to  greater than 200xc2x0 C., and with density of from about 0.9 to 1.2 g/cm3.
They are soluble in organic solvents, such as ethers, esters, ketones, and chlorinated hydrocarbons, and insoluble in alcohols and water.
Rosin means a naturally occurring resin obtained from the crude resin from conifers. Distinction is made between three types of rosin: balsam resin, a residue from distilling turpentine oil, wood resin, an extract from conifer stumps, and tall resin, a residue from the distillation of tall oil. In volume terms, balsam resin is the most significant.
Rosin is a transparent brittle product, red to brown in color. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in many organic solvents, such as (chlorinated) aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, ethers, and ketones, and also in vegetable and mineral oils. The softening point of rosin is in the range from about 70 to 80xc2x0 C.
Rosin is a mixture made from about 90% of resin acids and 10% of neutral substances (fatty acid esters, terpene alcohols, and hydrocarbons). The most important resin acids for rosins are unsaturated carboxylic acids of empirical formula C20H30O2, abietic, neoabietic, levopimaric, pimaric, isopimaric, and palustric acid, and also hydrogenated and dehydrogenated abietic acid.
The quantitative proportions of these acids vary as a function of the source of the rosin.
Plasticizers which may be used are any of the known plasticizing substances. These include, inter alia, the paraffinic and naphthenic oils, (functionalized) oligomers, such as oligobutadienes and -isoprenes, liquid nitrile rubbers, liquid terpene resins, vegetable and animal oils and fats, phthalates, and functionalized acrylates.
For thermal induction of chemical crosslinking, use may be made of any known thermally activatable chemical crosslinkers, for example accelerated sulfur or sulfur donor systems, isocyanate systems, reactive melamine resins, formaldehyde resins, and (optionally halogenated) phenol-formaldehyde resins, and/or reactive phenolic resin or reactive diisocyanate crosslinking systems, in each case with the appropriate activators, epoxidized polyester resins or epoxidized acrylate resins, or combinations thereof. The crosslinkers are preferably activated at temperatures above 50xc2x0 C., in particular at temperatures of from 100xc2x0 C. to 160xc2x0 C., very particularly preferably at temperatures of from 110xc2x0 C. to 140xc2x0 C.
IR radiation or high-energy alternating fields may also be used for a thermal excitation of the crosslinkers.
The adhesive masses intended for use according to the invention are intended to be transparent and/or translucent, and at least to be such as to eliminate any absorption of the laser beam, which would cause irreversible damage to the same. In particular, it is desirable that the adhesive mass absorbs no light within the range of wavelengths from 530 to 1064 nm.
The form in which the laser-sensitive pigment is applied to the first adhesion layer is preferably that of a solvent suspension, for example an isopropanol suspension.
The suspension in particular solvates the surface of the first adhesive layer, enabling the pigment to become embedded in the periphery of the adhesion layer, indeed the boundary layer, through swelling of the polymer matrix of the adhesive mass, while the solvent evaporates. The pigment layer comprising the laser-sensitive pigment is formed by the boundary layer. The thickness of the boundary layer is in particular from 2 xcexcm to 5 xcexcm.
Particularly suitable additives are color pigments and metal salts. Use is particularly made of pigments from the company TherMark, for example TherMark 120-30F, these being metal oxides, for example molybdenum trioxide. It is also possible to use mixtures of two or more pigments or blends of pigments and glass particles, as are obtainable from the company Merck and can give rise to a sintering process. The additive may be used in addition to the additive titanium dioxide.
These additives are admixed with the suspension for forming the layer (for example as described in DE G 81 30 861), in particular at a level of from a few parts per thousand to a maximum of 10 percent, preferably in amounts of from 0.1 to 10% by weight, in particular from 0.5 to 6% by weight, based on the total weight of the layer, the concentrations being very particularly advantageously from 0.5% by weight, 1% by weight, and 2.5% by weight, and 4% by weight.
There is also a variety of pigments from the company Merck (for example the pearl-luster pigments EM 143220 and BR 3-01) and the 120-30 F TherMark pigments(copyright) (black) with outstanding suitability.
When standard lasers are used, specifically the widely used Nd-YAG solid state lasers with wavelength 1.06 xcexcm, the laser beam penetrates the backing layer and the adhesion layer and encounters the pigment. The energy is absorbed, and a sublimation process occurs in which the pigment is transferred to the substrate and bonds durably and stabily to the substrate.
Sharp, high-contrast inscriptions and identification markings are obtained.
The known processes of direct or indirect application are suitable for applying the adhesive mass to the backing material, and also for applying the layer comprising the laser-sensitive pigment.
Mention may be made of the Accugravur process, the doctor-blade process, the doctor roller process, the RCC process, the Super Reco process, the RAM process, and also of the use of an air brush, and casting processes, and also screen-printing processes.
Acrylate hot melts may be applied to the backings mentioned not only by the standard application processes, such as direct coating from nozzles, by way of rolls, and the like, but also by the transfer process, as disclosed in DE 43 24 748 C2. In this case, the adhesive mass is first applied to a running continuous belt with antiadhesive properties and then transferred to the backing material in a laminating unitxe2x80x94using pressure and heat if required to improve anchoring of the mass.
It is also possible in principle to apply the adhesive mass from organic solvents or as an aqueous dispersion. However, the economic and environmental advantages of the hot melt supply form are well known.
The adhesive mass and the layer comprising the laser-sensitive pigment may also be applied as points within a grid, by screen printing (DE 42 37 252 C2) in which case the small spots of adhesive may also vary in their size and/or distribution (EP 0 353 972 B1), or by gravure printing (DE 43 08 649 C2) in coherent longitudinal or transverse bars, or by dot-matrix printing, or by flexographic printing.
It is preferable for both layers to be dome-like shapes from screen printing, or else to have been applied in some other pattern, such as grids, stripes, zigzag lines, or else by gravure printing, for example. They may also have been applied by spraying, for example, giving an application profile with some degree of non-uniformity.
In one preferred embodiment, these have been applied in the form of polygeometric domes.
The domes may have various shapes. Preference is given to flattened hemispheres. It is also possible for other shapes and patterns to be applied by printing onto the backing material, for example a printed image in the form of alphanumeric character combinations, or patterns such as grids, stripes, or else assemblies of domes, or zigzag lines.
One possible indirect process for producing a backing coated with an adhesive layer is disclosed in DE 40 32 776 A1.
In that process
a) a flowable adhesive mass is applied to an intermediate carrier which has the following properties:
under an optical or electronic microscope it can be seen to have a surface which is corrugated, folded, fissured, or furrowed
the adhesive mass can easily be removed from its surface,
it is substantively impermeable to air,
b) the microscopic air inclusions or solvent inclusions arising between the adhesive mass and the intermediate carrier after coating of the intermediate carrier are expanded by a temperature increase until the surface of the adhesive mass bursts open, and
c) the adhesive mass is then transferred from the intermediate carrier to the final carrier.
In contrast to the porous adhesive coating desired in DE 40 32 776 A1, a very homogeneous, smooth, air-free, and impermeable adhesive coating is advantageous for the subject-matter of the invention. However, these requirements can be complied with by selecting a smooth and homogeneous surface of the intermediate carrier instead of the structured surface described above.
The base for the intermediate carrier may be selected from all of the materials commonly used for such purposes. Woven webs made from glass fiber, polyester, polyamide, or Nomex(copyright), a fiber material from the company DuPont, are particularly advantageous. However, rubber blankets, plastics belts, and the like have also been found to be advantageous. If woven belts are selected, it is advantageous to use those which already have a substantively unstructured surface coating made from plastics. This latter coating promotes the adhesion and homogeneity of the actual surface coating on the base. The surface coating itself ensures the desired easy transfer of the adhesive mass from the intermediate carrier to the final carrier. It is advantageous for this surface of the intermediate carrier to have been coated with an antiadhesive layer, for example one made from crosslinked silicone rubber or from fluoropolymers, such as Teflon(copyright).
The laser transfer film of the invention has outstanding properties, in particular much better than those of transfer films which have laser-sensitive pigments homogeneously distributed within the adhesive mass layer, where a high level of interaction between laser beam and pigment and adhesive mass takes place. This results in thermal stress which can even cause irreversible damage to the film (melting). The [sic] the result can be a markedly adverse effect on the adhesive mass the [sic] in terms of its temporary adhesive-bonding property (adhesive mass balling) and in the transfer of the pigments into or onto the component.
When the film of the invention is used on coatings or plastics sheets (PP), the pigmented boundary layer oriented toward the component to be adhesive-bonded results in a lasting inscription on the component, rather than the adverse effects.
Compared with the homogeneous distribution of the pigment in the entire adhesive mass, additional advantages results from lower pigment usage and consequently from fewer problems in pigment dispersion, and a low level of interaction between laser beam, pigment, and adhesive mass.
The inscription result achieved is very good. A surprisingly low level of smoke formation is also found. The inscription produced by the marks, directly after the inscription process, was slightly wider but very high in contrast. The contrast reduces slightly after polishing, but it is compensated by the fact that the outlines of the marking become somewhat sharper.
The film of the invention can also be used with outstanding results on rough surfaces, for example on ceramics sockets of Osram fuses, or generally on glass.
The superior features are realized to full effect in the form of a stamp label, a label which may be applied to the component and laser-irradiated. After the inscription process it is peeled off. The procedure is complete.
The laser transfer film of the invention may be presented in the form of a continuous role, this [sic] is wound up in archimedian screw form around at least one cardboard tube, or in the form of a stamped label. The latter may be of any desired design, with an outstanding level of adaptation to the particular application.


A photodiode is provided comprising a substrate, a well with a first electric type within the substrate, a heavily doped region with a second electric type within the well, and a insulating layer on the substrate. The insulating layer in the position on the heavily doped region is thinner than in other positions. A junction is thus formed between the heavily doped region and the well.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a structure of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), and more particularly to a photodiode structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photodiode is a light-sensitive semiconductor device having a P-N junction that coverts light into an electrical signal (also known as a photo-detecting device). Due to the presence of an electric field at the P-N junction, electrons in the N-doped layer and holes in the P-doped layer cannot normally diffuse across the junction in the absence of light. However, when sufficient light falls on the P-N junction, electron-hole pairs are generated by energy from the light. These electrons and holes are able to diffuse towards the junction. Due to the presence of an electric field at the junction, electrons will separate out towards the N-side and holes will separate out towards the P-side of the junction and accumulate there. Therefore, a current is able to flow across the P-N junction. Ideally, a photodiode should remain in open-circuit condition in the dark until light is shone on the junction.
In general photodiode devices are used as imaging sensors in different types of equipment, for example, PC cameras and digital cameras. One major defect of a conventional photodiode is its relatively large junction leakage current. Junction leakage current often leads to the build-up of a large dark current in products that employ a large number of imaging sensors. Furthermore, the large dark current is capable of producing abnormal bright spots on an imaging screen.
FIGS. 1A-1C are schematic, cross-sectional views showing the process of forming a conventional photodiode.
In FIG. 1A, a substrate 100 having a pad oxide layer 102 thereon is provided. The pad oxide layer 102 is used as sacrificial layer to protect the substrate 100 form being destroyed during following steps. A patterned silicon nitride layer (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) 104 is formed on the pad oxide layer 102. An ion implantation I.sub.1 is performed to form a P-well 106 in the substrate 100.
In FIG. 1B, the silicon nitride layer 104 is used as a mask in a local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) operation. The LOCOS operation is carried out in an atmosphere comprising oxygen (O), such as water vapor or O.sub.2, to form a field oxide (FOX) layer 108 in the substrate 100. In other words, an insulating layer is formed surrounding a device region.
Since water vapor and oxygen cannot penetrate the silicon nitride layer 104 easily, the field oxide layer 108 does not form in regions covered by the silicon nitride layer 104. However, water vapor and oxygen still can diffuse horizontally into the substrate 100 at the edges of the silicon nitride layer 104. Bird's beaks 110 are formed at the edge of the field oxide layer 108.
In FIG. 1C, a wet etching is carried out to remove the silicon nitride layer 104 and the pad oxide layer 102 between the field oxide layer 108. An N.sup.+ -doped region 110 is formed in the P-well 106 by an ion implantation I.sub.2. The N.sup.+ means that the doped region has a heavy N-type dopant. The N.sup.+ -doped region 110 is annealed to drive the implanted N-type ions into the P-well 106. A P-N junction forms between the N.sup.+ -doped region 110 and the P-well 106, so that a photodiode device is thus completed.
However, in the conventional photodiode device described above, bird's beaks form on each side of the field oxide layer of the device structure. Since stress at the bird's beaks is higher and more crystal defects occur from the stress at the bird's beaks than at other portion of the device structure, a large junction leakage current is generated there. A unit of imaging equipment that employs a large number of photodiodes thus has a large leakage current and produces a large dark current that results in abnormal bright spots on an imaging screen.


In a diesel internal combustion engine comprising an air intake pipe and a throttle valve arranged in the latter, the throttle valve is equipped with a drive in order to prevent operating states which are dangerous for the internal combustion engine, e.g. uncontrolled exceeding of the allowable maximum speed due to disturbances. The drive holds the throttle valve open during trouble-free operation and moves it into a closed position during disturbances. The closed position of the throttle valve is determined in such a way that the remaining reduced air flow cross-section throttles the combustion air passing through to such an extent that the internal combustion engine still runs securely at idling speed and does not exceed a predetermined speed during feeding of a desired quantity of fuel.

The invention is directed to a diesel internal combustion engine, particularly for vehicles and comprising an air intake pipe for supplying air of combustion to combustion cylinders and a throttle valve located in the air intake pipe and pivotable therein for controlling a flow cross-section.
In such diesel internal combustion engines for vehicles, a dangerous operating state can occur if more combustible fuel-air mixture is supplied than was selected by the driver per actuation of the accelerator pedal due to disturbances in the combustion cylinders. Damages to the internal combustion engine can occur by exceeding the allowable maximum speed, or accidents can occur because it is not possible to "ease up on the gas" ("automatic acceleration").
It is already known for diesel engines with fuel injection pumps to stop the fuel supply to the fuel injection pump in such cases by an emergency stopping device, so that the engine stops after the pump interior space is sucked empty by the fuel injection pump (DE-OS 30 04 335). In fuel injection pumps with a large pump interior, the reaction time, i.e. the time between the occurrence of disturbance until the stopping of the engine, is relatively long. The emptying of the pump interior can be accelerated and the reaction time of the emergency stopping device can accordingly be shortened by additional measures.

Diesel-internal-combustion-engine, in particular for vehicles


There is disclosed a computerized control system for stitching apparel parts in various stitching patterns according to individual designs or styles. The control system prevents mismatching the hardware components used to hold the apparel parts during stitching thereof and a selected computerized program which controls an individual stitching pattern. A program may not be selected unless a code identifying such program is found to match the code which identifies the hardware used for a particular style or design.

The present invention has application to industrial sewing equipment for automatically controlling sewing patterns and particularly to automatic pocket setters.
There are a number of automatic pocket setting machines currently used in the apparel industry. These machines are designed to handle nearly infinite numbers of patterns within certain limits, which are set by the size and design of the machine. Instead of being infinitely adjustable due to the economic and practical reasons, all automatic pocket setting machines are broken into two groups of components: 1. Changeable, 2. Permanent.
1. The "Changeable" group of components is designed for a unique pocket pattern/style and size. In general, every time a new pocket style, or size is to be processed on the pocket setting machine, a presently mounted group of these components is dismounted and a new group is mounted in its place. This group consists of the following components:
a) Pocket folding assembly, or better known as "Pocket Folding Group". It is a mechanical assembly designed to fold a pocket and set it on an apparel item (e.g. shirt front). PA1 b) Pocket clamping and/or transferring assembly commonly known as "Stitching or Transfer Clamp". It is a mechanical assembly designed to clamp folded pocket on an apparel item and either transfer, and/or retain it during the sewing process. PA1 a) CNC program, also referred to as "Pocket Part Program". This program is designed to control the motions of the components (motors, cylinders, cams, etc.) involved during the sewing process. This program usually resides in the machine's programmable controller in an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), or in the memory of the controller itself. The machine operator, during a Style Group change, must either select a new program from the controller's memory, or physically change the EPROM. The combination of the Style Group and the Part Program is designed and developed as a set, per customer's specifications.
The above assemblies are better known as the "Pocket Style Group".
2. The "Permanent" group of components (not changeable) is designed to provide a support frame with work surfaces, operator controls and assisting fixtures, as well as motor drives, machine's main controller and sewing head.
Although the above described arrangement of Permanent and Changeable components has been found to be the only economical and a practical design solution to the automatic pocket setting, it has a serious inherent problem. If during the style change, the operator selects or plugs a CNC Part Program that does not match the newly installed Style Group, than a mismatch between the Stitching Clamp (which has a fixed machined path) and the CNC program (which controls the motion and the path of all axis during sewing) will result in potentially serious damage to the equipment, as well as costly machine down time. The present invention provides an economical solution to this problem.

Style group recognition system for automated sewing patterns


A sag compensating roll having a stationary yoke for taking up bending forces, a hollow roll shell surrounding the yoke and hydrostatic support elements between the yoke and the shell. Each support element having a pressure shoe facing the inner surface of the shell defining a slide surface at the shell. Relief pockets recessed into the slide surface. A pressure space defined between a first piston on the yoke and the pressure shoe, and the shoe is radially movable with respect to the first piston. A pressure fluid line communicates with the pressure space and, by capillaries from the pressure space, communicates with the relief pockets. The pressure space and the relief pockets are dimensioned so that the active surface of the relief pockets is larger than the active surface of the pressure space acting on the support element. A further fluid supply line delivers temperature equalization fluid to an additional pocket located at the circumferentially downstream trailing side of the pressure shoe, at the inner surface of the roll shell. The further fluid is picked up by the inner surface of the roll shell after the shell has moved past the relief pockets. Pressure and/or quantity control between a common source of pressure fluid and each of the pressure fluid line and the additional fluid line may be provided.

The present invention relates to a sag compensating roll for a roll press, usable in a paper making machine, or the like. The roll includes a stationary yoke which takes up bending forces, a rotary shell that rotates around the yoke and hydrostatic support elements between the yoke and the shell. Such rolls are known from European Patent EP 0 252 251.
A gap is produced, via the hydrostatic support, between the sliding surface of an individual pressure shoe on the yoke and the inner surface of the roll shell. A certain amount of oil can emerge through that gap, which constantly forms a thin boundary layer of oil. The application force which is applied to the roll shell by the support element varies during the operation of the roll. In that case, the quantity of oil fed to the boundary oil layer also changes. Due to the shear forces in the boundary oil layer between the sliding surface of the pressure shoe and the inner surface of the roll shell, friction is produced upon rotation of the roll shell, which friction heats the oil of the boundary oil layer. Since, as mentioned above, the quantity of oil emerging through the gap varies upon differences in the application force, the temperature in this region also changes. The temperature in the boundary layer decreases with increasing force of application.
Since the application force, of course, differs over the width of the web to be treated, the temperature changes are also different. This has an unfavorable influence on the web. For instance, in the regions of increased application force, a larger quantity of oil is passed through the gap. This results in a stronger cooling action, so that the roll shell contracts more strongly at these places than at other places.
In the embodiment according to FIG. 1 of EP 0 252 251, this problem cannot occur, because in that case, the pressure space 3 is tight. As a result, different quantities of flow cannot result as a function of the linear force. However, the problem can definitely occur when the conditions are different, for instance, in the case of German Patent DE-PS 26 34 821.


A driving apparatus includes a magnet that is magnetized to at least two poles in a circumferential direction and fixed to a rotor axis formed with a soft magnetic material, and first and second coils arranged in the same direction as the magnet with respect to the magnet-axis direction and arranged adjacent to an end surface of the magnet in the magnet-axis direction. The first magnetic pole portion is excited by energizing the first coil, and the second magnetic pole portion is excited to a pole opposite to the first magnetic pole portion by energizing the second coil. A yoke portion is formed with a soft magnetic material for supporting the first and second magnetic pole portions. The first magnetic pole portion includes a first coil insertion portion that is inserted to an internal diameter portion of the first coil, and a first magnet facing portion that is arranged to face a magnetized outer circumferential portion of the magnet with a predetermined gap at a predetermined angle. The second magnetic pole portion includes a second coil insertion portion that is inserted to an internal diameter portion of the second coil, and a second magnet facing portion that is arranged to face a magnetized outer circumferential portion of the magnet with a predetermined gap at a predetermined angle.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-049076 discloses a driving apparatus incorporated in a light amount adjustment apparatus, which achieves an increased output and a small diametrical size with the rotation axis in the center. A breakdown perspective view of the driving apparatus is shown in FIG. 12, and a lateral cross-section is shown in FIG. 13.
Numeral 101 denotes a magnet comprising a permanent magnet, which is capable of rotating on a rotation center, and whose outer circumferential surface is divided into two in the circumferential direction so as to be magnetized to the south pole and the north pole alternately. Numeral 102 denotes a coil arranged in the axial direction of the magnet 101. Numeral 103 denotes a stator, which is excited by the coil 102, and which comprises a tooth-shaped outer magnetic pole portion 103a arranged at the end and an inner cylinder 103b. The stator 103 is arranged in a way that the outer magnetic pole portion 103a and the inner cylinder 103b respectively face the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface of the magnet 101. Numeral 104 denotes an auxiliary stator fixed to the inner cylinder 103b of the stator 103. Together with the inner cylinder 103b, the auxiliary stator 104 serves as an inner magnetic pole portion.
The magnet 101 comprises integratedly molded axes 101e and 101f so that the magnet 101 is held rotatable. The outer magnetic pole portion 103a of the stator 103 faces the outer circumferential surface of the magnet 101 with a gap. Also, the inner cylinder 103b of the stator 103 faces the inner circumferential surface of the magnet 101 with a gap.
In the above-described driving apparatus, the direction of electric application to the coil 102 is switched to change the polarity of the outer magnetic pole portion 103a, the inner cylinder 103b, and the auxiliary stator 104, thereby reciprocatively rotating the magnet 102. The reciprocative rotation of the magnet is controlled by running the driving pin 101d against a guide groove 105a provided on the bottom board 105.
In the driving apparatus, magnetic flux generated by energizing the coil flows from the outer magnetic pole portion to the opposite inner magnetic pole portion, or from the inner magnetic pole portion to the opposite outer magnetic pole portion, thus effectively acting on the magnet positioned between the outer magnetic pole portion and the inner magnetic pole portion. Furthermore, a resistance of the magnetic circuit configured by the outer magnetic pole portion and the inner magnetic pole portion is reduced as much as possible by making the distance between the outer magnetic pole portion and the inner magnetic pole portion equal to the total distance including the thickness of the cylindrical magnet, the gap between the magnet and the outer magnetic pole portion, and the gap between the magnet and the inner magnetic pole portion. The smaller the resistance of the magnetic circuit, the more the magnetic flux can be generated with a small amount of current, thus increasing an output of the driving apparatus.
However, in the construction disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-049076, since there is only one tooth-shaped outer magnetic pole portion 103a, the magnet 101 upon rotation is pulled toward a direction opposite to the outer magnetic pole portion 103a, causing poor balance and a significant loss. If the magnet is magnetized to four poles, two tooth-shaped outer magnetic pole portions can be provided and the rotational balance will improve. However, compared to the magnet magnetized to two poles, the rotation angle decreases by half.
Furthermore, the axial length of the driving apparatus is determined by the length of the coil 102, the length of the magnet 101, and the thickness of the stator 103. The external diameter of the driving apparatus is determined by the external diameter of the inner cylinder 103b, the radial thickness of the coil 102, and the thickness of the outer magnetic pole portion 103a. An increased number of turns in the coil will only be achieved by one of the following: reducing the length of the magnet 101, reducing the thickness of the outer magnetic pole portion 103a, increasing the length of the driving apparatus, or increasing the external diameter of the driving apparatus. Since reducing the length of the magnet causes a decreased output, it is limited. Since reducing the thickness of the outer magnetic pole portion 103a causes magnetic saturation and a decreased output, it is also limited. Therefore, increasing the external diameter of the driving apparatus has been the only way to realize a driving apparatus that achieves an increased output and a short axial length.
Moreover, a predetermined gap is necessary between the internal diameter of the magnet 101 and the auxiliary stator 104 opposite to the magnet 101. Controlling the gap at the time of manufacturing the apparatus causes an increased cost.
Further, the form of the stator calls for the inner cylinder 103b and the outer magnetic pole portion 103a. In the manufacturing process, these parts are difficult to construct integratedly. In a case where these parts are manufactured separately and integrated later, the number of parts will increase and the cost will increase.
Furthermore, reducing the diametrical thickness of the magnet 101 having a cylindrical shape for the purpose of reducing the distance between the outer magnetic pole portion 103a and the auxiliary stator 104 is difficult to achieve from the aspect of mechanical strength.

Driving apparatus and light amount adjustment apparatus


An active matrix liquid crystal display device includes a pixel transistor, a wiring layer, a first insulating layer, a lower electrode layer, a second insulating layer, and an upper electrode layer. The wiring layer is connected to the pixel transistor. The first insulating layer is provided on the pixel transistor and the wiring layer. The lower electrode layer is provided on the first insulating layer and used as one of a common electrode layer and a pixel electrode layer. The second insulating layer is provided on the lower electrode layer. The upper electrode layer is provided on the second insulating layer and used as the other of the common electrode layer and the pixel electrode layer. The thickness t of the second insulating layer satisfies t<[(ε0ε/W)×{(0.025381/P)2/6}]/(100×10−9) and t>[(ε0ε/W)×{(0.025381/P)2/6}×k×ρON]/τON, where a display pixel has a substantially square shape and is composed of a plurality of sub pixels, a pitch at which the display pixels are arranged vertically and a pitch at which the display pixel are arranged horizontally are respectively P per 25.381 mm, the channel width of the pixel transistor is W, the on resistance per unit channel width of the pixel transistor is ρON, a period of time during which a gate line and drain line of the pixel transistor are simultaneously turned on is τON, a relative dielectric constant of the second insulating layer ε, a vacuum dielectric constant is ε0, a correction parameter is k. Liquid crystal molecules are driven by applying voltage between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an active matrix liquid crystal display device and, more particularly, to an active matrix liquid crystal display device that drives liquid crystal molecules by applying voltage between an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer that are formed on the same substrate through an insulating layer, wherein one of the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer is a common electrode layer and the other is a pixel electrode layer, and a plurality of openings are formed in the upper electrode layer and arranged parallel to each other so that an electric field is passed therethrough.
2. Related Art
In regard to a display type of an existing active matrix liquid crystal display device, a TN (twisted nematic) type display device has been widely used. However, the TN type display device has a limited viewing angle due to its display principle. A horizontal electric field type display device has been known as a solution for the above problem, in which a pixel electrode and a common electrode are formed on the same substrate, voltage is applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrode to thereby generate an electric field that is substantially parallel to the substrate, and liquid crystal molecules are thus driven mainly within a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate.
In the horizontal electric field type display device, an IPS (in plane switching) mode display device and an FFS (fringe field switching) mode display device are known. In the IPS mode display device, a comb-shaped pixel electrode and a comb-shaped common electrode are arranged in combination. In the FFS mode display device, an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer are formed via an insulating layer, in which one of the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer is used as a common electrode layer and the other is used as a pixel electrode layer, and then openings, such as slits, are formed in the upper electrode layer so that an electric field is passed therethrough.
In regard to the insulating layer interposed between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-183685 describes an example of an insulating layer, which is constituted of a single surface protection insulating layer for TFT or an example of an insulating layer, which is constituted of a gate insulating film for TFT, interposed between a pixel electrode and a common signal electrode, which are made of upper and lower two ITO layers.
In the active matrix liquid crystal display device, a holding capacitor is provided for restricting changes in electric potentials of pixels when liquid crystals are driven. In the case of FFS mode display device, using an insulating layer interposed between an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, a capacitor formed at the portion at which the upper electrode layer overlaps the lower electrode layer may be used as a holding capacitor. However, when the capacitor formed at the portion at which the upper electrode layer overlaps the lower electrode layer is used as the holding capacitor, the capacitance of the holding capacitor varies depending on the pixel density of the liquid crystal display device. For example, as the pixel density is increased and the area of one pixel on the plane is reduced, the capacitance of each holding capacitor is reduced. In contrast, as the pixel density is reduced and the area of one pixel on the plane is increased, the capacitance of each holding capacitor is increased.

Active matrix liquid crystal display device


A wrench with interchangeable, pivotal, rotatable tool pieces on at least one end. A snap-on tool piece, preferably a wrench, fits into a pivotal end piece which is pivotably held to an extension arm by a toothed pin in toothed apertures. The extension arm is pivotably attached to a rotating shaft by toothed pins. There may be another pivotable snapon connection for a tool piece at the opposite end of the shaft. As an alternative, the tool piece fits into a pivotable end piece which is positioned at the end of a pivotably segmented shaft which fits inside the casing and handle of the tool. The location of the tool piece in relation to the handle may be easily set and secured. The multiplicity of possible tool pieces and positions makes this tool highly versatile and capable of reaching into hard-to-reach areas. Thus, bolts in car motors may be reached without having to partially dismantle the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of extendible hand tools which have interchangeable heads and pivoting shafts and are capable of adjustment in the position of the heads. The tools of this invention may have a handle at one end and a tool head at the other or they may be adapted to have a tool head at each end.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art is aware of tools having one or more of the above features.
Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,938 to Nalley describes a wrench having a handle with a telescoping sleeve for extension, a pivotable attachment between the upper and lower sections of the sleeve, and a pivotable attachment between the wrench head and the wrench handle. When the pivoting mechanisms are used, pivoting of the head and lower part of the handle is possible only along one plane (right or left as viewed in FIG. 2). Therefore, a full range of motion is not possible. While it is taught that the wrench handle is moveable in the sleeve for extension and retraction of the handle, no teaching is given as to how this is performed with the handle being held firmly in the desired position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,608 to Shieh discloses a ratchet wrench with an adjustable angle between the head and the body. The wrench head pivots around a bolt and is held in the desired position by teeth in the extension of the head contacting gear teeth in the handle. In spite of the complexity of the device and need for small parts of complex shapes, the head may be made to pivot up and down as seen in FIG. 1 but cannot be made to pivot from side to side. Thus, the Shieh device has limited utility when used in hard-to-reach areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,737 to Raber discloses a hand tool, generically, and a ratchet wrench, particularly. The handle, containing a detent, fits into a sleeve provided with a plurality of spaced holes, thus allowing for easy extension and retraction of the handle. Extension and retraction may be achieved only when the detent is in line with a hole in the sleeve and thus the handle cannot be extended to every length which may be desired by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,263 to Kwaka discloses a wrench which has a handle, a box wrench head fixed to one end of the handle, and a socket wrench head (with or without a ratchet mechanism) pivotally attached to the other end. The pivot mechanism is made up of a pin penetrating a lug protruding from the handle. The movement of the wrench head is frictionally restrained by the interaction of the several component members. Thus, this pivoting mechanism provides for only an up-and-down motion and does not provide for a side-to-side range of motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,740 to Ernst discloses a hand tool having a pivotal head attached to the shaft by a pin through holes in the head and a clevis in the shaft. The tool is rotatable about its axis. While the head may be made to pivot up and down, no provision is made to provide for a side-to-side pivot. Also, only a single pivoting point is present so that nuts or bolts which are hard to access may be unreachable with this tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,668 to Davis discloses a wrench with a plurality of pivotable links to enable access to areas which are hard to reach. This tool provides great side-to-side flexibility and is useful for those situations where a plurality of turns do not have to be made to access the nut or bolt. This tool does not provide for vertical flexibility, and thus finds little use in those circumstances where both vertical and horizontal bends must be made to reach hard-to-access nuts and bolts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,869 to Webb discloses a wrench with interchangeable heads and a provision for pivoting the head up or down. No provision for side-to-side pivoting is made. Thus, while this tool finds limited improvement over non-pivoting wrenches, it leaves unmet the need to provide a fully flexible tool which can reach hard-to-access nuts and bolts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,899 to Twomblow discloses an extendible wrench which provides a pivotable head. The head can pivot up or down, but lacks the ability to pivot from side to side. Thus, access to hard-to-reach nuts and bolts is limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,223 to Lin discloses a head having interchangeable tool pieces and a shaft which may be extended. No provision is made for pivoting the head of this tool. Thus, access to hard-to-reach areas is not provided for.


This invention relates to an electrolytic ion water generator for producing alkali ion water containing alkali ions and acid ion water containing acid ions by introducing tap water or the like into an electrolytic cell comprising electrodes and ion exchange membranes arranged alternately which electrolyze the electrolytes in the water.. Electrolytic cell unit panels having the same shape are constructed by attaching the electrode plate and ion exchange membrane onto each synthetic resin frame. The electrolytic cell unit panels are layered in a water-tight manner facing the front sides to front sides and the rear sides to rear sides via O-rings. A water-inlet external cover is attached at one end of the layered electrolytic cell unit panels, and a water-outlet external cover is attached at the other end of the layered electrolytic cell unit panels in a water-tight manner to secure the total assembly.. Since the electrolytic ion water generator of this invention can be assembled just by layering electrolytic cell unit panels of the same shape, the assembly process is simplified and the whole device is compact. By adjusting the number of layered electrolytic cell unit panels, it is simple to manufacture a generator having the required ion water production capacity.. When the flow-path switching mechanism which is actuated in response to the change of polarity of the electrode plate is installed within a separate panel inserted in the water-outlet external cover or between the water-outlet external cover and the electrolytic cell unit panel, the scale deposited on the cathode plate during operation can be removed without interrupting the generation of ion water.

Since most food consumed by humans in everyday life is acidic, the human body tends to become alkali-deficient. To cope with the imbalance, water containing alkali ions such as calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium is commercially available as household drinking water to maintain health by replenishing alkali and mineral components.
Household and industrial devices which generate electrolytic ion water containing these alkali ions by electrolyzing city water have gradually become popular. Such an electrolytic ion water generator comprises a pair of electrodes placed apart from each other to form an anode and cathode, and an electrolytic cell having an ion exchange membrane separating these electrodes to form an anode chamber and cathode chamber. The electrolytic ion water generator is connected to a tap water faucet to introduce the water thereto, electrolyses the electrolytes in the water at the electrolytic cell, and removes the water containing alkali ions (cation) from the cathode chamber and the water containing acid ions (anion) from the anode chamber. Plate-type electrodes are usually used for the electrodes, and a number of electrolytic cells are arranged vertically.
The electrolytic ion water generator having the structure described above is assembled from a number of electrolytic cells comprising electrode plates and ion exchange membranes which are arranged alternately at a fixed distance from each other to form a water-tight structure. This configuration has certain disadvantages such as a large number of assembly steps, difficult assembly procedure, low construction efficiency, higher production cost, and long disassembly time when replacing parts.
In addition, electrolytic ion water generators tend to deposit scale such as alkali hydrate on the cathode during operation, which degrades the electrolytic efficiency. Consequently, the polarity of the electrodes must be changed periodically to clean them by backwashing. To prevent any interruption of ion water generation during the cleaning period, a means of switching the electrodes and a means of switching the water flow-path are proposed. These means make it possible to generate ion water even while cleaning the electrolytic cell. However, installing such a water flow-path switching means into a conventional ion water generator inevitably enlarges the device because the structure comprising piping to switch the water flow-path and the water flow-path switching valve cannot easily be compactly built into the cell container.


A computer-implemented method for real-time adaptation of multimedia data. A first multimedia stream is monitored. A determination is made as to whether an attribute of the first multimedia stream satisfies a predefined threshold. When the attribute of the first multimedia stream satisfies the predefined threshold a request is made to a switch from the first multimedia stream to a second multimedia stream. When the data packet from the second multimedia stream is received, transmission of the first multimedia stream is terminated. The data packet from the second multimedia stream is marked as a splicing point. When the value of the timestamp of the data packet from the second multimedia stream is determined in relation to the value of the timestamp of the data packet from the first multimedia stream, transmission of the second multimedia stream is initiated.

The use of computer systems and computer-related technologies continues to increase at a rapid pace. This increased use of computer systems has influenced the advances made to computer-related technologies. Indeed, computer systems have increasingly become an integral part of the business world and the activities of individual consumers. Computer systems may be used to carry out several business, industry, and academic endeavors. The wide-spread use of computers has been accelerated by the increased use of computer networks, including the Internet.
Many businesses use one or more computer networks to communicate and share data between the various computers connected to the networks including audio/video multimedia. Users of computer technologies continue to demand an increase in the efficiency of multimedia technologies. Improving the efficiency of computer technologies is always desirable to anyone who uses and relies on computers.
Many devices exist for displaying multimedia content. They include television entertainment systems, desktop computers, laptops, tablet computing devices, handheld computing devices, Smartphones, and the like. Multimedia systems may allow a user to play multimedia data on the multimedia device. When a provider attempts to deliver multimedia data to a consumer across a network, but the provider is unable to ensure constant network performance, and is unable to dictate the specifications of the user's playback device, it becomes challenging to provide the consumer with a continuous and uninterrupted multimedia experience.

Systems and methods for real-time adaptation of multimedia data


A process for the preparation of an aromatic acid comprising the step of combining an aromatic halide having at least one iodine or bromine substituent with:. a. a water-immiscible organic solvent, PA1 b. a palladium-based catalyst, PA1 c. a palladium-complexing agent, PA1 d. a tertiary nitrogen-containing organic base, PA1 e. water and PA1 f. carbon monoxide.. The process is performed in a two-phase liquid medium and in the substantial absence of a phase transfer agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new process for the preparation of aromatic acids. More particularly, the invention relates to an two-phase improved process for the production of aromatic acids by hydrocarbonylation of aromatic halides in the presence of a water-immiscible organic solvent, a palladium-based catalyst, a tertiary nitrogen-containing organic base, water and carbon monoxide.
2. Background of the Invention
Two recent patents may be considered among the various known methods of preparing aromatic acids. U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,004 issued July 5, 1977 ("the '004 patent") discloses a process for the preparation of carboxylic acids by the reaction of aromatic or aliphatic organic halides with carbon monoxide in an alkaline medium using phosphinic palladium complexes as catalysts. The reaction takes place in a two-phase medium in the presence of a quaternary alkylammonium salt as a phase transfer agent, with the aqueous phase containing an inorganic alkaline base and the quaternary ammonium salt.
The '004 patent states that the disclosed reaction should take place at a temperature of between 50.degree. and 150.degree. C. However, above this temperature, and even above 120.degree. C., carbon monoxide reacts with the alkaline base to produce sodium formate. The formation of this unwanted by-product needlessly uses up the alkaline base and the carbon monoxide which has been introduced into the reaction mixture, thus greatly reducing the space time yield of the process. As used herein, the term "space time yield" means the quantity of aromatic acid produced per unit (e.g., hour) of reaction time and per unit (e.g., liter) of liquid reaction mixture.
Further, Example 2 of the '004 patent demonstrates the inefficiencies encountered when one attempts to recycle the phosphine-complexed palladium catalyst using the disclosed process. During the first recycle, the yield of aromatic acid produced is about 10% less than the yield of the initial reaction using fresh catalyst. Therefore, the process of the '004 patent cannot be extrapolated to more than 4 or 5 successive recycles due to these increasingly poorer yields.
Patent EP 34,292 reveals a process for the preparation of anthranilic acid by combining carbon monoxide, water, a trialkylamine, a catalyst based on palladium complexed with a phosphine, and an acylamino-, iodo- or bromobenzene.
However, the quantity of water employed is so low that a two-phase system is not produced. Rather, the reaction of this patent takes place in a single, highly viscous homogeneous phase. As a result, the process of EP 34,292 does not permit easy separation of the reaction product from the catalyst and does not allow the catalyst to be readily recycled. Therefore, while the disclosed process is suitable for producing pharmaceutical products or chemical intermediates having a high unit value which are produced in relatively small amounts, it is not well-adapted for products which are produced on an industrial scale for large-volume use.
In contrast, the present invention provides improved processes which can be exploited economically on a large, industrial scale.

Process for the preparation of aromatic acid


A silicon-based interband tunneling diode (10, 110) includes a degenerate p-type doping (22, 130) of acceptors, a degenerate n-type doping (32, 118) of donors disposed on a first side of the degenerate p-type doping (22, 130), and a barrier silicon-germanium layer (20, 136) disposed on a second side of the degenerate p-type doping (22, 130) opposite the first side. The barrier silicon-germanium layer (20, 136) suppresses diffusion of acceptors away from a p/n junction defined by the degenerate p-type and n-type dopings (22, 32, 118, 130).

The following relates to the semiconductor arts. It especially relates to Si/SiGe interband tunneling diode (ITD) structures such as Esaki-like Si/SiGe ITD's, Si/SiGe resonant interband tunneling diodes (i.e., RITD's), and the like, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, the following will also find application in conjunction with Esaki-like interband tunneling diode device structures in other material systems, and in electronic and optoelectronic devices incorporating same.
Tunnel diodes have numerous potential and actual applications, including but not limited to local oscillators, frequency locking circuits, advanced SRAM circuits, highly integrated analog/digital converters, high speed digital latches, and so forth. Tunneling is a very fast phenomenon; hence ITD-based devices typically are operable at high frequencies.
Interband tunneling diode structures include degenerately doped n-type and p-type regions, sometimes very thin, in sufficiently close relative proximity so that electrons and holes can cross the p/n junction by quantum mechanical tunneling. In some ITD structures, the degenerate doping required is achieved using delta doping to concentrate the doping density to approximately the solid solubility limit. If the delta doping is very thin and of high enough doping density, it can also lead to quantum well regions that confine carriers. With a quantum well on the p-side and n-side of the p/n junction diode, resonant interband tunneling (e.g. RITD) can occur when the quantum wells are spaced closed enough for an overlap of the carrier wavefunctions. The ITD structure is challenging to produce, because dopant segregation and dopant diffusion during growth lowers the doping density and degrades the negative differential resistance (NDR). Using low temperature epitaxy reduces dopant movement during growth which increases the tunneling that manifests in an elevated peak current and a larger peak-to-valley current ratio (PVCR).
However, low temperature epitaxy also typically introduces higher point defect concentrations which increase the valley current of the negative differential resistance region. Point defect concentrations can be reduced by post-growth annealing; however, the annealing can induce solid state dopant diffusion that degrades the peak current of the negative differential resistance region. In some silicon-based ITD structures, a silicon-germanium layer is interposed between the degenerately p-doped and degenerately n-doped regions to reduce diffusion of dopants across the p/n junction during the post-growth anneal. The interposed silicon-germanium layer provides improved thermal stability of the doping profile during post-growth annealing; however, the thermal budget is still found to be limited by dopant diffusion.
The present invention contemplates improved apparatuses and methods that overcomes the above-mentioned limitations and others.

Si/SiGe interband tunneling diode structures including SiGe diffusion barriers


The invention provides a method, system, and program product for determining a gradient of a parametric yield of an integrated circuit with respect to parameters of a delay of an edge of a timing graph of the circuit. A first aspect of the invention provides a method for determining a gradient of a parametric yield of an integrated circuit with respect to parameters of a delay of an edge of a timing graph of the circuit, the method comprising: conducting a statistical timing analysis; expressing a statistical circuit delay in terms of a delay of the edge; and computing a gradient of the statistical circuit delay with respect to parameters of the delay of the edge.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to computer-aided design of integrated circuits, and more particularly, to the optimization of a digital circuit based on yield considerations. Even more particularly, the invention relates to the computation of yield gradients using statistical timing.
2. Background Art
Variability in integrated circuits increases with each new technology generation. Sources of variability include manufacturing conditions, device fatigue, environmental variations, and phase-locked loop (PLL) variations.
In the past, static timing analyses have been used to determine the performance of a circuit. In static timing analysis, a circuit is mapped to a graph called a timing graph. The longest path through the timing graph is the performance-limiting (i.e., critical) path of the circuit. If the delay of the critical path is more than a required value, the circuit cannot function properly. That is, the circuit has a timing violation. Because of variability, only a fraction of all manufactured circuits can meet the required timing constraints. This fraction is called the parametric yield of the circuit.
Typically, a static timing analysis is conducted for a particular setting of each of the process and environmental parameters, such as the thickness of a metal layer, the lengths of transistors, temperature, supply voltage, etc. The set of values to which process parameters are assigned is called a process corner. Such a static timing analysis at a particular process corner is referred to as "deterministic" timing analysis.
Deterministic timing analysis only verifies timing at a few selected process corners. Because of variability, multiple deterministic timing analyses are generally required to accurately analyze a circuit. When a large number of independently variable process parameters must be modeled, the number of timing runs necessary using traditional deterministic static timing analysis makes such a method impractical. Optimization of circuits based on deterministic timing analysis is also problematic. In the presence of process variations, the critical path is no longer unique. In fact, each process corner may have a different critical path. Thus, guiding optimization by the results of a deterministic timing analysis may not be the most efficient way to optimize a circuit.
These problems are partially overcome by statistical or probabilistic timing analysis, as taught in Patent Application Publication No. 20050065765 to Visweswariah, which is hereby incorporated by reference. In such an analysis, timing quantities such as delays, arrival times, and slacks are not treated as single numbers, but as correlated probability distributions. As such, the full probability distribution of the performance of the circuit under the influence of variations is predicted by a single timing run.
In such a run, the statistical maximum of the delay of all paths of the circuit is predicted. This quantity is called "statistical circuit delay." It is to be noted that this quantity is not the delay of any particular path. Rather, it represents the statistical maximum of the delay of all paths of the circuit.
In addition to timing analysis, an important role of a static timing analyzer is to provide diagnostics that are useful for optimization of the circuit. Such optimization may be automated or manual, and discrete or continuous. Since the critical path is not unique, as explained above, diagnostics that cover the entire space of process variations are especially important. The concept of criticality was taught in Patent Application Publication No. 20050066298 to Visweswariah, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Simply defined, the criticality probability of an edge, node, or path of a timing graph is the probability of manufacturing a chip in which the edge, node or path is in the critical path. An efficient method of computing criticality probabilities of all edges of a timing graph was also taught in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050066298.
Recently, a method for computing the sensitivity of the mean of the circuit's longest path to the mean or nominal delay of each circuit component was taught in "Defining statistical sensitivity for timing optimization of logic circuits with large-scale process and environmental variations" by Xin Li et al the IEEE International Conference on Computer-Aided Design, San Jose, Calif., November 2005. Unfortunately, this method does not compute yield gradients, and the sensitivities are computed by an inefficient chain-ruling method that propagates sensitivities through the timing graph.
Recently, a method for computing sensitivities in the context of statistical timing was taught by K. Chopra et al., "Parametric yield maximization using gate sizing based on efficient statistical power and delay gradient computation," at the International Conference on Computer-Aided Design, San Jose, Calif., November 2005. While this approach uses the concept of a cutset, it uses a numerical perturbation method for sensitivity computation, which is neither efficient nor accurate.
While criticality computation and sensitivity analysis provide valuable diagnostics, they still do not provide sufficient data for fully optimizing a circuit. More efficient optimization may be achieved if one were to know the gradient of a parametric yield (i.e., the circuit's yield due to variation in process parameters) with respect to the delay characteristics of one or more circuit components, e.g., the delay of each gate or the size of each transistor. To this extent, a need exists for a method for determining the gradient of a parametric yield relative to the delay characteristics or designable parameters of a circuit component.

Method, system, and program product for computing a yield gradient from statistical timing

International Business Machines Corporation