A developing solution is disclosed with which it is possible to develop a photoresist disposed on a substrate including a conductive polymer. Also disclosed is a method for forming a resist pattern using the developing solution. The developing solution contains one or more acids and/or salts thereof, the acids being selected from inorganic acids, amino acids having an isoelectric point less than 7, and carboxylic acids having two or more carboxy groups. Use of this developing solution hence inhibits the phenomenon in which a substrate including a conductive polymer suffers an increase in surface resistivity due to a developing solution, and makes it possible to obtain a fine resist pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing solution which can develop a photosensitive resin composition (referred to as a "photoresist") on a substrate containing a conductive polymer, with high sensitivity at high resolution, and to a pattern forming method employing the developing solution. The present invention has characteristic features causing no damages to the conductive polymer in contact with the developing solution, and thus can provide a conductive member having low surface resistance and high conductivity in all application fields with which conductive polymers and photoresists are associated.
2. Background Art
Recent years, a material containing indium oxide and tin oxide components (commonly abbreviated as "ITO") is used as a transparent conductive film material, however, various inorganic and organic materials have been actively studied as alternatives to ITO since indium is a rare element. A conductive polymer, which is an organic material, has a remarkably improved conductivity, and thus is promising as an alternative to ITO.
Conductive polymers have conductivity, translucency and light emitting property, and have characteristic feature of their flexibility higher than that of ITO also after film formation, and have been studied on applications, for example, to transparent conductive films, electrolytic capacitors, antistatic films, batteries and organic EL displays. Some of the conductive polymers have already been put to practical use.
For example, an electronic paper, which is a display element, is required to have flexibility, and a conductive polymer has been studied as a transparent conductive film material.
For an electrolytic capacitor, an attempt has been made to use a conductive solid such as a charge transfer complex and polythiophene in place of conventional electrolytic solution. A conductive polymer having more excellent conductivity can be used to fabricate an electrolytic capacitor having good frequency characteristic. Conductive polymers intended for electrolytic capacitors are also required to be stable chemically and physically and to have excellent heat resistance.
When a conductive polymer is used to form a thin film on the surface of a polymer film or the like, static electricity can be prevented while keeping transparency. Therefore, a coated film is used as a convenient antistatic film, an antistatic container and the like.
The conductive polymer is used as a positive electrode of a secondary battery, for example, in lithium polyaniline batteries and lithium ion polymer batteries.
On the other hand, a conductive polymer can be used, in place of platinum, as a counter electrode of titanium dioxide in dye sensitized solar batteries which are expected as solar batteries cheaper than currently mainstream silicon-based solar batteries. In addition, applications of a conductive polymer to an electronic element such as a diode and a transistor have also been discussed.
Further, there is an organic EL display employing a conductive polymer in its light emitting layer. A flexible display can be produced using an organic material, not glass, as a substrate. The conductive polymer can also be used in a hole transport layer of an organic EL display. The organic EL display is a self-emitting display, and can realize a light-weight thin display having a wide view angle and a high response speed, and thus is now being actively developed as a potential flat panel display.
In this manner, the conductive polymer is an important material for future electronics industry. When the conductive polymer is used, indispensably requires the technique of ensuring the formation of a fine pattern as is the case with ITO.
Fields that require conductive polymer pattern forming involve, for example, electrodes themselves of touch panels, electronic papers, organic EL displays (including low-molecular organic EL displays and high-molecular organic EL displays), inorganic EL displays and self-emitting displays abbreviated as "FED (SED)," and leader lines of the electrodes.
Several methods for the pattern formation of a conductive polymer are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a screen printing method and a printing method utilizing an inkjet or the like. The printing method has the problems of poor pattern accuracy and surface smoothness, although the production steps are simple since film formation is carried out simultaneously with pattern formation. Further, while the formation of a conductive polymer into an ink is necessary for the application of the printing method, there is also the problem of the difficulty in forming the conductive polymer into an ink because the conductive polymer is easy to aggregate.
The photolithographic method is a method for the pattern formation of a conductive polymer by forming a uniform conductive polymer film on the surface of a base material, and then forming a patterned resist film portion (referred to as "resist pattern") or etching a desired portion of the conductive polymer using a resist pattern as a mask. The photolithographic method involves more steps than the printing method, but provides high pattern accuracy, and thus is a common technique widely used in electron/semiconductor fields. In the photolithographic method, a developing solution and a conductive polymer are brought into contact with each other during the course of the pattern formation of the conductive polymer.
A method for forming the pattern of a conductive polymer by the photolithographic method is disclosed in Patent Document 2. Patent Document 2 discloses a method of forming a pattern of a conductive polymer (referred to as "conductive pattern") in which a resist pattern is directly formed on a conductive polymer and the conductive polymer is subjected to etching. The document indicates an electron beam resist and a photoresist as usable resists, but does not explain in detail a developing solution necessary to form a resist pattern. As the developing solution, there is only an example employing "MF-312" (manufactured by Shipley Japan) in the Examples. Patent Document 3 indicates that this product "MF-312" is a metal-free developing solution which contains an aqueous solution of tetramethylammonoium hydroxide (hereinafter, referred to as "TMAH"). Although the technique of fabricating a conductive pattern using a conductive polymer by the conductive polymer photolithographic method was known, as described above, conventionally and commonly used developing solutions, such as TMAH, alone were known as developing solutions for use in the development of a resist.
Patent Document 4 discloses a problem that, when an amine-based removing agent is used to remove a resist film on a conductive polymer, the basic amines, ammonia and piperazine contained in the removing agent increase the surface resistance of the conductive polymer, or penetrate into the conductive polymer to reduce the adhesion between a substrate and the conductive polymer. No case of discussions on influences of a developing solution has been found before, in methods for the pattern formation of a conductive polymer using the conventional lithographic method. However, TMAH, conventionally known as a developing solution, is not an amine, but a nitrogen-containing basic substance, and the possibility is conceivable that TMAH, upon contact with a conductive polymer, may worsen the surface resistance of the conductive polymer and the adhesiveness between the conductive polymer and a substrate, as is the case with an amine-based removing agent.
Regarding adverse effects caused by basic amines or the like contained in the removing agent, Patent Document 4 describes, as a solution, the use of a non-amine-based organic solvent as the removing agent. The removing agent is originally intended to non-selectively and rapidly remove a resist resin entirely, and thus was not a technique which can be applied as a developing solution in the developing process of selectively removing a resist by the photolithographic method.
Namely, there was no case of discussions on adverse effects of conventionally known developing solutions on conductive polymers in techniques of forming the patterns of the conductive polymers, nor was a solution therefor unknown.

Developing solution for photoresist on substrate including conductive polymer, and method for forming pattern


A client (such as a PC, portable telephone, PDA, electrical appliances), to which a device such as a IC card is connected, starts a handshake protocol to request a server to start communication. When communication is established via the handshake protocol, the initiative of communication is transferred to the server, and the state changes into a neutral state. In this neutral state, a control packet including a particular number of messages and a finished message is transmitted from the server to the client. If the client receives the control packet, the client performs a process according to the messages included in the control packet. This makes it possible to remotely control a device via a network in a highly reliable and efficient manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system and a control method, an information processing method and an information processing apparatus, an information processing terminal and a method for an information processing terminal, a storage terminal, and a program. More particularly, the present invention relates to a control system and a control method, an information processing method and an information processing apparatus, an information processing terminal and a method for an information processing terminal, a storage terminal, and a program, for controlling a device connected via a network in a more reliable and more efficient manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various systems have been proposed for controlling a device installed at a remote location.
One of such systems is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-184081. In this system, home electric appliances installed in a home, such as an air conditioner or a video recorder, are controlled in accordance with passwords transmitted via a telephone from the outside of home.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-41378 discloses a system in which a server is disposed between a controlling terminal and a controlled terminal, and the controlling terminal controls the controlled terminal via the server.
In those control systems, a device to be controlled is required to be always connected to a control device via a communication means so that the control device disposed at a remote location can access the device to be controlled (for example, in the system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-184081, a home electric appliance is always connected to a telephone line via a remote controller and an adaptor).
That is, when a first device serving as a controlling device and a second device serving as a controlled device can communicate with each other whenever communication is needed, either device can start communication under the initiative of that device. For example, the first device can transmit various data including a request to the second device, and, conversely, the second device can transmit various data to the first device, whenever transmission is required.
This makes it possible to control the device by communicating with the device via a network, whenever the control is needed.
However, in a case in which a device such as a IC card, a display, or a memory is remotely controlled in an environment in which the device is not always connected to a network, the device is generally controlled in such a manner that a client such as a personal computer, which manages the device, transmits a request to a server, and the client controls the operation of the device in accordance with a response returned from the server. In this technique, however, it is difficult for the server to directly control the device under the initiative of the server.
That is, because the device is not always connected to the network, the server cannot access the client with an arbitrary timing to control the device managed by the client.
More specifically, it is very difficult for the server to take the initiative in changing a property of a device such as a IC card or a non-contact RF ID receiving) or controlling the operation of the device that is connected indirectly to the server with a particular timing when the device is placed near to or directly on an apparatus (such as a IC card reader/writer or a RF ID receiver) connected to a network.
Furthermore, in the conventional control system, when commands or responses are transmitted between a server and a client, one command or one response is transmitted at a time. This results in an increase in the number of times that transmission is performed between the server and the client, and thus results in an increase in communication cost.
Because information such as a header and a footer is added each time a command or a response is transmitted, the data size transmitted at a time increases and the communication time needed for each transmission increases. The above-described problem is serious in particular when a terminal such as a portable telephone, communication with which is low in communication speed and needs high cost, is remotely controlled.
Furthermore, in the conventional control system, when a client receives a command transmitted from a server, if an error occurs at the client, the process is terminated regardless of the type of the error. To make the client perform a following process, it is required that the server and the client be connected to each other and a command be retransmitted.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Control system and control method, method and apparatus for processing information, information processing terminal and method thereof, storage medium, and program


An approach to handling integrated security roles is presented. An upstream application includes one or more role-mapping requirements that correspond to an upstream security role and a downstream security role. The upstream security role is expanded by adding an upstream security role identifier in a downstream application's role-mapping table or by adding upstream user-to-role mappings to a downstream application's role-mapping table. When an upstream security role is expanded, a user assigned to the upstream security role automatically has access to role-mapped downstream applications.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for integrating security roles across application boundaries. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for expanding a security role by mapping an upstream security role to a downstream security role.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems use various techniques for user authorization. A computer system typically authenticates and authorizes a user when the computer system receives a request from the user. For example, a user may access his bank account information and a banking application proceeds through a series of steps to authenticate and authorize the user, such as requesting a user identifier and a password from the user. The computer system may also require authorization to access downstream applications. Using the example described above, the banking application (i.e. upstream application) may call a downstream application to retrieve account information corresponding to the user's request whereby the downstream application requires user identification information in order to grant access.
Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) includes a security role-based access control mechanism for user request authorizations. A security role may be viewed as a collection of Enterprise Java Bean (EJB) method permissions along with read/write access permissions to URL pages. EJB beans and URL pages are packaged together into a J2EE application in order to build a functionality set that solves a business problem. System administrators map individual user identifiers as well as group identifiers to each security role in order to provide each user and group with required permissions to access business functions.
A challenge found with mapping users to applications, however, is that different developers or vendors create separate J2EE applications that are integrated into a larger business application. Security roles are typically defined within an application's boundary that, in turn, allows business applications to be developed in a modular fashion. For example, a business operation may be partitioned into a set of components and different groups may develop the components separately. A group that develops a particular module may not be aware of users that require access from other modules.
Furthermore, a challenge found with manually managing user-to-role mapping in a modular system for downstream applications is that it becomes non-trivial and complex. For example, a workflow user request may be handled by a number of J2EE applications. When this occurs, the user's identity is mapped to security roles corresponding to each application in order to provide the user with access.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method that automatically maps an upstream application's security roles to a downstream application's required security role and, conversely, maps downstream application security roles to upstream security roles. Moreover, what is needed is a system and method to more effectively provide users with access across application boundaries.

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention relates to an integrated circuit comprising a top package with a first substrate carrying an integrated circuit, and a bottom package with a second substrate carrying at least one die. To increase the clearance between the top package and the bottom package, the invention provides a cavity within the lower surface of the top package substrate such that at least parts of the die are placed within the cavity when the top package and the bottom package are assembled into a package stack.

Today, packing several dies within one package is common knowledge. By packing different dies within one single mold, a package may provide increased functionality. It may also be possible to pack different application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) into one single mold cap to provide different functionality within one chip. However, increasing the number of dies results in increased package size within the stacked die packages. This may be a drawback when applying a stacked die package as bottom package in a package stack, as the clearance between the bottom package substrate and the top package substrate has to be large enough to have the bottom package dies and potential mold caps placed in between the substrates. In other words, the minimum distance between the substrates surfaces is limited by the thickness of the dies and mold cap of the lower package.
Stacked chip scale packages (stacked CSP) with two or more dies stacked within a single package assembly are known. These stacked packages may be organic packages, which are wire bonded and overmolded in a chip scale package profile.
A common approach for assembling stacked packages is to solder the top package, e.g. the substrate of the top package, on top of the bottom package. In particular solder balls at the edges of the substrates are provided. These solder balls allow soldering the top package on top of the bottom package. Typical ball pitch ranges from 0.5 to 0.8 mm for these packages. Also ball grid arrays using full-sized balls with only 0.5 mm maximum height are known. These chips are used in a surface down configuration. The size of the solder balls can also determine the ball pitch, e.g. the distance between the balls.
The typical limiting factor in package stack design can be, as previously pointed out, the clearance between the packages. To provide enough clearance between the packages, the size of the solder balls for soldering the top package on top of the bottom package is chosen to be larger than usual. However, larger solder ball sizes require larger pitch sizes, which again require larger substrate areas. For example, a pitch size of 0.65 mm can be required instead of 0.5 mm to take up all necessary connections between the top and the bottom package. This may increase the package stack size from 12×12 mm to 13×13 mm.
It has also been proposed to provide a hole in the substrate of the top package and to place the die of the top package through the hole on top of the mold cap of the bottom package, insofar as there is no substrate between the bottom mold cap and the top die. Available area for signal traces inside the substrate and available area for connecting elements is reduced, which may further increase package stack size and area requirement on the motherboard.
Other approaches provide placing the stacked dies on the top package. In this case, the lower package only comprises a single overmolded die and the top package comprises the stacked dies. However, the overall height of the stacked package pack is the same as placing the stacked dies within the lower package.
It has also been proposed to provide a hole in the substrate of the top package and to place the die of the top package through the hole on top of the mold of the bottom package, insofar as there is no substrate between the bottom mold and the top die. Available area for signal traces inside the substrate and available area for connecting elements is reduced, which may further increase package stack size and area requirement on the motherboard.
There is a need to reduce both the area and the height taken by packaging of chips. Further size reduction, in particular in terms of chip area, is also necessary. In addition, a further problem is to provide reliable multi-chip solutions even with low motherboard area and component height.


A high-temperature and high-pressure corrosion-resistant process heat exchanger for a nuclear hydrogen production system decomposes sulfite (SO3) using heat from a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor to thereby produce sulfide (SO2) and oxygen (O2). The process heat exchanger comprises second and third system coolant channels, each of which is defined by a heat transmission fin, which is bent in a quadrilateral shape, and heat transmission plates, and has increased corrosion resistance thanks to ion-beam coating and ion-beam mixing using a material having high corrosion resistance. The third system coolant channel includes reaction catalysts for SO3 decomposition, and is made of a super alloy. Thus, a system differential pressure between the second and third system coolant channels can be greatly maintained at a high temperature of 900° C. or higher.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-temperature and high-pressure corrosion-resistant process heat exchanger, which decomposes sulfite (SO3) using heat from a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor to thereby produce sulfide (SO2) and oxygen (O2).
2. Description of the Related Art
Heat produced from the core of a very-high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, that is, a nuclear reactor, is transmitted to an intermediate heat exchanger using helium, and then helium or a similar second system coolant transmits the heat of the intermediate heat exchanger to a process heat exchanger.
The heat from the process heat exchanger evaporates sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to produce sulfite (SO3), and then decomposes sulfite (SO3) to produce sulfide (SO2).
A system located between the very-high-temperature gas-cooled reactor and the intermediate heat exchanger is defined as a first system, and a system located between the intermediate heat exchanger and the process heat exchanger is defined as a second system. Further, a system that produces hydrogen (H2) using heat from the process heat exchanger is defined as a third system.
Generally, when one of the processes for producing hydrogen using heat generated from the nuclear reactor, i.e. an iodine-sulfuric acid (H2SO4) decomposition process, is implemented, the process heat exchanger is required for heat transmission.
In order to produce hydrogen using temperatures of 900° C. or higher generated in the nuclear reactor, two processes are required, one of which is a process of decomposing sulfuric acid (H2SO4) into water (H2O) and sulfite (SO3), and the other of which is a process of decomposing sulfite (SO3) into sulfide (SO2) and oxygen (O2) at a temperature of about 900° C. or higher.
A sulfite (SO3) decomposer, which is one of these process heat exchangers, is a heat exchanger that is operated under severe conditions, specifically, that must generally be operated at a high temperature of 900° C. or higher, that must be able to withstand a differential pressure between two loops, and that must be resistant to corrosion. This heat exchanger cannot employ an existing heat exchanger due to these temperature and corrosion conditions, and thus a solution is being developed all over the world at present.
There is a super alloy that can be used at high temperatures but not for a long time in a SO3 atmosphere due to corrosion.
At present, it is reported that there is no process heat exchanger that can carry out an SO3 decomposition reaction and realize long-term reliability at a high temperature of 900° C. or higher anywhere in the world.
In Japan, a process heat exchanger that can be used in a sulfuric acid (H2SO4) atmosphere at a temperature of 900° C. or higher using SiC ceramic, which has good corrosion resistance, is being developed, but there are many technical difficulties from the viewpoint of the production of the ceramic itself.
Further, in Europe, an attempt is being made using high-temperature metal materials. The high-temperature metal materials have no problem from the viewpoint of the production thereof, but have a problem in that the lifespan thereof is very short due to its low corrosion resistance.

High temperature and high pressure corrosion resistant process heat exchanger for a nuclear hydrogen production system


A ring oscillator including a plurality of buffer units, each of which has a cross-coupled structure, for generating clock signals using a bias voltage having a predetermined voltage level applied thereto, wherein the clock signals have a swing width corresponding to the bias voltage.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor design technology, and more particularly, to a ring oscillator for generating an oscillating clock signal and a multi-phase clock correction circuit for correcting the phase of a multi-phase clock signal using the same.
In general, a semiconductor device, such as Double Data Rate Synchronous DRAM (DDR SDRAM), includes diverse circuits for performing a variety of circuit operations. As one of these diverse circuits, there is a ring oscillator. Typically, the ring oscillator is provided with an odd number of inverters to generate an oscillating clock signal. Recently, however, a ring oscillator with an even number of inverters as shown in FIG. 1 has been mainly employed.
Referring to the circuit diagram of FIG. 1, the existing ring oscillator 110 is provided with multiple inverters to produce first to fourth oscillating clock signals CLK0, CLK90, CLK180, and CLK270, respectively. Since the circuit configuration and operation of the ring oscillator 110 is well-known to those skilled in the art, details thereof will be omitted here for the sake of brevity. Here, the first clock signal CLK0 has a phase opposite to that of the third clock signal CLK180 and the second clock signal CLK90 has a phase opposite to that of the fourth clock signal CLK270. Thus, the second clock signal CLK90 is 90° out of phase with the first clock signal CLK0, the third clock signal CLK270 is 180° out of phase with the first clock signal CLK0, and the fourth clock signal CLK270 is 270° out of phase with the first clock signal CLK0. For reference, each of the first to fourth clock signals CLK0, CLK90, CLK180, and CLK270 oscillates because each inverter has a nonlinear property in operation.
Each of the inverters executes an inversion operation in response to an external power supply voltage applied thereto, to generate first to fourth oscillating clock signals CLK0, CLK90, CLK180, and CLK270. Thus, the first to fourth clock signals CLK0, CLK90, CLK180, and CLK270 oscillate by full swing at a voltage level between the external power supply voltage and ground voltage. That is, these clock signals oscillate at a CMOS level.
Meanwhile, semiconductor devices are designed to operate at high speed and to have low jitter characteristics. Thus, in recent years persons skilled in the art have preferred a clock signal of a Current Mode Logic (CML) level whose swing width is small over a clock signal of a CMOS level. Typically, a CML level clock signal consumes less power in high speed operation and has lower jitter characteristics than a CMOS level clock signal.
However, the existing ring oscillator by its configuration has to generate a CMOS level clock signal rather than a CML level clock signal, and thus, it is not suitable for semiconductor devices of current design.

Ring oscillator for generating oscillating clock signal


The invention relates to jewelry. More particularly, the invention relates to jewelry settings. Even more particularly, the invention relates to jewelry settings for displaying multiple faces or gems in a setting of a piece of jewelry, such as a ring, bracelet, pendant, brooch, necklace, religious icon, watch, earring, pin for clothing, hat pin, and the like. The setting may use a face rotatable about at least one axis and an engagement mechanism. The face may be a two-sided face or two separate faces, one facing outwardly away from the user and being visible, the other one of the faces being movable for facing toward the user and being hidden when the one face is visible.

Jewelry has been worn for thousands of years.
Previous attempts have been made to provide jewelry settings suitable for displaying one or more faces or gems provided on a piece of jewelry.
Prior attempts have been unsatisfactory owing to complicated mechanisms which were difficult to use, involved many moving parts, and were otherwise unsatisfactory.
Known examples of jewelry include the following United States and foreign patents:                U.S. Pat. No. 211,558 to Edwards;        U.S. Pat. No. 922,212 to Tropin;        U.S. Pat. No. 1,245,201 to Depollier;        U.S. Pat. No. 1,565,651 to Klass et al.;        U.S. Pat. No. 1,712,783 to Alpern;        U.S. Pat. No. 1,920,875 to Miskend;        U.S. Pat. No. 2,177,314 to von Dachenhausen;        U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,281 to Meeker;        U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,183 to Stern;        U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,375 to Estrin et al.;        U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,227 to Ricci;        U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,396 to Garris;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,608 to Berkowitz;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,974 to Shinohara;        U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,200 to Carter;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,731 to Ebara;        U.S. Pat. No. Des. 64,845 to Feingold et al.;        U.S. Pat. No. Des. 1,586,606 to Cain;        U.S. Pat. No. Des. 137,409 to Granat;        U.S. Pat. No. Des. 143,297 to Gantwarg;        U.S. Pat. No. Des. 188,805 to Hoffman et al.;        U.S. Pat. No. Des. 332,235 to Bonchek;        U.S. Pat. No. Des. 373,741 to Mehta;        U.S. Pat. No. Des. 374,410 to Tanory, Jr.;        A known United Kingdom Patent is:
United Kingdom Patent No. 19,432 A.D. 1904, published provisional specification application dated Sep. 9, 1904, complete specification left Jun. 9, 1905, accepted Jul. 13, 1905 to Hamilton [A.D. 1904, Sept. 9. No. 19,432].
A known French patent is:
FR 455,177 to M. Gesseleff, FIGS. 1-10, July 1913.

Jewelry setting, particularly suited for displaying multiple faces or gem stones


The present invention provides a circuit device capable of controlling deformation of a circuit device while preventing an insulating layer from peeling from a substrate. The circuit device includes a substrate, an insulating layer formed on the substrate, a filler filled into the insulating layer, a conductive layer formed on the insulating layer, and a circuit element formed on the conductive layer, wherein an average particle diameter of the filler filled into the insulating layer is controlled so that a Young's modulus of a part of the insulating layer on a substrate side can be smaller than a Young's modulus of a part of the insulating layer on an opposite side relative to the substrate side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit device, and more particularly, it relates to a circuit device comprising a circuit element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a circuit device included in an electronic instrument or the like, the exothermic density per unit volume has recently been increased due to downsizing densification and multi-functionalization. In recent years, therefore, a metal substrate having high heat releasability has been employed as the substrate for this type of circuit device so that circuit elements such as an IC (integrated circuit) and an LSI (large-scale integrated circuit) are mounted on the metal substrate, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 8-288605 (1996), for example. A structure obtained by forming a hybrid IC (integrated circuit) on a metal substrate is also known in general. The term "hybrid IC" denotes a circuit device obtained by collectively integrating circuit elements such as IC chips, capacitors, resistors etc. onto a single substrate.
FIG. 22 is a sectional view schematically showing the structure of a conventional circuit device disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 8-288605. Referring to FIG. 22, a resin layer 102 functioning as an insulating layer containing silica (SiO2) added as a filler is formed on a metal substrate 101 of aluminum (Al) in the conventional circuit device. An IC chip 104 is mounted on a prescribed region of the resin layer 102 through a bonding layer 103 of resin. Metal wires 105 of copper are formed on regions of the resin layer 102 separated from ends of the IC chip 104 at prescribed intervals through the bonding layer 103. The metal wires 105 and the metal substrate 101 are insulated from each other through the resin layer 102. The metal wires 105 and the IC chip 104 are electrically connected with each other through wires 106.
In the conventional circuit device shown in FIG. 22 the metal substrate 101 of aluminum is employed while the IC chip 104 is mounted on the metal substrate 101 through the resin layer 102, so that a large quantity of heat generated from the IC chip 104 can be released through the metal substrate 101.
However, the conventional circuit device shown in FIG. 22, wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the resin layer 102 is smaller than a thermal expansion coefficient of the metal substrate 101, includes a problem, that is, the metal substrate 101 under the resin layer 102 is deformed in such a manner that it is warped when the metal substrate 101 expands due to the heat generated in the IC chip 104. As a result, the circuit device is disadvantageously deformed.
As a possible solution for the foregoing problem, a rigidity (Young's modulus) of the entire resin layer 102 can be increased so that the deformation of the metal substrate 101 under the resin layer 102 is controlled. However, when the rigidity (Young's modulus) of the entire resin layer 102 increased, a tangential stress generated between the metal substrate 101 and the resin layer 102 is accordingly increased when the metal substrate 101 expands due to the heat generated in the IC chip 104. As a result, the resin layer 102 is unfavorably easily peeled from the metal substrate 101.


The data driver circuit for display device comprising an expansion hold circuit, that expands and holds a plurality of serially inputted digital image signals in parallel a first current driver circuit that is connected to the expansion hold circuit and comprises a plurality of current drivers for generating gradation currents corresponding with the digital image signals; a first switching circuit constituted by a plurality of switch groups connected to respective outputs of the plurality of current drivers; and a switching control circuit that switches at least the plurality of current drivers by controlling the first switching circuit and controls at least one of an order of expansion in the expansion hold circuit of the digital image signals, the direction thereof or number of rotations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driver circuit for a matrix-type display device and, more particularly, to a data electrode driver circuit that allows a gradation display according to current values by a display device that comprises a light emitting element for each pixel to gradation display and to a drive method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid-crystal display devices and so forth are being implemented in accordance with the development of display device technology in recent years. An organic EL display device possesses characteristics such as a thinner shape and wider viewing angle than liquid crystal display devices.
Organic EL display devices include passive-matrix-type display devices and active-matrix-type display devices in which a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) is employed in a pixel circuit. Active-matrix-type display devices can be further classified into voltage-drive-type display devices and current-drive-type display devices on the basis of the drive method.
FIG. 2 shows a simplified view of a matrix-type display device.
Respective pixel circuits 6 are arranged at the points of intersection between a plurality of control electrodes 5, which are provided at predetermined intervals in the row direction, and a plurality of data electrodes 4, which are provided at predetermined intervals in the column direction. The pixel circuits employ about four or five TFTs to reduce variations in the current of the pixel circuits, whereby the image quality is enhanced. Further, although not illustrated, the display device also comprises a power supply for a data electrode driver circuit and a power supply for a control electrode driver circuit, and a control circuit for controlling the data electrode driver circuit and so forth. FIG. 27 shows a data electrode driver circuit that drives conventional data electrodes and pixel circuits.
Serially inputted digital image signals D00 to Dxx are held by a data conversion circuit 82 for the duration of a clock signal cycle in sync with a clock signal CLK. A data inversion signal INV is used in cases where half or more of the data of D00 to Dxx is to be inverted in comparison with previous data, and reduces the current consumed by the digital image signal wiring (data bus).
For example, if the previous data is 000011 and the next data is 111111, four of the six image signals are inverted. In this case, the data inversion signal INV is rendered 1 by the side from which data are outputted (CPU and so forth) and the inputted image signal is thus inverted from 111111 to 000000 and then inputted to the data conversion circuit. When signals inputted from the CPU side to the driver circuit side are inputted such that the image signal is 000000 and the INV is 1, the desired signal 111111 can be obtained as a result of inverting the image signal from 000000 to 111111 by a data conversion circuit 82.
If the previous data is 111111 and the present data is 110011, only two of the six image signals are inverted. In this case, data inversion is not executed by the side inputting the data (CPU and so forth). When the signals inputted from the CPU side are inputted such that the signal INV is 0 and the image signal is 110011, the desired signal 110011 is obtained without inversion being performed by the data conversion circuit 82.
A shift register 81 generates sampling signals SP sequentially in sync with the clock signal CLK. When a start signal STH is inputted, the shift register 81 generates sampling signals SP from the outputs of flip-flop circuits (abbreviated to 'FF circuits' hereinafter) as shown in FIG. 28. That is, the shift register 81 generates a sampling signal SP1 from the output of an FF circuit 81a, generates a sampling signal SP2 from the output of an FF circuit 81b, generates a sampling signal SP3 from the output of an FF circuit 81c, and generates a sampling signal SP4 from the output of an FF circuit 81d, and then sequentially holds digital image signals in a data register circuit 12 in sync with the sampling signals SP1, SP2, SP3, and then SP4.
When the capture of a predetermined number of image signals ends, the digital image signals held by the data register circuit 12 are all transferred to and stored in a data latch circuit 13 at the same time by means of a latch signal STB. A current driver circuit A 14 drives data electrodes 4 by outputting predetermined current values in accordance with the image signal.
FIG. 29 provides a detailed view of the current driver circuit A 14 and the data latch circuit 13.
Generally, because the voltage of a display-device drive unit is high in comparison with the voltage of a logic unit as far as the data latch circuit 13, a level shift circuit 13c for converting a low voltage to a high voltage is provided between the current driver circuit A 14 and a data latch 13a.
If a image signal is an n-bit image signal, transistors (abbreviated to 'Tr' hereinbelow) 85a to 85f operate as n switches and perform control in accordance with the image signal. Tr 84a to 84f establish current values that are weighted with respect to a current value I of a reference current device 86 by means of n fixed current devices. For example, current drivers 14k with 64 levels, where n=6, are implemented. Current values in the order Tr 84a, 84b, 84c, 84d, 84e, and then 84f are then 1×I, 2×I, 4×I, 8×I, 16×I, and 32×I.
For example, if the image signal is 000000 and Tr 85a to Tr 85f are all OFF, a current does not flow to a load 87. Further, if the image signal is 111111 and Tr 85a to Tr 85f are all ON, a current of 63×I then flows to the load 87. In addition, the number of data electrodes 4, the number of control electrodes 5, and the number of current drivers 14k and so forth are optional depending on the number of pixels in the panel and the constitution of the pixel circuits. The load 87 is constituted by the data electrodes 4 and the pixel circuits 6.
When there is a current variation in the current drivers driving the pixel circuits, unevenness in the display (vertical line unevenness) then occurs. Generally, although a certain number of dot defects are permissible, not a single line defect can be permitted.
Therefore, in order to balance the variation in the characteristics of the A/D converter, D/A converter, amplifier, and so forth when an analog image signal is received, the provision of switching means on the input and output sides of the D/A converter, amplifier, and so forth to allow switching in optional cycles has been proposed (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 09-152850 (first, second, and fifth drawings)).
However, the driving of this conventional display device several is confronted by several problems.
The first problem is that vertical line unevenness caused by variations in characteristics such as the current value of the current driver circuit is produced and there is a drop in the image quality.
The second problem is that, in the current drive method, the drive time is determined by the current value, load capacitance and drive voltage. Hence, when the number of pixels is high, the drive time is short and the load capacitance is large, meaning that a large current value is required and the electrical power consumption of the display device is then large.
For example, one horizontal period is 1/(frame frequency×number of scanning electrodes), and, hence, if the frame frequency is 60 Hz and the number of scanning electrodes is 320, one horizontal period is 1/(60×320)=approximately 52 μsec (because there is actually a vertical blanking period and a horizontal blanking period, one horizontal period is approximately 50 μsec).
In a voltage driving method for a liquid crystal display device or the like, data electrodes can be driven at a high speed of approximately 1.5 μsec by an amplifier with a high drive performance such as a voltage follower. Approximately 30 data electrodes can be written by one D/V converter (the conversion of a digital signal to a voltage-value analog value is abbreviated to 'D/V conversion' and the conversion of a digital signal to a current-value analog value is abbreviated to 'D/I conversion'), and hence there may be 720/30=24 D/V converters.
In a current drive method for an organic EL display device, if driving takes place by means of a minute current of about 1 μA and the load capacitance is 10 pF, the time taken is t=CV/I=10 pF×5V/1 μA=50 μsec. That is, because time-division driving, which is generally performed by liquid-crystal display devices, is impossible, 720 D/I converters are required, which is the same number as the number of data electrodes.
Therefore, in the voltage drive method, driving can be performed at high speed by means of D/V converters, and therefore the write time is substantially constant irrespective of the image signal. However, in the current drive method, the write time is determined by the current value and load capacitance, and it is therefore difficult to drive a plurality of data electrodes using time division by means of a single D/I converter. Hence, the same number of D/I converters as data electrodes must be provided. Further, in the current drive method, if the number of pixels increases, the load capacitance increases and the drive time is shortened, meaning that there is the problem that the drive time is inadequate.
A third problem is that a conventional current driver circuit is unable to obtain current values that match the Gamma characteristic.
A fourth problem is that the circuit scale increases. In the technology in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 09-152850, an inputted signal is an analog signal, which is first A/D converted and then D/A converted and switching means are provided on the input and output sides of the D/A conversion to balance the variations in the characteristics of the D/A conversion circuit.
However, in small-scale display devices such as the latest cellular phones, the definition and number of gradations is increasing and the number of pixels is QVGA (240×RGB×320 pixels) or more. Advances in digital technology are leading to 6-bit or higher digital signals.
Therefore, when switching means are provided on the input side of the D/A conversion circuit, the number of switches connected to the input electrode of a single D/A converter is then (number of D/A converters×number of bit of digital image signal), and hence the number of the switches is huge. In this case, in the switching of image signals, the required number of switches on the input side of a single D/I converter is as many as 720×6=4,320, and, therefore, for the whole of the display device, as many as 720×3,110,400 switches are required.

Data driver circuit for display device and drive method thereof


Below 50-nm-diameter extremely narrow electrically-conductive fiber is used instead of the electron beam biprism used in the conventional interference electron microscope method. A phenomenon is utilized where a focus-shifted shadow of this fiber is shifted from a straight line by a distance which is proportional to a differentiation of phase change amount of an electron beam due to a sample with respect to a direction perpendicular to the fiber. The phase change amount is quantified by calibrating this shift amount through its comparison with a shift amount caused by another sample in terms of which the corresponding phase change amount has been quantitatively evaluated in advance. The differentiation amount of the quantified phase change in the electron beam due to the sample is visualized, or eventually, is integrated thereby being transformed into absolute phase change amount to be visualized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electron beam apparatuses such as an electron microscope for allowing the phase change distribution of an electron beam due to the magnetic-field structure of a sample to be quantitatively visualized with a high resolution by taking advantage of the electron beam.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, high-performance implementation of magnetic materials has been under way at a tremendous rate. As a result, measurement techniques for visualizing the magnetic-domain structures at nanometer level have become absolutely necessary for the development of new raw materials. Of these measurement techniques, a methodology which allows implementation of the highest spatial resolution and quantitative evaluation is the interference electron microscope method such as the off-axis electron beam holography method.
Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 2, the explanation will be given below-concerning the principle of the off-axis electron beam holography method. An electron beam, which is extracted from an electron source 1 by applying a voltage to a first extraction electrode 2 and a second extraction electrode 3, is accelerated up to a predetermined velocity by an acceleration electrode 4. Moreover, an electron beam with a high parallelism is formed by using such components as a first condenser lens 5 and a second condenser lens 6, and then a sample 7 is irradiated with the high-parallelism electron beam. Next, a voltage is applied to an electron beam biprism 19 which is located between an objective lens 8 and an image-forming lens system 11. As a result of this voltage application, an electron beam which has passed through the sample 7 and an electron beam which has passed through the vacuum in the vicinity of the sample 7 are superposed on each other on an image surface of the objective lens 8. This superposition forms an interference fringe, i.e., a hologram 10. Furthermore, this hologram 10 is magnified by the image-forming lens system 11, and is image-formed on a fluorescent plate 13, then being inputted into a detector 14. An input image from the detector 14 is introduced into a CPU 16 via an A/D converter 15. Then, after being subjected to an appropriate image processing, the input image is outputted to a display apparatus 18. Here, operation conditions on the components, such as the electron source 1, the first extraction electrode 2, the second extraction electrode 3, the acceleration electrode 4, the first condenser lens 5, the second condenser lens 6, the objective lens 8, the electron beam biprism 19, and the image-forming lens system 11, are controlled from the CPU 16 via a D/A converter 17. This interference fringe, essentially, is a one which should become straight lines. However, this interference fringe is phase-modulated by a magnetic field inside or outside the sample 7, thereby being shifted from the straight lines. From this shift amount, it is possible to reproduce the phase change amount via image processing such as, e.g., Fourier transformation method.
In JP-A-2002-117800, as an application embodiment of the off-axis electron beam holography method, an interference electron microscope using an electron beam biprism is disclosed. In the interference electron microscope described in JP-A-2002-117800, optical path of the electron beam is divided using the apparatus called the biprism, thereby generating an interference fringe on the transmission electron image. The unit used as the electron beam biprism is a one which is equipped with electrically-conductive property by applying metal evaporation on the surface of a glass fiber which is 300 nm to 600 nm in diameter and about a few mm long. Although no concrete disclosure is made in JP-A-2002-117800, phase information on the electromagnetic field of the sample is calculated based on the interference fringe generated.
In J. Cumings, A. Zettl, and M. R. McCarthy; "Carbon Nanotube Electrostatic Biprism: Principle of Operation and Proof of Concept". Microsc. Microanal. 10 (2004) 420424, in a process where the observation is made using a transmission electron microscope in a state where electric potential is applied to carbon nanotubes, a possibility is studied that the carbon nanotubes can be used as the electron beam biprism of the off-axis electron beam holography method, and experiments associated therewith are made.
Meanwhile, as a methodology for making the observation of a phase object in a simplified manner, the Lorentz electron microscope method (defocus method) has been in use from olden times. In the Lorentz electron microscope method, however, there have existed two problems, i.e., low resolution and lack of quantitative property. In recent years, this defocus method has been improved. As a result, the TIE (: Transport of Intensity Equation) method, i.e., a methodology for visualizing the phase quantitatively, is disclosed in. e.g., Teague, M. R.; "Deterministic Phase Retrieval: A Green's Function Solution". J. Opt. Soc. Am. 73 (1983) 1434 to 1441. Attention is now focused on this TIE method as an alternative method for the interference electron microscope method. This methodology is applicable to optical microscopes, X-ray microscopes, and electron microscopes.
Also, in V. V. Volkov and Y. Zhu; "Lorentz phase microscopy of magnetic materials". Ultramicroscopy 98 (2004) 271 to 281, a proposal is made concerning the MTIE (: Magnetic Transport of Intensity Equation) method which results from applying the above-described TIE method to magnetic materials. Then, this MTIE method is applied to the visualizing of in-plane components of lines of magnetic force within a magnetic thin film. In this way, from the viewpoint of the quantitative property, the alternative methods such as the TIE method are not comparable to the interference electron microscope method. It is expected from the viewpoint of simplicity and wideness of observation area, however, that these alternative methods will be used from now on in a complementary manner with the interference electron microscope method.


A simple yet high-tech panel spacer and joint are provided. The spacer, having a bi-frustum shape, is formed of a resilient, durable material and can be conveniently installed between panels such as used in wooden doors to stop rattles and cracks in the joints as the panels expand and contract due to heat, moisture or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein pertains to panel spacers which are used with wooden panels in such applications as paneled doors and particularly pertains to resilient spacers to prevent squeaks between panels and to provide a tight joint.
2. Description of the Prior Art And Objectives of the Invention
Wooden paneled doors have become increasingly popular with homeowners and builders in recent years causing a greater demand for spacers which are positioned between the panels in the connecting joints. Such spacers are used for centering solid panels, preventing panel rattle, and preventing cracking glue joints by taking up space between panels and providing frictional surfaces to immobilize the joints. Conventional spherical panel spacers are currently available which are resilient but only provide minimal surface contact along the edges of the panels when compressed. Such limited contact area provides, correspondingly, only limited friction to effect the purposes for which the older spherical spacers are used.
Thus, with the problems and disadvantages of prior art panel spacers, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide a superiorly shaped resilient panel spacer to improve the effect and purposes of the spacer.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a panel spacer that allows a wider contact surface when compressed and, correspondingly, more friction between the edges of the panels than does the old spherically shaped spacer.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a panel spacer, the frictional surface area of which increases with increased compression.
It is also an objective of the present invention to provide a bi-frustum shaped panel spacer that more effectively centers panels and more effectively prevents panel rattle than does a spherically shaped spacer.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a panel joint utilizing the bi-frustum spacer in combination with the panels.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.


In a high-frequency power supply for plasma having a housing and a high-frequency circuit substrate placed inside the housing, elements for supplying a high-frequency current to a high-frequency inductive coil are mounted on the high-frequency circuit substrate, a cooling block for cooling the high-frequency circuit substrate is provided, and a coolant path a for allowing a coolant to flow through is formed inside the cooling block so that the coolant is allowed to flow through the coolant path when a high-frequency current is supplied and the coolant is not allowed to flow through the coolant path when a high-frequency current is not supplied.

In an ICP optical emission spectrometer, a sample is introduced into a plasma flame so as to emit light through excitation. The thus-emitted light is dispersed through a grating so as to be detected by a photodetector, and as a result, an emission spectrum is acquired. In addition, an element contained in the sample is qualitatively analyzed by the type of wavelength in the spectrum line (bright line spectrum) that appears in the emission spectrum, and furthermore, the element is quantitatively analyzed by the intensity of this bright line spectrum (see Patent Document 1).
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an example of a conventional ICP optical emission spectrometer. An ICP optical emission spectrometer 200 is provided with a plasma torch 18 for optical emission spectrometry from which a plasma flame 22 is generated, a sample gas-supplying unit 44, a plasma gas-supplying unit 41, a cooling gas-supplying unit 42, a light measuring unit 43 for detecting the emitted light, a high-frequency power supply 130 for plasma that supplies a high-frequency current I, and a computer (control unit) 150 for controlling the entirety of the ICP optical emission spectrometer 200.
The plasma torch 18 for optical emission spectrometry is provided with a sample gas tube 11 in cylindrical form, a plasma gas tube 12 in cylindrical form that covers the outer periphery of the sample gas tube 11 with a space in between, a coolant gas tube 13 in cylindrical form that covers the outer periphery of the plasma gas tube 12 with a space in between, and a high-frequency inductive coil 21 with two to three loops around the end portion of the outer periphery of the coolant gas tube 13.
The plasma gas-supplying unit 41 allows argon gas to flow in the upward direction at a relatively low speed between the outer periphery of the sample gas tube 11 and the inner periphery of the plasma gas tube 12. As a result, argon gas is jetted from the upper end portion of the flow path created between the outer periphery of the sample gas tube 11 and the inner periphery of the plasma gas tube 12. When the jetted argon gas is ionized by the electrons that have been accelerated by the high-frequency electromagnetic field created by the high-frequency inductive coil 21, argon cations and electrons are generated. The generated electrons further collide with argon so as to proliferate the ionization, and thus, a stable plasma flame 22 is generated in the upper end portion.
The cooling gas-supplying unit 42 allows the argon gas to flow in the upward direction at a relatively high speed between the outer periphery of the plasma gas tube 12 and the inner periphery of the coolant gas tube 13. As a result, argon gas is jetted from the upper end portion of the flow path created between the outer periphery of the plasma gas tube 12 and the inner periphery of the coolant gas tube 13, and the thus-jetted argon gas flows in the upward direction along the outside of the plasma flame 22 that has been generated in the upper end portion.
When a sample is analyzed, the sample and the argon gas are made to flow in the upward direction through the space surrounded by the inner periphery of the sample gas tube 11. The sample is jetted from the end portion of the sample gas tube 11 together with the argon gas so as to be introduced into the plasma flame 22. As a result, a compound included in the sample makes contact with the plasma flame 22 and is converted to an atom or is ionized so as to emit light through excitation.
The light measuring unit 43 has a housing 43a, a condenser lens 43b for introducing the light emitted from the plasma torch 18 for optical emission spectrometry into the housing 43a, a grating 43c for dispersing the emitted light, and a photodetector 43d for detecting the emission spectrum.
The computer 150 is formed of a CPU 151 and input apparatuses 52, such as a keyboard and a mouse, and carries out a qualitative analysis on an element contained in the sample on the basis of the type of wavelength of the bright light spectrum in the emission spectrum detected by the photodetector 43d, and furthermore carries out a quantitative analysis on the element on the basis of the intensity of the bright light spectrum.
The above-described ICP optical emission spectrometer 200 is provided with a high-frequency power supply 130 for plasma that supplies a high-frequency current I to the high-frequency inductive coil 21. The plasma high-frequency power supply 130 is provided with a housing 131 having openings 131a and 131b, a high-frequency circuit substrate 32 placed inside the housing 131, and a cooling fan 133 placed in proximity to the opening 131a of the housing 131.
The housing 131 is in rectangular parallelepiped form having a space inside (50 cm×20 cm×35 cm, for example) where the opening 131a is created at the bottom while the opening 131b is created at the top.
Various elements (transistors and large-scale capacitors, for example) for supplying a high-frequency current I to the high-frequency inductive coil 21 are mounted on the upper surface of the high-frequency circuit substrate 32 in plate form.
The cooling fan 133 allows air to flow from the opening 131a of the housing 131 to the opening 131b of the housing 131 through the inside of the housing 131 when rotating.
In the thus-formed high-frequency power supply 130 for plasma, elements on the high-frequency circuit substrate 32 emit heat when a high-frequency current I is supplied, and therefore, the cooling fan 131 is rotated so as to allow air to flow, and thus, the heat generated from the elements on the high-frequency circuit substrate 32 is radiated.
In some other ICP optical emission spectrometers, a matching box is provided between the high-frequency power supply 130 for plasma and the high-frequency inductive coil 21 so as to form a structure for reducing the waves reflected from the high-frequency inductive coil 21, and the impedance is matched by changing the capacitance by means of the matching box.

High-frequency power supply for plasma and ICP optical emission spectrometer using the same


The present invention provides a method for producing a random-structure GIC in which exfoliated graphite having a low regularity of a graphene stacked state and a small number of stacked graphene layers can be easily obtained by exfoliation treatment. The method includes the steps of providing an alkali metal-GIC having an alkali metal intercalated between graphene layers and bringing a polar protic solvent into contact with the alkali metal-GIC in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.

In recent years, exfoliated graphite having a small number of stacked graphene layers has attracted attention. A method for producing exfoliated graphite using GIC is known as a method for producing exfoliated graphite. In this method, an alkali metal is intercalated between the graphene layers of graphite. Then, graphite is exfoliated by ultrasonic treatment, heat treatment, or the like.
Non Patent Literature 1 to be described below describes the reactivity of an alkali metal-GIC prepared by intercalating K or the like between graphene layers as an alkali metal. Non Patent Literature 1 describes that when graphite is brought into contact with an alkali metal vapor to obtain an alkali metal-GIC and then the alkali metal-GIC is brought into contact with air, the structure of the alkali metal-GIC changes. That is, it is shown that, in addition to a peak of the structure of stage 1 represented by KC8, a peak of stage 2 represented by KC24 and a peak of stage 3 appear on an XRD spectrum.
On the other hand, Patent Literature 1 to be described below discloses a method for producing a graphene solution which facilitates the processing of a graphene-like carbon material. In this method for producing a graphene solution, graphite is first reduced with an alkali metal such as K, and the alkali metal is intercalated between graphene layers. Then, GIC is brought into contact with a polar aprotic solvent. Thereby, a graphene solution in which GIC is dissolved in the polar aprotic solvent is obtained.

Method for producing random-structure GIC, method for producing exfoliated graphite dispersion liquid, exfoliated graphite dispersion liquid, and exfoliated graphite


The invention relates to a mascara brush comprising a carrier portion and a bristle covering of bristles respectively protruding outwardly along their longitudinal bristle axis L from the carrier portion, wherein the bristle covering comprises bristles consisting essentially of a bristle stem and an eyelash retaining organ adjoining thereto, which is configured as a retaining projection which projects over the surface of the bristle stem located, viewed in the direction of the longitudinal bristle axis, proximally-below it, in a direction transverse to the direction of the longitudinal bristle axis, or which is configured as a retaining groove open towards the distal end in the end face of the distal end of a bristle.

Such brushes are subject to a variety of requirements. Not only are they supposed to be capable of applying mascara as efficiently as possible, that is, in one stroke, if possible, without having to dip the mascara brush several times. Rather, they are also supposed to make it possible to curve the eyelashes in the sense of an upward curve (at the upper eyelid) or a downward curve (at the lower eyelid)—a treatment of the eyelashes referred to as "curling".
Moreover, they are also supposed to be capable of exerting certain tensile forces on the eyelashes so that they are visually extended, which is also referred to by the term "extending/lengthening".
Countless variations of mascara brushes have been proposed in the prior art which meet these requirements with different degrees of priority. In these cases, the focal point was so far directed primarily to finding a bristle covering whose bristles, depending on their specific diameter and their specific hardness, have exactly those different lengths that are optimal for reaching a good compromise in meeting the above-mentioned requirements.
Moreover, experiments with various bristle spacings were always carried out while trying to reach a good compromise in meeting the above-mentioned requirements.
Furthermore, the use of disc-shaped, rib-shaped or fin-shaped bodies that have a diameter considerably smaller than their length instead of conventional bristles was also already taken into consideration. However, the use of such massive bodies whose volume respectively exceed the volume of a single conventional bristle by several times also did not result in any decisive improvement, in particular also because the eyelashes are not distributed very well between these few large bodies which then constitute the bristle area, so that there is no sufficient separation.
Finally, it has also been proposed in practice that additional clamping organs separate from the bristles be used, which press the eyelashes from the outside against or onto the bristles, thus making it possible to grip the eyelashes in a plier-like manner for the purpose of curling or extending/lengthening in order to curve them or to more or less extend them in a desired manner.

Mascara brush with eyelash retaining member


A monoclonal antibody that does not show a crossreactivity with middle-molecular weight (MMW) adiponectin and specifically reacts with high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin alone is disclosed. The monoclonal antibody of the present invention can be produced by using HMW adiponectin as an antigen. According to the monoclonal antibody of the present invention, a convenient, high-accurate, and versatile reagent for analyzing HMW adiponectin can be provided.

Adiponectin is a secretory protein that is specifically expressed in adipocytes, and was reported to exhibit an anti-arteriosclerotic effect and an insulin resistance-reducing effect. In recent years, adiponectin has been reported to be involved in cancer, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome, and is considered to function as a defensive factor in the living body. Human adiponectin consists of 244 amino acid residues, and is known to have a molecular weight of approximately 28 kDa as a monomer. It was confirmed that adiponectin is present in blood in forms of a trimer (LMW: Low-molecular weight) as the basic structure, a hexamer (MMW: Middle-molecular weight) composed of the trimer, and multimers (HMW: High-molecular weight) composed of one or more LMWs and/or MMWs.
These various forms of adiponectin exhibit different physiological effects. For example, it was reported that HMW and MMW activated NF-κB in a C2C12 cell line, but LMW did not. Further, it was reported that persons deficient in adiponectin secretion could not produce HMW adiponectin and suffered hypoadiponectinemia and diabetes, and that the content ratio of HMW adiponectin was decreased in patients with coronary artery disease in comparison with healthy persons. Furthermore, it was reported that adiponectin of which the blood level changed before and after a diet was HMW. Therefore, it is important to detect HMW adiponectin alone in studies of adiponectin and various diseases.
In general, a protein molecule can be detected using a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes the protein as an antigen. However, in the case that the antigen is a mixture of multimers in various forms composed of single monomers such as adiponectin, it is difficult to obtain an antibody specific to only a molecule having a specific size. Because an antibody usually recognizes a primary amino acid sequence of an antigen, when an antigen is multimers, the antibody generally recognizes a primary amino acid sequence of the monomer that forms the multimers. Because adiponectin is composed of single monomers, an antibody that recognizes the adiponectin monomer simultaneously recognizes adiponectin multimers in any form. Even if a monoclonal antibody recognizes a tertiary structure, the crossreactivity to other molecules cannot be avoided in a molecule such as HMW adiponectin in which many basic structures are polymerized.
Therefore, in a case of using a general antibody, it is difficult to detect an adiponectin molecule having a specific size alone.
To quantitatively determine adiponectin having a specific molecular size, as conventional methods, a method in which adiponectin is pretreated (for example, gel filtration) to fractionate it based on its molecular weight and each peak is detected, and a method in which a specific molecule(s) is digested and the remaining molecule is detected, are generally used. Further, an ELISA technique that does not need pretreatment, such as gel filtration or a protease treatment, was developed, but crossreactivity to MMW is observed, and the ELISA technique is not specific to HMW. Therefore, a technique capable of detecting adiponectin having a specific molecular size alone, by a simple pretreatment or without pretreatment, is desired.
As conventional methods for measuring adiponectin having a specific molecular size, in addition to the above-mentioned gel filtration method, the following two methods are known:    (1) a method in which a pretreatment with an enzyme that digests LMW and MMW is carried out, and the remaining adiponectin that is not digested by the enzyme is measured to detect HMW alone (Patent literature 1), and    (2) a method in which an antibody that does not react with the adiponectin monomer, but recognizes a trimer and/or its associating molecule, high-molecular weight adiponectin, is used to detect the high-molecular weight adiponectin antigen alone (Patent literature 2).
However, the pretreatment with the enzyme needs an enzyme treatment time of several tens of minutes. In addition, in the case of incubation for a long time that exceeds an optimum time, there is a possibility that the target molecule per se may be digested by a coexisting protease, and thus, it is necessary to strictly select the incubation time. Further, in the treatment with an enzyme, an optimum digestive enzyme should be selected in accordance with the type of a target antigen, and thus, it is not a versatile method.
In the case of using the conventional antibody that recognizes high-molecular weight adiponectin, not only high-molecular weight adiponectin (HMW) but also other multimers (LMW and MMW) are simultaneously recognized, and thus, it is not a method capable of specifically detecting HMW alone. An antibody that specifically recognizes HMW adiponectin alone is unknown.

Monoclonal antibody for analyzing high-molecular weight adiponectin and utilization of same


A multiprocessing apparatus includes a memory and a plurality (M) of processors coupled to share the memory. Access to the memory is time-division multiplexed among the plurality of processors. In one embodiment, a selected processor retrieves M words of instruction forming K instructions during a given clock cycle. The selected processor executes M−K NOP instructions if K<M.

Computer systems typically include a processor, a random access memory (RAM), and a number of peripheral devices. The processor, RAM, and peripheral devices communicate with each other using one or more busses.
Significant latencies may occur when a processor accesses a memory across the bus. The processor must contend with other devices sharing the bus and transport over the bus is relatively slow. In order to improve computer system performance, the processor is provided with on-chip cache memories that store local copies of data or instructions. Such on-chip memories greatly improve processor execution times, however, the state of the cache must constantly be monitored to determine if external memory access is required. For example, significant delays for external memory access may be incurred in the event of a cache miss or when flushing the cache.
In a multiprocessor environment, significant overhead can be required to ensure synchronization of the on-chip cache memory of each processor with external memory. In addition to the undesirable amount of semiconductor die space consumed by the cache and overhead, some applications simply cannot tolerate external memory access latencies for flushing or filling the individual caches of the plurality of processors.

Method and apparatus for sharing instruction memory among a plurality of processors


An apparatus and method for measuring ozone in the atmosphere. The apparatus utilizes a fiber optic cable connected to a collimating lens located outdoors and a spectrometer that is located indoors. A pan-and-tilt positioning unit having a pan-axis capable of tracking an azimuth angle of the Sun, and a tilt-axis capable of tracking an elevation angle of the Sun, is utilized for automatically pointing the collimating lens directly at the Sun and taking readings for column ozone determination on any given day of the year. The apparatus and method utilizes a computer that is in electrical communication with the spectrometer and the pan-and-tilt unit.

This invention is related generally to an apparatus and method for measuring stratospheric ozone. More specifically, this invention is related to an instrument that employs a high-resolution fiber-optic spectrometer, coupled with precisely aimed fiber optics to acquire intensity data at multiple UV wavelengths within the UV-B range (280-320 nm). In this wavelength range, UV is attenuated by ozone, but not all is dissipated, as is the case for UV-C (100-280 mm). Although not wanting to be bound by theory, the equation used to calculate ozone incorporates the ratio of intensity for multiple wavelengths in order to eliminate interference effects from aerosols.
Life processes on earth are driven by energy which originates from the sun or has been stored from past solar radiation. The sun provides a broad spectrum of light energy, most of which is beneficial, and some of which is harmful, dependent upon exposure level. Exposure to full spectrum solar UV light, as it exists high in our atmosphere, is damaging to both biotic and abiotic entities. We therefore rely on most of this UV energy being filtered out before reaching the earth's surface. This filtering is done effectively by the earth's middle atmosphere, primarily by ozone in the stratosphere. The invention described herein is concerned with an cost effective apparatus for measuring stratospheric ozone for purposes of monitoring the Earth's UV filter.
The discovery of stratospheric ozone depletion over Antarctica provided impetus to the ozone depletion theory of Molina and Rowland and prompted the creation of networks to monitor changes in stratospheric ozone and related enhanced levels of ultraviolet radiation over the surface of the Earth, especially the biologically active UV-B. Estimates suggest that UV irradiance has increased since the early 1980s over mid- and high latitudes of both hemispheres.
Increased levels of UV have potential consequences for human health, agricultural systems, ecological systems, and material goods. Some human effects are DNA damage in cells which can lead to skin cancer, premature aging of the skin, increased risk of cataract development, and immune system repression.
Excessive UV-B has been shown to affect the physiological and developmental processes of plants. This has obvious agricultural implications for UV intolerant plant species and may necessitate the development of tolerant hybrids. The potential effects of increased levels of UV-B exposure on crops and ecosystems are not fully understood, but experiments have shown that increased UV-B exposure, especially during plant development, may induce effects such as reduction in grain yield and susceptibility to disease. Examples are reduced leaf area and DNA damage due to exposure during plant development that is not fully repaired and thus inherited by offspring and accumulated over generations, and reductions in dry matter accumulation that affect maize grain yield. Further effects of UV-B may be felt in forests and grasslands with implications on succession and biodiversity.
Recent decreases in concentration and emission rates of ozone-depleting compounds from their peak in the early 1990s indicate potential ozone recovery to pre-1980 values by the middle of the century. Observations during the 1990s indicate that ozone depletion is also occurring over the Arctic but the formation of an ozone hole similar to the one over Antarctica is unlikely. Ozone at middle latitudes has also been reduced. The average total column ozone (1997-2001) was 3% and 6% below the pre-1980 values in the Northern and the Southern Hemisphere respectively. Clearly, contributions from networks of ground-based instruments and satellite observations have greatly contributed to this understanding of ozone dynamics. Monitoring of ozone is useful while recovery of ozone occurs, due to global efforts to curb the use of products releasing chemicals harmful to the ozone layer.
Improving the spatial distribution of observing ground stations, for continued and expanded global monitoring of UV and ozone, is needed to assess current and future trends and to support satellite measurements. However, existing automatic total column ozone monitors are complex and expensive instruments. The instrument developed in this dissertation is a low-cost, yet automated, total column ozone instrument that permits the widespread distribution of monitors with potential to greatly improve our understanding of ozone dynamics.
Current Stratospheric Ozone and UV Monitoring Programs in US include the USEPA UV-Net consists of a network of 21 Brewer spectrophotometers in the United States that measure solar radiation in the LV-B and UV-A bands. Irradiance data are analyzed and disseminated to scientists and the public to assess distribution and trends of UV and long-term records for impact studies on biota and materials. Fourteen of these UV monitoring sites are located in National Parks and are operated by the National Park Service as part of the Park Research and Intensive Monitoring of Ecosystems Network ("PRIMENet"). The other seven sites correspond to urban areas. The National Ultraviolet Monitoring Center ("NUVMC") of the University of Georgia helps operate the UV-Net that is coordinated with programs of other U.S. Federal agencies through the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Total column ozone can be derived from the Brewer spectral measurements. One of ordinary skill in the art realizes that most US programs related to UV and ozone can be accessed via the UV-Net web page.
The UV Index forecast of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ("NOAA") Climate Prediction Center is a joint effort with US-EPA to produce a daily forecast of UV Index for 58 US cities as a text bulletin and in map form. It provides historical data in the form of past bulletins, monthly means and maxima and annual time series plots. NOAA's Aeronomy Laboratory ("AL"), Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory ("CMDL"), Climate Prediction Center ("CPC") and the National Climatic Data Center ("NCDC") are involved in monitoring and research of ozone and the processes affecting its concentration in the stratosphere. CMDL maintains 15 stations based on the Dobson Ozone spectrophotometer, and is the World Dobson Ozone Calibration Center of Global Atmosphere Watch ("GAW"). This center is responsible for the calibration of about 100 instruments worldwide. Most of the ground-based total ozone instruments are part of the GAW program coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization ("WMO"). NOAA's Surface Radiation Research Branch operates the Central UV Calibration Facility ("CUCF"), the U.S. SurfRad Network of solar radiation instruments and conducts research on Uw Radiation and its effects on the earth.
In response to predictions of increased UV radiation in the polar regions, the National Science Foundation established, in 1988, the UV Monitoring Network, which currently consists of six high resolution spectroradiometers (e.g. BSI model SUV-100) located in Antarctica and other high latitude regions with a reference site in San Diego, Calif. The network perfoms measurements of global spectral irradiance in the UV and visible bands. Data are provided to researchers studying the effects of ozone depletion on terrestrial and marine biological systems.
The US Department of Agriculture ("USDA") maintains a UV-B Monitoring and Research Program initiated in 1992 to provide information on the geographical distribution and temporal trends of UV-B in the United States. This information is useful to the assessment of the potential impacts of increasing UV-B levels on crops and forests. The research network provides high resolution spectroradiometers to six selected sites.
Available Ozone Detection Instruments. The oldest ozone spectrophotometer was designed by Dobson in the 1920's, and uses prisms to select from two to six different wavelengths (between 305 and 345 nm) of the incoming light; it is still considered as the reference instrument for total ozone observations. Dobson instruments are regularly calibrated at international comparisons performed under the GAW program of WMO and related to the primary standard maintained by NOAA CMDL, Boulder, Colo.
The Brewer measures direct and global (direct+diffuse) spectral irradiance at high resolution in the wavelength range of 290-372 nm. For example, the MKIV provides spectral irradiance data in the range of 286.5 to 363 nm in steps of 0.5 nm. Total ozone is derived from direct sun measurements at four UV wavelengths. The Brewer allows automated measurements. For cloudy sky conditions, ozone may be derived from scattered UV radiation from the zenith direction. Concentration of SO2 can also be derived from the instrument measurements.
The SUV-100 (Biospherical Instruments) is also high resolution (nominal bandwidth 1 nm) and is used by NSF Polar Region UV monitoring network. Based on a double monochromator and gratings, the SUV-100 is driven by a stepping motor with a step size of 0.05 nm. Other moderate resolution instruments are also used. For example the GUV 511 (Biospherical Instruments) measures UV irradiances in four channels, with center wavelengths at 305 nm, 320 nm, 340 nm and 380 nm. Bandwidths are approximately 10 m Full Width at Half Maximum ("FWHM").
The Microtops II hand-held ozonometer, manufactured by Solar Light Company, is a manual instrument which measures total column ozone and water vapor. The Microtops II is a five-channel sun-photometer with center wavelengths at 305.5, 312.5, 320, 940, and 1020 nm. The UV channels (305.5, 312.5, 320 nm) have a FWHM resolution of 2.5 nm and are used for total ozone column calculations.
Ozone Measurements from Satellites can be determined using a Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer ("TOMS") provides data on UV and ozone. TOMS provides global distribution of ozone as well as total ozone estimates over selected sites. Backscattered radiation levels at wavelengths where ozone absorption does and does not take place are compared with the same wavelengths measured directly from the sun to derive a total ozone amount in the earth's atmosphere. This methodology is also used by NOAA's Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet ("SBUV/2") instrument. Ozone cannot be provided for the earth's shadow or polar night regions because ozone estimates are based on UV measurements. The SBUV/2 instrument currently onboard the NOAA-16 polar orbiting satellite measures the ultraviolet sunlight scattered by the Earth's atmosphere at several wavelengths ranging from 252 to 340 nm. Measurements at the shortest eight wavelengths are used to estimate ozone vertical profiles. Measurements at the longer four wavelengths, which penetrate into the lower atmosphere, are used to obtain estimates of total column ozone. It uses the ratio of two wavelengths of backscattered ultraviolet light where one is strongly absorbed by ozone while the other is absorbed very little. NOAA's TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder ("TOVS") instruments measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth at several wavelengths instead of ultraviolet backscattered radiation. Thus, the TOVS can determine ozone at night.
Because ozone in the stratosphere is beneficial, it is often referred to as "good" ozone, compared to ozone at ground level which is frequently called "bad" ozone. Ozone in the stratosphere protects us from harmful UV, whereas ground level ozone causes respiratory problems in humans and can be deadly to plants. The apparatus and method described herein concerns the measurement of "good" ozone. Therefore, unless specified otherwise, the word ozone implies "good" ozone throughout this specification.
Ozone is a triple oxygen molecule that forms when a free oxygen atom joins with an O2 molecule to form O3. Both "good" and "bad" ozone have the same chemical structure, the only difference being the location in the atmosphere. The first step in ozone formation is the generation of a free oxygen atom. At ground level, the oxygen atom is produced when UV light bombards the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide, freeing one of the oxygen atoms according to the following reaction:NO2+UV→NO+OIn the stratosphere free oxygen is obtained primarily by the following reaction:O2+UV→O+Owhere the UV photon energy required to split an O2 molecule is much higher than that needed to separate the oxygen atom from NO2. In order to split an O2 molecule, the UV wavelength should be less than or equal 240 nm. Recall Planck's lawE=hνwhere E is energy, h is Planck's constant and ν is frequency, which in turn is written as the quotient of the speed of light (c) over wavelength (λ)ν=c/λ.Thus, the shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy. Only photons with λ≦240 nm have enough energy to break O2 bonds. Once a free oxygen atom is available, O3 is formed by the reactionO2+O→O3.
In the stratosphere, the process of generating atomic oxygen by splitting O2 molecules is slow due to the limited solar energy below 240 nm and, as a result, the creation of new ozone from oxygen is a slow process.
UV light is categorized as UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C dependent upon wavelength. Generally, light with a wavelength in the range 100-280 nm is considered UV-C, 280-320 nm is UV-B, and 320-400 nm is UV-A. By this definition, only UV-C has enough energy to split an O2 molecule, but the total amount of UV-C available is much lower than UV-B or UV-A, resulting in a slow process for generating stratospheric ozone. The ozone layer is effective at filtering out UV-C and substantially none of it reaches the troposphere. UV-B is partially filtered by ozone whereas very little UV-A is filtered. It is therefore the biologically active UV-B with which we are primarily concerned as ozone thickness varies for any reason.
The process by which ozone absorbs and thereby attenuates harmful UV before it reaches the lower atmosphere is destruction of the ozone molecule itself. When UV light strikes an O3 molecule it breaks apart into an O2 molecule and an oxygen atom and the UV photon is absorbed. However, the free oxygen, usually very quickly, reacts with another O2 molecule to reform O3. This process of breaking and reforming O3 is a fast process due to the fact that the photon energy required to break apart O3 is not as high as for O2 and due to the relative abundance of O2. O3 can be split by a photon with λ≦325 nm. There is an abundance of UV light in the stratosphere at these wavelengths, including some UV-A and the entire range of UV-B, and UV-C. FIG. 1 illustrates insight into the ozone creation and destruction process. Without unnatural trace gases present in the stratosphere, ozone concentration stays in balance as it is quickly destroyed by UV and then reformed. As shown in FIG. 1, some oxygen atoms escape the quick cycle by forming O2 and returning to the slow process at the left of the figure (path 3), but other oxygen atoms are produced by high energy UV and these atoms reenter the fast ozone process to the right (path 1).
This cycle of ozone destruction and creation continues in a relative equilibrium fashion unless trace gases such as chlorine or bromine become more abundant and react with the free oxygen atoms, removing them from the cycle. Both chlorine and bromine found in the stratosphere are derived from man made chemicals that are transported to the stratosphere, break down, and destroy many ozone molecules.
The primary source of chlorine in the stratosphere is from the breakdown of chlorinated fluorocarbons ("CFCs") used as refrigerants, and formerly as propellants and for cleaning manufactured subassemblies. While CFCs are very stable in the troposphere and are somewhat heavier than air, they are nevertheless carried to the stratosphere by thermally driven currents called Brewer-Dobson circulation. Once CFCs reach the stratosphere, ultra-high energy UV breaks them down. This ultra-high energy UV is not present in the troposphere and CFCs are thus very stable at ground level.
Although not wanting to be bound by theory, the following reaction equations show how CFCs serve as a catalyst for ozone destruction. First, chlorine is freed from a CFC molecule (Freon-11 in this case) by a high energy UV photon and then it reacts with O3 to produce chlorine monoxide. The chlorine monoxide then further consumes a free oxygen atom which would have potentially formed ozone. The net effect is that two oxygen molecules are produced from one ozone molecule and one free oxygen atom, an effective loss of two ozone molecules.
                                                                        CFCl                3                            +              UV                        ->                                                                  CFCl                2                            +              Cl                                                                                Cl              +                              O                3                                      ->                                                  ClO              +                              O                2                                                                                ClO              +              O                        ->                                                  Cl              +                              O                2                                                          _                                                  NET                                :                                                                                O            3                          +        O            ->              2                                                            O          2
At the end of the above set of reactions, the chlorine is still free to destroy more ozone and the cycle goes on until the chlorine atom finds another atom such as hydrogen, reacting to form HCl. At that point the damage finally ceases. It is estimated that one free chlorine atom destroys about 1000 ozone molecules before being taken out of circulation.
The apparatus and method of this invention was developed to be a substantially automated low-cost instrument to measure stratospheric ozone. Although not wanting to be bound by theory, the availability of this apparatus and method enables broader ground-based observations from repeatable positions, contributing to an expansion of UV and ozone data, and enabling a more complete mapping of ozone density. Additionally, data recorded by such instruments will support satellite observations and provide ozone data on days when satellite coverage is not available, due to satellite instrument field of view and longitudinal location of its orbit. This apparatus and method have a flexible platform, which may be adapted to study other atmospheric constituents with potential applications in a variety of ecosystem and air quality studies.
The new instrument employs a high-resolution fiber-optic spectrometer, coupled with precisely aimed fiber optics to acquire intensity data at multiple UV wavelengths within the UV-B range (280-320 nm). In this wavelength range, UV is attenuated by ozone, but not all is dissipated, as is the case for UV-C (100-280 mm). The equation used to calculate ozone incorporates the ratio of intensity for multiple wavelengths in order to substantially eliminate interference effects from aerosols. Wavelength selection was guided by past efforts such as the Dobson, Brewer, and MICROTOPS II instruments. Automation allows continuous monitoring and logging with only occasional periodic human intervention.
The invention described herein comprises:    1) A system architecture with specific system components;    2) Software algorithms used to collect and process UV-B spectral data;    3) A sun tracker based upon a two axis positioning mechanism;    4) An appropriate control method capable of integrating the entire system and developed software into a substantially automatic system;    5) Instrument calibration procedures including automated collection of Langley data;    6) The ability to calculate total column ozone using UV-B data from the spectrometer and save the intensity data and result in a file for future analysis; and    7) The ability to characterize the entire light collection sub-system including fiber optics, lenses, filters and pan and tilt mechanism;
The precision and accuracy of the instrument was determined by comparing its performance against MICROTOPS II and TOMS satellite data. The instrument's performance was evaluated to generate conclusions about the recommend methods of use for this apparatus. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that ground based units are less expensive than satellites.
Additionally, ground based, conventional stratospheric ozone measuring instruments cost about $200,000 in 2005 U.S. dollars. The cost of these instruments greatly restricts the number that can be deployed for measuring stratospheric ozone. In contrast, the instrument, system and method of the present invention comprise a total column ozone measuring instrument which, advantageously, can be built for substantially less than a conventional instrument. The low cost of the present invention will permit expanded global monitoring of stratospheric ozone. Furthermore, the present invention is adapted to measure other trace gases and haze in the atmosphere.

Instrument, system and method for automated low cost atmospheric measurements