Methods for improving measurements of bacterial growth, such as mass, in Suspended Microchannel Resonators (SMR's). Methods include techniques to provide for bacterial growth over time in response to changing fluid environment to aid in determining parameters such as drug resistance and drug susceptibility. In particular the methods include trapping multiple bacteria in the SMR for a time period and varying the fluid to include sequences of nutrients and antibiotics, and measuring the rate of mass change of the bacteria in response to the changes in fluid composition.

This invention relates to methods for measuring bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance, and particularly to such measurements using a Suspended Microchannel Resonator (SMR) and measuring the mass of multiple bacteria over time and in changing fluidic environments.
Precision measurements of nanometer- and micrometer-scale particles, including living cells and multicellular entities such as bacteria, have wide application in pharmaceuticals/drug delivery and disease studies, as well as in other major industries and fields of research. This need is growing due to the need to better understand and treat diseases and develop and maintain effective treatments and drugs.
A variety of particle sizing and counting techniques, such as light scattering, Coulter Counters and others are known in the art. These techniques are embodied in commercial instruments and are used in industrial, medical, and research applications. Although such techniques have proven utility, they have limitations that limit their applicability. Relatively recently, particle detection and measurement based on the use of SMR's has been developed, and shows promise of going beyond some of the limitations of conventional techniques. The SMR uses a fluidic microchannel embedded in a resonant structure, typically in the form of a cantilever or torsional structure. Fluids, possibly containing target particles, are flowed through the sensor, and the contribution of the particles to the total mass within the sensor causes the resonance frequency of the sensor to change in a measurable fashion. SMR's are typically microfabricated MEMS devices. The use of microfabricated resonant mass sensors to measure fluid density has been known in the literature for some time [P. Enoksson, G. Stemme, E. Stemme, "Silicon tube structures for a fluid-density sensor", Sensors and Actuators A 54 (1996) 558-562]. However, the practical use of resonant mass sensors to measure properties of individual particles and other entities suspended in fluid is relatively recent, as earlier fluid density sensors were not designed to measure individual particles at the micron and submicron scale.
In a body of work including work by the inventors of this application, miniaturization and improvement of several orders of magnitude in mass resolution has been demonstrated. Development in the microfabrication recipes, the fluidics design, and measurement techniques are described in a number of co-pending patent applications and scientific publications. In particular U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/620,320, 12/087,495, and 12/305,733 are particularly relevant and are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Also of relevance is a publication by others including the current inventors, [T. P. Burg, M. Godin, S. M. Knudsen et al., "Weighing of biomolecules, single cells and single nanoparticles in fluid," Nature 446 (7139), 1066-1069 (2007)] By using the microfabrication techniques described in the references, SMR sensors have been fabricated with mass resolution of less than 1 femtogram (10−15 g). This resolution is sufficient to detect and measure the mass of individual particles in the range of −100 nanometers up to many microns in size, including living cells.
Improvements in SMR based measurement techniques have been disclosed, which allow for a particle to be held in the measurement portion of the SMR for extended periods of time. Although the disclosed techniques have the advantage of improving signal to noise, they also provide for the ability to measure particle properties which may change over time. Of particular interest is the possibility of measuring cell or bacterial growth. High precision measurements of the mass of living cells or small multi-cellular organisms such as bacteria have not been possible previously.
Given the mass resolution of current SMR's cell mass measurements may be accomplished with resolution approximately 1% of the mass of a typical bacterium, which is sufficient to measure mass change due to growth and/or mitosis. With such resolution it is possible to detect bacterial growth by measuring change in mass over time, and potentially even more importantly to measure bacterial response to changes in the chemical or environmental properties of the bacteria's liquid environment. Such measurements would have applicability in drug resistance/susceptibility studies, and general environmental toxicity studies. More than 100,000 deaths per year in the US result from bacterial infections, behind only cancer and heart disease. Moreover the rising resistance of bacteria to existing antibiotics coupled with the difficulty in developing new antibiotics is negatively impacting effective treatment of bacterial infections. One of the leading roadblocks to analysis of bacterial resistance to existing drugs and the effectiveness of new drugs is the slowness of existing bacterial assay techniques, such as disk diffusion/dilution assays, which commonly take days to produce results. Therefore it is the object of this invention to provide faster, accurate bacterial assays based on the application of SMR's.

Method for measuring bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance using suspended microchannel resonators


A package for storing or containing at least one ethylene response manipulation agent such as 1-methylcyclopropene is disclosed. The package can have multiple film layers, but preferably the outer layer comprises a polymer at least partially soluble when contacted with an aqueous media, and the inner layer comprising an ethylene response manipulation agent permeable film structure. Aerosols comprising the ethylene response manipulation agents are also disclosed.

Volatile active compounds such as ethylene response manipulation agents or plant disease and insect controlling materials or other plant growth regulating materials are dispersed in water based mediums to either directly apply to intended plant or plant parts as liquid solution or use water based medium to release bioactive gas from encapsulated matrix to allow gaseous exposure of bioactive compound to intended plant or plant parts under closed environments.
These compounds are mostly manufactured in concentrated and generally stable forms by either encapsulation process, or forming salts or conjugated complexes for storage and distribution. The product in powder or tablet form is packed in water impermeable packaging which is cut open before use, contents transferred into another container containing water based medium to release MCP gas for gaseous exposure under leak proof conditions. This process is complicated and limits the use of the bioactive volatiles to only storage environments that are properly sealed. There is a heartfelt need in the industry to develop a storage and control release package for encapsulated bioactive materials so that the scope of the technology can be extended to benefit produce industry under transit, retail and consumer conditions.
The disclosed invention provides a package for storing and control release volatile active compounds from its solid or liquid formulations which comprise of at least portion of encapsulated, conjugated or salts of bioactive compound. The bioactive compound package incorporates volatile compound, water and gas permeable portions which may include perforations that are sealed with peelable adhesive, water soluble barrier layer or photosensitive polymer barrier layer. A method to ensure complete release of volatile compounds from their encapsulated formulations is provided so that the packaging materials can either be recycled or discarded as non-hazardous waste material.

Active compound formulation package and its subsequent release for use on plant and plant parts


A method of forming a differential amplifier on a substrate which has a greater tolerance for applied voltages and a chip so formed. The differential amplifier circuit on a substrate has additional transistors connected with resistors which form a voltage divider, thereby sharing the voltage stress which may be applied and accommodating enhanced capabilities for the differential amplifier.

This invention relates to a semiconductor differential amplifier and a method a forming such an amplifier.
Integrated circuits based on semiconductor manufacturing process are well known. Such devices are understood to be formed by providing a suitable base and then forming electrical circuit components on the substrate. Such devices are understood to be formed with many such components on a single substrate, with such components functioning as transistors, resistors and other elements. Microprocessors, as one example only, are so formed and have large numbers of components of the types described formed on the substrates supporting the components. This technology is well known and needs no further description here.
Many such integrated circuit devices or chips use as one type of component a differential amplifier. Differential amplifiers have been long recognized in the art, to the extent that there exist entire texts devoted to the characteristics and design of such amplifiers and their inclusion in large scale integrated circuits. The interested reader is referred to such texts for a deeper understanding of the invention here to be described.
Differential amplifiers function due to the imposition of voltages thereacross, and serve, among other purposes, to amplify the differences between two input voltages (hence the name) and to remove noise otherwise present in signals by operating in so-called common mode. One difficulty encountered with integrated circuits formed by the use of certain technologies is that voltages may be applied across a differential amplifier which result in either signal distortion beyond acceptable limits or damage to the components forming the amplifier. This is particularly true where the chip is made by a technology which is only capable of offering thin oxide transistors with limited maximum voltage tolerance.

International Business Machines Corporation


Flexible filtering filling material consisting of pieces that are 100% open cell reticulated polyurethane foam. The pieces filter out the damp warm condition within the filling, haltering the proliferation of microorganisms, giving the product a more sanitary and longer life.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally pertains to a filling material that supports and gives comfort to the human body while allowing the warmth and moisture to freely filter out.
Darkness, dampness and warmth are key ingredients for the proliferation of bacteria, dust mites, and fungus. It is the combination of these factors that contributes to the growth of these unwanted organisms. Therefore, removal of any one of these factors facilitates the prevention of unwanted organisms that can cause health problems and discomfort.
b) Background Art
In the known prior art of various types of pillows, mattress pads, outer garments, comforters, etc., for supporting and giving comfort to the human body, the filling materials used in these products (particularly down, feathers, synthetic fibers and regular polyurethane foam) have certain disadvantages. They absorb moisture and warmth from the human body without a means for the damp warm condition to readily dissipate. This condition provides an unsatisfactory environment, which will proliferate the growth of mites and bacteria. The same pillow used by various persons in hotels, hospitals, or airplanes could become unsanitary in short order.
Mites and bacteria found in the filling material of bedding products are industry problems. Manufacturers add anti-bacterial chemicals to the filling or are covering the filling, such as pillows, with mite and bacteria resistant covers as the solution. While these solutions may help somewhat, scientists claim the anti-bacterial chemicals form more resistant microorganisms.
Another problem with filling materials is that it is often difficult to wash them thoroughly. Some filling materials cannot be washed thoroughly. Down, for example, requires commercial cleaning to be thoroughly sanitized, which can be costly.


A system and method are provided for efficiently generating a number of icons. The system includes a computer system having a processor electrically coupled to a local interface and a memory electrically coupled to the local interface. The computer system is employed to execute a software application that includes imaging logic. The imaging logic is, therefore, stored on the memory and executed by the processor. The imaging logic preferably includes modified image encoding logic to generate at least one modified raw icon from a base image object. The base image object includes at least one first indicator region filled with a first indicator color, and the modified raw icon(s) include at least one second indicator region filled with a second indicator color. The shape of the second indicator region corresponds to or is identical to a shape of the at least one first indicator region. One or more modified image objects may be generated from the one or more modified raw icons, the base and modified image objects being employed to generate the family of icons for use in a graphical user interface.

The present invention is generally related to the field of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and, more particularly, is related to a system and method for generating a family of icons used in graphical user interfaces.
Computer technology is now accessible by the general public for a myriad of applications. Given that the vast majority of computer users are not technologically sophisticated, software companies and other entities that generate computer software employ various graphical user interfaces that make computer applications simple to use. Often these graphical user interfaces employ specific icons that include pictorial depictions of functionality, etc. associated therewith.
The software applications generated are becoming more and more complex. Often a user may execute or generally manipulate a multitude of functions, events, states, or properties, etc., in a single software application. Each of these functions, events, states, or properties may be associated with a single icon on one or more graphical user interfaces. Oftentimes, the functionality, events, states, or other properties may be related in some way, depending upon the particular software application.
For such related functions, events, states, or properties, it may be desirable to create a family of icons that have a similar appearance depending upon the nature of the relationship between the particular functions, events, states, or properties, etc. Each icon is stored in memory and is later accessed to display on a display device, etc. Unfortunately, this may require significant quantities of memory to store the various icons that are to be employed.
In light of the foregoing, the present invention provides for a system and method for efficiently generating a number of different icons. In one embodiment, the present system includes a computer system having a processor electrically coupled to a local interface and a memory electrically coupled to the local interface. The computer system is employed to execute a software application that includes imaging logic. The imaging logic is, therefore, stored on the memory and executed by the processor.
The imaging logic advantageously generates a family of icons to represent a number of functions, events, states, or properties, etc., where the family of icons is generated using a single base raw icon preferably stored in a nonvolatile component of the memory, although it may be stored in a volatile component as well. The base raw icon is accessed from the memory and a base image object is generated therefrom. The base image object generally includes the data and functionality to generate a corresponding base icon on a display device in the computer system, etc.
The imaging logic preferably includes modified image encoding logic to generate at least one modified raw icon from the base image object. The base image object includes at least one first indicator region filled with a first indicator color, and the modified raw icon(s) include at least one second indicator region filled with a second indicator color. The shape of the second indicator region corresponds to or is identical to a shape of the at least one first indicator region. One or more modified image objects may be generated from the one or more modified raw icons, thereby resulting in the family of icons that may be employed in a graphical user interface accordingly.
In another embodiment, the present invention may be viewed as a method for generating a number of icons. Broadly stated, the present method may comprise the step of generating at least one modified raw icon from a base image object, the base image object having at least one first indicator region filled with a first indicator color, and the at least one modified raw icon having at least one second indicator region filled with a second indicator color. The shape of the second indicator region corresponds to or is identical to a shape of the first indicator region.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included herein within the scope of the present invention.

System and method for generating a family of icons


The present invention relates to a biopsy assembly for obtaining a tissue sample, comprising an outer tubular cannula provided with an oblique distal tip, and a stylet adapted to be disposed axially within said cannula and having an oblique distal tip. The stylet is provided with a recess arranged along a side of the stylet which is adapted to receive the tissue sample. The assembly further comprises a housing for guiding and manipulating the proximal ends of the cannula and the stylet and is provided with a rotating member configured to rotate the stylet or cannula around a common axis, such that the cannula and the stylet are rotated relative to one another. The rotating member is configured to rotate the stylet and cannula relative to one another prior to tissue sampling, such that a most distal edge of the oblique distal tip of said cannula is arranged at the same side as the recess when the tissue sampling is performed.

Biopsy sampling is often performed with biopsy devices comprising a stylet with a recess for sample capturing placed on one side of the stylet, close to the distal end. The stylet is contained within a cannula, which functions both to cut the sample and to shield it for later retrieval, after removal of the device from a patient.
One such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,423 describing a biopsy device comprising a needle with a side pocket for obtaining a tissue sample and a cutting outer sheath. Another similar device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,392, which, in addition to a stylet with a side pocket for tissue sampling and a cutting cannula, further comprises a hemostatic insert to minimize bleeding after sampling. A further biopsy assembly is describe in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,861, wherein a stylet and cutting cannula together with an insertion device is mounted in an insertion assembly utilizing pneumatic activation for impelling the excising means. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,376 shows another biopsy device, wherein a cannula is mounted over a hollow needle, and provided with a hub that may be rotated relative the needle. US Patent Application 2010/0298737 describes another type of cutting device, comprising a curved distal portion of a stylet arranged within a cannula, wherein the curvature can be varied by a rotational movement of the cannula relative to the stylet.
Biopsy sampling can be performed in different types of tissue. When sampling in e.g. bone tissue or sclerotic lesions, biopsy sampling may be difficult to carry out with the aid of a traditional biopsy needle, as in bone the lesion is often delimited by the hard surface layer of the bone, namely the cortical bone tissue. Today there are several known methods to gain access to a lesion in the bone, and one way is to introduce a drill equipped with a cannula, drill through the cortical bone, and then remove the drill. Thereafter, a biopsy needle may be introduced through the cannula to obtain a biopsy sample. One such example is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,810,826 and 5,423,824, which are assigned to the present assignee, and are hereby incorporated by reference for the devices and methods described therein.
Traditional biopsy devices are inserted percutaneously with the stylet contained within the cannula and positioned next to or in the sample site. To ensure a smooth entry, both the cannula and stylet are provided with obliquely angled and sharpened tips. By moving the stylet in a distal direction and/or the cannula in a proximal direction, the sample recess is exposed to the tissue of interest, which is pressed into the sample recess. By thereafter moving the cannula distally the leading edge of the cannula will cut the sample tissue and the cannula wall will contain it within the recess. This arrangement necessitates a relatively long part of the stylet distal to the sample recess, due to the distance needed for the slanted tip distal of the cutting edge of the cannula, and the need to ensure that the sample is fully contained within the recess and cannula. However, this leads to a problem when a desired tissue sample site is close to hard structures, such as bone tissue, as a sample cannot be obtained closer than the distal tip distance. Also, a long distance between the sharp distal tip and the sample recess presents a risk when a desired tissue sample site is close to sensitive tissue, such as tissue more prone to bleeding, or tissue that for other reasons is preferably not cut or penetrated.
The inventor of the present invention has therefore identified a need for an improved biopsy device.
An object of the present invention is to provide a biopsy device which allows tissue sampling closer to structures or tissue that cannot and/or should not be penetrated during a biopsy procedure.


An composition and related method that prevents, inhibits and/or mitigates an allergic response by down regulating the production of IgE, down regulating the binding of IgE antibodies to receptors on cells, and/or inhibiting allergy mediators, for example, histamine, prostoglandin D2, or luekotriene C4 release. The composition comprises at least one of the following ingredients: luteolin from Perilla leaf or seed, Cinnamon, Kiwi, Picao preto, Hesperidin, Acerola cherry, Guaco, Holy Basil, Kakadu, Solamum, Rosmarinic acid, Tinospora and Aframomum. In one embodiment, the composition at least three different ingredients selected from Cinnamon, Acerola, Luteolin and Picao preto. Optionally, these ingredients can be combined with at least one of Aframomum, Rosmarinic acid, and Tinospora. The composition is administered with effective amounts to prevent, inhibit and/or mitigate allergic responses.

The present invention relates to a composition and method for preventing and treating allergic reactions and diseases.
Many individuals are affected by allergy-related immunological disorders. Such disorders include, for example, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), and atopic dermatitis. Although these disorders have somewhat different effects on the body, they share a common allergic response, referred to as a type I, or immediate-type, anaphylactic allergic reaction. This response is mediated by substances, such as immunoglobin E (IgE) and histamines, and includes several steps.
In the first step of the reaction, referred to as the sensitization step, an immune response to an allergen is initiated upon exposure of a responsive individual to the allergen. This results in the generation of B cells that secrete allergen specific IgE. The IgE subsequently binds to IgE receptor sites on mast cells and basophils. In a second step, referred to as the degranulation step, when re-exposed to the allergen, the aforementioned receptor-bound IgE binds to the allergen resulting in degranulation of the mast cells and basophils. Degranulation releases a variety of vasoactive mediators, for example, histamines and proteases, which subsequently promote allergic and inflammatory responses. The third step, referred to as the inflammation step, is triggered by the mediators, and causes inflammatory cells to a) accumulate at sites of inflammation, for example, target organs, such as the lungs, and b) release chemicals, such as interleukin-3, interleukin-6, and macrophage colony stimulating factors. While inflammatory cells are normally activated to provide tissue defense, tissue maintenance and immunoregulation, in the case of allergies, activation of inflammatory cells serves to augment the allergic response.
Several allergic disease treatments exist. Many of these treatments use steroids to either inhibit the release of substances during the degranulation step, or inhibit the allergic reactions induced during the inflammation step. Although effective in mitigating allergic responses, these treatments are unhelpful in preventing the onset of the type I allergic reaction, that is, the treatments fail to inhibit IgE production, and accordingly fail to stop the underlying inflammatory process. A consequence of this is that the treatments also fail to prevent an often life-threatening reaction referred to as anaphylactic shock, which is triggered simply by the initiation of the type I allergic reaction. Further, many of drugs used to inhibit the degranulation and inflammation steps also have undesirable side effects. For example, degranulation is often treated with corticosteroids, and inflammation is frequently treated with glucocortosteroids; however, these drugs can cause numerous side effects, such as weight gain, water retention, hypertension, and increased cholesterol levels.

Anti-allergy composition and related method


A method for forming a via through a nitrogenated silicon oxide layer. There is first provided a substrate. There is then formed over the substrate a nitrogenated silicon oxide layer. There is then formed upon the nitrogenated silicon oxide layer a patterned photoresist layer. Finally, there is then etched the nitrogenated silicon oxide layer through a reactive ion etch (RIE) plasma etch method while employing the patterned photoresist layer as a patterned photoresist etch mask layer to form a via through the nitrogenated silicon oxide layer. The reactive ion etch (RIE) method employs an etchant gas composition comprising: (1) a perfluorocarbon having a carbon:fluorine atomic ratio at least about 1:3; (2) oxygen; and (3) argon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods for forming vias through integrated circuit layers within integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for forming vias through nitrogenated silicon oxide integrated circuit layers within integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits are formed from semiconductor substrates within and upon whose surfaces are formed resistors, transistors, diodes and other electrical circuit elements. The electrical circuit elements are connected internally and externally to the semiconductor substrate upon which they are formed through patterned conductor layers which are separated by dielectric layers.
As integrated circuit device densities have increased and integrated circuit device dimensions have decreased, it has become increasingly important to form through dielectric layers within advanced integrated circuits vias of reduced dimensions in order to provide a means for interconnecting through those dielectric layers patterned conductor layers of similarly reduced dimensions. In order to provide vias of reduced dimensions through dielectric layers within advanced integrated circuits, it is known in the art of advanced integrated circuit fabrication to employ high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch methods when formiing those vias, since high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch methods typically provide highly anisotropic reactive ion etch (RIE) plasmas through which high aspect ratio straight sided vias of diminished cross-sectional dimensions may be formed through dielectric layers within integrated circuits. When employed within advanced integrated circuits, such high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch methods typically employ plasma densities of greater than about 1E11 per cubic centimeter. In comparison, conventional reactive ion etch (RIE) plasma etch methods typically employ plasma densities of less than about 1E9 per cubic centimeter.
When employing high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch methods to form vias of diminished dimensions through silicon oxide dielectric layers within advanced integrated circuits, it is common in the art of advanced integrated circuit fabrication to employ a high carbon content fluorocarbon etchant gas, such as hexafluoroethane (C2F6), in order to provide an enhanced silicon oxide dielectric layer to photoresist etch mask layer etch selectivity which is desirable when fabricating within advanced integrated circuits high aspect ratio vias of reduced dimensions through silicon oxide dielectric layers while employing as etch mask layers photoresist layers of diminished thicknesses. While straight sided and flat bottomed vias may be formed through silicon oxide dielectric layers within advanced integrated circuits through high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) methods employing a high carbon content fluorocarbon etchant gas, such as hexafluoroethane (C2F6), problems are nonetheless encountered when attempting to form through such high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch methods straight sided and flat bottomed vias through nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers. Nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers formed within advanced integrated circuits may include, but are not limited to, nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers which are formed originally as silicon oxynitride layers, nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers which are formed originally as silicon oxide dielectric layers through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods employing nitrogen carrier gas flows and nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers which are formed originally as silicon oxide dielectric layers and subsequently nitrogenated through integrated circuit processes such as but not limited to nitrogen ion implantation processes and nitrogen plasma treatment processes.
A problem typically encountered when attempting to form through a nitrogenated silicon oxide layer within an advanced integrated circuit a via through a high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch method while employing a high carbon content fluorocarbon etchant gas, such as hexafluoroethane (C2F6), is that the via so formed is typically formed with straight sidewalls and a rounded bottom rather straight sided sidewalls and a flat bottom. Such straight sided and round bottomed vias formed through nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers within integrated circuits are typically indicative of attenuated etch rates through those nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers, thus providing incompletely etched vias through those nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers.
A pair of structures illustrating this problem is illustrated by reference to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b. Shown in FIG. 1a is a substrate 10 having formed thereover a pair of patterned silicon oxide dielectric layers 12a and 12b formed through etching a corresponding blanket silicon oxide dielectric layer within a high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma 18 employing a high carbon content fluorocarbon etchant gas, while employing a pair of patterned photoresist layers 16a and 16b as a patterned photoresist etch mask layer. As is illustrated in FIG. 1a, a via 20 defined by the pair of patterned silicon oxide dielectric layer 12a and 12b is formed with strait sidewalls and a flat bottom. In contrast, there is shown in FIG. 1b the substrate 10 having formed thereover a pair of patterned nitrogenated silicon oxide layers 14a and 14b formed through etching within the high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma 18 employing the high carbon content fluorocarbon etchant gas, while similarly employing the pair of patterned photoresist layers 16a and 16b as the patterned photoresist etch mask layer. In contrast with the via 20 defined by the pair of patterned silicon oxide dielectric layers 12a and 12b as illustrated in FIG. 1a, the via 22 defined by the pair of patterned nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers 14a and 14b as illustrated in FIG. 1b is formed with straight sidewalls and a rounded bottom. Vias formed with rounded bottoms through dielectric layers within integrated circuits are undesirable since it is often difficult to subsequently form within those round bottomed vias fully functional or reliable conductor stud layers, such as conductor contact stud layers and conductor interconnection stud layers.
While not being limited to a particular theory as to why vias when attempted to be formed through nitrogenated silicon oxide dielectric layers within advanced integrated circuits through high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch methods which employ high carbon content fluorocarbon etchant gases are formed with straight sidewalls and rounded bottoms rather than straight sidewalls and flat bottoms, it is suggested that a nitrogenated carbon compound formed through reaction of: (1) carbon derived from the fluorocarbon etchant gas; with (2) nitrogen derived from the nitrogenated silicon oxide layer, forms a residue layer at the bottom of a via formed through a nitrogenated silicon oxide layer, which residue layer impedes a full anisotropic etching of the via through the nitrogenated silicon oxide layer.
It is thus desirable in the art to provide high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch methods employing high carbon content fluorocarbon etchant gas compositions to form through nitrogenated silicon oxide layers within integrated circuits vias with straight sidewalls and flat bottoms. It is towards that goal that the present invention is generally directed.
Various reactive ion etch (RIE) plasma etch methods have been disclosed in the art for etching various layers within integrated circuits. For example, Xiaobing et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,556, disclose a reactive ion etch (RIE) method for etching aluminum containing layers within integrated circuits. The method employs a hydrogen chloride-chlorine-nitrogen etchant gas composition which provides a substantially anisotropic and particulate contaminant free aluminum containing layer reactive ion etch (RIE) method in comparison with otherwise conventional aluminum containing layer reactive ion etch (RIE) methods which employ a boron trichloride-chlorine-nitrogen etchant gas composition.
In addition, Yanagida, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,399, discloses a reactive ion etch (RIE) method for etching within integrated circuits various silicon containing dielectric layers with high etch rate, high etch selectivity and low particulate contamination. The method employs an etchant gas composition comprising a cyclic saturated fluorocarbon compound or a cyclic unsaturated fluorocarbon compound, along with a substrate temperature of less than 50 degrees centigrade.
Finally, Namose, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,294, discloses a reactive ion etch (RIE) method for etching with low selectivity, improved manufacturability and improved properties within integrated circuits silicon oxide layers formed with diverse properties. The method employs an etchant gas composition comprising a saturated non-cyclic fluorocarbon gas and an inert gas. The inert gas provides an adsorption layer at the etching surface of the silicon oxide layer(s) to be etched, which adsorption layer buffers fluorine radicals formed from reactive ion etch (RIE) plasma activation of the saturated non-cyclic fluorocarbon gas.
Desirable in the art are additional reactive ion etch (RIE) plasma etch methods through which vias may be formed with straight sidewalls and flat bottoms through nitrogenated silicon oxide layers within advanced integrated circuits. More particularly desirable in the art are additional high density plasma reactive ion etch (HDP-RIE) plasma etch methods through which vias, including but not limited to contact vias and interconnection vias, having straight sidewalls and flat bottoms may be formed through nitrogenated silicon oxide layers within advanced integrated circuits. It is towards the foregoing goals that the present invention is more specifically directed.

Reactive ion etch method for forming vias through nitrogenated silicon oxide layers

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A wireless communication unit (CU) (FIG. 4), corresponding network controller (FIG. 5), and methods (FIG. 8, etc) operate to route calls and facilitate a call handover from one wireless network to another. The CU comprises a transceiver 403 suitable to support an air interface with a first and second wireless communication network 304, 305; a memory 415 operable to store information 431 suitable for identifying an enterprise controller; and a controller 405 configured to facilitate setting up a call. The controller thereafter if the call needs to be handed over from one to another of the first and second communication network, uses the information to facilitate identification of a unique one of a plurality of enterprise controllers for effecting a hand over of the call.

Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) are being contemplated or are known. Such WLANs are typically supported by WLAN controllers or servers, which may alternatively be referred to as private branch exchanges (PBXs), enterprise or network servers or controllers. The PBX normally provides a control and switching function between the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the WLAN and within the WLAN for communication units operating therein or users thereof. The WLAN can be an attractive and inexpensive alternative for typical voice services such as telephony or dispatch services and may provide additional amenities such as high-speed wireless Internet and Intranet access as well as other real-time applications that may be more specific to a given enterprise.
Wireless wide area networks (wireless WANs or WANs) such as conventional cellular telephone systems are also known. Such networks provide the advantage of wide area coverage but may not be economically attractive for routine access to wideband or high speed data capabilities, such as are required for certain Internet or Intranet applications. Nevertheless a communication unit that is operating on a WLAN may move beyond the effective service area for the WLAN and thus need support or services from a WAN. In situations, sometimes referred to as loosely coupled systems, e.g. the WAN is intercoupled to the WLAN only via the PSTN, a communication unit operating on the WAN can experience problems. Generally there is a bias for operating on the WLAN, if that service is available, given the economic and utility issues suggested above, however a handover of an ongoing call, particularly a handin, e.g. from the WAN to WLAN given the loosely coupled nature of these independent networks, can be problematic. This is particularly troublesome when the WLAN is large or complex with multiple sites and multiple network controllers.
While various solutions for handover have been proposed when the WLAN is managed and controlled by a single network controller these do not scale to situations where the network controller that should be used to effect a handover of an ongoing call can not be resolved. Therefore, a need exists for apparatus and methodologies to support routing of calls such that handover of the calls are facilitated, particularly in larger and more complex enterprise networks.

Routing calls to facilitate call handover


A metal band as an inlay for trim strips or sealing strips of flexible material, in particular of rubber or plastic, which is in particular bent to form a shape, having a plurality of slots, in particular periodically sequential slots in the longitudinal direction of the band which are directed inwardly from an edge of the metal band transversely to its longitudinal direction, which are wedge shaped or which run out inwardly in wedge shape, and also having central slots which run out to a tip at their two ends, which are arranged between sequential edge slots in the longitudinal direction and which likewise extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the metal band, but do not extend up to the edge, wherein at least two sequential central slots in the longitudinal direction of the metal band are arranged between two sequential edge slots to improve the band properties.

Metal bands of this type are in particular used in the automotive sector as inlays for sealing strips to seal openings of the engine compartment, trunk or door. The continuously produced metal bands are jacketed by rubber and/or flexible plastic and have slots in order, among other things, to permit a penetration of the sealing material with metal bands not coated with an adhesive means, since the adhesion of rubber to metal or plastic to metal is not possible. On the other hand, metal bands coated with an adhesive means are very expensive. The metal bands can be advantageously manufactured by rotary cutting of the slots and be expanded by subsequent rolling of the metal band, namely without waste and at a high production speed.
Before or after the jacketing with the sealing material, the metal bands are bent to a usually U-shaped clamping section, which is clamped onto the sealing flanges of the opening. To allow the contours of the opening to be followed in this process, the clamping section must usually be flexible both in the horizontal and in the vertical plane. In addition, the clamping section should be compressible in the longitudinal direction, since the openings to be sealed can have substantial peripheral tolerances and a cutting to length of the sealing strip on site would be extremely time-consuming and/or expensive. Sealing strips having a compressible clamping section can namely preferably be produced endlessly to the maximum length which occurs and be compressed to the actual length on installation. Bonding or vulcanizing these sealing strips together or the like therefore does not have to take place on site so that the sealing strip installation can also be carried out by robots.
On the other hand, the clamping section must also have a specific tensile strength, since the trim strips or sealing strips are usually manufactured by extrusion, with substantial forces occurring in the longitudinal direction of the band. A further requirement of the clamping section consists of exerting a clamping force which is as large as possible on the sealing flanges.

Metal band as an inlay for trim strips or sealing strips

BFC Buro-und Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH & Co. Prod. KG


Foot support for insertion into a shoe, which readily adjusts to the form of a foot without the need for qualified fitting and which can be adjusted by the person using the support. The foot support includes a flexible top layer, a base layer, and a sidewall connected to edge regions of said top and base layers. Said foot support further includes a cavity defined between said top and base layers, which extend about a forward pocket of said support and which contains a flowable gel, the flowable gel facilitating the adaption of the flexible top layer to the sole of a foot for support thereof. The forward pocket is located in the region to support the transverse arch of a foot and is able to receive a support medium to facilitate adjustable support of the transverse arch.

Foot supports, sometimes known as foot-beds or insoles, are known to have various configurations which are designed for different needs. Foot supports can be used to lessen or eliminate foot abnormalities, such as excessive pronation or supination and to better support the feet during certain activities such as sports activities, for example skiing, running, bushwalking, tennis, football etc. Some foot supports are of a very simple construction and are used simply to provide enhanced cushioning for the sole of a foot rather than actual support. Such foot supports can be made of any suitable cushioning material, such as foams or rubbers.
Other foot supports are known to provide more than simply a cushioning effect, and such supports are intended to actually support the skeletal and/or muscular structure of certain parts of the foot. Supports of this kind can be moulded into a desired shape by suitable mouldable materials, such as foams, plastics and rubbers, once the characteristics of the required support have been determined. The shape of the moulded support may provide foot support in various forms, such as for the various arches of the foot, for the heel, or for the sides of the foot. Also, such foot supports may compensate for variations between a pair of feet or legs, such as for small differences in feet or leg size or length.
Foot supports can be manufactured on a mass production basis in shapes that are designed to compensate for very common problems which occur because of inadequate foot support. Such foot supports are successfully used by the proportion of the population that has otherwise "normal" feet, but who commence a particular activity that throws an abnormal strain on the feet. Skiing is one such activity in which persons having otherwise healthy and normal feet, can in general, successfully adopt "off-the-shelf" foot supports. These supports however, often lack the specific support needed by persons having more complicated support requirements.
Some more customised foot supports can be moulded about the foot, or from an impression taken from the foot, so as to accurately trace the contours of the foot. That moulded surface may then be applied to a base which positions the support correctly within the shoe and orientates the moulded surface so that the desired foot support is properly located.
One disadvantage with foot supports in general, is that the cheaper supports which can be purchased off-the-shelf, such as in supermarkets or pharmacies, typically provide little more than cushioning or impact absorption, while the more expensive supports which actually provide a supporting function, normally need to be fitted by a specialist, thus requiring the inconvenience of an appointment for fitting.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a foot support which has a supporting function rather than just a cushioning function. It is a further preferred object of the invention that a foot support be provided which readily adjusts to the form of a foot without the need for qualified fitting and which can be adjusted by the person using the support.


This invention provides a method of preventing or treating hyperproliferative vascular disease in a mammal by administering an amount of mycophenolic acid effective to inhibit intimal thickening.

Partial blockage of the blood vessels leading to the heart is one cause of heart disease. More severe blockage of blood vessels often leads to hypertension, ischemic injury, stroke, or myocardial infarction. Vascular occlusion is typically preceded by vascular stenosis which can be the result of intimal smooth muscle cell hyperplasia. One underlying cause of intimal smooth muscle cell hyperplasia is vascular smooth muscle injury and disruption of the integrity of the endothelial lining. Occlusive coronary atherosclerosis remains the major cause of mortality and morbidity in industrialized countries.
Arterial intimal thickening after injury is the result of the following series of events: 1) initiation of smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation within hours of injury, 2) SMC migration to the intima, and 3) further SMC proliferation in the intima with deposition of matrix (Clowes, et al., 1989). Investigations of the pathogenesis of intimal thickening following arterial injury have shown that platelets, endothelial cells, macrophages and smooth muscle cells release paracrine and autocrine growth factors (such as platelet derived growth factor (PDGFa), epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, and transforming growth factor and cytokines that result in the smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration (Ip, et al.). T-cells and macrophages also migrate into the neotima (Haudenschild; Clowes, 1985; Clowes, 1989; Manderson; Forrester). This cascade of events is not limited to arterial injury, but also occurs following injury to veins and arterioles. The overall disease process can be termed a hyperproliferative vascular disease because of the etiology of the disease process.
Vascular injury causing intimal thickening can be broadly categorized as being either biologically or mechanically induced. One of the most commonly occurring forms of biologically mediated vascular injury leading to stenosis is Atherosclerosis. The migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic lesions include massive accumulation of lipid laden "foam cells" derived from monocyte/macrophage and smooth muscle cells. Formation of "foam cell" regions is associated with a breech of endothelial integrity and basal lamina destruction. Triggered by these events, restenosis is produced by a rapid and selective proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells with increased new basal lamina (extracellular matrix) formation and results in eventual blocking of arterial pathways (Davies).
Mechanical injuries leading to intimal thickening result following balloon angioplasty, vascular surgery, transplantation surgery, and other similar invasive processes that disrupt vascular integrity. Although balloon angioplasty can dilate arterial stenosis effectively, restenosis occurs in 30-40% of patients after 6 months (Califf, et al., 1990). Intimal thickening following balloon catheter injury has been studied in animals as a model for arterial restenosis that occurs in human patients following balloon angioplasty. De-endothelialization with an intraarterial catheter, which dilates an artery, injures the innermost layers of medial smooth muscle and may even kill some of the innermost cells (Schwartz; Fingerle; Clowes, 1975, Ferns, 1989, Reidy, 1988).
Injury to the innermost layers of medial smooth muscle is followed by a proliferation of the medial smooth muscle cells, after which many of them migrate into the intima through fenestrae in the internal elastic lamina and proliferate to form a neointimal lesion.
Typically, vascular stenosis can be detected and evaluated using angiographic or sonographic imaging techniques (Evans) and is often treated by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (balloon catheterization). Within a few months following angioplasty, however, the blood flow is reduced in approximately 30-40 percent of treated patients as a result of restenosis caused by a response to mechanical vascular injury suffered during the angioplasty procedure (Pepine; Hardoff).
In an attempt to prevent restenosis or reduced intimal smooth muscle cell proliferation following angioplasty, numerous pharmaceutical agents have been employed clinically, concurrent with or following angioplasty. Most pharmaceutical agents employed in an attempt to prevent or reduce the extent of restenosis have been unsuccessful. The following list identifies several of the agents for which favorable clinical results have been reported: lovastatin (Sahni; Gellman); thromboxane A.sub.2 synthetase inhibitors such as DP-1904 (Yabe); eicosapentanoic acid (Nye); ciprostene (a prostacyclin analog) (Demke; Darius); trapidil (a platelet derived growth factor) (Okamoto); angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (Gottlieb); low molecular weight heparin (de Vries); and 5-(3'-pyridinylmethyl)-benzofuran-2-carboxylate (Gorman, et al.; Payne, et al.; Wynalda, et al.; Graham, et al.).
The use of balloon catheter induced arterial injury in a variety of mammals has been developed as a standard model of vascular injury that will lead to intimal thickening and eventual vascular narrowing (Chevru; Fishman; Clowes, 1983; Clowes, 1991). Many compounds have been evaluated in this standard animal model in an attempt to develop better agents for preventing or reducing smooth muscle proliferation and intimal thickening.

Method of treating hyperproliferative vascular disease

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


The disclosure provides a reset device and a display device. The reset device comprises a processor, a reset circuit and a button. The reset circuit electrically connects to the processor and the button. When the button is not pressed, the processor acquires a first level signal from the reset circuit; when the button is pressed, if the processor cannot recognize the second level signal while acquiring the second level signal from the reset circuit, the display device is restarted; and during or after restart operation for the display device, if the reset circuit detects that the first level signal and the second level signal which are output by the reset circuit before and after the button is pressed are different, software fault recovery operation is performed on the display device.

Users often encounter various malfunctions during displaying on a display device such as a television. Most of the malfunctions are resolved by using a reset button such as a reset circuit comprising a button, so that the display device can be restarted by a processor in the display device, and restored to normal. For example, a system on chip (SOC) of a television can restart the television. However, a display device cannot get back to normal service even if the display device is restarted for some malfunctions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Integrated laser sources emitting multi-wavelengths of light with reduced thermal transients and crosstalk and methods for operating thereof are disclosed. The integrated laser sources can include one or more heaters and a temperature control system to maintain a total thermal load of the gain segment, the heater(s), or both of a given laser to be within a range based on a predetermined target value. The system can include electrical circuitry configured to distribute current to the gain segment, the heater(s), or both. The heater(s) can be located proximate to the gain segment, and the distribution of current can be based on the relative locations. In some examples, the central laser can be heated prior to being activated. In some examples, one or more of the plurality of lasers can operate in a subthreshold operation mode when the laser is not lasing to minimize thermal perturbations to proximate lasers.

Optical spectroscopy is an analytical technique. Conventional systems and methods for optical spectroscopy can include emitting light. A portion of the light energy can be absorbed at one or more wavelengths. This absorption can cause a change in the properties of the return light.
The characteristics of semiconductor lasers can make lasers a suitable choice as light sources configured to emit light for optical spectroscopy applications. For example, lasers can have single frequency emissions with narrow linewidths and can be capable of being tuned to emit at target emission wavelengths. The precision and accuracy of the emission wavelengths can be important for achieving quantitatively accurate spectroscopic measurements for some applications. In some instances, optical spectroscopy may benefit from multi-wavelengths measurements. Multi-wavelengths integrated laser sources with stable and accurate emissions wavelengths while being insensitive to thermal transients and crosstalk between lasers can be desired.


In one embodiment, a particular PE device of a plurality of multi-homing PE devices between a core network and a local network determines a subset of traffic for which the particular PE device is responsible. The particular PE also establishes, with itself as root, a multicast tree within the local network for underlay multicast groups. Traffic received at the particular PE from the core network is admitted into the local network only if the core traffic corresponds to the subset of traffic for which the particular PE device is responsible (and mapped into one of the underlay multicast groups for which the particular PE device is the root). Also, multicast traffic received at the particular PE from the local network is forwarded into the core network only if the multicast traffic corresponds to the subset of traffic for which the particular PE device is responsible.

Large storage environments comprising Data Centers that are physically and/or logically separated from one another are rapidly replacing stand-alone storage environments. In such large storage environments, data must frequently travel over different networks using different communication protocols in order to reach their destinations. There is a strong interest among Service Providers (SP) in providing Cloud services, and ideally, SPs are interested in offering Cloud services using their existing IP infrastructure. Unfortunately, current Data Center interconnect solutions have significant limitations. It is therefore desirable to provide improved Data Center interconnect mechanisms for multicast transmissions.

Flow-based load-balancing of layer 2 multicast over multi-protocol label switching label switched multicast


A walk-behind, self-propelled lawn mower having a variable speed drive transmission responsive to operator-applied forces. The transmission includes an input gear operatively connected to the engine for constant rotation during operation, an intermediate gear meshed with the input gear, and a driving bevel gear meshed with a drive shaft bevel gear. A face of the driving bevel gear is biased away from a face of the intermediate gear. A clutching surface is interposed between the gear faces for coupling the intermediate gear and the driving bevel gear in driving engagement. An actuator lever is controllably connected to the intermediate gear and can be adjusted to vary the sensitivity of the drive transmission to operator-applied forces.

Self-propelled, walk-behind lawn mowers are typically limited to a speed that is proportional to the speed of an engine that drives the mower and also rotates the mower blade. A throttle controls the speed of the engine, and, if it is desired to slow down the speed at which the mower travels, the engine must be slowed down by control of the throttle, thereby causing the blade to be rotated at a slower speed that may be inadequate for proper cutting.
With modern self-propelled lawn mowers, typically there is a control handle that projects upwardly and rearwardly from the body of the mower. While the angular relationship of the control handle relative to the body is frequently adjustable, once adjusted and in use, the angular relationship is fixed. A throttle control and a drive engagement lever are typically pivotally connected to the control handle at a location spaced toward the lawn mower from that portion of the control handle that is intended to be gripped by the operator for steering of the lawn mower. Thus, if the throttle or the driving engagement lever is to be manipulated, the operator has but one hand to grip the steering portion, making it difficult to disengage the drive or throttle down the mower when one wishes to manipulate the mower around trees, shrubs or other obstructions.
The manipulation of the mower is further complicated in that, in order to meet safety regulations, "dead man" blade controls are now provided. The dead man control is typically a member that is pivotally carried by the control handle and connected by a linkage to a blade engagement mechanism such that the blade is driven when, but only when, the blade control member is grasped by the operator concurrently with grasping of the control handle. Thus, it is necessary to keep at least one hand on the control handle and the blade control member as one maneuvers around the trees, shrubs or other obstructions.
Prior self-propelled, walk-behind lawn mowers can be difficult to control as their take-off is often jerky. In addition, this type of lawn mower tends to "race away" from the operator when going down a hill. When going up a hill, the lawn mower tends to "drag." Once again, in order to adjust the speed of the lawn mower, the operator must remove one hand from the gripping portion and adjust the throttle.
Suggestion has been made in vacuum cleaner prior art to use a drive transmission design for a vacuum cleaner in a lawn mower. These vacuum cleaner transmissions have been intended to improve the performance of vacuum cleaners but, prior to the cleaner of the grandparent application, have met with limited success. While the suggestion has been made, because of adaptability and other problems, lawn mowers have not been made commercially available using any of the prior art vacuum cleaner or similar drive transmissions.
The parent patent application discloses a lawn mower having a drive transmission that was developed from the vacuum cleaner of the grandparent patent application. The parent drive transmission includes a driven member coupled to the engine for constant rotation about a driven axis, an output element axially aligned with the driven member, and a clutch operatively interposed between the driven member and the output element for selectively establishing a drive connection therebetween. A belt is trained around the output element and is also trained around a driven element that is operatively connected to a drive shaft to rotate the drive shaft and thereby wheels connected to it.


A fuel vapor processing system includes a canister, a tank passage communicating between the canister and the fuel tank, and a purge passage communicating between the canister and the intake air passage. Fuel vapor adsorbed by the canister can be desorbed and purged into the intake air passage via the purge passage due to a negative pressure produced in the intake air passage. A desorption promoting device can promote desorption of fuel vapor from the canister. A control unit controls the desorption device, so that the desorption promoting device promotes desorption of fuel vapor from the canister during desorption through the purge passage due to the negative pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to fuel vapor processing systems, and in particular to fuel vapor processing systems for vehicles, such as automobiles, in which fuel vapor produced in a fuel tank is adsorbed by a canister and the adsorbed fuel is then purged into an intake air passage of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine (referred to as "engine", hereafter) is provided with a fuel vapor processing system for inhibiting fuel vapor produced in a fuel tank from flowing into the atmosphere. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-156499 discloses a fuel vapor processing system having an adsorbent canister capable of adsorbing fuel vapor, a tank passage communicating between the canister and a fuel tank, a purge passage communicating between the adsorbent canister and an air intake passage of an engine, an atmospheric passage communicating between the adsorbent canister and the atmosphere, a purge control valve provided in the purge passage, and a control unit for controlling the purge control valve. Fuel vapor produced in the fuel tank is introduced into the canister through the tank passage so as to be adsorbed by the adsorbent of the canister. Then, air is introduced into the canister through the atmospheric passage by utilizing negative pressure generated in the engine in order to desorb the fuel vapor from the canister and to purge it into the air intake passage. Thus, it is able to restore the adsorbing function of the canister and to use the fuel vapor adsorbed within the canister for burning in the engine.
The fuel vapor processing system of the aforementioned Publication No. 2004-156499 includes an electromagnetic closing valve capable of opening and closing the tank passage and a pressure sensor for detecting the inner pressure of the fuel tank (hereinafter called a tank internal pressure). The electromagnetic valve is opened for reducing the tank internal pressure to be less than a predetermined pressure, so that the tank internal pressure can be released.
However, if the electromagnetic closing valve is opened to release the tank internal pressure when the tank internal pressure is high or when the concentration of fuel vapor within the fuel tank is high, it may be possible that a part of the fuel vapor is discharged from the canister to the atmosphere via the atmospheric passage. This problem may occur in particular in the case that a relatively large amount of fuel vapor is still remained within the canister without being desorbed.
Therefore, there has been a need in the art for a fuel vapor processing system that can improve desorption of fuel vapor from canister.


A lightweight multilayer heat reflective concrete cure blanket having a moisture-impervious top outer layer, a moisture impervious bottom outer layer, and the top and bottom layers sealingly connected to each other at the boundaries of the layers to form a moisture impervious chamber between the first and second layers. The chamber includes at least one insulative layer therein, and a heat reflective material is applied to an outer surface of the bottom layer to reflect heat emanating from the concrete when the blanket is placed over the concrete. A protective heat permeable layer is applied over the heat reflective material to protect the heat reflective material from chemicals and dirt in the concrete. In a further embodiment, a second heat reflective material is applied to an inner surface of the upper layer to reflect additional heat which radiates from the concrete through the insulative layer and back towards the concrete.

This invention is related to blankets for curing concrete and the like, and more particularly to a lightweight, multilayer, moisture-impervious concrete cure blanket having one or more integral heat reflective layers which facilitate the reflection of heat radiating from the curing concrete back toward the concrete.
One of the usual requirements in producing quality concrete is the proper manipulation of the concrete during curing. Curing not only increases the strength of concrete and its structural value, but proper curing during the curing period is mandatory for the production of water-tight and durable concrete. During the concrete curing process, chemical changes occur in the presence of water which ensure that the hardened concrete will be water-tight and durable over time, resulting in a stable and sturdy cured physical structure. These chemical changes occur over a considerable period of time requiring that the concrete be kept wet after it has set during the curing period. However, one problem is that the heat radiating from the concrete during the curing process evaporates the moisture in the concrete, thereby inhibiting the chemical hardening process and compromising the strength and durability of the cured concrete.
It is therefore necessary to contain the heat and moisture in the concrete long enough to permit the curing process to be sufficiently completed. Not surprisingly, the need for heat and moisture retention increases during cold weather applications. With decreasing temperatures, the need for increased thermal retention requires the use of additional layers of insulation resulting in concrete cure blankets of greater thickness which are heavy and cumbersome to use. It would be advantageous to have a lightweight multilayer moisture-impervious heat reflective concrete cure blanket that is capable of providing enhanced thermal resistance without a corresponding increase in the thickness or weight of the blanket.
Conventional moisture-impervious concrete cure blankets use foam, Fiberglass, air filled bubble layers, and like materials as insulation. However, such blankets are susceptive to accidental rips, and in the event the interior insulation gets wet, the insulting quality of the insulation material is reduced. Another method to keep the curing concrete moist utilizes frequent sprinklings, but this approach is labor intensive and expensive. To promote curing, horizontal concrete surfaces are usually covered by sand, canvas or burlap to maintain the desired dampness. But irregular and/or vertical concrete surfaces cannot be adequately covered and have to be sprinkled periodically to maintain the required damp condition. Concrete cure blankets are typically used to cover water-wetted concrete to extend the duration of the damp condition for as long as possible. It would be advantageous in the art to have a lightweight and durable, multilayer, moisture-impervious, heat reflective concrete cure blanket having enhanced thermal resistance and which is also universal in use in that it can be used for curing either horizontal or vertical concrete structures regardless of size.
One prior art attempt to solve this problem is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,956 to Handwerker, the present inventor, titled "Heat Reflective Blanket" which is directed to a flexible, multilayer heat reflective blanket containing at least one interior heat reflective, (i.e., a metal foil) layer, and at least one interior insulative layer. It has been discovered that a heat reflective concrete cure blanket configured to include an insulative layer as well as a heat reflective layer improves and enhances the effectiveness of the blanket, thereby making the blanket more efficient for its intended use. While the blanket disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,956 satisfactorily enhances the concrete curing process, the configuration of this type of concrete cure blanket is somewhat expensive. It would be an advantage in the art if a lightweight, multilayer, moisture-impervious, heat reflective concrete cure blanket could be manufactured inexpensively, and yet also be durable and long-lasting.
Another approach to solve the above problems is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,137 to White titled "Concrete Curing Blanket" which is directed to a lightweight summer concrete cure blanket which improves water retention in the curing concrete irrespective of the surface irregularities present in the concrete. The cure blanket provides for effective water wicking or capillary wetting action characteristics across the entire blanket. The concrete cure blanket can be easily sealed with adjacent blankets to provide continuous coverage of a large area of curing concrete without tearing the blankets. This concrete cure blanket has a nonporous surface layer of a low density polyethylene that is heat sealed as a coating upon a batting layer of a porous, resilient, non-woven, needle-punched, synthetic fabric such as polypropylene or other commercially available polymeric filament fabric. While having a porous exterior surface layer, the opaque surface layer of this concrete cure blanket will block visible sunlight and UV radiation. However, this concrete cure blanket is not suitable for winter concrete curing utilization, since the prior art blanket cannot reflect the heat radiating from the curing concrete, and the evaporation of moisture from the curing concrete remains a continuous operational problem thereby requiring rewetting of the curing concrete from time to time as needed during the curing period. It would be an advantage in the art if a lightweight, multilayer, moisture-impervious heat reflective concrete cure blanket were available to the construction industry.
The initial costs associated with the various concrete cure blankets contained in the prior art make such blankets expensive to acquire. It would be an advantage in the art if a lightweight, multilayer, moisture-impervious, concrete heat reflective cure blanket could be manufactured relatively inexpensively and easy to maintain by utilizing long-lasting thermoplastic films having a relatively small thickness.
The present invention overcomes these and other problems that are inherent with existing multilayer and other concrete cure blankets. The present invention combines lightweight moisture-impervious, film-like outer layers with at least one insulative layer, and at least one heat reflective layer associated with one or both of the outer layers to reflect heat back to the concrete, thereby maintaining or improving the blanket's effective thermal resistance without increasing the weight or thickness of the blanket.

Concrete cure blanket having integral heat reflective means


A particle beam forming device for forming either a linear or conical particle beam from a particle source in which particles are dispersed in a gas, includes: a reduced-pressure vessel in which pressure is reduced; a particle beam generating unit, which has one end arranged outside of the reduced-pressure vessel and an other end arranged inside the reduced-pressure vessel, and which captures the particle source from outside the reduced-pressure vessel and introduces the particle beam into the reduced-pressure vessel; and a particle beam evaluating unit for evaluating a spatial distribution of the particle beam inside the reduced-pressure vessel.

Interest in the health effects of atmospheric particulate matter (aerosols) has increased, and the development of devices for analyzing the composition and behavior thereof is being studied in various quarters.
Aerosol mass spectrometers have recently been developed as a device for analyzing particle components, and are being utilized in the compositional analysis of particulate matter in the atmosphere and other environments. An aerosol mass spectrometer is a device for taking in a gas comprising particles inside a vacuum chamber from a space to be assessed, and measuring particle composition by collecting and thermally vaporizing the particles. In an aerosol mass spectrometer of this type, particles must be guided into a vacuum chamber, and these particles must be collected in a collection/thermal vaporization unit inside the chamber. As means for achieving this, for example, particle beam forming means such as that illustrated in FIG. 16 is used (refer to Patent Document 1). This particle beam forming means 100 comprises a prefocusing structure 114 having an internal orifice structure, and a tubular structure 118 having at least one primary focusing means 120 for forming a particle beam downstream from the prefocusing structure. The tubular structure 118 captures gas-dispersed particles from a particle source 112, and a particle flow is linearly formed by flow control in accordance with the internal prefocusing structure 114 and primary focusing means 120. That is, a gas component 112a having a higher lateral diffusion rate than the particles 112b is retained inside the tubular structure 118 and a vacuum chamber 132 and evacuated via an exhaust port 134 of the vacuum chamber 132, while the particles 112b maintain straight-line mobility and are ejected as a particle beam from a hole disposed in a partition 130 of the vacuum chamber 132. Particles are collected by causing this particle beam to collide with a collector disposed in a mass spectrometry unit, and the particles are thermally vaporized and guided to a detector, thereby making mass spectrometry of atmospheric particles possible, and enabling the analysis of the chemical composition of the particles.
This technology is not merely directed toward analyzing the chemical composition of particles; it is also used in semiconductor manufacturing and other such fields. For example, in Patent Document 2, a nanoparticle-containing gas for modifying the surface of a semiconductor is sprayed and specific particles are deposited onto a semiconductor substrate using the technology of Patent Document 1 to change the functionality and properties thereof. Technology for introducing such particles into a chamber (vacuum) and allowing them to converge within a certain range is of prime importance in measuring and manufacturing technologies.


Disclosed herein is a cable coupler for the connection of an armored cable having an armor layer. The cable coupler of the present invention includes a sleeve, which has an inclined surface, which is brought into contact with the armor layer of the armored cable, and a fastening ring and a support ring, each of which has a small width. Each of the fastening ring and the support ring includes inclined surfaces, which are formed by reducing the thickness thereof from a medial portion thereof to opposite ends. The inner inclined surfaces of the fastening ring and the support ring have inclination angles similar to that of the inclined surface of the sleeve. In addition, the armor layer can be firmly held by the cable coupler despite the use of a relatively small force, thus enhancing labor efficiency. As well, armor layers having various thicknesses can be held by the cable coupler merely by changing the positions of the fastening ring and the support ring, thus increasing the usefulness of the cable coupler.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cable couplers for the connection of armored cables having armor layers and methods of holding the armor layers and, more particularly, to a cable coupler for the connection of an armored cable having an armor layer which is constructed such that the armor layer, which is formed by weaving pieces of material, such as metal, plastic, fabric, etc., or is made of tape, strips or strands, which are not woven, so as to reinforce the cable, can be reliably grounded to and held by the cable coupler, and such that several kinds of armor layers having various thicknesses can be grounded to and held by the cable coupler merely by changing the positions of a fastening ring and a support ring, thus enhancing the usefulness of the cable coupler, and a method of holding the armor layer using the coupler.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, as shown in FIG. 4, in a conventional cable coupler for armored cables, a fastening ring 3 has an angle of inclination such that only one kind of armor layer 1 having a corresponding thickness can be held by the cable coupler. Hence, in the case where a user needs to use several kinds of cables having armor layers of various thicknesses, the user must prepare many kinds of cable couplers corresponding to the thicknesses of the armor layers of the cables, thus increasing the economic burden on the user. Furthermore, manufacturers must also manufacture all kinds of cable couplers corresponding to various thicknesses of the armor layers of the cables, and this is economically irrational. Thus, there are few manufacturers who manufacture all kinds of cable couplers, because this incurs high production costs. As a result, there is a problem in that users may have to select and use unsuitable cable couplers.
In an effort to overcome the problems experienced with the above-mentioned conventional technique, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a cable coupler having an improved structure was proposed. In this technique, the cable coupler includes a fastening ring 5, the inner surface of which is brought into contact with an inclined surface 4a of an outer surface of a sleeve 4 and includes inclined surfaces 5a and 5b, which are inclined at different angles. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, this cable coupler is constructed such that several kinds of armor layers 1 having different thicknesses can be held between the sleeve 4 and the fastening ring 5 by changing the orientation of the fastening ring 5, which is provided with the inclined surfaces 5a and 5b having different angles of inclination. However, in the conventional cable coupler shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in the case where the armor layer 1 to be held by the cable coupler is made of relatively thick wires having a diameter of 1 mm or more, because the width of the fastening ring 5 is relatively large, when the fastening ring 5 is inserted between a cylindrical housing 8 and a sleeve 4 and the cylindrical housing 8 is tightened to an adaptor 7, a large force is required to bend the armor layer 1 made of thick wires. Therefore, there is a disadvantage in that it is difficult to tighten the cylindrical housing 8 to the adaptor 7 using only the hands, and thus a tool such as a spanner is required. Moreover, even when such a tool is used, a large force is required, with the result that labor efficiency is markedly reduced. Furthermore, because the width of the fastening ring 5 is large and large force is required when tightening the cylindrical housing 8 to the adaptor 7 or loosening it therefrom, it is very difficult to confirm whether the armor layer 1 is correctly and reliably connected to the sleeve 4.

Cable coupler for connection of armored cable having armor layer and method of holding the armor layer


An organic light emitting device is provided which includes a cathode (51), an anode (47, 46, 48), and an organic electroluminescent region (49, 50). The anode includes a metal layer (46), a barrier layer (47), and an anode modification layer (48). Light is emitted through the cathode (51) when a voltage is applied between the anode (47, 46, 48) and the cathode (51).

The present invention pertains to organic electroluminescent displays and methods for making the same.
Organic electroluminescence (EL) has been studied extensively because of its possible applications in discrete light emitting diodes (LED), arrays and displays. Organic materials can potentially replace semiconductors in many LED applications and enable wholly new applications. The ease of organic LED (OLED) fabrication and the continuing development of improved organic materials promise novel and inexpensive OLED display possibilities.
Organic EL at low efficiency was reported many years ago in e.g. Helfrich et al., Physical Review Letters, Vol. 14, No. 7, 1965, pp. 229-231. Recent developments have been spurred by two reports of efficient organic EL: C. W. Tang et al., Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 51, No. 12, 1987, pp. 913-915, and Burroughes et al., Nature, Vol. 347, 1990, pp. 539. Tang used vacuum deposition of molecular compounds to form OLEDs with two organic layers. Burroughes spin coated a polymer, poly(p-phenylenevinylene), to form a single-organic-layer OLED. The advances described by Tang and in subsequent work by N. Greenham et al., Nature, Vol. 365, 1993, pp. 628-630, were achieved mainly through improvements in OLED design derived from the selection of appropriate organic multilayers and electrode metals.
The simplest possible OLED structure, depicted in FIG. 1A, consists of an organic emission layer 10 sandwiched between cathode 11 and anode 12 electrodes which inject electrons (exe2x88x92) and holes (h+), respectively, which meet in the emission layer 10 and recombine producing light. It has been shown (D. D. C. Bradley, Synthetic Metals, Vol. 54, 1993, pp. 401-405, J. Peng et al., Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 35, No. 3A, 1996, pp. L317-L319, and I. D. Parker, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 75, No. 3, 1994, pp. 1656-1666) that improved performance is achieved if the electrode work functions match the respective molecular orbitals (MO) of the organic layer 10. Such an improved structure is shown in FIG. 1B where optimized electrode materials 13 and 14 reduce the energy barriers to carrier injection into the organic layer 10. Still, single organic layer structures perform poorly because electrons can traverse the organic layer 10 reaching the anode 14, or holes may reach the cathode 13, in either case resulting in current without light, and lower OLED efficiency.
Balanced charge injection is also important. For example, an excellent anode is of limited use if the cathode has a large energy barrier to electron injection. FIG. 2 illustrates a device with a large electron barrier 16 such that few electrons are injected, leaving the holes no option but to recombine non-radiatively in or near the cathode 15. The anode and cathode materials should be evenly matched to their respective MOs to provide balanced charge injection and optimized OLED efficiency.
An improved structure in which the electron and hole transport functions are divided between separate organic layers, an electron transport layer 20 (ETL) and a hole transport layer (HTL) 21, is shown in FIG. 3. In C. W. Tang et al., Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 65, No. 9, 1989; pp. 3610-3616, it is described that higher carrier mobility is achieved in a two organic layer OLED design, and this led to reduced OLED series resistance enabling equal light output at lower operating voltage. The electrodes 22, 23 can be chosen individually to match to the ETL 20 and HTL 21 MOs, respectively, while recombination occurs at the interface 24 of organic layers 20 and 21, far from either electrode. As electrodes, Tang used a MgAg alloy cathode and transparent Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) deposited on a glass substrate as the anode. Egusa et al. in Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 33, No. 5A, 1994, pp. 2741-2745 have shown that proper selection of the organic multilayer materials leads to energy barriers blocking both electrons and holes at the organic interface. This is illustrated in FIG. 3 in which electrons are blocked from entering the HTL 21 and holes from entering the ETL 20 by a clever choice of organic materials. This feature reduces quenching near the contacts (as illustrated in FIG. 2) and also promotes a high density of electrons and holes in the small interface volume providing enhanced radiative recombination.
With multilayer device architectures now well understood and widely used, a remaining performance limitation of OLEDs is the electrodes. The main figure of merit for electrode materials is the position of the electrode Fermi energy relative to the relevant organic MO. In some applications it is also desirable for an electrode to be either transparent or highly reflective to assist light extraction. Electrodes must also be chemically inert with respect to the adjacent organic material to provide long term OLED stability.
Much attention has been paid to the cathode, largely because good electron injectors are low work function metals which are. also chemically reactive and oxidize quickly in atmosphere, limiting the OLED reliability and lifetime. Much less attention has been paid to the optimization of the anode contact, since conventional ITO anodes generally outperform the cathode contact leading to an excess of holes. Due to this excess, and the convenience associated with the transparency of ITO, improved anodes have not been as actively sought as improved cathodes.
ITO is by no means an ideal anode, however. ITO is responsible for device degradation as a result of In diffusion into the OLED eventually causing short circuits as identified by G. Sauer et al., Fresenius J. Anal. Chem., pp. 642-646, Vol. 353 (1995). ITO is polycrystalline and its abundance of grain boundaries provides ample pathways for contaminant diffusion into the OLED. Finally, ITO is a reservoir of oxygen which is known to have a detrimental effect on many organic materials (see J. C. Scott, J. H. Kaufman, P. J. Brock, R. DiPietro, J. Salem, and J. A. Goita, J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 79, p. 2745, 1996). Despite all of these problems, ITO anodes are favored because no better transparent electrode material is known and ITO provides adequate stability for many applications.
While conventional OLEDs extract light through the ITO anode, architectures relying on light extraction through a highly transparent cathode (TC) are desirable for transparent OLEDs or OLEDs fabricated on an opaque substrate. Si is an especially desirable OLED substrate because circuits fabricated in the Si wafer can be cheaply integrated with drive circuitry providing display functions. Given the minaturization and outstanding performance of Si circuitry, a high information content OLED/Si display could be inexpensively fabricated on a Si integrated circuit (IC).
The simplest approach incorporating a TC is to deposit a thin, semi-transparent low work function metal layer, e.g. Ca or MgAg, followed by ITO or another transparent, conducting material or materials, e.g. as reported in Bulovic et al., Nature, Vol. 380, No. 10, 1996 p. 29, or in the co-pending PCT patent application PCT/IB96/00557, published on Dec. 11, 1997 (publication number W097/47050). To maximize the efficiency of such a TC OLED, a highly reflective anode which can direct more light out through the TC is desired. Consequently, the low reflectivity of ITO is a disadvantage in TC OLEDs.
Alternatively, for some applications it may be more important to increase the contrast ratio of the OLEDs or display based thereon. In this case, a TC OLED could benefit from a non-reflective, highly absorbing anode. Again the optical characteristics of ITO are a disadvantage.
High work function metals could form highly reflective anodes for TC OLEDs. Some of these metals, e.g. Au, have a larger work function than ITO (5.2 eV vs. 4.7 eV), but lifetime may be compromised because of high diffusivity in organic materials. Like In from ITO, only worse, Au diffuses easily through many organic materials and can eventually short circuit the device.
Efforts have been made to fabricate OLEDs on Si substrates (Parker and Kim, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 64, No. 14, 1994, pp. 1774-1776). Si, due to its small bandgap and moderate work function, has a large barrier for both electron and hole injection into organic MOs, and therefore performs poorly as an electrode. Parker and Kim improved the situation somewhat by adding a SiO2 interlayer between the Si and OLED. A voltage drop across the SiO2 insulator permitted the Si bands to line up with their organic MO counterpart and electrons or holes from the Si to tunnel through the SiO2 into the organic MO. However, the required voltage drop across the SiO2 raised the OLED turn-on voltage  greater than 10 V, making these OLEDs inefficient. Low voltage OLED/Si designs are desirable not just to improve efficiency, but also to facilitate circuit design since sub-micron Si transistors cannot easily produce drive voltages  greater than 10 V. For anodes, more desirable than a tunneling insulator surface modification like SiO2 is one which raises the Si surface work function thereby lowering the OLED operating voltage.
As can be seen from the above examples and description of the state of the art, electrode materials must be improved to realize OLEDs, and displays based thereon, with superior reliability and efficiency, and to enable novel architectures, such as devices emitting through a TC. In particular, to fabricate an OLED array or display on a Si substrate, an improved anode compatible with Si IC technology is required for optimized TC OLED architectures.
It is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved organic EL devices, arrays and displays based thereon.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved organic EL devices, arrays and displays based thereon optimized for light emission through a transparent cathode electrode with improved efficiency, lower operating voltage, or steeper current/voltage characteristic and increased reliability, stability and lifetime.
It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved anodes for organic EL devices, arrays and displays fabricated on Si substrates.
It is a further object to provide a method for making the present new and improved organic EL devices, arrays and displays.
The above objects have been accomplished by providing an OLED having a cathode, an anode, and an organic region sandwiched in between, said anode being composed of
a metal layer,
an anode modification layer, and
at least one barrier layer,
said anode being arranged such that said anode modification layer is in contact with said organic region and light is extracted through said cathode.
Any kind of metal is suited as metal layer in connection with the present invention. Examples are Al, Cu, Mo, Ti, Pt, Ir, Ni, Au, Ag, and any alloy thereof, or any metal stack such as Pt on Al and the like.
The inventive approach is specifically designed for the fabrication of OLEDs on top of Si, preferably Si crystalline wafers incorporating pre-processed integrated display circuitry (herein referred to as Si IC). The present invention is designed to modify the existing Si device metallization into a stable OLED anode having good hole injection properties. For OLEDs on top of a Si IC, the metal layer in the present invention is generally the final metallization layer of the Si IC process, which consistent with present Si technology is normally Al, Cu or an alloy thereof. Neither Al, Cu or Al:Cu alloys perform well as OLED anodes, but they do provide excellent visible spectrum reflectivity which increases the amount of light extracted through a TC. The Si IC metallization surface can vary widely in terms of oxide thickness, roughness and surface contaminants depending on numerous factors, including the fabrication process, the time between IC fabrication and OLED deposition, and the environment in which the Si IC was stored and shipped. For reproduceable fabrication of efficient OLEDs the Si metallization anode properties must be improved and effects arising from variations of the initial state of the metal surface must be eliminated.
The inventive approach is also suited for use with pixel and drive circuitry comprising polysilicon or amorphous silicon devices.
The anode modification layer in the present invention is mainly selected for its high work function which provides efficient hole injection into OLEDs. The anode modification layer must form a stable interface with the adjacent organic layer being part of the so-called organic region (e.g. the organic HTL) to insure consistent OLED performance over an extended time period. The anode modification layer can be conductive or insulating, but it should be sufficiently thin that it contributes negligibly both to the OLED series resistance and optical absorption losses. Oxides are well suited as anode modification layers. The thickness of the anode modification layer is preferably between 0.5 nm and 10 nm.
The barrier layer or layers in the present invention isolates the anode modification layer from the metal layer by forming a physical and chemical barrier, while permitting charge to pass freely through its interfaces with the metal layer and anode modification layer. The barrier layer(s) provides a consistent and reproduceable surface for the deposition or formation of the anode modification layer regardless of the metal layer composition or initial state of its surface. The barrier layer(s) can be conductive or insulating, but it (they) should be sufficiently thin that it (they) contributes negligibly to the OLED series resistance. Alternatively, the barrier layer(s) can be highly reflective which avoids absorption losses. The thickness of the barrier layer is preferably between 5 nm-100 nm. Well suited are barrier layers comprising TiN or TiNC, for example.
For formation on a Si wafer, all of the layers comprising the anode must be depositable or formable onto the wafer using processes sufficiently gentle that underlying Si circuitry is undamaged, i.e. at low temperature causing little chemical or physical damage.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a single or multilayer OLED structure having a TC fabricated on a Si substrate incorporates a multilayer anode structure comprising a metal layer, an anode modification layer, and an intermediate barrier layer(s), such that the anode is stable and efficient at hole injection.
The introduction of such an anode into the OLED structure leads to the following advantages:
Low voltage hole injection via both the high work function of the anode modification layer and the free passage of charge from the metal layer, through the barrier layer(s) into the anode modification layer.
Stable OLED operation over an extended time period via the chemical and physical barrier the barrier layer(s) provides between the metal layer and anode modification layer, and the stability of the anode modification layer interface with the adjacent organic HTL.
Efficient light extraction through the TC aided by the high reflectivity and low absorption of the metal layer, barrier layer(s) and anode modification layer stack.

Anode modification for organic light emitting diodes

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