A memory device includes a charge trapping layer on a substrate, an insulating layer on the substrate adjacent to the charge trapping layer and exposing an upper surface of the charge trapping layer, a dielectric layer on the exposed charge trapping layer and on the insulating layer, and an electrode on the dielectric layer, the electrode corresponding to the charge trapping layer.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a memory device such as a charge trapping type non-volatile memory device and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a memory device such as a charge trapping type non-volatile memory device including a cell transistor having a desired sidewall profile and configured to reduce charge spreading, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, non-volatile semiconductor memory devices include floating gate type non-volatile memory devices and charge trapping type non-volatile memory devices, the types corresponding to the structures of the respective unit memory cells. In the floating gate type memory device, a unit memory cell typically includes a tunnel oxide layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, as well as a floating gate, a dielectric layer and a control gate. Data may be stored in the floating gate as free charges that are injected into the floating gate.
Charges injected into the floating gate may dissipate if defects occur in the tunnel oxide layer, which is disposed between the substrate and the floating gate. In order to reduce or prevent such dissipation, the thickness of the tunnel oxide layer of the floating gate type memory device may be increased. However, a high driving voltage may be required when the floating gate type memory device has a thick tunnel oxide layer. Accordingly, a structure of a peripheral circuit for the floating gate type memory device may become more complicated. As a result, it may be difficult to achieve high levels of integration for the floating gate type memory device.
The charge trapping type memory device may have a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SONOS) structure, which may be referred to as a SONOS type non-volatile memory device. In the SONOS type non-volatile memory device, the unit memory cell may include a tunnel oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate, a charge trapping layer, a dielectric layer, and an electrode. Data may be stored into the SONOS type non-volatile memory device corresponding to charges injected into charge trapping sites of the charge trapping layer. For example, charges may be trapped in deep-level trapping sites of a silicon nitride layer, while the tunnel oxide layer may be relatively thin.
In the conventional SONOS type non-volatile memory device, charges may be considered to be fixed in the charge trapping sites. Accordingly, memory cells of the conventional SONOS type non-volatile memory device may have charge trapping layer patterns, e.g., the silicon nitride layer patterns, connected to one another. For example, adjacent silicon nitride layer patterns may be connected to one another, rather than being discrete patterns such as island-shaped silicon nitride layer patterns.
However, in such a configuration, charges stored in the charge trapping layer patterns may move, e.g., in a horizontal direction along a plane of the charge trapping layer patterns, after the charges are stored therein. If the stored charges migrate horizontally, a cell transistor may partially lose the stored charges, so that a threshold voltage of the cell transistor may not reach a desired level. Thus, data stored in the memory cell of the conventional SONOS type non-volatile memory device may be deteriorated or undesirably changed.
In order to reduce or eliminate charge migration, the charge trapping type memory device may have a discrete charge trapping layer pattern, e.g., an island shape that is not connected to an adjacent memory device. For example, a silicon nitride layer may be patterned in two directions, e.g., along an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction, in order to isolate the silicon nitride layer of one memory cell from an adjacent memory cell.
To form a charge trapping type memory device having a discrete charge trapping layer pattern, the tunnel oxide layer, the charge trapping layer and a dielectric layer may be formed on a substrate, and these layers may be etched to form a tunnel oxide layer pattern, a charge trapping layer pattern and a dielectric layer pattern. Thus, each of the tunnel oxide layer pattern, the charge trapping layer pattern and the dielectric layer pattern may have a same discrete shape on the substrate, i.e., they may be stacked on the substrate.
However, it may be difficult to implement such an approach for some high dielectric constant materials, e.g., if the dielectric layer is formed of a metal oxide. In particular, it may be difficult to pattern the dielectric layer using a plasma-based dry etching process. For example, the dielectric layer may be thin and the etching process for forming the dielectric layer pattern may be somewhat excessively carried out.
When performing etching processes for patterning a silicon nitride layer and a tunnel oxide layer after etching the dielectric layer, a sidewall of an electrode formed on the dielectric layer pattern may be seriously damaged, and a cell transistor of the charge trapping type non-volatile memory device may have a poor sidewall profile. As a result, the resistance of the electrode may increase, electrical characteristics of the charge trapping type non-volatile memory device may deteriorate due to a reduced width of the electrode, etc.

Charge trapping type semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same


A bidirectional inverter-charger includes a first stage receiving or delivering energy from a line or to a load. The first stage including at least one inductor coupled with a split phase bridge. A link storage is connected between rails of a first bus and between the first stage and a second stage. The second stage includes a DC-to-DC converter connectable to a battery. The DC-to-DC converter includes a transformer providing galvanic isolation between a second bridge, connected between the rails of the first bus, and a third bridge connected between the rails of a second bus. In operation, the first stage provides power factor correction and a voltage boost while charging the battery and inverting when providing power to the line or the load. The second stage provides a controllable charge current to the battery and a voltage boost of a voltage of the battery to the link storage.

Products for converting alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) are commonly found in the marketplace today. These products, when used to move electrical energy into a battery, are referred to as chargers. Products that convert DC into AC are referred to as inverters.
Hybrid-Electric Vehicles or "HEV" have both an electric drive train and a gasoline or other form of combustion engine. Generally speaking, the electric motor may drive the vehicle, drawing energy from a battery pack alone or in combination with the combustion engine may also power a generator that charges the battery pack. One problem with many existing mass produced HEV's is that the full potential of the hybrid drive system is not realized due to the limited amount of on-board electrical energy storage. This problem is addressed by increasing the energy storage capacity of the vehicle to allow greater use of electricity in place of gasoline, which is being facilitated by technical advances in battery or other energy storage forms, among other things. Higher capacity energy storage systems facilitate charging from an external supply to offset and reduce petroleum fuel consumption that would otherwise be required by the petroleum fueled engine. Such a configuration is known as a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle or PHEV.
Now consider that PHEV's often have a large capacity battery for electrical energy storage but that stored energy is used only when the vehicle is moving. When the vehicle is at rest the battery system is idle and underutilized. It has been recognized that the energy storage capacity of PHEV's could be utilized to store electrical energy when the power is available and it could be called upon to supply electrical energy when required during times of peak electric grid demand—a concept referred to as Vehicle-To-Grid or V2G. Similarly, as alternative energy supplies, such as from solar and wind, continue to emerge and proliferate, there is a growing need to include energy storage to take full advantage of such alternative energy supplies. In any such arrangement, there is a need to move energy to storage and from storage. So, for example, there is a need to draw energy from a battery pack or store energy in the battery pack.
The conventional unidirectional chargers or inverters can be used to charge a battery or provide AC power from the battery (or other energy storage medium). As PHEV technology matures, V2G and vehicle-to-other technologies emerge, alternative energy sources supply energy to the grid or otherwise and are deployed in conjunction with storage, there is an associated need to improve inverter and charger efficiency, weigh savings, cost savings among other improvements.


An iron or wood golf club head 60 designed to strike a golf ball so that it flies straight in a desired direction. The golf club head 60 consists generally of a striking surface 61, including a leading edge 62, and a hosel member 65, which provides a socket for insertion of a shaft member 69. The hosel member 65, connected to the striking surface 61, extends from the club head 60 substantially perpendicular to the leading edge and bends at an obtuse angle relative to the hosel portion which is connected to the striking surface 61. A straight type shaft 69 is inserted into a socket of the hosel member 65.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a golf club head or a golf club using the same, and more particularly, to a golf club known as an iron or wood, which is designed to strike a golf ball so that it flies straight in a desired direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical set of golf clubs includes a putter and several clubs that are generally referred to as "woods" and "irons." A golfer selects a particular club for a given shot according to the distance to the hole and the "lie" of the golf ball. Each club in the set is designed for hitting the ball a particular distance and from a particular lie. However, in striking the golf ball, many golfers have difficulty consistently hitting the ball straight in a desired direction, and this difficulty may be a function of the particular structure of the conventional golf club head.
The configuration of the conventional golf club head makes it difficult to effectively transfer force through the club to the golf ball. In particular, the force transmitted from the golfer's swing tends to distribute unevenly across the face of the club, with greater force in the heel member and less force in the toe member. The uneven distribution of force and resulting moment forces make it difficult to control the orientation of the club head, and as a result, the ball tends to deviate from the desired direction upon impact and/or during flight, causing shots that may be termed "push", "pull", "slice", and "hook".
Attempts have been made to compensate for the uneven distribution of moment forces.
Such an attempt has included improving the hosel member to have an approximately perpendicular angle relative to the leading edge proposed by the same applicant of the present invention and filed as "Iron or Wood Golf Club" on Nov. 9, 1990, now granted as U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,088.


Disclosed is an internal mold release agent for the production of polythiourethane optical materials, which is obtained by mixing an acidic phosphate ester compound and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cu, Fe, Ga, Bi, Al and Zr. The internal mold release agent for the production of polythiourethane optical materials contains the metal in an amount of 0.01 to 20 weight %.

Transparent resins have been used for various kinds of optical materials using transparency equivalent to that of a mineral glass and impact property higher than that of a mineral glass. When one of transparent resins, a polythiourethane resin, is molded by casting polymerization and thus produced, a product cannot be obtained unless a resin is released from a mold. As known from the fact that a urethane resin is also used as an adhesive, the polythiourethane resin has been known as a resin having very strong adhesion so that it is essential to use a mold release agent for releasing the resin from the mold.
Examples of the mold release agent include an external mold release agent for coating a mold surface using a spray or the like and an internal mold release agent to be added to a raw material monomer in advance. There are problems in the external mold release agent such that its operation is not only troublesome, but also it is difficult to form a homogeneous release film and the surface precision is lowered. So, the internal mold release agent is preferably used.
Examples of the compound known as an internal mold release agent in the past include aliphatic alcohols, fatty acid esters, triglycerides, fluorine type surface active agents, higher fatty acid metal salts and the like. However, when these compounds were used, there have been defects such that it was difficult to be released, the surface or inside of the resin easily became turbid, and transparency of a resin by nature was easily deteriorated. In the field of optical materials including typical examples of plastic lenses requiring very high transparency, such deteriorated transparency becomes a very critical defect. Herein, as a means to solve the problem, various proposals have been made. For example, an internal mold release agent of an acidic phosphate ester compound and the like as described in Patent Documents 1 to 6 can be cited. In Patent Documents 1 to 3, there has been described that, as an additive other than an internal mold release agent, an organic tin compound such as dibutyltin dichloride and the like is necessarily added as a polymerization catalyst or a polymerization initiator.
By the way, as a catalyst used in the production reaction of a polythiourethane resin, organic tin type catalysts including typical examples of DBC (dibutyltin dichloride) and DBTDL (dibutyltin dilaurate) have been widely used from the past in view of the fact that the catalytic activity is high. However, problems have, in late years, been pointed out in these organic tin type catalysts from the viewpoints of toxicity and safety.
For example, tributyltin contained in DBTDL as impurities has a problem of the risk of injury to the human body as an environmental hormone. Furthermore, there has already been a movement to control the use of organic tin compounds in Europe taking the lead in this movement. Therefore, in the business world of spectacle lenses using polythiourethane resins, it has been urgently desired to develop a tin substituted catalyst. From now on, not only in Europe but also throughout the world, it is highly possible that the regulation on the use of organic tin catalysts is still more strengthened, while, in the polyurethane market, it becomes essential to develop a catalyst with high safety and high activity which can be a substitute of an organic tin catalyst.
To produce a polythiourethane resin as a material for plastic lenses, a casting polymerization method in which a polymerizable composition is generally injected into a mold for heat curing can be taken, whereas the polymerization reaction is carried out while gradually raising the temperature from low temperature to high temperature over several hours to several tens of hours. At that time, in order to obtain an optically homogeneous plastic lens, adding a catalyst is required to slowly carry out the polythiourethanization reaction controlled by heat lest thermal inhomogeneity be occurred while raising the temperature. Furthermore, in order to achieve full resin properties including optical properties, heat resistance and strength, it is necessary to complete the polymerization. In order to complete the polymerization, a method in which a catalyst with strong polymerization activity is used or an amount of the catalyst is increased can be cited. However, such a method has a problem such that the polymerization reaction has all been progressed while the prepared polymerizable composition is injected into a mold, that is, a sufficient pot life cannot be secured. Further, there is also a problem such that during the polymerization, exothermic heat is locally generated so that optical inhomogeneity is easily exhibited to lenses.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 1995-118989
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 1994-20752
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 2842658
Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1999-43493
Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-281687
Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-72692

Internal mold release agent for production of polythiourethane optical material


Method of forming a semiconductor device which includes the steps of obtaining a semiconductor substrate having a logic region and an STI region; sequentially depositing layers of high K material, metal gate, first silicon and hardmask; removing the hardmask and first silicon layers from the logic region; applying a second layer of silicon on the semiconductor substrate such that the logic region has layers of high K material, metal gate and second silicon and the STI region has layers of high K material, metal gate, first silicon, hardmask and second silicon. There may also be a second hardmask layer between the metal gate layer and the first silicon layer in the STI region. There may also be a hardmask layer between the metal gate layer and the first silicon layer in the STI region but no hardmask layer between the first and second layers of silicon in the STI region.

The present invention relates in general to methods of fabrication and semiconductor structures, and more particularly, to methods of fabrication and semiconductor structures in high dielectric constant (high K), metal gate technology relating to resistors and electrically programmable fuses (e-fuses).
The standard materials for semiconductors have been silicon dioxide as a gate oxide and polysilicon as the gate electrode. To fabricate semiconductors at the 45 nanometer (nm) node, advanced technology processes use high k dielectric materials for the gate dielectric layer along with metals other than polysilicon for the gate electrode. Such devices may be referred to as high k/metal gate (HKMG) semiconductors. The high k gate dielectric layer is generally deposited directly on a silicon substrate and a metal gate electrode is formed on the high k gate dielectric layer. As transistors have decreased in size, the thickness of the silicon dioxide gate dielectric has steadily decreased. However, with the thinning of the silicon dioxide comes the problem of leakage currents due to tunneling through the silicon dioxide. Replacing the silicon dioxide dielectric with a high K material reduces leakage effects. Metal gates are used for increased conductivity.
With HKMG technology, the passive devices (resistor and e-fuse) have a metal layer and a silicon stack. Due to the high conductivity of the metal underneath the silicon stack, the resistance has been lower than the required target. In one proposed manufacturing method, the silicon stack on the passive device side is thinner than on the active device side which could cause the passive device to work improperly. As the gate height is scaled to reduce the gate to contact array overlap capacitance, this problem could worsen.
Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to have a method of fabrication and structure for a HKMG technology device in which the silicon stack on the passive device is of sufficient thickness so that the passive device operates properly.

Method and structure for improving uniformity of passive devices in metal gate technology

International Business Machines Corporation


An engine is provided including a housing with at least one air and fuel injection assembly for injecting air and fuel within the housing. Also included is a translation assembly with a piston adapted to reciprocate along a first axis upon the ignition of the fuel. A rotation assembly remains in communication with the translation and is adapted to rotate about a second axis which is parallel with the first axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to combustion engines and more particularly pertains to a new engine for converting linear motion into rotational motion without the use of a crank shaft or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of combustion engines is known in the prior art. More specifically, combustion engines heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art combustion engines include U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,994; U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,995; U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,287; U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,374; U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,768; and U.S. Pat. Des. 324,221.
In these respects, the engine for converting linear motion into rotational motion according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of converting linear motion to rotational motion in a combustion engine without the use of a crank shaft or the like.

Engine for converting linear motion into rotational motion


Porous spherical particles of polyamide 11 or polyamide 12 can be produced by an industrially advantageous process which comprises the steps of mixing a polyamide solution of polyamide 11 or polyamide 12 dissolved in a phenol compound and a low molecular weight aliphatic alcohol which is a poor solvent for the polyamides but is well compatible with the phenol compound in the presence of a high molecular weight alkylene glycol to prepare a mixture solution having an initial viscosity of 10 mPa·s or more, and allowing the mixture solution to stand, to precipitate polyamide particles.

The porous spherical polyamide particles are studied for the use as components for cosmetics such as cleansing mask or for packing material for chromatographic apparatus. Further, the porous spherical polyamide particles are studied for the use as catalyst carriers or adsorbents in food industry and medical fields. Furthermore, the porous spherical polyamide particles are studied for the use as carriers for coloring materials to provide a toner for electrographic duplicating machines or to provide material for display devices.
It is known that the porous spherical polyamide particles can be produced by a solvent-induced phase separation process. The solvent-induced phase separation process comprises mixing a polyamide solution comprising polyamide dissolved in a solvent and a solvent that is a poor solvent (or a non-solvent) for the polyamide but compatible with the solvent, to cause phase separation, whereby precipitating porous spherical polyamide particles. It is said that the solvent-induced phase separation process is advantageous because uniform porous spherical polyamide particles can be easily produced by appropriately selecting the solvent for polyamide and the poor solvent.
Japanese patent provisional publication 3-26729 discloses a process for producing porous polymer microparticles which comprises uniformly dispersing a polymer solution which is prepared by dissolving crystalline polymer in a solvent (first solvent) in a poor solvent (second solvent) having a higher hydrogen-bonding factor than that of the first solvent. The working examples of the Japanese publication describe a process for producing porous spherical polyamide 66 (nylon 66) particles using dimethylformamide (as first solvent) and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (as poor solvent).
Japanese patent provisional publication 2002-80629 discloses a process for producing porous spherical polyamide particles which comprises the steps of mixing a polyamide solution with water and a poor solvent for polyamide to give a temporarily uniform solution and precipitating the polymer. The working examples of the Japanese publication describe a process for producing porous spherical particles of polyamide 6 (nylon 6) or polyamide 66 using m-cresol or formic acid as the solvent and methanol as the poor solvent.
Polyamide 11 (nylon 11) and polyamide 12 (nylon 12) are advantageous over polyamide 6 and polyamide 11 from the view point of low moisture absorption.
The present inventors found, however, that the known solvent-induced phase separation process applied to polyamide 11 or polyamide 12 insufficiently precipitate the porous particles and further the precipitated porous primary particles are apt to aggregate.

Process for producing porous spherical polyamide particle


The present disclosure describes embodiments of a method, a device, and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for presenting media information. The method includes displaying, by a device, an interaction interface. The device includes a memory storing instructions and a processor in communication with the memory. The method includes obtaining, by the device, an image set through the interaction interface, the image set comprising at least one image. The method includes obtaining, by the device, target media based on the image set through the interaction interface, the target media comprising a first audio generated according to an image feature of the image set. The method includes presenting, by the device, the target media.

Recently, with development of multimedia technologies, types of multimedia content tend to be diversified, for example, movies, series, home videos, news, documentaries, music content, life real-time scenes, online novels, and text news. Correspondingly, diverse demands of users emerge.
For example, to combine collected or captured photos into a video, the photos may be produced by using an animation effect in PowerPoint to into a PPT file, then, the PPT file is converted into a video album, and specific steps are as follows:
1) Open PowerPoint, find an "Insert" option, then select a to-be-inserted album, and import photos in a computer into an empty PPT file one by one.
2) Select, after the photos are inserted into the PPT file, a quick style for the photos to make the photos look more beautiful, and then set a background image for the photos, where images of different styles may be select as a background image for the photos according to requirements.
3) Add an animation effect. Specifically, an animation effect may be selected in PowerPoint. There are basic styles, miniature styles, gentle styles, and ornate styles. According to personal preference, different animation effects may be set for all the photos, or a same animation effect may be applied to all the photos by using an animation brush.
4) Save a PPT album after settings of the animation effect and a special switching effect are completed, where in this case, the album can only be played on a computer or a projector, and is not a real video, and then, convert the PPT album into a video by using software of producing a video with photos.
There are the following problems in the foregoing technical solution:
1) With popularity of smart mobile terminals, mobile phones, tablet computers, and the like have become main devices for life and work. However, the foregoing solution relies on PowerPoint and video conversion software on a PC computer, which is inconvenient to a user because the user needs to find a PC computer during production. In addition, even though operations can be performed on a mobile phone or a tablet computer, the operations are extremely inconvenient due to a relatively small screen.
2) Steps of producing a video are relatively complex, and a user is required to have specific computer skills and know how to use PowerPoint and video conversion software.
Similarly, in some environments, because of a special agreement between a mood and an environment at that time, tourists often feel like that they want to create some songs, but ordinary people do not have skills to compose lyrics and music, and need to turn to professionals with these skills for help. This will cause problems similar to the foregoing problems of video combination.
A professional with a music composing skill needs to carefully learn description of a tourist, and compose music according to the description of the tourist. After carefully learning the description of the tourist, a professional with a lyric composing skill composes lyrics according to the description of the tourist. Then recording is performed, during the recording, the tourist also needs to read a music score and learn how to use various recording devices. For a tourist lacking musical skills, the entire process is relatively complex.
With regard to the technical problem that steps of producing media information in the related technology are relatively complex, no effective solution has been proposed currently.

Method and apparatus for presenting media information, storage medium, and electronic apparatus

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


An incremental circuit design methodology using logic synthesis where comparisons are made between netlists corresponding to two separate versions of a design to determine similarities between the two. The similarities are then used to ensure the same physical implementation for the unchanged portion of the design. Therefore, information from the physical implementation of the previous design may be used in implementing the later design.

The term "net" as used herein refers to a conductive region connecting components of a user's circuit design. For example, one net may connect the output terminal of an AND gate to the input terminal of another AND gate and to the input terminal of a flip flop. An AND gate is one component type. A flip flop is another component type. An "instance" is a single occurrence of a component type. A "netlist" is a list of all the nets which connect the component instances of a user's design and the component instances connected by each net.
Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) may be programmed to implement one of many different integrated circuit (IC) designs. Typically, these designs are provided by a customer in the form of design and timing constraints. Using the design and timing constraints, code is created that, when run, controls the programming of the FPGA.
During this process, a place and route operation is performed to configure an FPGA to a circuit that implements the customer design. If it is determined that after a place and route operation is performed a change to the design is required, both the design and the place and route processes are repeated from the beginning. Generally, it is desirable to avoid having to repeat the entire place and route process from the beginning because it can be very time consuming, both in man hours and system time.
One solution to avoid repeating the entire place and route process is to only re-implement the parts of the design that changed from the previous place and route cycle. Although this may be fairly straight forward when using schematics (because changes to a schematic cause very little change in a netlist), it is more difficult when the design has been generated through the use of logic synthesis and high-level languages.
In synthesis, user-entered design information consists of functional descriptions written in typically either Verilog or VHDL, and accompanying implementation scripts which document side information, such as timing constraints and design-tool specific commands (e.g., effort levels, mapping strategies, library selection, etc.). Therefore, when using synthesis, a user is not working with the primitives that eventually undergo placement and routing. Instead, a user is working in a high-level language which is translated to low-level primitives by a synthesizer. The low-level implementation of a design is not under the direct control of the user and contains nets and architectural primitives which cannot be easily related back to the original high-level description.
The typical synthesis design flow comprises initially creating a language-based functional design and imposing timing constraints on the design. Then, this high-level design is synthesized into architectural primitives and a netlist is generated (and possibly feed-forward timing information). Next, physical implementation occurs in the FPGA-specific design system based on the netlist. Following the physical implementation, back-annotation of the actual performance of the resulting implementation occurs. Thereafter, if necessary, an iteration of the mapping/implementation cycle may be performed to ensure that all the user-specified timing constraints are satisfied.
When portions of a design are to be changed, either as a result of a design change or to improve performance, the user in logic synthesis is only able to make changes to the high-level language description that produces the new design. When the changed high-level language description is resynthesised, the low-level netlist may be created with completely different instance names and net names, even when the "old" and "new" netlists are substantially the same from a functional point of view. In other words, even though the new design is functionally quite similar to the old design, the low-level netlists generated from both are radically different in terms of net names and instance names. Thus, the low-level netlists cannot easily be related to the original high-level design. Such a correspondence between the new and old topologies would be desirable in the synthesis environment in order to try to preserve as much of the layout, placement and routing as possible. This would permit an incremental design change to be made without changes to the implementation of unaffected areas. This would typically result in a faster physical implementation time.
Several authors have described methods for comparing netlists, a variant of a more general problem known as "graph isomorphism". Rick Spickelmier ("WOMBAT: A New Netlist Comparison Program", Rick L. Spickelmier and A. Richard Newton, IEEE International Conference on Computer Aided Designer, 1983, pp. 170-171) and Carl Ebeling ("Validating VLSI Circuit Layout by Wirelist Comparison", Carl Ebeling and Ofer Zajicek, IEEE International Conference on Computer Aided Design, 1983, pp. 172-173) both describe programs for determining whether or not integrated circuit (IC) layouts match their schematics by using a netlist verification process. When performing this determination, netlists were generated corresponding to the actual IC layout and corresponding to its schematic. The net and instance names of both netlists did not correspond to each other. After performing the comparison process, a determination of whether the IC matched the schematic resulted. Today, several commercial products are available for performing layout to schematic comparison.
The present invention provides for using a netlist comparison as part of an incremental design process. The results of the netlist comparison is actively used to control the implementation process, as opposed to solely providing a form of verification.

Method and apparatus for making incremental changes to an integrated circuit design


A process for producing a component from a fiber-reinforced plastic with a thermoset matrix. The process includes the steps providing a first and second thermoset prepreg layer, producing a cutout in the first thermoset prepreg layer, providing a thermoplastic layer in the semifinished product between the first and the second thermoset prepreg layer in the region of the cutout, and manufacturing the component with a first and second thermoset layer and a thermoplastic layer in the region of the cutout, where the thermoplastic layer is locked between the two thermoset layers. The component may be used in a vehicle, where the component has been produced from a fiber-reinforced plastic with a thermoset matrix by the abovementioned process.

Vehicle parts of lightweight design are increasingly used in automobile construction. These components are typically produced from fiber-reinforced plastics with a thermoset matrix. A resultant problem is that there are various functions that cannot be realized in a suitable manner by using these fiber-reinforced plastics with a thermoset matrix. These functions can often be realized successfully by using thermoplastics. Said functions relate by way of example to attachment of connector clips or screw domes, in order by way of example to attach the component on a vehicle chassis, or to connect it to other components, or in order to fix other components thereon.
The problem arising here is that injection molding cannot be used for direct bonding on fiber-reinforced plastics with thermoset matrix, for example based on woven glass fabric, woven carbon fabric or woven Kevlar fabric.
FIG. 1 depicts a corresponding approach from the prior art. FIG. 1 shows a layer 10 made of a fiber-reinforced plastic with thermoset matrix. The layer 10 has a cutout 12. A connector clip 14 has been inserted into the cutout 12, and the connector dip 14 here has supportive ribs 16 which bear on both sides of the layer 10 made of the fiber-reinforced plastic with the thermoset matrix, so that the connector clip 14 is held in the layer 10 made of the fiber-reinforced plastic with the thermoset matrix.
The connector dip 14 can be manufactured by way of example by applying the injection-molding composition for the connector clip 14, in liquid form, to both sides of the layer 10 made of the fiber-reinforced plastic with the thermoset matrix. The connector clip 14 is thus locked onto the layer 10 made of the fiber-reinforced plastic with the thermoset matrix. It is disadvantageous here that applications in visible areas are excluded by virtue of the through the layer 10 made of the fiber-reinforced plastic with the thermoset matrix.
In this connection, DE 10 2015 206 962 A1, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a structural module for a vehicle seat backrest. The structural module comprises a sheet-like element designed and configured to form at least a portion of a rear wall of the vehicle seat backrest and/or to seal a cutout for a load aperture in the vehicle seat backrest, and at least one stiffening element designed and configured to increase the stiffness of the sheet-like element, and/or at least one interface element designed and configured for connection to another component of the vehicle seat backrest. It is intended here that the sheet-like element has been produced from a thermoformable composite material and has coherent bonding to at least one portion of the stiffening element and/or of the interface element. The document moreover relates to a process for the production of a structural module.
DE 10 2008 059 243 A1, which is incorporated by reference herein, relates to a joining component for axial joining to a workpiece, with a main body which is made of a thermoplastic material and which has a holding section and a flange section, with a joining surface formed on the flange section, and with a metal section that can be heated inductively. The metal section here is integrated into the flange section.
DE 10 2009 034 767 A1, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses structural organopanel components of hybrid construction made of an organopanel that is reinforced by means of thermoplastics and is suitable for the transmission of high mechanical loads, where particular flow aids are added to the thermoplastics in order to improve its physical properties.
DE 10 2015 007 575 A1, which is incorporated by reference herein, relates to a process for the production of a composite of metallic adherends and synthetic-fiber mats, where at least sections of the surface of a metallic adherend are roughened and structured with formation of undercuts in the surface of the latter by means of electromagnetic radiation, the roughened and structured sections are then positioned relative to a short-fiber woven fiber fabric or laid fiber scrim of a semifinished synthetic-mat product, a thermoset matrix system is injected into the woven fiber fabric or laid fiber scrim, the semifinished synthetic-mat product and at least those sections of the metallic adherend that have a roughened and structured surface are pressed against one another, whereupon at least those sections of the metallic adherend that have the roughened and structured surface are pressed into the thermoset matrix system, and the thermoset matrix material fills the undercuts of the roughened and structured surface of the metallic adherend, and then the thermoset matrix system of the semifinished synthetic-mat product is hardened via heating of same to form the composite.

Bonding of thermoplastic components to a thermoset component


A high speed, digitally based, signal processing system which accepts a digitized input signal and detects the presence of step-like pulses in the this data stream, extracts filtered estimates of their amplitudes, inspects for pulse pileup, and records input pulse rates and system livetime. The system has two parallel processing channels: a slow channel, which filters the data stream with a long time constant trapezoidal filter for good energy resolution; and a fast channel which filters the data stream with a short time constant trapezoidal filter, detects pulses, inspects for pileups, and captures peak values from the slow channel for good events. The presence of a simple digital interface allows the system to be easily integrated with a digital processor to produce accurate spectra at high count rates and allow all spectrometer functions to be fully automated. Because the method is digitally based, it allows pulses to be binned based on time related values, as well as on their amplitudes, if desired.

The present invention relates generally to systems for digitally processing the pulses generated in detector systems in response to absorbed radiation and, more particularly, to processing such pulses in low cost, high resolution, high rate spectrometers for x-rays or gamma rays.
There is a need, in very high counting rate applications such as synchrotron radiation research, for improved x-ray spectrometers. In many of these applications it is desired to detect and count x-rays of one particular energy under conditions where these x-rays of interest are greatly outnumbered by x-rays of a different but nearby energy. A typical example would include X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) of dilute metallo-protein solutions, where elastically scattered incident x-rays (noise events) greatly outnumber the fluorescence x-rays (signal events) from the metal atoms of interest. Since the x-ray spectrometer's total count rate capability is limited by energy resolution considerations, it spends most of its time processing noise events, which limits the acquisition rate of good signal events. Under these conditions it is advantageous to employ multiple detector systems to increase the good signal acquisition rate. Commercial spectrometers with 13 channels are now commonly sold and many researchers are considering systems with up to 100 channels. This approach is limited by several factors, including cost, lack of high count rate capability with pileup inspection, the lack of an energy resolved analysis of the spectrum seen by each detector, the practical difficulties associated with retuning the processing electronics for a large number of detector channels, and, often, the sheer bulk of the required electronics.
Cost is an important issue because of the large number of detector channels to be implemented. Typical instrumentation for a single detector channel using a high quality analog spectroscopy amplifier and energy spectrum analyzer ("multi-channel analyzer" or MCA) costs approximately $6,000. The cost of outfitting the desired 100 channels is thus prohibitively expensive for the great majority of researchers. Because of price and counting rate considerations, usually only a energy window analysis ("single channel analyzer" or SCA) is used, even for systems with only a few detectors.
The throughput, or maximum countrate capability, of energy analyzing spectrometers is usually set by the time it takes for the energy analyzer to process a pulse. During this time the system is "dead" and cannot accept other pulses. Common Wilkinson-type MCAs, particularly the low cost variety available as personal computer cards, can be quite slow, usually limiting count rates to less than 50,000 per second. Faster MCAs of comparable accuracy are available, but are much more expensive. Because a factor of 10 increase is desired for synchrotron applications, MCAs are not usually employed and the cheaper and faster windowing SCAs are used instead.
To inspect for pileup, the spectrometer must be able to detect the arrival times of the pulses coming from the preamplifier and then reject those that are closer together than the spectrometer's shaping time. If this is not done, such pulses are summed by the processing circuitry ("piling up"), and produce spectral distortions in the output. Because pileup occurs as the square of the input pulse rate, pileup inspection is a necessity when operating at the high count rates encountered in synchrotron experiments. Common commercial spectroscopy amplifiers are primarily designed for nuclear applications, however, and do not function effectively with x-rays below 10 keV. Typical inspection intervals are 500 to 600 ns, meaning that pulses arriving closer together than this cannot be distinguished. For the very high data rates encountered in synchrotron applications, a shorter inspection interval of 200 ns or less would be a distinct benefit.
To be properly carried out, a significant fraction of important synchrotron experiments also require energy analysis. These are typically experiments done using softer x-rays, in the region of 2000-4000 eV, where the energy resolution of even the best spectrometers is not adequate to fully resolve the signal energy of interest from the background energies. In these cases a simple SCA window cannot be set to accept only signal counts. Instead a full energy analysis is required and peak fitting is used to extract the signal peak from any nearby background peaks.
Spectrometer tuning is an important issue because each channel requires individual adjustment each time a new range of x-ray energies is to be studied. In conventional instruments this involves, for each channel, setting the amplifier's shaping time, coarse gain and fine gain and then adjusting the SCA's window to only accept counts in the energy range of interest. Accomplishing this requires disconnecting the amplifier and SCA from each other and using a separate calibration system (usually an oscilloscope, gated amplifier and MCA) to make the window setting. Then the amplifier and SCA are reconnected. The procedure is laborious, time consuming, and difficult to accomplish without errors, particularly when large numbers of channels are involved.
Spectrometer bulk also becomes an issue when many detector channels are required. The conventional electronics required for a 13 element detector array alone completely fill an electronics rack. Thus considerably higher density is required if 100 element arrays are to be practically implemented.
For these synchrotron applications, and many others as well, it would thus be advantageous to have a low cost, small volume spectrometry device capable of providing full energy analysis with good energy resolution at high count rates and be further capable of being interfaced to a computer system so that necessary tuning operations could be accomplished automatically by an appropriate program.

Method and apparatus for combinatorial logic signal processor in a digitally based high speed x-ray spectrometer


A grate for receiving dishware comprises a base frame and parallel grate bars which are aligned in one direction and constructed in an undulating manner. The base rims of dishware can hook on to the ridges formed by the undulation crests so that they are held on the grate securely to a great extent.

a) Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a grate for receiving dishware, particularly in movable racks or rack carts, having a base frame and grate bars extending in one direction.
Background Art
Grates of this type have grate bars extending in a straight line. Since these grate bars are either made of stainless steel or chromed, they have a relatively smooth surface and in view of the fact that all of the grate bars of a grate lie in the same plane they have the disadvantage that dishware deposited on them can easily slip off when acted upon by slight forces, which occurs particularly when grates of this type are used in displaceable or movable racks or rack carts.


A catheter system with an enhanced steering system, allowing for positioning the distal portion of the catheter proximate to a desired biological target tissue site, is provided. The system includes an elongated tubular member having a steerable distal end configured to deflect, or otherwise direct, and properly position at least a portion of the distal end comprising an ablation device during a surgical procedure allowing for the placement of the deflected portion adjacent or proximate to the target tissue surface. The steering system may alternatively be incorporated into a separate guiding catheter as part of the catheter system.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to catheter systems used in diagnosis and treatment of various body tissues and, more specifically, to steering systems incorporated into catheter systems for ablating cardiac tissue in the treatment of electrophysiological diseases.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well know, catheters provide medical professionals access to various interior regions of the human body, in a minimally invasive manner, in support of diagnosis and treatment. Catheters allow such professionals to place one or more medical instruments, pharmacological agents or other matter at a target tissue site. For example, in cardiac procedures in support of diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation, catheters provide access to various chambers of the heart, carrying ablation devices which translate therein to such sites for ablation of specific cardiac tissue associated with atrial fibrillation.
Ablation of tissue, cardiac tissue for example, is directly related to the orientation of the ablation element from which energy sufficient to ablate biological tissue is emitted. For such procedures, precise control of the ablation device is desirable to ensure proper placement of the ablation element utilized in creation of one or more desired lesions. As a surgeon, or other medical professional, manipulates the proximal end of the catheter system, the distal end of the catheter must be responsive to such movement in a very predetermined, smooth-flowing and proportional way.
Proper placement of an ablation device is exasperated by the fact that some ablative energy technologies require energy transmission conduits which are bulky, or otherwise constructed from materials less flexible, making the distal portion of the catheter difficult to properly position. For example, distal portions of optical fiber or microwave based ablation systems, or catheter systems comprising an endoscopic device, may be more difficult to maneuver due to the lack of {flexibility in the transmission mediums utilized therein. As should be readily apparent, when the distal portion of an ablation catheter system is not properly positioned, ablative energy is not properly directed and applied to the target tissue, resulting in poor lesion formation. It is therefore essential that the ablative device be able to be manipulated and sufficiently controlled to be properly positioned to transfer the requisite energy to ablate biological tissue and create a desired lesion therein.


Techniques facilitating frequency allocation in multi-qubit circuits are provided. In one example, a computer-implemented method comprises determining, by a device operatively coupled to a processor, an estimated fabrication yield associated with respective qubit chip configurations by conducting simulations of the respective qubit chip configurations at respective frequency offsets; and selecting, by the device, a qubit chip configuration from among the respective qubit chip configurations based on the estimated fabrication yield associated with the respective qubit chip configurations.

The subject disclosure relates to quantum computing, and more specifically, to techniques facilitating circuit design and fabrication for quantum computers.
As computer technology advances and conventional computing devices decrease in physical scale, a growing interest has been placed on quantum computing as a technique by which computing technology can continue to advance past the physical limitations of traditional computers. A quantum computer can operate via superconducting quantum logic circuits, which can include arrays of transmon qubits, capacitively shunted flux qubits (CSFQ), and/or other types of superconducting qubits linked by quantum buses. Cross-resonance (CR) gate operations in the circuit enable the implementation of quantum logic gates between qubits in the circuit. However, CR gates are sensitive to the relative frequencies of their corresponding qubits, and the behavior of respective qubits can define windows of relative frequencies for functional gates as well as collision windows, i.e., ranges of relative frequencies which can cause gate errors. For instance, as disclosed by Rigetti et al., "PROCESSING SIGNALS IN A QUANTUM COMPUTING SYSTEM," U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0267032 A1 (reference numerals omitted), "[an] example quantum computing system includes multiple operating domains. Each of the operating domains can include dedicated hardware at one or more stages of the quantum computing system." With respect to this example, Rigetti et al. further discloses that "the quantum processor includes an array of qubit devices, and each operating domain includes a particular group of the qubit devices and the associated devices and other hardware that operate in connection with the particular group of qubit devices. The devices in each group have distinct operating frequencies . . . ." Rigetti et al. additionally discloses that "each qubit device and its corresponding readout device operate within a frequency band, and the frequency band for each qubit and readout device pair is separate and distinct (non-overlapping) with the frequency band for the other qubit and readout device pairs within the same operating domain."
Due to uncontrollable variations and/or imperfections in nano-structures utilized during device fabrication, the frequency of single-junction qubits cannot be precisely set or controlled. As a result, in a given lattice of fixed-frequency qubits employing CR gates, a significant number of frequency collisions can exist that can adversely impact the performance of the respective qubits. In view of at least the above, there exists a need in the art for techniques to accommodate frequency imprecision associated with qubit circuit fabrication.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Frequency allocation in multi-qubit circuits

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A method for airport dynamic aviation planning is disclosed. The method includes the steps of populating an existing conditions database comprising an inventory of existing conditions data at the airport, defining an aviation planning scenario with a graphical user interface by selecting input parameters, developing, by a processor, a future growth forecast comprising future levels of aviation activity at the airport in response to the selected input parameter, generating, by a processor, a facility requirements summary needed to satisfy the selected input parameter by comparing the difference between the future growth forecast and the existing conditions data, and generating, by a processor, a dynamic airport layout plan graphically representing the facility requirements.

Airport master planning is a critical tool in determining needs and development at individual airports. An airport Master Plan is a comprehensive study of an airport and usually describes the short-, medium-, and long-term development plans to meet future aviation demand. Elements of an airport Master Plan typically include an Existing Conditions portion that provides an inventory of pertinent data for use in subsequent Plan elements; an Aviation Forecast portion that estimates aeronautical demand for short-, medium-, and long-term time frames; a Facility Requirements portion that assesses the ability of the existing airport, both airside and landside, to support the forecast demand. Additionally, the Master Plan may also include an Environmental Considerations portion to provide a clear understanding of the environmental requirements needed to move forward with each project in the recommended development program. Based upon the facility requirements and considering the environmental considerations, a set of development alternatives are considered before settling on a single alternative that is recommended.
The Master Plan also includes an Airport Layout Plan (ALP), which can include a narrative portion accompanying a set of drawings, which are generally based upon the recommended alternative. The narrative portion of the ALP will typically describe ALP development criteria and the rationale for the development shown on the ALP. The drawing portion provides a graphic depiction of the long-term development plan for the airport, and includes current and future airport facilities. The drawings include required airport feature classifications, description labels, imaginary surfaces, Runway Protection Zones, Runway Safety Areas and basic airport and runway data tables.
Current methods of preparing the Master Plan and ALP typically consume hundreds and sometimes thousands of man-hours. The current method is also static and not easily changed. If a change to the airport, the industry or a new opportunity that isn't included in the Master Plan and ALP presents itself; another lengthy planning process is required to analyze the potential for accommodating the new change or opportunity.


A roll bender machine for bending metal sheets which includes a roller driven in rotation and about which the sheet metal is rolled and at least two backing rollers adapted to receive and bear against a sheet while it is being bent around the roller. The backing rollers are mounted to rotate on a support that is adjustable. The bending roller and backing rollers are each associated with at least one set of devices for compensating their deflection. An arm is mounted on the machine for receiving coiled sheet metal and is provided with a housing in which the bending roller is at least partially received.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a machine for bending metal sheets, and more particularly to a machine of the roll bender type. The invention also relates to a line for fabricating tubes or cylinders by bending sheets, the installation incorporating a bending machine. The term "roll bender" designates any machine enabling a tube or ferrule to be made from a metal plate of small thickness, in particular a metal sheet. Tubes or ferrules are made from sheets by bending, i.e. the sheet is curved about a radius of curvature corresponding to that of the tube or the ferrule. In particular, the invention relates to roll benders for making tubes or ferrules of diameter that is as small as possible as a function of the length of the tube and the thickness of its wall, for example tubes having a diameter of 60 millimeters (mm) for a length of about 1 meter (m), and a thickness of 0.5 mm.
2. Description of the Related Art
FR-B-2 750 061 discloses roll benders each comprising a bending roller that is driven in rotation and about which the metal sheet is rolled, together with two backing rollers that are parallel to the bending roller and that serve to provide an adjustable passage between the various rollers so as to guide the metal sheet and impart the desired radius of curvature thereto. The outside diameter of the bending roller determines the minimum diameter of the tube or ferrule that can be obtained in a single revolution using the roll bender. The inside diameter of the tube or ferrule as formed in this way varies in particular as a function of the elastic limit of the metal or metal alloy constituting the sheet; the higher the limit, the greater the final diameter of the tube, with the tube tending to return to its initial shape. For example, with ordinary steels, the minimum diameter of the tube is about 1.2 times the diameter of the bending roller. With titanium, that presents a high elastic limit, the minimum diameter of the tube is about five times the diameter of the bending roller. To make a stainless steel tube with an inside diameter of 80 mm, of the kind used for flue lining, the diameter of the bending roller must be 1.4 times smaller, i.e. it must be about 55 mm.
Given the stresses to which it is subjected during a rolling operation, a bending roller of this diameter, having a length close to one meter, does not remain rectilinear, but tends to present significant deflection. Similarly, the backing rollers tend to present deflection. Depending on the stresses exerted by the metal sheet, this problem of deflection can also be accompanied by the bending roller beginning to become twisted.
When the bending and backing rollers present deflection, the resulting tube is enlarged in its middle. It is said to be "barrel-shaped".
FR-B-2 750 061 describes a solution for overcoming the deflection of backing rollers by using a plurality of short backing rollers in alignment, or in a variant, by using backing rollers of length close to that of the bending roller and resting against a plurality of small rollers.
EP-A-0 477 751 describes a top roller and a bottom roller, the bottom roller being flanked by two parallel rollers. Adjustable wheels carried by beams and movable in sliders bear in adjustable manner against the rollers situated in the bottom portion in order to compensate the deflection thereof.
Those devices enable deflection to be compensated only of the backing rollers. The amount of compensation is not under control, and deflection of the bending roller is not compensated at all. Such a system does not enable tubes to be obtained that are genuinely cylindrical with a diameter close to 80 mm and a length close to 1.20 m.

Sheet metal bending machine and production line incorporating a machine of this type


A method of transforming the exposure pattern is provided so as to obtain a transferred image as being closest possible to the object design pattern in a lithography process. The method includes the steps of dividing a visible outline of desired design pattern P into a plurality of edges according to a specified rule, then assigning a plurality of evaluation points H to each of the edges; computing a transferred image of an exposed pattern by simulation; computing a distance between each evaluation point H on each edge E and a position corresponding to each evaluation point H of the transferred image of the exposed pattern; and determining a corrected exposure pattern by inputting the distance to a specified evaluation function to correct the position of each edge E according to the output value of the evaluation function.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for correcting exposure patterns in a lithography process of semiconductor devices, as well as an exposure mask, a method of exposing, and a semiconductor device.
In a photo-lithography process for the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, an exposure mask provided with a mask pattern corresponding to a desired design pattern is prepared, and a light is exposed on a resist material through this mask to transfer the design pattern.
Recently, there was provided a lithography process executed around the limit of theoretical development corresponding to strictly specified design rules required as semiconductors are finely fragmented more and more. And, this often causes resolution to become insufficient, resulting in occurrence of a problem of difference between the mask pattern and the transferred resist pattern.
Such a phenomenon then causes deterioration of semiconductor device performance due to the transformation of the printed pattern, as well as a drop of production yield due to pattern bridging and wire breaking. To avoid such problems, therefore, the object mask pattern is optimized with the cut & try treatment to obtain a desired resist pattern.
There is also provided a treatment for optimizing a mask pattern such way; a plurality of qualification patterns are added to the object design pattern to correct the mask pattern, then a transferred pattern is determined by a printing test or simulation and obtain qualification patterns so as to find a transferred pattern closest to the desired design pattern.
However, it takes too much time and too many processes to determine an optimized mask pattern with the cut & try treatment. This method can therefore apply only to some patterns. The method cannot apply to such irregular patterns as an ASIC. In addition, the number of mask patterns that can be evaluated with the cut & try treatment is also limited, so that the optimized mask pattern might be overlooked.
To solve such problems and let each mask pattern be optimized by a computer automatically, a photo-proximity effect correction technology has been developed. In a mask pattern correction by this technology, the following processings are executed to correct the object mask pattern for the inputted design pattern.
(1) The visible outline of the inputted design pattern is divided into edges.
(2) An evaluation point is assigned to the center of each of the edges.
(3) The transferred image at the evaluation point is found, as well as the offset between this evaluation position and the position corresponding to the transferred image evaluation point is found. Otherwise, the offset of the energy intensity at the evaluation point from the desired value is found.
(4) Each edge is moved to a position so that the offset of the transferred image at the evaluation point becomes 0.
The above processings (3) and (4) are repeated by the computer to find the optimized mask pattern.
Correction of a mask pattern with such automatic photo-proximity effect correction technology will result in the following problems, however. As the offset (error) at the evaluation point is minimized, the error grows at portions to which no evaluation point is added, so that the offset of the mask pattern is also enlarged as a whole.
FIG. 1 shows an example of mask pattern correction in the related art. When an attempt is made to minimize the offset at the evaluation point shown with an x mark in the figure, part of the transferred image I formed using the corrected mask pattern is expanded significantly from the design pattern P depending on the shape of the design pattern P.
To avoid this problem, a method was considered for reducing the pitch between evaluation points by increasing the number of divisions for the design pattern P. This method, however, causes the mask pattern to be complicated after correction, so that the method makes it difficult to manufacture the object semiconductor device, as well as to increase the cost of the mask. In addition, since finely fragmented patterns are generated, it becomes impossible to make fault checks. And, it also becomes impossible to create quality-assured masks sometimes.
In addition, unnecessary steps are also developed in the mask pattern and such differences in level cause the contrast of the transferred image to be lowered. FIG. 2A shows a transferred image I of a design pattern P. FIG. 2B shows a transferred image I obtained by adding a corrected design pattern P' to the design pattern P. Although the same transferred image I is obtained for both design patterns P and P', the contrast of the transferred image I is lowered when the step is expanded by the corrected pattern P' added as shown in FIG. 2B. As a result, the exposure tolerance is lowered. This is another problem to occur in the related art.

Method and apparatus for correcting exposure patterns, and exposure mask, method of exposing and semiconductor device


An adsorbent composition comprising a nanostructured titanium oxide material of the formula TiO2-, where 0≦×≦1 with nanotubular and/or nanofibrilar morphology, high oxygen deficiency, having an orthorhombic JT crystalline phase described by at least one of the space groups 59 Pmmn, 63 Amma, 71Immm or 63 Bmmb, and comprising between 0 and 20 weight percent of a transition metal oxide is used for the selective adsorption of nitrogen compounds and/or sulfur compounds from light and intermediate petroleum fractions.

Nowadays the governmental environment protection agencies demand combustibles with a low level of contaminants, such as sulfur, nitrogen, and metals like nickel, vanadium, among others. On the other hand, it has become necessary to process heavier loads to get the most out of the petroleum however the content of contaminants is increased in the processed oil. Thus, it is necessary the development of new processes and catalytic materials that remove the contaminants from the petroleum hydrocarbon fractions, and thus to reduce the contaminant gas emissions to the atmosphere and in this way to comply with the environmental regulations which are becoming increasingly more strict.
The most efficient processes for the removal of contaminants from the petroleum hydrocarbon fractions are the hydrotreatment processes, which are applied to almost all the petroleum fractions, such as gasolines, diesel, feedstocks for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) and intermediate distillates.
In the process of hydroprocessing, the light and the intermediate petroleum fractions are hydrotreated and/or hydrocracked in the presence of hydrogen. The hydroprocessing processes encompass all the processes in which a petroleum fraction reacts with hydrogen at high temperature and pressure and they include reactions like hydrogenation, hydrodesulphurization, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrometallation, hydrodearomatization, hydroisomerization, hydrocracking, etc.
Such processes use mainly catalytic formulations specific for the removal of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. The molybdenum-alumina catalysts promoted with cobalt are generally used when the limiting specification concerns only the desulphurization, while the molybdenum-alumina catalysts promoted with nickel are largely used when in addition to the desulphurization it is necessary to hydrodenitrogenate and to partially saturate the aromatics content (hydrodearomatization) in the fraction that requires to be hydroprocessed, this is due to the high hydrogenating catalytic activity of nickel. The procedures for the preparation of hydroprocessing catalysts have been presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,089,462 and 2,853,257, and in the European patents EP 0,448,117 and 0,469,675.
However, spite of all the efforts made to improve the performance of the hydroprocessing catalysts they produce fractions, for example of diesel and/or straight run gas oil (SRGO), which still have around 500 to 600 ppm of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. Because of this, considerable efforts are being made to find more efficient catalysts capable of reducing the content of these contaminants below 10 ppm in the motorcar combustibles to comply with the environmental regulations, which will take effect globally starting on 2006. The applicants of the present invention have discovered that the solution to this problem is to use a nanostructured material together with a procedure for the selective and efficient adsorption of the polar compounds, such as nitrogen and sulfur, from the petroleum hydrocarbon fractions, and thus obtain levels below 50 ppm of the mentioned contaminants.
The performance of the catalysts in the catalytic processes of hydrotreatment and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is affected or inhibited by the content of nitrogen compounds in the feedstocks. The removal of the polar nitrogen compounds, by selective adsorption processes (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,248,230B1 and 6,551,501B1), from the feedstocks (naphtha and diesels) allows a better performance of the catalysts, an as a consequence, for example, the catalytic desulphurization process yields levels between 5 and 50 ppm of sulfur in the combustibles which makes them more active and efficient. The removal of the polar nitrogen compounds allows a good performance, less deactivation, of the catalysts in the hydrotreatment and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) processes (Engelhard's FCC Knowledge Data Base, html).
Another strategy to produce ultra clean combustibles with ultra low content of nitrogen and sulfur, is to apply selective polar compounds adsorption processes directly to the gasolines, diesel, kerosenes, and other fuels used in the cars, trucks, planes, jets, etc at the end of the producing process or in the gasoline pool (U.S. Published application No. 2002/0043483).
The adsorbent materials for the adsorption of polar compounds of nitrogen and sulfur used in selective adsorption processes are liquid or solid and they are the same adsorbent materials used in the chromatography. However, the adsorbent capability of these materials is limited and a large quantity of them is required to get low levels of contaminants. This involves a large equipment installation, large space and high investment costs. Because of this it is necessary the development of new adsorbents to low the level of contaminants in both the feedstocks for hydrotreatment and FCC processes, and in the liquid combustibles at the exit of these processes. The following patents describe the state of the techniques which are closely related to materials used as adsorbents and their application process.
To be able to yield low levels of nitrogen and sulfur compounds in liquid combustibles, U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,230 B1 proposes a previous stage of removal of nitrogen compounds, by a selective adsorption process, from the feed loads for hydrotreatment process. As adsorbent material it is proposed a silica-gel, an alumina, and an ion exchange resin. The maximum level of adsorption obtained is of around 70% using a light fraction of straight run gas oil (SRGO) with 226 ppm in total nitrogen. The removal of the nitrogen compounds increases the efficiency of the catalytic processes of hydrodesulphurization, which lowers the sulfur levels to 50 ppm without increasing the severity of the reaction conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,860 discloses a process for the desulfurization of liquid combustibles and feedstocks of hydrocarbons which contain unacceptable levels of nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen contaminats, which are denominated as compounds with heteroatoms by the authors. The process consists in placing into contact very small particles of an adsorbent in a fluidized bed with the load to be treated. The adsorbent is saturated by the present polar compounds in the load, which contain nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen. Then the fluidized bed is transported to a regeneration zone, where it is placed in contact with a flow of light hydrocarbons C1-C4 and H2 at high temperature, to remove all the adsorbed polar compounds, and finally it is transported to an adsorption zone where the cycle is started again. This is a continuous adsorption process in a mobile bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,501 B1 describes a combined process to increase the efficiency of the hydrotreatment process and thus to comply with the environmental regulations of ultra-low sulfur content with the existing catalysts. The process consists in the selective adsorption of the polar nitrogen compounds from the load to be hydrotreated using solids and liquids as adsorbents. Among the liquids proposed as adsorbents it is found: dimethyl formamide, methanol, n-propanol, and iso-propanol in different concentrations with water and also with sodium hydroxide. Among the proposed solids as adsobers it is found: alumina, silica, silica-alumina, magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, zinc hydroxide, zirconium hydroxide, AMB-A27, etc. The achieved efficiency in the removal of nitrogen compounds is between 10 and 70% depending on the material used.
The U.S. Published application No. 2003/0163013 refers to selective adsorbent materials for the adsorption of sulfur compounds for the purification in general of any hydrocarbon fraction. The proposed adsorbents are a "Y" zeolite of high specific area exchanged with Cu, Ag, and Na with the oxidation state of 1+, which can adsorb thiophenic, benzothiophenic, and thiophenic dibenzo alkyl compounds with high yield.
The U.S. Published application No.2002/0043484 discloses selective adsorbent materials for the adsorption of sulfur compounds in combustibles (gasolines and diesel). The adsorbents are zinc titanates impregnated with metals such as cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, iron, manganese, copper, tungsten, silver, strontium, vanadium, or mixes of them, in a partially reduced state. The process is carried out at a temperature between 316 and 371° C. in a partially oxidant atmosphere. A high capability of removal of sulfur compounds is achieved, however the amount of hydrotreated hydrocarbon per weight unit of adsorbent is very low, which indicates that the adsorption capability to adsorb the polar compounds by these adsorbents is very low.
All the adsorbent materials that are mentioned, in the aforementioned patents, can adsorb nitrogen or sulfur compounds present in hydrocarbons.

Selective adsorbent material and its use


The invention provides an index of line balance method for maintaining optimum queued quantities of products at a manufacturing step and over an entire manufacturing line. The method begins by: first, assigning a daily standard move of product (Std Move) which should be produced in a manufacturing line. Second, the standard WIP StdWIP is calculated for each manufacturing stage i by multiplying the theoretical cycle time C/T of each stage by the daily standard move StdMove; (i.e., StdWIP=CT*StdMove). Third, the difference Di between the current WIP CWi and standard WIP StdWIP at every stage i. (Di=Cwi-Swi, ) is calculated. Fourth, the cumulative difference CDi between current WIP Cwi and standard WIP StdWIP of every stage i from stage i to stage n is calculated. ##EQU1## Fifth, the index of line balance BIi is calculated by dividing the sum of all positive CDi from stage i to stage n by the absolute value of the sum of all negative CDi from stage i to stage n. Next, the index of line balance BIi for each stage i is plotted as a line chart for each stage i. Lastly, additional production resources (e.g., tools) are allocated to the stages that have an index of line balance BIi greater than 1.2 and production resources are reduced to the stages that have an index of line balance BIi less than 0.80. The method reduces WIP, cycle time and costs by better allocating manufacturing resources.

1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a versatile production system and method for operating the system. The system manufactures various kinds of products including semiconductor chips. The present system relates to methods for scheduling jobs on a production line to minimize the work in progress (WP). The system includes a measurement of how well jobs are distributed along the manufacturing line.
2) Description of the Prior Art
In general, in a production line for manufacturing products, a production control center controls the flow of jobs throughout the production line. In many production lines, the same types (sets) of tools can be used to process product at different steps. For example, in manufacturing semiconductors, product wafers undergo a general cycle of depositing a layer, covering the layer with a photoresist, etching the layer, removing the photo resist, and depositing another layer (or doping some exposed portion). Many of the equipment used to perform these operations can be used in several different product stages. For example, a photoresist patterning tool (e.g., optical exposers) could be used at the following product stages: field oxide photo, source/drain photo, gate electrode photo, contact photo, etc. Other equipment is used repeatedly, such as ion implanter, CVD tools, etch stations, etc.
A challenge of production line managers is to schedule or utilize the resources (such as equipment or personnel) in an efficient manner to maximize the product throughput. However, presently there isn't an effective method to determine the correct amount of jobs (WIP--Work in progress) and distribution of the jobs over the entire production line. The WIP will accumulate in some stages where it isn't really needed or useful. Many production supervisors make the decision to allocate local machines (and other manufacturing resources) based on their experience. These decision may further overload the sectors in some sections of the production line and under load the sectors in other sections of the line.
Practitioners have taken many different approaches to scheduling and monitoring manufacturing lines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,671 (Weaver et al.) shows a look ahead method for maintaining optimum queued quantities of in-progress parts at a manufacturing bottleneck. U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,432 (Saka et al.) shows a production system to minimize line balance loss. U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,066 (Sontag) shows a machine shop management system for managing the work progress of production jobs.
There is still a need for a method of monitoring the WIP in the manufacturing line and determining the optimum amount of WIP at each stage.

Method to improve WIP balance in a manufacturing line

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A passenger seat with an integrated child seat that comprises a folded-in position and a folded-out position. In its folded-in position the passenger seat can be used as a seat for an adult passenger. In its folded-out position the child seat can be used as a seat for a child seated with his/her back in forward direction.

The invention relates to the technical field of child seats. In particular, the invention relates to a passenger seat comprising a child seat integrated in the seating surface of the passenger seat, to an aircraft comprising such a passenger seat, to the use of such a passenger seat in an aircraft, as well as to a method.
If there are no child seats in an aircraft, parents have to hold their babies or toddlers on their laps during takeoff, landing or during the taxi phase on the ground. In flight there is the option of placing small children in so-called baby bassinets. However, in critical phases of flight baby bassinets may not provide optional protection.
TÜV-Rheinland-certified bassinets, such as Maxi Cosy Mico, Luftkid, Römer Baby Safe Plus, and Römer King Quickfix, are known, however, they may only be approved for flight operations and may not to be used for securing babies or toddlers in other motor vehicles. These child seats are at present exclusively used only in the taxi phase, the takeoff phase and the landing phase. During critical flight phases they are secured in the same way as the "adult seats".
However, such child seats may not be provided by aircraft operators, but instead may have to be provided by parents. Furthermore, these child seats may be used in an unrestricted way only on certain seats in the aircraft so that parents need to reserve a correspondingly suitable seat prior to the flight. Furthermore, aircraft operators have widely differing periods in which Lo make seat reservations, with passengers having to inform themselves in advance of these periods.
This all makes it difficult to safely accommodate small children in an aircraft.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,732 B discloses a child seat for an aircraft, which child seat is affixed to a wall in the aircraft.
GB 2407968 A discloses a baby bassinet whose first end is affixed to the front passenger seat, and whose second end is affixed to the waist of a person seated in the passenger seat behind the front seat.

Integrated child seat having special functions


An integrated compression connector that comprises a housing that has opposing first and second ends. The housing supports a pin and the pin is supported by an insulator disposed in the housing. The pin includes an elastic end for engaging a cable conductor. A threaded sleeve is externally coupled to the housing at the first end thereof. A cable clamp is externally coupled to the housing at the second end thereof. The cable clamp is configured to clamp to a corrugated outer conductor of a cable, wherein the housing engages the cable clamp in an interference fit to form an integrated structure.

In mobile communication base station or indoor coverage systems, connectors are indispensable for the transmission of high-frequency signal and power. Such connectors are usually connected to either annular corrugated cable or helically corrugated cable. Because conventional connectors are both under threaded connection and are structurally split, the conventional connectors cannot ensure lasting, good and stable connection of cable conductors. In addition, water seepage during the use of the connector could affect its application effect, and cause damage to equipment.
Therefore, there remains a need for a cable connector that ensures a stable and positive connection of the cable conductors and provides overall environmental protection.

Changzhou Amphenol Fuyang Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.


Embodiments profile usage of memory and other resources. Stack traces have lifespans, resource impacts, and constituent call chains. Aggregation unifies shared call chains and sums resource impacts after assigning traces to snapshot sets based on trace lifespans and user-defined snapshot request timestamps. Traces are assigned using either active aggregation or precursor aggregation. Traces spanning a snapshot request may be split. A sampled resource trace lifespan begins when the resource is sampled and ends at the next snapshot request. An allocated resource trace lifespan begins when a portion of the resource is allocated and ends when the allocated portion is freed. Resource portions not yet freed are implicitly freed when program execution ends. Call chain interval resource impact aggregation performed with multiple snapshot requests and stack trace sets creates snapshot aggregations. Two aggregations are differenced by subtracting the summed call chain resource impacts of one aggregation from those of another aggregation.

Profilers are software development tools that measure aspects of software program behavior. Familiar profilers are used to collect and/or analyze data to help answer questions such as which routines of a program are using the most processor cycles, which routines are using the most memory, and whether all of the memory allocated by the program is also being freed after it is no longer needed for useful work in the program. Profilers are often used to help improve program performance.
The program behavior data which is collected for profiling may include stack traces, other recorded events, program variable values at one or more points in time, operating system and/or other runtime environment state at one or more points in time, and statistics summarizing such data, for example. Data may be collected directly by the profiler, or it may be collected by another tool and then fed to the profiler for analysis and display. Program behavior data for profiling may be collected by using hardware interrupts, code instrumentation, processor or runtime simulation or emulation, operating system hooks, performance counters, and/or logging tools, for example.

Call chain interval resource impact aggregation differencing


A method of mobile communication including a transmitter having multiple transmitters and a receiver having multiple receivers. The method includes adding a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code to a data block to be transmitted and spatially segmenting the data block according to a modulation scheme and a coding rate of each respective transmit antenna of the multiple antennas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to a mobile communication system and signal processing method in which an indicator such as a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code added to a data block is used to determine whether an error in transmission has occurred.
2. Background of the Invention
Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication systems use multiple-element antenna arrays to increase a user capacity in rich multipath environments by exploiting the spatial properties of the multipath channel. One such system is the vertical BLAST (Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time) system, which uses a vertically layered space-time architecture as opposed to the diagonally layered space-time architecture of a D-BLAST system. The V-BLAST system is described in "V-BLAST: An Architecture for Realizing Very High Data Rates Over the Rich-Scattering Wireless Channel" (ISSSE '98, October 1998) by P. W Wolniansky, G. J. Foschini, G. D. Golden, and R. A. Valenzuela and in "Detection algorithm and initial laboratory results using V-BLAST space-time communication architecture" (IEEE, Vol. 35, No. 1, January 1999) by the same authors, both of which are incorporated by reference.
In the above-described V-BLAST system, the ability to separate the transmitted and received data substreams depends on the slight differences in how the different substreams propagate through the environment. Hence, the V-BLAST system relies on the independence of the divided substreams launched via the plurality of transmitter antennas. This independence, however, is not always maintained resulting in data not being properly detected.

Mobile communication system and signal processing method thereof