A probe structure is provided in which secondary electrodes of a main base material and probes are formed can be electrically connected to electrodes in a substrate side even when a lot of probes are formed in a large area, so that a lot of LSIs within a wafer can be tested in one lot in a wafer test process, and an efficiency of the test process can be improved. In the probe structure, an interposer constituted by a high rigid material is arranged between the main base material having the probes formed therein and the substrate side, and the secondary electrodes of the main base material having the probes formed therein are electrically connected to the electrodes in the substrate side via the interposer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a probe structure used for an electric test in a process of producing a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a construction of a probe structure preferable for testing a great area within a wafer to be tested in one lot, that is, a lot of chips.
2. Prior Art
In the process of manufacturing the semiconductor device, there exists a water testing step of testing a basic electric characteristic by bringing a probe into contact with each of a predetermined pads, which is applied to a wafer forming a lot of LSIs. In this testing step, a probe structure in which a lot of probes are arranged so as to be aligned with a layout of the respective pads of the wafer to be tested is used as a jig. This jig is generally called as a probe card.
The probe card has been conventionally structured such that a narrow needle, for example, made of tungsten (W) or the like is employed as each of the probes, and a lot of narrow needles are bonded and fixed to a substrate. However, this structure has a limit in a number of the probes to be formed. Then, for the purpose of forming more probes, there has been employed a method of forming a lot of conductive projections in a certain main base material in one lot in accordance with a plating, an etching, a whisker growth or the like so as to make them probes. Among them, a case that the main base material is an organic thin membrane having a low elasticity such as a polyimide or the like is particularly referred to as a membrane method. The membrane method is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 9-5355 and 11-160356 and the like. Further, there is a case that the main base material is a high elastic material such as a silicon (Si), a glass or the like. This method is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 8-148533 and 10-123174 and the like.
In this case, in the method of forming a lot of projections in the certain main base material in one 20 lot so as to make them probes, in order to electrically and mechanically connect the probes to the substrate, it is necessary to provide a secondary electrode conducting with each of the predetermined probes within the main base material and connect the secondary electrode to an electrode in a substrate side. A method of forming the secondary electrode can be largely classified into the following two methods.
(1) A method of forming on the same surface as a probe forming surface in a main base material.
It can be said that among the prior arts mentioned above, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 9-5355 and 10-123174 belong to this method. In this case, as well as the secondary electrode is bonded to the substrate, a member having a corresponding rigidity is bonded to an opposing surface to the probe forming surface in the main base material as occasion demands, whereby a flatness and a strength of the main base material are secured.
(2) A method of forming on an opposing surface to a probe forming surface in a main base material.
It can be said that among the prior arts mentioned above, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 8-148533 and 11-160356 belong to this method. In the former, each of the secondary electrodes is connected to the substrate by a wire material and in the latter, a connection is performed by a localized anisotropic conductive rubber.
There has been mentioned above the electrical connection method between the main base material and the substrate in the method of forming a lot of projections in the certain main base material in one lot so as to make them probes. A description will be given below of problems of these methods.
(1) A method of forming a secondary electrode on the same surface as a probe forming surface in a main base material.
In accordance with this method, each of the secondary electrodes should be generally formed at a portion closer to an outer periphery of the main base material than a group of probes. As a result, an outer size of the main base material is increased. Further, in the case of forming a lot of probes, since the probes positioned near a center of the group of probes should be wired to the secondary electrode with passing through intervals among peripheral probes, it is hard to secure a sufficient width for wiring and a length of the wire is increased, so that a resistance of the wire is increased.
(2) A method of forming a secondary electrode on an opposing surface to a probe forming surface in a main base material and connecting the secondary electrode to a substrate by a wire material.
In accordance with this method, since it is hard to mechanically reinforce the main base material, for example, in the case of the membrane method, the main base material is bent due to a load when bringing the probe structure into contact with the wafer to be tested, so that it is impossible to bring each of the probes into contact with the wafer at a uniform load. Further, for example, in the case that the main base material is a silicon or a glass, an excessive stress is generated in the main base material, and the main base material is broken in the worst case.
(3) A method of forming a secondary electrode on an opposing surface to a probe forming surface in a main base material and connecting the secondary electrode to a substrate by an anisotropic conductive rubber.
This method is premised on preparing a layout of electrodes in the substrate side coinciding with a layout of the secondary electrodes in the main base material. However, in general, since a pitch at which the electrodes in the substrate side can be formed is larger than that of the main base material, the electrodes in the substrate side cannot be arranged when it is intended to ideally reduce the pitch of the electrodes in the main base material side. Otherwise, when it is intended to set the pitch so as to correspond to the pitch in the substrate side, the area of forming the secondary electrodes in the main base material side becomes wide, so that it is hard to arrange a lot of probes.
Further, in accordance with this method, since it is necessary to always make the number of the secondary electrodes of the main base material equal to the number of the electrodes in the substrate side, the wire in the substrate side becomes complex in the case of forming a lot of probes, so that a cost of the substrate is increased.


A device may receive an encrypted authorization request token from a mobile device. The encrypted authorization request token may be based on at least one parameter and may have been created by a third party device. The device may decrypt the encrypted authorization request token to obtain the at least one parameter. The device may determine, based on an address for the mobile device, a mobile device identifier for the mobile device. The device may create an identification token for the mobile device. The identification token may be based on the mobile device identifier and the at least one parameter. The device may send the identification token to at least one of the mobile device or the third party device to permit the third party device to authenticate the mobile device.

Wireless network operators may authenticate mobile devices that are attached to the operators' wireless networks. The wireless network operators may provide authentication information regarding the mobile devices to third parties, such as customers of the wireless network operators and/or identity aggregators. The third parties may use the authentication information for the third parties' own applications and/or to provide authentication services to other parties.


A valve includes a housing, a pipe and a fastener configured to couple to the housing and the pipe. The housing defines an aperture, and includes an inlet configured to receive fluid from a fluid source. The pipe defines a channel and an aperture in fluid communication with the pipe channel, and includes an outlet configured to couple to an output for receiving fluid from the fluid source. The pipe is rotatable within the housing between a first position in which the housing aperture is blocked by the pipe to restrict fluid from entering the pipe channel, and a second position in which the pipe aperture is substantially aligned with the housing aperture to create a fluid path between the fluid source and the output via the pipe channel. Other example valves and methods of controlling the passage of fluid are also disclosed.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Pipes are installed in a house, an apartment, office buildings, etc. during a rough-in stage of a construction project. The pipes can then be pressurized and filled with fluid such as water, gas, etc. Sometimes, caps can be attached (e.g., soldered, etc.) to open ends of the installed pipes to prevent fluid from exiting the pipes. If a user wants to install a fluid output (e.g., a toilet, a faucet, etc.) to one of the installed pipes, the user depressurizes and drains the fluid from all of the installed pipes. After the installed pipes are depressurized and drained, the user can cut the cap off the desired pipe and install the fluid output.


An emphasis level R is calculated in accordance with a difference between a position of a hand of an operator A specified based on a detection signal of a 3D camera 6 and a predetermined position of a hand for performing a gesture operation. A notification of a presence of an operation object intended for the gesture operation is provided with the calculated emphasis level R to thereby guide the hand of the operator A to a predetermined position of a hand, every time the emphasis level R is calculated in response to the detection of the hand of the operator A by the 3D camera 6.

Systems have been proposed for recognizing a gesture made by an operator to operate a device positioned away from the operator inside a moving platform. In these kind of systems, it is important to make the operator grasp a spatial position in which a gesture is to be made, because it is required to correctly recognize the gesture for an operation.
For example, Patent reference 1 discloses a system in which a virtual image of an operation system such as an operation switch and/or a button is displayed in a space by using hologram technology or the like, and a gesture made against the virtual image is recognized as an operation to the device. In this system, a gesture can be made in the situation as if the virtual image displayed in the space appears as a real operation system of a device to be operated. Therefore, an operator can easily grasp that the position where the virtual image is displayed is the spatial position in which a gesture is to be made.
Furthermore, in an invention disclosed in Patent reference 2, when a finger of an operator is detected in a space on the straight line connecting between a viewpoint position of an operator and an operation object, it is recognized that the operation object is being operated. This enables the operator to grasp a spatial position in which a gesture is to be made, based on a three-dimensional positional relation between the viewpoint and the operation object.

Gesture guidance device for moving platform, gesture guidance system for moving platform, and gesture guidance method for moving platform


A system for the treatment of nitrate-containing wastewater from home or commercial, not municipal, sources is described in which the wastewater is contacted underground by denitrifying bacteria introduced to the treatment zone periodically; the treatment zone being maintained at or above the temperature at which the bacteria are active on a year-round basis by the ground temperature.

While nitrogen is of primary importance in the renovation of sewage, excessive concentrations of nitrogen compounds in groundwater are a public health hazard and also contribute to the eutrophication of surface water. The presence of nitrite (NO.sub.2 --) and, indirectly, nitrate (NO.sub.3 --), in drinking water may lead to methemoglobinemia which can impair oxygen transport in the blood, particularly in infants where gastrointestinal upsets can encourage reduction of nitrite to nitrate. The hazards of these materials and their precursors, the nitrosamines, in the soil and acquifer are explained in detail in the New Jersey Pinelands, Comprehensive Management Plan, New Jersey Pinelands Protection Act, 1979, adopted Nov. 21, 1980, pages 51-53, which is incorporated herein by reference. Many other states and the federal government have adopted standards for limiting the amounts of nitrates which may be released to the acquifer.

Process for the on-site removal of nitrates from wastewater


An environment monitoring system is utilized for monitoring an environmental variation status of a riverbed, a lake floor, or a seabed. The environment monitor system includes a wire drawing device configured at a monitoring point for releasing and tightening a transmission wire; a fixing pipe laid between the monitoring point and a structure layer for containing the transmission wire; a plurality of vibration sensing devices respectively configured on the transmission wire for converting sensed vibration energy to a plurality of electric signals and transmitting the plurality of electric signals by the transmission wire; an analyzing device coupled with the wire drawing device and the transmission wire for obtaining a released length of the transmission wire by the wire drawing device and determining the environmental variation status according to the released length and the plurality of electric signals to perform monitoring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an environment monitoring system and a vibration sensing device, and more particularly, to an environment monitoring system and a vibration sensing device capable of easily and precisely monitoring a scouring depth of a riverbed by utilizing the vibration sensing devices which do not need external electric power.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, huge rainfall in a short time happens all the time, which causes water levels of rivers rising rapidly and the rivers flowing fast, such that riverbeds are scoured and lowered, and bridge foundations are exposed seriously. When a structure under a bridge foundation is instable and active force is larger than a force that the bridge foundation can bear, the bridge foundation may be sagged, tilted, sideshifted, or even collapsed. Even worse, it may result in traffic disruption and casualties.
Therefore, how to monitor a scouring depth of a riverbed so as to take related measures in advance is an important and tough objective in the field.

Environment monitoring system and vibration sensing device


A vertical ferroelectric capacitor structure and the method of fabricating the same. An insulating layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A lower opening and an upper opening with the depth larger than the width are defined and formed in the insulating layer. A conductive material is filled into the openings to form two vertical and parallel plate electrodes to serve as lower electrode and upper electrode. A portion of the insulating layer between the lower and upper electrodes are then removed to form a gap between the lower and upper electrodes. A ferroelectric material is filled into the gap to form a ferroelectric capacitor with vertical structure.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor technology, and more particularly to a ferroelectric capacitor having a vertical structure.
In recent years, a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory cell and a ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) having the foregoing memory cell array comprising, as an interelectrode insulation film of a capacitor for storing information, a ferroelectric thin film made of a material having a perovskite structure have attracted attention.
The ferroelectric film has a characteristic such that electric polarization generated once when an electric field has been applied is retained even if the electric field is removed and the direction of the polarization is inverted when an electric field having intensity exceeding a certain level is applied into a direction opposite to the direction of the foregoing electric field. Taking notice of the characteristic of the dielectric material for inverting the direction of polarization, a technique has been developed to form a FRAM cell by employing a ferroelectric material to form an insulation film of an information storing capacitor of a memory cell.
The FRAM cell has a structure in which a ferroelectric capacitor is substituted for a capacitor of a DRAM cell. The FRAM employs a method in which a charge in a polarization switched or non-switched state is fetched from a ferroelectric capacitor through a switching MOS transistor. Thus, the FRAM has a characteristic that data xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d written and stored on a memory cell is not lost even if the operating power source is turned off. The FRAM has such a characteristic so that FRAM does not require a refreshing operation to store data and no electric power is required in a standby mode, as compared with the conventional Flash memory. Moreover, operation voltage for FRAM is about 5V much lower than the voltage of about 18V for the Flash memory, and power consume is reduced.
The FRAM cell includes a transistor-a capacitor (abbreviated to 1T/1C) structure composed of one transistor and one ferroelectric capacitor generally with a stacked structure. Referring to FIG. 1, a MOS transistor including a gate electrode 12, gate dielectric layer 14 and source/drain regions 16 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 10. An insulating layer 20 formed over the semiconductor substrate 10 has a contact plug 22 coupled to one of the source/drain regions 16. A horizontal stacked ferroelectric capacitor is formed on the contact plug 22. The conventional ferroelectric capacitor is formed in a way of horizontal stacking in a sequence from bottom to top. A lower electrode 24 is formed on the contact plug 22, and a ferroelectric film 26 and an upper electrode 28 is formed in sequence on the lower electrode 24. Substantially enough plate area is required for keeping capacitance of ferroelectric capacitor to prevent data loosing. As increasing integration of FRAM, the usage area of the FRAM cell is relatively decreased, and the fabricating area for ferroelectric capacitor is correspondingly decreased thereby resulting in a capacitance deficiency.
In addition, a horizontal ferroelectric capacitor is generally formed by utilizing deposited stack layer, and then defines the shape of the capacitor by lithographic and etching technology. However, during depositing conductive material for forming lower electrode, grain effect will be appeared in top portion of lower electrode and thus reducing electric conductivity. Furthermore, the edge of the ferroelectric capacitor will be damaged during the etching process, and thus a local leakage problem results.
The present invention provides a vertical ferroelectric capacitor structure and the method of fabricating the same, which can reduce the area for capacitor, increase the memory capacity of ferroelectric memory, and decrease grain effect and etching effect during fabricating process.
The present invention provides a ferroelectric capacitor structure adapted for a semiconductor substrate. The ferroelectric capacitor structure comprises two vertical plate electrodes and a ferroelectric layer between the two vertical plate electrodes. Wherein, the height of the vertical plate electrodes is larger than the thickness of the vertical plate electrodes, and the height of the vertical plate electrodes is also larger than the thickness of the ferroelectric layer.
The present invention also provides a method of fabricating a vertical ferroelectric capacitor. A semiconductor substrate is provided. An insulating layer having a first opening and a second opening is formed on the semiconductor substrate. The first and second openings are then filled with a conductive material to form a lower electrode and an upper electrode. A portion of the insulating layer is removed by lithographic and etching technology to form a gap between the lower and upper electrodes. The gap between the lower and upper electrodes is then filled with a ferroelectric material.
Since the lower and upper plate electrodes are in a vertical and a parallel arrangement, the area of the ferroelectric capacitor can be properly reduced by increasing the height of the ferroelectric capacitor. Accordingly, the amount of memory cells in the ferroelectric memory can be improved and thus increase the memory capacity. Moreover, the etching damage in the fabricating process also can be reduced.

Method for forming vertical ferroelectric capacitor comprising forming ferroelectric material in gap between electrodes


A method for simultaneous multi-path, multi-modal, and multi-user interface to users is discussed, where multiple inputs during the same user session arriving from different devices are handled properly. Each input is assigned a unique identifier, clocked with a counter and associated with an address. Other inputs that attempt to arrive at the same location are discarded.

Various services now provide voice and non-voice access to Internet data. A caller may access a "Voice Portal" or "Voice Site" by simply dialing a number advertised by the company providing the Voice Access service. The caller will hear a greeting that requests the caller to "speak" or "enter" specific commands. As an example, a caller may ask the system to provide him/her with the latest weather information by simply speaking a command, or pressing a DTMF button on the phone. The information provided to the user may be pre-recorded and accessed from a database, or it may be accessed from a page similar to those available on the Internet. The mark-up language used to code the page may be VoiceXML or any other type of XML-based coding language. Some legacy systems may use proprietary or less commonly used methods for connecting the system to back-end data servers.
However, in all existing systems, users interact with data only through one interface, that is, either a voice interface (e.g., a telephone) or a data interface (e.g. an Internet browser). This single mode interaction causes limitations on delivery of services to users. As an example, a user who is driving a car may ask for address information between point A and point B by issuing voice commands, and hear back the directions read to him via a speaker in the car. However, the same navigation information would not be available in graphical format. Another example is a user who is using a data-enabled mobile phone to review his investment portfolio. The user may wish to see the data, but input the queries by simply speaking them into the phone. Current systems do not allow for such capability.
Another limitation of existing systems is that they do not allow more than one user to interact with an application in one session. The present invention makes this possible. One example of where this may be required is a cooperative form filling application where two users need to be logged onto the same session, and each answers specific questions as they are presented. The present invention makes it possible for the two attendants to call into the system, and interact with the same application through a single session, thereby filling one form by two users.
The problem that arises in multi-modal or multi-user interaction with a single session (as in the above examples) is that multiple input values may be received for the same query through different channels. A simple solution would be to accept the first chronologically arriving input value, and discard the subsequent ones. This solution, however, fails when there are many rounds of query-input in the same application. Consider the case of a query A followed by two inputs a-1 and a-2. Input a-1 is accepted, but before input a-2 arrives in the system, another query B is made. Now input a-2 arrives in the system followed by a valid input b-1. The system would accept false input a-2, and discard valid input b-1. FIG. 1 illustrates when "Accept First Input" fails in the case of multiple queries and inputs. Throughout the FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the sunburst symbol 12 represents an accepted input, and the crossed-out symbol 14 represents an incorrectly accepted input or an incorrectly discarded input, for illustrative purposes.
The solution to this problem is to identify every input with the name of the query that it is attempting to address. In this case, the system would know that the second a-2 input is not intended for query B, would discard it, and would accept the valid input b-1.
However, this solution also falls short when the same dialog is repetitively used. For example if the system makes a query A for the first time (designated as A1). Two responses a1-1 and a1-2 are sent back. Response a-1 is accepted as valid, but before response a1-2 arrives, the system repeats the same dialog, repeating query A (designated as A2). User(s) reply with a response a2-1. However, false response a1-2 arrives first, is accepted as valid, and valid input a2-1 is discarded as invalid. FIG. 2 "Accept Tagged Input" fails when the same dialog is repeated.

Multi-modal, multi-path user interface for simultaneous access to internet data over multiple media