A cantilever displacement detection apparatus comprises a laser diode for emitting a laser beam functioning as detection beam for displacement detection based on an optical lever method, and a position sensor having two light receiving regions for outputting signals corresponding to the intensity of received light. The laser diode and the position sensor are arranged such that the light beam is passed through an objective lens and made incident slantingly on a mirror provided on a free-end portion of a cantilever and the laser beam reflected by the mirror is passed through the objective lens and made incident on the position sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cantilever displacement detection apparatus for detecting a displacement of a cantilever in an atomic force microscope (AFM) or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A cantilever displacement detection system of an atomic force microscope employs, for example, an interference method or an optical lever method. According to the interference method, a laser beam is radiated on a mirror provided on that surface of a free end portion of a cantilever, which is opposite to the surface thereof provided with a probe, and a variation in intensity of reflected beam due to a displacement of the cantilever is detected by an interferometer. On the other hand, according to the optical lever method, a variation in incidence angle of a laser beam incident on a mirror, which results from a displacement of a cantilever, is detected as an increased displacement of a beam incident on the surface of a beam receiver on the basis of the principle of optical lever.
FIG. 4 shows a conventional cantilever displacement detection apparatus employing the optical lever method. A cantilever 112 supported on a box-shaped frame 110 has a probe 114 at its free end portion. A mirror 116 is provided on that surface of the cantilever which is opposite to the surface thereof provided with the probe 114. A sample 118 is mounted on a sample table 120, such that the sample 118 faces the probe 114 at a short distance. The sample 118 is moved in an XY-direction, i.e. a direction parallel to the surface of the sample 118. The frame 110 contains a laser diode 122 for emitting a laser beam to the mirror 116, and a two-part light receiver 124 for receiving the beam reflected by the mirror 116. The light receiver 124 has two light receiving regions 124a and 124b, and the receiver 124 is adjusted such that the center of the laser beam reflected by the 116 is located at a boundary between the two light-receiving regions 124a and 124b when the cantilever 112 is in its normal measurement position (a horizontal position in FIG. 4). The light receiving regions 124a and 124b output voltage signals corresponding to the intensity of received light. By finding a difference between the two voltage signals, an inclination of the mirror 116, i.e. a displacement of the cantilever 112, can be measured.
When a sample of a living body is observed, the same observation can be performed with a sample region including the cantilever filled with a liquid, as indicated by broken line B in FIG. 4.
The detection sensitivity S of the optical lever method is expressed by EQU S=D/.DELTA.=2L/1
where D is the displacement of the beam on the light receiving surface of the two-part light receiver 124, l is the length of the cantilever 112 (normally 100 to 200 .mu.m),
L is the light path length of the reflected beam (the distance between the mirror 116 and the two-part light receiver 124), and
.DELTA. is the displacement of the probe 114
When L=100 mm and l=200 .mu.m, EQU S=200/(200.times.10.sup.-3)=10.sup.3
As has been described above, according to the optical ever method, the displacement detection system with simple structure and high sensitivity can be obtained.
A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) or an atomic force microscope (AFM) has a resolution of 10 nm to 0.1 nm which is much higher than a sub-micron resolution of an optical microscope. By the STM or AFM, a real image of a DNA in a cell structure or a molecular/atomic arrangement can be obtained.
In the early stage of development of STMs and AFMs, a crystal having an orderly atomic arrangement was employed as a sample. Any point of such a sample could be observed by simply approaching the probe to that point. However, a sample such as a cluster having an upper pattern on an orderly atomic arrangement, DNA, or a cell membrane of a living body, cannot be observed by such a method. In many cases, however, the presence of such a sample can be detected by an optical microscope although the structure thereof cannot be resolved. Thus, in order to generally locate the measurement area for the STM or AFM, it is very useful to combine an optical microscope with the STM or AFM.
A technique for combining only a probe with an
optical path in an STM was already disclosed in PCT International Publication No. W089/01603 (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/460,076 filed Feb. 5, 1990). A similar technique for an AFM was disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application H2-281103. According to this technique, a displacement of a cantilever is detected by a critical angle focus-state detection method combined integrally with an optical system. However, the sensitivity in this critical angle method is inferior to that in the optical lever method.
Accordingly, it is desirable to apply the optical lever method to the cantilever displacement detection system of the AFM. In the optical lever method, it is desirable, as shown in FIG. 4, that the laser diode and two-part light receiver be situated above the cantilever so that the incidence angle of a laser beam may not increase. If the incidence angle of the laser beam incident on the cantilever increases, the detection sensitivity would deteriorate and the detection error would increase. However, when the cantilever displacement detection optical system based on the optical lever method is applied to the AFM having an observation optical system, it is difficult to obtain a high-quality optical path because of the presence of an objective lens or the like of the observation optical system, that is, it is difficult to arrange the laser diode and two part light receiver so as not to increase the incidence angle of the laser beam.

Cantilever displacement detection apparatus


Polymer-type fibers longitudinally shrinkable by calcination and other carbon fibers are mixed and mechanically compressed and integrated by a needle punch, and the polymer-type fibers are then shrunk when calcined. Thus, there is obtained high bulk density carbon fiber felt having average bulk density of 0.1 g/cm.sup.3 or more without the carbon fiber felt impregnated with, resin and compressingly molded. The density of carbon fiber felt may change in the thickness direction thereof. The high bulk density carbon fiber felt may be used as a thermal insulator for a high-temperature furnace, a heat-resisting cushioning material, and a material for the electrode of a secondary battery.

Carbon fiber felt is excellent in heat resistance to a high temparature, thermal insulating properties and the like. Accordingly, such felt is used as a thermal insulator in a high-temperature furnace such as a ceramic sintering furnace, a vacuum furnace for evaporation deposition of metal, a furnace for growing semiconducting single crystals, or the like.
On the other hand, the inventors have reported in Collection of Outlines of Lectures, 1143-1148P, of First Japan International SAMPE Symposium & Exhibition (Nov. 30, 1989) that the dependency of thermal conductivity on temperature varies with the bulk density of carbon fiber felt. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the thermal conductivity .lambda. serving as an index of thermal insulating properties in a high-temperature furnace closely relates to the bulk density .rho. of carbon fiber felt. In a high-temperature zone, the thermal conductivity .lambda. generally becomes smaller as the bulk density .rho. is greater. In a low-temperature zone, the thermal conductivity .lambda. generally becomes smaller as the bulk density .rho. is smaller. Further, the thermal insulating properties become greater as the carbon fiber felt is thicker.
Since the carbon fiber felt is excellent in electric conductivity, it has been proposed to use the carbon fiber felt as a material for the electrodes of a secondary battery of the Na-S type or the like. Since the electrode material is required to have a number of electric active sites, a predetermined repulsion force or the like, it has been considered that carbon fiber felt having bulk density of 0.1 g/cm.sup.3 or more is desired as such an electrode material.
In view of the foregoing, (1) the Japanese Patent Publication No. 35930/1975 proposes a method of manufacturing a molded thermal insulator comprising the steps of:
impregnating carbon fiber felt with resin which can be carbonized or graphitized;
winding the resin-impregnated felt on a mandrel;
mounting a thin steel sheet on the outer circumference of the felt thus wound on the mandrel;
fastening the wound felt and sheet with a belt or the like, causing the felt to be compressed, thereby to produce a hollow cylindrical molded article having desired thickness and bulk density; and
carbonizing or graphitizing the molded article.
The Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 29129/1983 proposes a multi-layer molded thermal insulator for a vacuum furnace, comprising (i) permeable carbon fiber felt sheets formed through the steps of impregnation with a resin solution, compression and carbonization, and (ii) graphite sheets with a thickness of 1 mm or less having sealing properties, the felt sheets and the graphite sheets being alternately laminated through adhesives.
To increase the bulk density of the molded thermal insulator above-mentioned, there are required a variety of steps, i.e., resin impregnation, compression-molding, drying-setting, and calcination. In the resin impregnation step, it is required to use a viscous resin solution which decreases the workability. Further, the resin-impregnated felt is subjected to compression-molding and drying-setting. This not only takes a lot of time for molding, but also requires treatment with an organic solvent. Accordingly, the workability and the productivity are lowered.
It is difficult to uniformly impregnate the carbon fiber felt with resin, and the felt is fastened, at the compression-molding step, with a band or the like. Accordingly, the resultant molded thermal insulator lacks uniformity. The molded thermal insulator is integrated with carbonized resin and is hard. Accordingly, the molded thermal insulator lacks resiliency and cushioning properties. This causes the thermal insulator to be easily broken at the time of processing or attachment thereof in a furnace. Accordingly, when attaching, to a furnace, a sheet-like thermal insulator or a thermal insulator having a curved section with both end surfaces thereof bonded to each other, it is difficult to align the end surfaces to be bonded and to closely bond the end surfaces to each other. This produces gaps between the bonded end surfaces to lower the thermal insulating properties.
The molded thermal insulator obtained through a compression-molding step presents the same bulk density in the thickness direction thereof. This does not provide sufficient thermal insulating properties in a high- or low-temperature zone.
In this molded thermal insulator, the restoring force required as a heat-resisting cushioning material is small, and the durability is therefore not sufficient.
Since the felt is calcined after resin-impregnation, the molded thermal insulator is apt to be easily warped. Further, while being machined or used, the thermal insulator generates a great amount of powder due to impregnated resin. This involves the likelihood that the powder thus produced contaminates workpieces to be heated in a high-temperature furnace.
On the other hand, (2) as to mechanically bonded carbon fiber felt without impregnation with resin, the bulk density is small. Accordingly, the thermal insulating properties at a high temperature are small. Therefore, such felt is not suitable as a thermal insulator for a high-temperature furnace. To ensure the thermal insulating properties at the time of heat treatment at a high temperature, it is required to attach a plurality of felt pieces to a large-size high-temperature furnace or the like. This presents the problem that the felt attachment is troublesome.
Further, the felt itself has small mechanical strength and lacks the shape holding properties. This makes it difficult to handle the felt. For example, felt made of, as a starting material, phenol resin-type fibers which can be carbonized, has small bulk density and small mechanical strength when the felt has a thickness of 3 mm. Accordingly, a foundation cloth is required. As to carbon fiber felt obtained by carbonizing felt having a thickness of about 5 to about 7 mm, the bulk density at the time when no load is applied, is generally as small as 0.1 g/cm.sup.3, and the thickness is also small. Thus, the thermal insulating properties are lowered. If such felt is graphitized, the bulk density is further reduced, thereby to lower the thermal insulating properties. As to carbon fiber felt obtained by graphitizing felt having a thickness of 10 mm or more, the bulk density is generally lowered to about 0.08 g/cm.sup.3. This is presumably caused by great decrease in weight and great reaction heat at the time of carbonization or graphitization.
When rayon or polyacrylonitrile fibers which are a carbon fiber material, are needled, the bulk density of felt before the fibers are carbonized, is increased. However, at the time of carbonization and graphitization, the weight is considerably decreased and the bulk density is considerably decreased. The resultant carbon fiber felt presents small mechanical strength, causing the felt to be easily broken. Thus, the durability is insufficient.

Method of manufacturing a high bulk density carbon fiber felt


An apparatus and method for determining a selected endpoint in the polishing of layers on a workpiece in a chemical/mechanical polishing apparatus where the workpiece is rotated by a motor against a polishing pad. When a difficult to polish layer, i.e., one requiring a chemical change in a surface skin of the layer which skin is then abraded away by a mechanical process is removed from a more easy to polish surface, i.e., one that relies solely on mechanical abrasion and does not need to have a chemically converted skin thereon. The power required to maintain a set rotational speed in a motor rotating the workpiece significantly drops when the difficult to polish layer is removed. This current drop is used to detect the point at which the polishing must be stopped to avoid over polishing effects, i.e., dishing or thinning or removal of the more easily removed underlying material. Thus, an end point in the process can be established.

In wiring integrated circuits, selected metal deposits are placed on substrates containing devices. These metal deposits serve to electrically connect discrete devices formed in the substrate and may be created, for example, by chemical vapor deposition processes or other such techniques that are well known to the semiconductor art. These deposits may also be in the form of lines deposited over and through insulating layers and have other insulating layers formed over them. In most cases, these result in an uneven surface which must then be planarized by removal of some of the over lying materials. In other cases the deposits must be configured by a partial removal of the deposited material. Such removal is usually done by the use of chemical/mechanical processes using lapping or polishing machines. In these machines, selected amounts of material must be removed to provide a desired surface without removing excess amounts of desired underlying materials, thus precise endpoint detection techniques are required.
Presently, there are various types of machines for polishing, removing or reducing layers on the surface of semiconductor wafers. In general such machines include top and bottom plates between which the wafers to be treated are positioned. The two plates are moved relative to each other and a slurry consisting of an abrasive solution, with or without an etching reagent, is fed between the plates to grind and flush away the wafer particles. Such machines are well known to the art and are commercially available.
In such machines, various devices and methods have been used for determining endpoints in the processing of such semiconductor wafers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,959, discloses an apparatus for detecting the etch endpoint of an oxide coated semiconductor substrate using electrodes coupled to the semiconductor wafer and to the solution used to etch the oxide so that as the oxide is etched away a signal is detected by virtue of the etching solution making electrical contact with the underlying substrate material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,137 discloses a plasma endpoint etching process wherein the impedance of the plasma varies during the etching process which variation can be measured and the endpoint determined thereby.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,981, also determines endpoint in a plasma etching process by measuring the RF voltage of an electrode in a plasma etching process.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 31, No. 4, September 1988, on pages 325 and 326, describes an endpoint detector for a chemical/mechanical polisher wherein the current to the motor driving the table is monitored to determine when a particular layer has been removed and the material underneath it is being polished.
Another method to determine endpoint in polishing machines is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,155 wherein a monitor wafer is coated with the desired oxide thickness and the current of the motor driving the wafers is continuously measured until the oxide on the dummy wafer is totally removed causing a current spike in the motor driving the dummy wafer. The detected current spike is an active indication as to when the oxide material has been removed from the monitor wafer and the process may be then terminated. Other wafers being simultaneously lapped and having an initial oxide thickness greater than the oxide thickness of the dummy wafer will be left with an oxide thickness which is the difference between their original thickness and the thickness removed from the monitor wafer.
This method relies upon a massive frictional drag being realized, by an abrupt change from a soft, easily polished material, such as, oxide to a hard, difficult to polish material, such as silicon.
There remains a continuing need in the semiconductor fabrication art for improved apparatus and methods for accurately and efficiently detecting the endpoint of a lapping, planarization process wherein there is an abrupt change from a difficult to polish material to a more easily polished material.

Endpoint detection apparatus and method for chemical/mechanical polishing

International Business Machines Corporation


A display substrate and a method for manufacturing a display substrate are disclosed. In the method, a gate electrode is formed on a base substrate. An active pattern is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The active pattern partially overlaps the gate electrode. A first insulation layer pattern and a second insulation layer pattern are sequentially formed on the active pattern. The first insulation layer pattern and the second insulation layer pattern overlap the gate electrode. A third insulation layer is formed to cover the active pattern, the first insulation layer pattern and the second insulation layer pattern. Either the first insulation layer pattern or the second insulation layer pattern includes aluminum oxide. Forming the first insulation layer pattern and the second insulation layer pattern includes performing a backside exposure process using the gate electrode as an exposure mask.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a display substrate including a self-aligned channel region and a method of manufacturing the display substrate.
2. Discussion of the Background
Generally, a thin film transistor for driving a pixel in a display device includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and an active pattern forming a channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode. The active pattern typically includes a semiconductor layer including at least one of amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, oxide semiconductor, or various other materials recognizable by one having skill in the art.
Amorphous silicon has a relatively low electron mobility, which may be in a range from about 1 square centimeter per volt second (cm2/V·s) to about 10 cm2/V·s, so that a thin film transistor including amorphous silicon has relatively low driving characteristics. Polycrystalline silicon has a relatively high electron mobility, which may be in a range from about 10 cm2/V to about hundreds cm2/V. However, a crystallization process is generally used for forming polycrystalline silicon. Thus, forming a uniform polycrystalline silicon layer on a large-sized substrate may be difficult, and the resulting manufacturing costs may be high. In contrast, oxide semiconductors may be formed through a low-temperature process, may be easily formed in a large-scale, and have a high electron mobility. Thus, research is actively being conducted on thin film transistors that include an oxide semiconductor.
As a length of a channel region decreases, operation speed and power consumption of the thin film transistor are improved. However, a process margins may be degraded and reliability may decrease due to increased misalignments.

Display substrate and method of manufacturing a display substrate


A method for producing bundles of tags from a stack of die cut sheets and an apparatus for stripping bundles of tags from a stack of die cut sheets and tying the bundles. The disclosed method includes clamping portions of a stack of die cut sheets on opposite sides of a common cut line adjacent the cut line and rotating the portions about the common cut line with respect to each other about an axis parallel to the cut line. The method causes the portions to separate sequentially for individual sheets in order to substantially reduce the stripping force required. The method may further include imparting a force in a direction transverse the sheets during the rotating to further enhance the sequential separation of the sheet portions. An apparatus is disclosed including gravity feed means for feeding stacks of sheets into a dual stripping assembly having alternatingly-actuated stripping members. The disclosed apparatus further includes a tying assembly including a pushing member for pushing stripped tag bundles into a wire segment and a rotatable twisting member for snaring and twisting the ends of the wire segments which face the twisting member.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for stripping blanks, such as plant identification tags, from sheets containing many such tags that are partially separated by die cutting and in particular to such a method and apparatus for stripping bundles of such blanks or tags from a stack of such sheets and tying each bundle.
Plant identification tags, or other like planar articles, are typically manufactured by die cutting sheets of material into individual blanks connected by bridges. After the die cutting operation, the blanks remain mutually attached in sheets by the bridges to facilitate removal of the blanks from the die cut press. In order to separate the blanks from adjacent blanks, the sheets are conventionally stacked in quantities of as much as one hundred or more sheets and bundles of blanks are removed from the stack of sheets by applying a force perpendicular to the plane of the sheets to the location of the cut line.
Such conventional method and apparatus for stripping tags have many difficulties. The very large stripping thrust requires strong, and hence massive, components operated at relatively high pneumatic or hydraulic pressures. The resulting equipment is bulky yet subject to excessive wear notwithstanding such bulk. Modern safety standards require that such equipment be shielded from entanglement by human limbs. However, the stripping equipment is prone to malfunctioning due to disassociation of the bundle of tags, which interface with low-friction surfaces. The disassociation disables the equipment and requires human intervention to remove the jam. The presence of the safety shields and the large profile of the equipment result in extensive downtime to clear each jam. The net result is that productivity from such conventional stripping equipment is unacceptably low and maintenance costs unacceptably high.

Method and apparatus for stripping tags from die cut sheets


A system, method, and base station antenna for improved coverage in a cellular mobile telephony network. Each cell in the network has an area defined by azimuth and range limits. In the system, a first cell and a second cell are essentially adjacent to each other in azimuth. A third cell has an azimuth limit that is essentially equal to the total azimuths of the first and second cells, and has a range coverage that is shorter than the ranges of the first or second cells. The base station antenna forms separate “conventional” beams for the first and second cells, and forms a “near cell” beam for the third cell.

In cellular telephony systems, the area covered by the system is, as the name implies, divided into cells. Usually, the cells are divided along a more or less radial direction, extending from a centre point where a base station and an antenna associated with the base station is located.
A user in the system will adaptively be assigned to one or a few of the cells of the system, usually the cell or cells for which the user's telephone experiences the best signal quality, typically defined by the signal strength or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, S/(I+N), of a broadcast reference signal, for example a pilot signal in a CDMA system. The adaptivity means that the user is "handed over" from one cell to another depending on the signal quality of the broadcast reference signals corresponding to the respective cells.
The cells are thus defined by the coverage of the base station antenna or antennas in terms of a quality measure such a signal strength or S/(I+N). Near the site of the base station, where the borders of the cells converge, there will be a plurality of borders close to each other, which may lead to very frequent and rapid handovers, which is not desirable, as this may lead to reductions in communication quality, and in some cases even to dropped telephone calls.

System. method, and base station antenna for cellular radio coverage


There is provided a method for discriminating a tire class which can improve discrimination grade of the tire class by detecting error of decoding, in case the decoding of a character is erroneous. A train of symbols is composed of a multiple arrangement of discrimination symbols, and the discrimination symbols are composed of a character code portion that is indicated according to existence of a length and breadth, and a parity check porion indicating truth and falsity of said character code portion with existence of multiple dots. A CCD camera photographs a train of symbols, and the train of symbols in the photograph is made of two dimensional image data; according to a control unit, the existence of each discrimination symbol dot at the train of symbols of the image data is recogonized, and the character code is decoded due to the length and breadth arrangement of the character code portion of the discrimination symbols. Simultaneously, the truth or falsity of a decoded result of the character code is judged by arrangement of the parity check portion dot of said discrimination symbols.

The present invention relates to a method for discriminating a tire class, that is discriminating a tire type based on a train of symbols installed in the side of the tire.
A class recognition label for classifying tire type is attached on manufactured tires. Namely a coded numeral, a character, or numeral concavely shaped is attached on the tire, and many methods and apparatus for automatically decoding a recognition label of class attached on the tire have been proposed.
For example, a method for discriminating a tire type comprising of micro projections corresponding to signal indicates a tire type in which the tire bead hill portion is the best in dimension and is the best plane surface among the portions of the tire along the circumference of the tire, and detecting projections by contact or noncontact manner; converting the detected signal to a digital signal; then discriminating tire type by comparing the digital signal with a predetermined signal corresponding to the tire type, is proposed in the Japanese patent publication sho 55-83965.
Also, a method for discriminating tire type with the following method that forms a discriminating bar concave or convex shape at the side wall of the tire radially along its circumferential direction, wherein said discriminating bar provides regularity per tire type, then scans with a sensor at the prominence and depression of the discriminating bar and detects, is proposed in the Japanese patent. publication sho 58-72439.
Moreover, a method for automatically discriminating tire type comprising: a step detecting with detecting arm a position of the mark portion pre-provided at some position having certain relation to a train of symbols that is composed of the character or numeral installed concave or convex shaped in the side wall of tire; a step positioning at a readable position of train of symbols by directly moving a read arm of the character or numeral etc. with the moving read arm based on the output signal from position detecting arm; a step the reading the character or numeral of train of symbols by read arm; a step discriminating the character, or numeral of train of symbols by discriminating the arm based on the output signal from the read arm, is proposed in the Japanese patent publication sho 61-43382.
This forms a character or numeral indicating discrimination of the tire with an inversed V shape, thereby clearing contrast against the background of a character or numeral, while it uses an one dimensional image sensor as read unit and performs a scan by scanning signal with fixed frequency, and inputs a two-division one dimensional image signal in that the background region is black and symbol region is white as a buffer, and provides conclusively a two dimensional image signal. To discriminate said two dimensional image signal is to judge the tire class.
Thus, it is possible to use dot code as a train of symbols indicating a class of the tire. Also, a unit for reading automatically a dot code, for example unit for decoding dot code document, photographic optically colored region with dot code and discriminating between convexed dot and concaved dot based on the photographic image data, thereby converts dot code to KANA(Japanese alphabet), is disclosed in the Japanese patent publication hei 7-234632.
However, if dust is attached to a position where a dot does not initially exist, the dust is recognized as a dot. Subsequently, because of decoding into a wrong character, that results in erroneous discrimination.


I/O resources are allocated to one or more hosts in a network cluster. Each host stores a cluster resource table (CRT) that identifies the configuration and allocation of I/O resources within its cluster. Each host includes an I/O resource management agent (RMA) within the operating system. A host""s RMA obtains a list of all hosts and I/O units and their network addresses from the fabric services. The RMA then queries each host to obtain at least a portion of the CRTs of each of the host""s in the cluster. The RMA replaces its local CRT with the most current version of the CRT (e.g., based on a time and date stamp or version number of each CRT). The host""s RMA then queries each I/O unit to identify the I/O controllers and their controller number in the cluster. The RMA then queries each I/O controller in the cluster to identify the I/O devices in the cluster. The RMA then updates its CRT based on this information. The RMA can provide the updated CRT to each of the hosts in the cluster.

The invention generally relates to data networks and in particular to a method of distributed resource management of I/O devices in a network cluster.
In a typical stand-alone computer, all I/O devices are owned exclusively by that computer. Thus, I/O resources are not shared or available to any other computers in such a system and I/O resource allocation is not a problem. However, in a network cluster where there are distributed I/O resources which can be shared among multiple hosts, it may be unclear which I/O resources are available to each host. Thus, in a network of shared I/O resources and multiple hosts, it is important for each host to identify the I/O devices in the cluster that are allocated to it at boot up (or when the host connects to the network), and to maintain an updated list of its I/O resources. However, most clustered systems typically do not provide a flexible technique for allocating various I/O resources among the various hosts in the cluster. Moreover, most clustering systems also do not provide an efficient technique for providing I/O resource allocation updates to each host within the cluster.
Thus, a need exists for improved techniques for allocating I/O resources in a cluster and for allowing each host to efficiently obtain updated information describing the allocation of I/O resources.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for updating a local I/O resource table at a host in a network cluster. The I/O resource table identifies the configuration and the allocation of I/O resources in the network cluster. A list is obtained of other hosts in a network cluster including their addresses. A connection is established to one or more of the other hosts in the cluster and at least a portion of an I/O resource table from one or more of the other hosts in the network is obtained. The most current I/O resource table from the other hosts in the cluster is identified, and the host""s local I/O resource table is updated based on the most current I/O resource table.

Method of distributed resource management of I/O devices in a network cluster


A new Petunia plant named ‘PEHY0004’ particularly distinguished by the small red-purple bi-colored flowers, medium green foliage, initially semi-compact and then an outwardly spreading plant habit with good field performance.

The present invention comprises a new Petunia, botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'PEHY0004'.
'PEHY0004' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has small red-purple bi-colored flowers, medium green foliage, initially semi-compact and then an outwardly spreading plant habit with good field performance.
'PEHY0004' originated from a hybridization made in August 2007 in a controlled breeding environment in Gilroy, Calif. The female parent was the proprietary, unpatented plant designated '1749-1' with lavender flowers, darker green foliage, and a more upright plant habit.
The male parent of 'PEHY0004' is a proprietary, unpatented plant identified as '1864-12' with amethyst flowers, green foliage, less plant vigor, and bigger flower size. The seed was sown in December 2007 in Gilroy, Calif.
'PEHY0004' was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in the March 2008 in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'PEHY0004' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in March 2008 in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif.


An example system for providing mechanical power to an aircraft accessory with a turbine engine, where the turbine engine includes a low-speed spool and a high-speed spool, includes an accessory gearbox disposed between the low-speed spool and the high-speed spool and a clutch disposed within or external to the accessory gearbox. The accessory gearbox is configured to drive the aircraft accessory, and the clutch is configured to enable either the high-speed spool or the low-speed spool to provide mechanical power to the aircraft accessory via the accessory gearbox.

Modern commercial aircraft are typically driven by two or more turbofan engines. These engines include a fan that provides a significant fraction of the overall propulsion system thrust. An engine core drives the fan and produces additional thrust by directing exhaust products in an aft direction.
In addition to providing thrust to propel the aircraft, the turbofan engines power the aircraft electric, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, via accessories mounted to an accessory gearbox (AGB).
Typically, gas turbine engines include a high-speed (also referred to as a high-pressure) spool offtake system that includes an offtake shaft driven by the high-speed spool of the engine. The offtake shaft in turn drives a gear train inside the AGB. A number of accessories are mounted to the AGB. Some of the accessories are needed for engine operation, such as an oil pump and a fuel pump. Other accessories supply power to aircraft systems, such as an electrical generator and a hydraulic pump.
As engine technology has improved and aircraft systems have evolved, a level of power demanded by the systems, compared to power available in the engine core during low engine thrust conditions such as idle, may result in a less-efficient high-pressure compressor, higher idle thrust, and higher idle fuel flow. Further, during an engine-out condition, no power is provided to the aircraft accessories because the engine core has a very low speed during windmill conditions.

Systems and methods for providing mechanical power to an aircraft accessory with a turbine engine


A computer resource control system for running business applications on virtual computers within a business computer by using computer, virtual computer, network, and storage resources, the system comprises a collection process section for periodically collecting the dynamically changing information about the use of each resource when business applications run on the virtual computers within the business computer; a resource recovery process section for calculating the amounts of resources required for the operations of the business applications periodically in accordance with the dynamically changing information about the use of each resource, which is gathered by the collection process section, allocating the calculated amounts of resources to the resources of each virtual computer, and recovering any extra resources; and a resource allocation process section for allocating the extra resources, which are recovered by the resource recovery process section, to the virtual computers in accordance with the priorities of the business applications.

The present invention relates to a resource control method and system for allocating virtual computer resources, storage resources, and network resources within a system that runs a business application on a virtual computer.
Conventionally, the resource to be allocated was determined in advance. Resource allocation was carried out after comparing the resource's fixed value with the actual performance. Further, computer system resources were targeted for allocation. Storage resources were not targeted for allocation.
A conventional method disclosed, for instance, by Japanese Patent Laid-Open (PCT) No. 530780/2002 permits reconfiguration for optimizing the computer system capacities for processing an application by using a virtual computer operating technology in order to allocate a programmable logic resource to a plurality of application functions on the basis of a comparison between performance measurements taken in a computer system and prescribed performance requirements.

Redistribution of unused resources assigned to a first virtual computer having usage below a predetermined threshold to a second virtual computer


A real-time in-situ sensor system is provided for measurement of bioluminescence and determination of bioluminescence surface signature. The system measures bioluminescence in the wake of a submerged moving object as well as ambient light levels outside of the wake. Along with measurements of depth and water-quality parameters including turbidity, temperature and salinity, the surface signature of the induced underwater bioluminescence can be calculated by considering light transmission and attenuation through water. With this real-time information, the operator of the submerged moving object can employ tactical maneuvers to affect the resultant surface signature.

Bioluminescence is a localized phenomenon caused when organisms are stimulated by flow agitation. As a result of this effect, submerged moving objects will be highlighted with a blue-green glow and often can produce spectacular glowing wakes from ships and submerged craft. This effect is so widespread in the world's coastal regions that some level of bioluminescence is almost always present. Dinoflagellates, ubiquitous unicellular plankton also known for producing harmful blooms, are the most common sources of bioluminescence in the littoral zone. Dinoflagellates often exist in sufficient density such that ships, swimmers and submersibles can readily be detected by airborne, seaborne, or land-based observers. The intensity of bioluminescence is dependent on the local abundance of the dinoflagellates, which varies both in space and time. This makes the phenomenon difficult to predict, and when bioluminescent organisms are present, it is unavoidable by any practical means.
Ships, submarines and swimmers can readily be detected in the dark when strong bioluminescence activity exists, which poses a serious problem when movements need to be hidden from detection. When bioluminescence is present, there are ways to minimize the amount of signature that is detectable from the surface. In the case of submersibles and swimmers, detection vulnerability can be reduced by either decreasing the amount of flow stimulation caused by the craft (e.g., reducing speed) or by increasing operating depth, thus attenuating the surface signature caused by bioluminescence. The problem is that the operator must know in real time the bioluminescence intensity generated by the submersible's movement and how this is translated to surface signature and ultimately the vulnerability to detection. The operator must also know to what extent tactical maneuvers are effective in changing the bioluminescence signature at the surface.
Currently, this real-time self-monitoring capability does not exist.
Needs exist for a real-time, self-monitoring bioluminescence signature determination sensor.

Sensor system for real-time bioluminescence signature determination


One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a remote interrupt signal or a remote event. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a system for issuing a raw packet over a network in response to a remote interrupt or a remote event. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a network interface system configured to issue interrupt requests over a network.

This invention relates to remote interrupts, and more specifically, to issuing a raw packet over a network in response to a remote interrupt.
An interrupt is a signal that notifies a host device or program that a particular event has occurred. When the host receives the interrupt signal, the host can take a specified action or can simply ignore the interrupt signal. Certain interrupt signals can be assigned a higher priority than other interrupt signals or processes. As such, a high priority interrupt signal can cause a lower priority process to temporarily suspend while the higher priority interrupt is processed. In short, interrupt signals can be generated by a hardware or software thereby indicating that some event has occurred. For an interrupt signal to serve its intended purpose, however, it must be received by a device that is capable of interpreting the interrupt and taking the corresponding action.
In a conventional computer system, interrupts generated by Input/Output devices (IO devices) or computer applications are generally handled by an interrupt controller and central processing unit (CPU) that are local to the interrupting device. The local host CPU responds to interrupt requests from each device type that is coupled to the local host bus. IO devices can be coupled to the interrupt controller by direct lines or by shared lines. The interrupt controller receives the interrupt requests and provides them to the CPU along with an interrupt number associated with the interrupt request. Thus, the processing of interrupt requests requires an intelligent host device that is local to the interrupting device, such as a host CPU.
This requirement for an intelligent device can be problematic. For example, consider a network environment having a remote node that only includes a number of unintelligent IO devices coupled to the network via a network interface card (NIC). Each IO device has a unique set of requirements for notifying the host CPU node of an interrupt request. As such, dedicated registers included in the remote NIC are used to store various parameters about each supported IO device. In this way, the remote NIC can be used to handle the remote interrupts.
However, each operation that an IO device performs can have a different set of interrupt parameters or requirements. Moreover, each IO device can have various is interrupt requirements that differ from the interrupt requirements of other IO devices of that node. Thus, the variety of IO devices and operations performed by each of those IO devices can require a significant amount of register space in the remote NIC. One solution to this problem is to simply limit the number of supported operations for each IO device. Such a solution, however, is not always desirable or practical. In addition, if an IO device""s interrupt requirements are unknown or unclear, then the remote NIC cannot be configured for that device.
What is needed, therefore, is a technique for handling interrupts generated on a remote and unintelligent node. The technique should be flexible so as to accommodate a number of diverse interrupt requirements and a variety of interrupting devices and events.
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a remote interrupt signal. The method includes receiving an interrupt signal from an interrupt signal source at a remote node. The method further includes selecting a raw packet based on the received interrupt signal, the raw packet including the identity of the interrupt signal source. The method further includes launching the selected raw packet over the network from the remote node to a host node.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a system for issuing a raw packet over a network in response to a remote interrupt. The system includes a host node including a processing unit. The host node is operatively coupled to the network, and is for receiving an issued raw packet. This embodiment of the system further includes a remote node including a network interface module and an interrupt signal source. The network interface module is for issuing a raw packet based on an interrupt signal received from the interrupt signal source. The raw packet includes an identity of the interrupt signal source.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a network interface system. The network interface system includes a raw packet buffer for storing a number of raw packets, each raw packet containing an identity of a corresponding interrupt signal source. In response to an interrupt signal source providing an interrupt signal to the network interface system, the network interface system issues the corresponding raw packet to a host node via a network.
The features and advantages described in the specification are not all inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and not to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter.


A phase-only filter for approximating a given optical transfer function for monochromatic incoherent light. The filter is designed by solving an integral equation for a phase function, and imposing, on a transparent plate, an optical path length for the incoherent radiation equal, in radians, to the phase function modulo 2.pi. plus an overall constant.

The present invention relates to optical filters and, more particularly, to a phase-only filter that enables the generation of any desired illumination pattern.
A generalized optical system is shown in FIG. 1. Incoherent radiation of wavelength .lambda. is provided at an input plane 10, and passes through an imaging system of focal length F, represented schematically by a lens 12, to an output plane 14. Input plane 10 is a distance U from lens 12. Output plane 14 is a distance V from lens 12. The distances U, V, and F satisfy the relationship ##EQU1## FIG. 1 also shows the Cartesian coordinate system used herein. z is the direction of light propagation. x is perpendicular to z, in the plane of FIG. 1. y is perpendicular to both x and z, and points out of the plane of FIG. 1 at the reader.
The optical system of FIG. 1 is characterized by a coherent transfer function (CTF) H(.function..sub.x,.function..sub.y) which is related to the aperture transmittance function P(x,y) of lens 12 by the relationship EQU H(.function..sub.x,.function..sub.y)=P(-.lambda.V.function..sub.x,-.lambda. V.function..sub.y) (2)
h(x,y), the impulse response of the CTF, is the inverse Fourier transform of the CTF: ##EQU2## The optical transfer function (OTF) is the normalized transfer function of the system for incoherent illumination, defined as: ##EQU3## where the normalizing constant k is: ##EQU4## See, for example, J. W. Goodman, Introduction to Fourier Optics, McGraw-Hill, San Francisco (1968), pp. 102-130; M. J. Beran and G. B. Parrent, Theory of Partial Coherence, Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs N.J. (1964); L. Mandel and E. Wolf, "Coherence properties of optical fields", Rev. Mod. Phys. vol. 37 p. 231 (1965); and P. S. Considine, "Effects of coherence on imaging system", J. Opt. Soc. Am. vol. 56 p. 1001 (1996). The output obtained for the case of incoherent illumination is: ##EQU5## where I.sub.do and I.sub.gi are the output and input intensities respectively. Equivalently, the OTF of the optical system is the ratio of the Fourier transforms of the output and input intensities: ##EQU6## where "" represents a Fourier Transform operation.
Using equations (2), (4) and (5), the expression for the OTF may be rewritten ##EQU7## Equation (8) yields some of the physical properties of the OTF: ##EQU8##
Given a particular input intensity profile I.sub.gi and imaging system, a desired output intensity profile I.sub.do can be obtained by putting a suitable filter 16 between lens 12 and output plane 14, as shown in FIG. 2, thereby forcing the optical system to have the corresponding OTF as expressed by equation (7). Filter 16 typically functions by attenuating the light passing through lens 12. Thus, the energy of the output beam is less than the energy of the input beam. This is undesirable in many applications, for example in optical computing, in which many imaging systems may be cascaded, and the intensity of the ultimate output light may be too low to be of practical use. If a non-attenuating, all-phase filter, that would function as a diffractive optical element, could be designed and constructed, the output intensity would be reduced from the input intensity to a smaller extent than is the case with an attenuation filter. In fact, the output intensity would be substantially the same as the input intensity. Devices incorporating such filters would function with essentially no attenuation losses in the filters.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a phase only filter corresponding to a desired optical transfer function.

Phase-only filter for generating an arbitrary illumination pattern

Ramot University Authority for Applied Research & Industrial Development Ltd.


Improved agricultural apparatus including a three-point hitch frame for attaching to a vehicle and to a tool bar assembly. Three-point hitch frame includes L-shaped retaining members for engaging the tool bar assembly and may be substantially U-shaped. The invention is also embodied in an agricultural apparatus with a hitch frame for attaching to a vehicle and to a tool bar assembly and including a metering hopper system attached to the upper side of the hitch frame. The invention is also embodied in an improved ground contact metering wheel assembly for maintaining contact with the ground even on uneven terrain. The present invention has particular applicability as an interseeding apparatus.

The present invention relates to agricultural apparatus and, more particularly, to an improved agricultural apparatus adapted to be carried behind a vehicle such as a tractor.
The present invention has particular applicability to interseeding or intercropping wherein one crop, such as soybeans or cotton, is planted in the same field as another crop, such as wheat, prior to the harvest of the wheat. While many of the advantages of the present invention will be discussed with respect to this technology, it should be understood by one skilled in the art that the particular aspects of the present invention have applicability far beyond intercropping and, in particular, have general agricultural applicability.
In general, individual agricultural implements, such as seed openers, field cultivators, S-tines, bedding equipment and the like, are mounted on individual frames or tool bars with hitch means such as three-point hitch connectors attached by welding or the like to the particular tool bars. With respect to intercropping and otherwise, the particular tools that a farmer may desire to utilize with respect to an activity may vary depending on such things as soil and weather conditions. For example, depending on the soil conditions, a farmer may desire to use one type seed opener for crop planting as opposed to a different type seed opener, for example, a double disk seed opener versus an S-tine opener apparatus. It may even be desirable to switch back and forth in different parts of a single field.
In the past, it has been necessary for the farmer to replace the entire implement to shift from one application to another such as described above. Such an exercise requires increased equipment cost to the farmer in that he must maintain the various complete implements for the needed conditions as well as additional labor time if it is necessary to transfer a seed hopper or the like from one piece of equipment to another.
In addition, in known metered hopper systems where seed, fertilizer or the like is dispensed at a metered rate by use of a ground contact drive wheel, situations arise in which the assembly to which such ground drive wheel is attached will be raised above the ground a sufficient amount so that the drive contact wheel loses contact with the earth. Such could occur, for example, when a seed coulter rides up on a raised portion of the ground. Of course when this happens, the metering hopper is not driven because it is not in contact with the ground and it ceases to meter, with resultant loss in planting or distribution of fertilizer or the like.


An end-to-end process modeler comprising a vertically integrated process modeler to provide a design aspect for a non-technical user and an implementation aspect for a technical user, the vertically integrated process modeler designed to create a complete executable process.

In general, processes followed within an organization's ecosystem are described in various forms in most enterprise environments. This type of modeling is becoming increasingly important, as companies attempt to create uniform processes across the enterprise.
For example, a business analyst may create a process flow for a business process using tools such as Visio and iGrafx. However, in order to automate such processes, a different tool must be used, such as BizTalk, or similar tools.
Transferring such a process is, however, difficult. The business analyst must explain to a developer what each of the steps of the process mean. Then, the developer creates an automated process, which may be used by other employees to actually follow the process sketched out by the business analyst. This process is lengthy and complex, and miscommunication creates rework, thereby delaying implementation.
Additionally, some companies such as Siebel may provide best practices to corporations. These best practices are automated processes that may be followed for various actions. However, these processes may not match perfectly with the requirements of the customer, and in general are difficult to modify.

Method and apparatus for an integrated process modeller


In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprises a holder for a connector, the holder has a guide element and pivot element, the holder being movable in first and second direction along an axis and pivotable about said pivot element at a position along said axis when said holder moves in a direction along the axis.

Many electronic devices include electronic interfaces such as a power cable interface and a data cable interface. A compatible interface cable is typically required to enable a user of an electronic to charge their electronic device or transfer data to the device. Some electronic devices includes at least one interface cable, which is coupled with the electronic device for the user's convenience.

Method and apparatus for an electronic device


An information recording/reproducing apparatus includes first and second data demodulators having different data discriminating capabilities. The first data demodulator has a lower data discriminating capability and the second data demodulator has a higher data discriminating capability. When the reliability of reliability information for demodulation data generated by the first data demodulator, the second data demodulator is operated so that demodulation data generated by the first data demodulator is replaced by demodulation data generated by the second data demodulator during a period of time when the reliability of the reliability information is deteriorated.

The present invention relates to a signal processing system for a magnetic disk device, an optical disk device or the like, and more particularly to a signal processing method and apparatus suitable for the reduction in power consumption of a circuit or LSI.
Recently, a partial response maximum likelihood (hereinafter abbreviated to PRML) decoding system is put into practice as a high-efficiency signal processing system in a magnetic disk device. The high-efficiency signal processing system means a system which can realize a desired data error rate at a low S/N.
FIG. 17 shows an example of the construction of a general magnetic disk device using a PRML signal processing system. The original data is supplied to an encoder 7 for error correction code (ECC) through an interface circuit 8 so that it is added with redundant data necessary for error correction. Next, the original data added with redundant data is subjected by a data modulator 6 to modulation necessary for the PRML system and is recorded on a magnetic disk 3 by a magnetic head 4 through a recording/reproducing amplifier 5. A signal reproduced from the magnetic disk is passed through the recording/reproducing amplifier 5 and then PRML-processed by a data demodulator 71. The demodulated data is error-corrected by a decoder 2 for error correction code and is thereafter converted through the interface circuit 8 into the original data. With such a recording/reproducing process, the reproduction of a low S/N signal is performed. An extended PRML (EPRML) system, an extended EPRML (EEPRML) system, a TRELLIS demodulation system and so forth are investigated as signal processing systems which make the reproduction of a lower-S/N signal possible.
On the other hand, the concept of data demodulation with connection code positioned as a superordinate concept of the signal processing system has been proposed. A known example includes "Producing Soft-Decision Information at the Output of a Class-IV Partial Response Viterbi Detector", International Conference on Communications '91 Conference Record, Volume 2 of 3. This known system is constructed to perform the demodulation of data by combining two signal processing systems as shown in FIG. 18. First, the data demodulator 71 is used at an initial stage to perform the demodulation of data and the extraction of information which gives the reliability of that data. The result of data demodulation at the initial stage is supplied to the next stage formed by the decoder 2 for error correction code which performs the decoding of data at a high efficiency by utilizing the data reliability information. Thus, a connection code scheme utilizing the data reliability information with the coupling thereof with the error correction code decoding system being hitherto taken into consideration is investigated as an effective system for realizing the high-efficiency signal processing system.
In the signal processing system suitable for the implementation of high efficiency and the data demodulating system using the connection code, as mentioned above, high-efficiency data demodulation is attained but an operation processing for performing data demodulation is exponentially complicated. In general, a signal processing circuit having a low data discriminating capability (for example, the PRML system) is simple in data discriminating method and small in both circuit scale and power consumption whereas a signal processing circuit having a high data discriminating capability (for example, the EPRML system or the TRELLIS system) is complicated in circuit and large in power consumption. Accordingly, a signal processing LSI for performing the data demodulation of a low-S/N signal has an increase in scale of an operating circuit and an increase in power consumption thereof. The increase in power consumption results in a substantial hindrance to the realization of a signal processing LSI.

Information recording/reproducing method and apparatus using EPRML connection processing system


In a computer system where maximum allowable latency periods are established for each of eight agents to access a shared buffer, the invention provides a timed loop that prevents starving out of any agent and a dynamically variable loop to prevent an allocation of time for an access to the shared buffer by an idle agent to reduce latency wherever possible.

The present invention relates to a multiple processor computer system, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for controlling data transfers into and out of an input/output processor that is shared by a number of other processors and controllers in a computer system.
Typically, a multiple processor computer system has multiple central processing units (CPUs) and one or more controllers, such as a direct memory access controller. Additionally, a multiple processor computer system has certain assets that are shared by the CPUs and controllers. System buses, main memories and input/output channels are some examples of such shared assets.
Shared assets are typically shared for two reasons: to provide access to shared data, and to reduce cost by time sharing an asset among the CPUs instead of providing each of the multiple CPUs with its own respective asset. A very common problem with shared assets within a system, is how the use of a shared asset is allocated among the CPUs and controllers that want to access the shared asset. Unstructured allocation of a shared asset typically results in domination by one processor to the detriment of the other processors that need the shared asset. Structured allocation of a shared asset prevents domination of a shared process by one processor to the detriment of competing processors and controllers. Structured allocation schemes called arbitration methods are well known and widely used; however, each of the known arbitration methods has some type of limitation that reduces throughput of data to and from a shared asset.
A very simple arbitration method is to assign each processor and each controller a unique priority level. When a shared asset is available, the shared asset is allocated to the processor or controller with the highest priority level that is awaiting that asset. The problem with this type of arbitration method is that in busy systems the lowest priority processor or controller is "starved out" because it never makes it to that "highest priority level awaiting" that is allocated to the shared asset.
Another simple arbitration method is the timed loop arbitration method in which each processor or controller is automatically allocated a period of time of the shared resource whether it needs it or not. This removes the "starve out" problem. This arbitration method, however, has a problem of data latency, that is there can be a long wait between allocated periods and the data awaiting to be transferred may be no longer valid.
In view of the limitations of the known arbitration methods, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arbitration method that does not starve any processor or controller out and has a low data latency time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an arbitration method that may be dynamically adjusted to improve the data flow to and from a shared asset.

Method and apparatus for a dynamic, timed-loop arbitration


An abrasive recycling system is provided. The abrasive recycling system includes a vacuum, wherein the vacuum is variably positioned in relation to a mixture of dry abrasive and foreign material and is configured to extract foreign material from the mixture during abrasive recycling performed by an abrasive recycler. Methodology corresponding to the removal of foreign objects by an abrasive recycling system is also provided.

Abrasive jet cutting, such as waterjet cutting, is often used during fabrication of a work piece, such as a machine part, and is especially useful when the materials being cut are sensitive to the high temperatures generated by other cutting methods. It is desirable to recycle the abrasive material used by abrasive jet cutting machines. When cutting with an abrasive jet, it is common to utilize a sacrificial layer (of plywood or plastic, or similar material). Often, however, the utilization of a sacrificial cutting layer introduces foreign material into the resultant abrasive slurry, as the kerf material (i.e. the material removed from the cut work piece and the cut sacrificial layer) becomes intermingled with abrasive, so that particles and/fibers from the sacrificial cutting layer reside within the slurry. Current abrasive recycling devices and systems are not able to effectively differentiate between abrasive particles and foreign materials of a similar size. These foreign materials create undesirable issues if they exist in the final recycled abrasive. Hence, a need exists for an abrasive recycler that more effectively removes foreign material.

Foreign object removal for abrasive recycling system


The present disclosure refers to an endonuclease-based gene editing construct, wherein the construct comprises a CRISPR-associated endonuclease (such as Cas9 or Cpf1) or a derivative thereof and at least one or more hormone binding domains of the estrogen receptor (ERT2) or derivatives thereof. The present disclosure also describes a method of editing a genome of a host cell using the construct as disclosed herein, the method comprising transfecting the host cell with the nucleic acid sequence as defined herein and incubating the cell with an inducing agent.

There are many biomedical and biotechnological applications whereby it is imperative that the activity of enzymes capable of gene editing, for example Cas9, can be switched on and off as desired. For example, the ability to perturb regulatory networks in a particular tissue or at a specific time point is essential for understanding mammalian development. In cell signalling pathways, precise timing is also known to be of paramount importance. One possible approach to create a conditional genome editing system is to place the expression of, for example Cas9, under the control of an inducible promoter or a promoter that is active only in a particular biological context. However, such an approach suffers from several disadvantages. Firstly, the response time is typically slow, as transcription and translation have to occur before any protein activity can be observed. Secondly, the method can be cumbersome to implement in mammalian cells because additional factors (for example, the tetracycline transactivator protein in the case of the doxycycline-inducible promoter) may have to be introduced into the target cells. Thirdly, a context-specific promoter is also not readily generalizable. Fourthly, one of the key issues in the application of CRISPR-Cas9 technology to genome engineering is the specificity of the endonuclease.
An attractive strategy to circumvent the shortcomings of a promoter-based approach is to develop a Cas9 enzyme whose activity can be post-translationally controlled by an external input. Several laboratories have successfully engineered light-inducible systems based on Cas9 or transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs). However, specialized equipment that delivers blue light irradiation is currently uncommon, thereby restricting the adoption of such photo-activatable systems. A split Cas9 architecture was also recently reported, whereby Cas9 was divided into two fragments that can reassemble with the aid of rapamycin-binding dimerization domains to reconstitute the original enzymatic activity. Although this system relies on a simple chemical input, it can be inconvenient to implement due to the need to manipulate multiple Cas9 fragments. Another method depending on the chemical-triggered excision of a function-disrupting intein has been shown to modulate the activity of, for example, Cas9. However, the reported intein-Cas9 is leaky and exhibits some genome editing activity even in the absence of the chemical.
In view of the problems encountered in the art, there is a need for providing a genome engineering/editing system which is capable of being chemically controllable and/or inducible.

Chemical-inducible genome engineering technology

AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH


A semiconductor device and method of adding metal layers in a semiconductor device with signal reallocation are disclosed. The device has a first layer with a plurality of signal wires. A second layer adjacent to the first layer is also included that has a plurality of signal wires. The signal wires in the first and second layers are substantially parallel with each other. The signal wires are distributed between the first and second layer in a manner that reduces the wire capacitance and/or resistance thereby permitting higher frequency operation and lower power consumption in the device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor design. In particular, the present invention relates to adding metal layers to a microprocessor to increase operating frequency and lower power consumption.
2. Background of the Related Art
Related art microprocessor designs have an interconnect stack in which signal wires in alternate metal layers are orthogonal to each other. A perspective block diagram is shown in FIG. 1, which illustrates the related art design. In interconnect stack is illustrated with layers 110, 120, 130 and 140. Metal layers 120 and 130 are illustrated with signal wires arranged in an orthogonal pattern as known in the related art, while metal layers 110 and 140 have been approximated by a plane.
FIG. 2 illustrates an axial view of a related art metal layer interconnect stack. Ground planes 202 and 204, in this example, are above and below layer 200, respectively. Layer 200 includes a plurality of signal wires including power supplies 210 at right and left ends, ground/return 212 and signal wire sets 220 and 230. Each signal wire set includes a plurality of signal wires 221–226 and 231–234, respectively. The first set 220 of six signal wires 221–226 is at a minimum pitch. The second set 230 of four signal wires 231–234 is at a 20% larger pitch. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the illustrated arrangement is solely for purposes of illustration.
The related art topology creates problems in regard to the parasitic capacitance (i.e., the wire capacitance) on the signal wires. The wire capacitance decreases the potential operating frequency and increases the power consumed due to the capacitive load. Since the operating frequency of semiconductor devices is constantly increasing, reducing the wire capacitance of the signal wires allows for increased frequency and reduced power consumption, particularly on high frequency signal wires that are limited in the related art architecture.

Addition of metal layers with signal reallocation to a microprocessor for increased frequency and lower power


Digital phased array architecture and associated method are disclosed that eliminate the necessity of utilizing analog phase shifters in the receive and transmit signal paths. Desired delays are instead generated by adjusting the timing of sampling signals sent to analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) in the receive and transmit signal paths.

Phased arrays have included multiple antennas coupled with analog phase shifters that allow electromagnetic energy, such as radio frequency (RF) signals, to be sent and received along desired wave-front directions. The effective directivity pattern, or beam shape, of an array of antenna elements can be changed by altering the relative phase of the coherent RF energy arriving at, or emitted from, each element. For example, if all of the elements in a plane of equally spaced identical elements are fed by the same RF signal, the intensity of the radiated electromagnetic energy will be greatest along a line perpendicular to this plane. Alternatively, if the elements are each fed with a progressively phase-shifted RF signal, the direction of maximum radiated intensity will be at some angle away from the normal, or broadside, direction. An antenna system wherein the beam direction of an array of elements can be steered using electronic shifting of the relative element phase is often called an electronically steered antenna (ESA).
Many different kinds of phase shifters are available for controlling the relative phase of RF energy feeding antenna element arrays. These can include ferrites, diode-switched delay lines, and micro-electromechanical switches (MEMS). All of these technologies can be arranged to provide a digitally programmable phase delay (or shift) to each element by using a digitally weighted control signal to adjust the phase properties of the element. However, since these phase shifter circuits must be placed in the analog RF signal path that is between the energy source (e.g., the transmitter) and the antenna elements, it is always the case that some RF energy is lost to dissipation and radiation within the phase shifter. A typical phase shifter, for example, might introduce 0.5 dB of insertion loss per bit of phase shift control. A 5-bit phase shifter, typical of many radar systems, would thereby incur a minimum 2.5 dB insertion loss using such a device. Insertion losses require higher transmitter powers to achieve a given radiated power from the antenna elements.
When used in the receive path of a transmit/receive phased array system, phase shifter loss degrades the sensitivity and noise figure of the phased array receiver. This in turn requires high amplifier gain and results in a reduction of useable bandwidth. Moreover, many phase shifters must trade insertion loss for useable bandwidth. For example, a phase shifter useful over the X-band (8–12 GHz) might be excessively lossy if it must in addition be made to operate from 2–30 GHz. The phase shifting properties of a low-loss phase shifter will almost always be frequency dependent so that wide bandwidth signals, such as radar pulses, may undergo phase distortion as they pass through a phase shifter.
In short, although programmable phase shifters are useful for electronically steering phased array antennas, they are problematic when they must either satisfy the requirement of low loss or wide-bandwidth operation.
Prior attempts to minimize the negative impact of phase shifters on phased array performance involve the development of lower loss and broader bandwidth phase shifter technology. One such technology focuses on using micro-electromechanical switches (MEMS) for the phase shifter circuitry. MEMS devices utilize electrically controlled mechanical switches that require less power than other types of phase shifters. Because it is cumbersome to use MEMS phase shifters to control the entire phase shift in large arrays, secondary phase shifters are usually used to phase-combine multiple sections of the array until a single signal channel is obtained. This combining technique thereby reduces the range of phase shift required by the MEMS phase shifter devices. Because the signal level and signal-to-noise ratio can be degraded by the series combination of many layers of analog phase shifters, this combining technique requires the additional use of many broadband amplifiers to re-generate the signal as it progresses through the combined network.
Recently, the phased array industry has also proposed to construct phased array receivers and transmitters wherein analog-to-digital and/or digital-to-analog circuitry is associated with each antenna element. For example, in the receive mode, a separate analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is used to digitize the RF signal collected by each separate element, and these many digital data streams are then electronically combined to provide a single signal characteristic of the many signals collected by the entire antenna. In transmit mode, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is placed at each antenna element such that a digital data stream can be converted by this DAC into an analog RF signal. The generated RF signal from each DAC is then amplified and fed to its associated antenna element. Due to the all-digital interface between the antenna element and the rest of the phased array system, this phased array concept may be considered a "digital" antenna.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) depicts an example embodiment for such a digital phased array circuitry. An antenna 140 is connected to a switch 136 that in turn connects either the receive path signal 134 or the transmit path signal 132 to the output line 138. Looking to the receive path, the receive path signal 134 connects to a low noise amplifier (LNA) 114, then to a phase shifter 102, and ultimately to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 108. ADC 108 provides an M-bit receive data signal 128 that may used by further beam-forming circuitry. Looking to the transmit path, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 112 receives an M-bit transmit data signal 130 and provides an analog signal to a phase shifter 104. The output of the phase shifter 104 connects to a power amplifier (PA) 116 and then to the transmit path signal 132. The ADC 108 and the DAC 112 have sampling rates controlled by clock signals (SCLK) 124 and 126 provided by clock circuitry 110.
The phase shifters 102 and 104 add a programmable delay to their relative analog input signals. Thus, phase shifter 102 delays signal 142 with respect to signal 140 by a programmed amount, and phase shifter 104 delays signal 144 with respect to signal 146 by a programmed amount. The amount of the delay is determined by the control register 106. Based upon the delay value 118 provided to the control register 106, the control register 106 provides phase shifters 102 and 104 with X-bit digital control words 120 and 122, respectively. These control words 120 and 122 determine the amount of the delay added to the analog signals passing through the phase shifters 102 and 104.
Although the antenna embodiment of FIG. 1 (prior art) may provide a digital interface, it still requires analog phase shifters between the antenna element and the ADC or DAC to provide the fine phase shifting function needed to fine-steer the overall antenna pattern. In other words, the inclusion of an ADC or DAC near the antenna element does not mitigate the negative impact of phase shifters on array performance.


A bidirectional protection component formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type including a first implanted area of the first conductivity type, an epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type on the substrate and the first implanted area, a second area of the first conductivity type on the external side of the epitaxial layer, in front of the first area, and implanted with the same dose as the first area, a first metallization covering the entire lower surface of the substrate, and a second metallization covering the second area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vertical bidirectional component of protection against overvoltages. It more specifically relates to a protection component formed of three semiconductor layers of alternated conductivity types (only PNP structures will be mentioned hereafter to simplify the present description, but NPN structures are of course also possible).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Bidirectional protection components of the type having three alternated semiconductor layers of opposite conductivity type are well known. They are formed of two diodes of opposite biasing connected in series. In this type of component, it should be ascertained that the gain of the transistor formed by the PNP layers is too low for this transistor to be able to turn on, that is, this component only behaves as two series-connected diodes of opposite biasing.
Various structures have been provided to form a bidirectional protection diode with three alternated semiconductor layers.
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a bidirectional protection component. This component is formed based on an N-type semiconductor substrate 1.
Opposite heavily-doped P-type areas 2 and 3, respectively in contact with metallizations 4 and 5, are formed on each side of the substrate, generally by implantation/diffusion. The upper and lower (or front surface and rear surface) peripheries of the component are coated with an insulating layer, currently silicon oxide, respectively 6 and 7.
The bidirectional protection component shown in FIG. 1 is very simplified. In practice, it will comprise various areas intended to improve its voltage and peripheral behavior, for example, heavily-doped N-type channel stop regions, on the upper side and on the lower side. Conventionally, during its manufacturing, this component forms an element of a semiconductor wafer which is then sawn as shown in FIG. 1.
The bidirectional protection component shown in FIG. 1 has a particularly high performance. According to the desired protection voltage, N-type substrate 1 will be more or less heavily doped and symmetrical protection voltages ranging from 6.8 to 220 volts can thus be obtained. Further, given that the component is formed from a relatively thick silicon substrate 1, for example, with a thickness ranging from 200 to 300 μm, parasitic PNP transistor 2-1-3 will have a particularly low gain and does not risk turning on, at the cost, however, of a non-negligible series resistance.
However, this component has a disadvantage as regards its assembly. Indeed, the lower surface of the component cannot be soldered to a planar conductive base since a wicking would then risk short-circuiting metallization 5 and substrate 1. A base comprising a pedestal substantially having the surface of metallization 5 must thus be provided to avoid any solder overflow towards substrate 1. This is incompatible with the forming of modern micropackages. It should indeed be noted that the side of the chip shown in FIG. 1 may have very small lateral dimensions, on the order of from 200 μm to 1 mm.
It has thus been tried to form bidirectional protection components capable of being assembled on planar conductive bases.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a structure adapted to such an assembly, currently called well structure. The component of FIG. 2 is formed from a heavily-doped P-type silicon wafer 11 (P+) on which an N-type layer 12, having a thickness ranging from 10 to 30 μm, is formed by epitaxy. A central area of layer 12 of a chip is covered with a heavily-doped P-type layer 13. The periphery of the epitaxial layer of a chip is surrounded with a P-type peripheral wall 14. P area 13 is coated with a metallization 16 and the lower surface of the substrate is coated with a metallization 17. An insulating layer 18, for example, made of silicon oxide, covers the upper periphery of the chip.
The structure of FIG. 2 effectively solves the problem of the soldering of the chip on a planar conductive wafer. Indeed, even if there is a solder overflow, given that the entire periphery of the chip is of type P, no short-circuit risks to occur. This structure however has the following disadvantages.                The doping profiles of areas 11 and 13 are very different due to the difference in heat balance undergone by these layers. Indeed, layer 11 has a much more gradual doping than layer 13 since layer 11 sees the high heat balance of peripheral insulation layer 14. The two junctions 13/12 and 12/11 will thus not have the same voltage behaviors.        Given that epitaxial layer N between the two junctions is relatively thin, the voltage behavior of the two junctions 13/12 and 12/11 depends on the gain of parasitic transistor 13/12/11 and thus on the lifetime of the minority carriers, which is variable and difficult to control during the manufacturing process. This gain may also cause a break-over. phenomenon, which may be prejudicial in some applications of protection devices.        The voltage range of this type of device is limited to low voltages (on the order of 30 V) by the technique of insulation by diffusion. It indeed implies a significant wicking of substrate 11 and thus a residual N area 12.
Thus, the diode of FIG. 2 has advantages in terms of assembly but at the cost of significant disadvantages: a limited protection voltage range, dissymmetrical protection voltages, a break-over phenomenon, and a sensitivity to the manufacturing process.


The present invention is so arranged as to include (a) gradation reference potential generating means including a group of output terminals whose voltages are determined in accordance with a voltage division ratio of one ladder resistor, so as to output gradation reference potentials, for example, of 1024, which is a 16 multiple of a required 64-gradations; (b) output terminal designating means including a memory for designating, among from the output terminals, an output terminal for each of the 64-gradations required, in accordance with the display modes; and (c) selecting means for selecting an output terminal that corresponds to an input gradation signal, among from the output terminals designated by the output terminal designating section, and for applying a voltage via the thus selected output terminal to a display screen. With this arrangement, it is possible to attain very similar gradient signal-brightness characteristics for respective display modes with high accuracy, in order to prevent a gradient display from being changed due to switchover of the display modes.

In general, it is preferable for display apparatuses such as liquid crystal display apparatuses (LCDS) that the display apparatuses have such a gradient characteristic that output brightness is liner with respect to an input gradation signal. Here, a characteristic represented by a relationship between an input gradation signal value and the output brightness is referred to as γ characteristic. The γ characteristic specifically refers to a proportional change of brightness L of a display apparatus with respect to γ-th power of an input gradation signal value E that is inputted to the display apparatus. Thus, the γ characteristic is represented by a formula: L=KEγ (γ=2.2 to 3 generally; K is constant).
As described above, in the most of the display apparatuses, the output brightness is not linear with respect to the input gradation signal, that is, the most of the display apparatuses have the γ characteristic. Thus, in the most of the display apparatuses, it is impossible to attain correct gradient display without special treatment.
Therefore, it is necessary to carry out correction in the display apparatuses in advance by using 1/γ power of the input gradation signal value E, which is shown in FIG. 7 as "reverse γ character of general image (E1/γ)". Hereby, it is possible to perform correct gradient display as shown in FIG. 7 as "correct γ characteristic (Eγ)". This correction is referred to as γ correction. By carrying out the γ correction, it is possible to attain the linear relationship of the output brightness with respect to the input gradation signal, that is, L=KE (K is constant), as the "correct γ characteristic (Eγ)".
Incidentally, in order to attain the γ characteristic corresponding to the γ reverse characteristic, a γ correction circuit of the display apparatus as shown in FIG. 8 is used. The γ correction circuit realizes suitable sixty four gradations by using each selector to select one of sixty four output terminals, which are sectioned as sixty four stages. By doing this, the correct gradient display is attained. Note that the γ correction circuit is, as shown in FIG. 9, built in a source driver 71 of an LCD 70.
In the conventional LCD, it is impossible to change a most suitable value of the γ correction during operation of the LCD, after the most suitable value is once set. In case where a display mode is not switched over, there is no problem with this arrangement.
However, a semi-transmissive LCD is on the market recently. The semi-transmissive LCD takes advantages of both of the reflection method (referred to as "mode 1") and the transmission method (referred to as "mode 2"). In the reflection method, outside light is used while a backlight is turned off. Thus, the reflection method is used in a bright place, for low power consumption. In a dark place, used is the transmission method in which the backlight is used as in a conventional method.
In the semi-transmissive LCD, the same image looks differently when the semi-transmissive LCD is switched over from the transmission method to the reflection method, because gradation-brightness characteristics of the transmission method and the reflection method are completely dissimilar to each other, as shown in FIG. 10. This is because applied voltage (V)-transmissivity (T) characteristics of the transmission method and the reflection method are dissimilar to each other due to differences between the transmission method and the reflection method in terms of the transmissivity and the applied voltage, as shown in FIG. 11. It should be noted that FIG. 11 only discuss on the applied voltage (V)-transmissivity (T) characteristics, but the same is true for the applied voltage (V)-reflectivity characteristics.
Moreover, there is a case where it is desirable that respective display modes perform different gradation displays, because, if there is only one gradation setting, a user may feel strange in the display.
In view of this, as shown in FIG. 12, it is so arranged that a plurality of characteristic curves of gradation-voltage application characteristic of a source driver are provided in advance and the characteristic curves to be used are switched over in accordance with the switchover of the display modes. In FIG. 12, there are only two settings. Of course, however, there may be provided more than two settings, so that one of the settings can be selected for each display mode. With this arrangement, as shown in FIG. 13, it is possible to attain complete matching of the gradation-brightness characteristics between the transmission method and the reflection method.
As a conventional display apparatus capable of changing gradation levels according to which display mode is used, for example, Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application "Tokukai No. 2000-193936 (published on Jul. 14, 2000) discloses a display apparatus including two types of reference potential generating circuits 81 and 82, as shown in FIG. 14. By selecting one of the reference potential generating circuits 81 and 82 in accordance with reflection/transmission judging signal, voltage (V)-transmissivity (T) characteristics of the "transmission" and "reflection" are matched (become very similar) for each gradation, while the applied voltage (V)-reflectivity characteristics of the "transmission" and "reflection" are also matched (become very similar) for each gradation.
Moreover, in view of a problem that γ correction coefficients cannot be switched over according to which mode is used, because a circuit generating a reference voltage for a γ correction circuit has such an arrangement voltages of the circuit are determined in accordance with a voltage division ratio (a ratio of voltage division using resistors), Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application "Tokukaihei No. 10-333648 (published on Dec. 18, 1998) and Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application "Tokukaisho No. 63-38989 (published on Feb. 19, 1988) disclose arrangements in which information regarding a reference voltage of a γ correction circuit 90 is stored in a memory 91, so that reference voltages V1 to V10 are generated by retrieving the information and performing D/A (from digital to analog) conversion of the thus retrieved information. With this arrangement, it is possible to easily attain a γ correction coefficient arbitrarily.
However, in the conventional display apparatus disclosed in Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application "Tokukai No. 2000-193936 (published on Jul. 14, 2000), it is impossible to reset γ correction values for the respective display modes once the γ correction values are once set. Thus, it is impossible to switch the γ correction values when the display modes are switched over, so that the display modes are performed with the most suitable γ correction values. Thus, it is a problem that the respective display mode cannot have very similar gradation-brightness characteristics with high accuracy.
Moreover, in Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application "Tokukaihei No. 10-333648 (published on Dec. 18, 1998) and Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application "Tokukaisho No. 63-38989 (published on Feb. 19, 1988), gradation correction voltages can be switched over only discretely. Thus, it is necessary to have a large number of input points of the gradation correction voltages for attaining smooth switchover of the gradation characteristics. As a result, this art also has the problem that the respective display mode cannot have very similar gradation-brightness characteristics with high accuracy.