A sulfur-vulcanizable rubber mixture for a tire tread includes at least one terpolymer with a conjugated diene, an aromatic vinyl compound, and a monoolefin monomer. At least one phenolic component selected from the group consisting of a phenolic resin and a precursor mixture, containing phenol and aldehyde, for a phenolic resin is also present. A reinforcing agent in the form of finely divided silica or a mixture of finely divided silica and carbon black is also added.

The present invention relates to a rubber mixture for tire treads vulcanizable with sulfur, a method for its manufacture as well as a tire comprising a tire tread made of the vulcanized rubber mixture.
The service life of a tire tread depends on its composition. In cases in which a reduced rolling resistance together with improved grip on wet road surfaces is required, a rubber mixture is conventionally used for the tire tread that comprises a polymerized styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) polymerized in an organic solvent in combination with at least one further diene elastomer and finely divided precipitated silica as a reinforcing agent. The silica is used either alone or in combination with carbon black. Furthermore, the compositions for tire treads conventionally comprise mineral oil as a plasticizer. The vulcanization is carried out in the presence of sulfur and vulcanization control agents.
Due to the fact that the polar surface of the silica, in contrast to the surface of carbon black, is of reduced activity relative to rubber, it is necessary to treat the silica with relatively expensive silane coupling agents in order to ensure bonding of the silica surface to the rubber. This treatment is, in general, performed such that the silane coupling agent together with silica is added during the mixing process to the rubber. Conventionally, this mixing method requires exactly controlled mixing conditions due to the different reactivity of the different functional groups in most of the reinforcing agents with, in most cases, additional processing steps.
Furthermore, the grip on wet or moist street surfaces of tire tread rubber mixtures that contain silica in combination with a SBR rubber mixture is, in general, worse than conventional carbon black filled tire rubber mixtures. This is especially apparent in connection with vehicles that do not have anti-lock brakes.
The wear resistance of silica-filled SBR rubber systems is also reduced with respect to conventional rubber mixtures.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rubber mixture vulcanized with sulfur that is suitable for tire treads of pneumatic vehicle tires. Such tires containing the aforementioned tire treads should provide an improved sliding and rolling resistance without the aforementioned disadvantages. Especially, it is desired not to decrease wear resistance and steering precision. Furthermore, the tire manufacture, due to the use of inexpensive raw materials and reduced mixing expenditures, should be less expensive than with the aforementioned prior art rubber mixtures.

Tire tread rubber mixture for pneumatic vehicle tires


Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for performing combined neutron and gamma ray radiography. For example, one exemplary system comprises: a neutron source; a set of alpha particle detectors configured to detect alpha particles associated with neutrons generated by the neutron source; neutron detectors positioned to detect at least some of the neutrons generated by the neutron source; a gamma ray source; a set of verification gamma ray detectors configured to detect verification gamma rays associated with gamma rays generated by the gamma ray source; a set of gamma ray detectors configured to detect gamma rays generated by the gamma ray source; and an interrogation region located between the neutron source, the gamma ray source, the neutron detectors, and the gamma ray detectors.

Neutrons have several properties that make them useful in detecting and imaging concealed objects. For example, neutrons have excellent penetrating power, including the ability to easily penetrate metal objects and concrete. Additionally, neutrons interact with certain materials (e.g., nitrogen-rich materials) in a well-known, predictable manner. To take advantage of these properties, neutron radiography systems have been developed. Conventional neutron radiography systems, however, suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, scattered neutrons are a significant source of noise in conventional neutron radiography systems. To reduce the noise caused by scattered neutrons, conventional systems use physical collimation to shape the neutrons emitted from the neutron source into a thin fan. Limiting the neutrons to a thin fan helps prevent neutrons emitted from outside of the imaging plane (typically defined by a single row of neutron detectors) from scattering back into the image as noise, but prevents the system from having a wide field of view. Furthermore, conventional neutron radiography systems are limited to using a single neutron source, as any additional neutron source would create an impermissible amount of noise in the imaging plane. As a consequence of using a single neutron source, which is typically collimated into a thin fan, the image generation process is extremely slow. Conventional neutron radiography systems are therefore not well suited for applications that demand fast image processing (e.g., commercial cargo screening). Accordingly, there exists a need for improved neutron radiography systems.

Multi-particle inspection using associated particle sources


Processes for enhancing solubility and the reaction rates in supercritical fluids are provided. In preferred embodiments, such processes provide for the uniform and precise deposition of metal-containing films on semiconductor substrates as well as the uniform and precise removal of materials from such substrates. In one embodiment, the process includes, providing a supercritical fluid containing at least one reactant, the supercritical fluid being maintained at above its critical point, exposing at least a portion of the surface of the semiconductor substrate to the supercritical fluid, applying acoustic energy, and reacting the at least one reactant to cause a change in at least a portion of the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

The invention relates to processes for enhancing solubility and reaction rates of in supercritical fluids, and more particularly to such processes as they relate to the fabrication of semiconductor devices.
As the demand for ever-smaller silicon devices continues, and as resolution continues below the sub-micron level, the need for uniform and precise processes for depositing conductive pathways and interconnects is increasing. It is also desirable for such processes to proceed rapidly. For example, it is frequently desired to form metal-containing materials in and over semiconductor substrates. The metal-containing materials can be incorporated into integrated circuit devices, and/or can be utilized for formation of conductive interconnects between integrated circuit devices. There is also a need to provide substantially clean and defect free semiconductor substrates and surfaces onto which other materials may be deposited. Processes for uniformly and precisely etching and/or cleaning such substrates are needed.
Wai et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,653,236, describe methods of forming metal containing films over surfaces of semiconductor substrates using a supercritical fluid that contains metal forming precursors dispersed therein. A supercritical fluid is a composition that exists in a quasi-liquid state above a defined critical pressure and a critical temperature for the composition. For example, carbon dioxide becomes a supercritical fluid at temperatures above 31° C. and pressures above 1073 psi (73 atmospheres). Typical working conditions for supercritical CO2 are in the range of from about 60-100° C. and 1500-4500 psi. The use of supercritical fluids permits much greater amounts of precursors and/or reactants to be dissolved or dispersed than prior CVD (chemical vapor deposition) processes. However, reaction rates have been slower than predicted.
Others have used ultrasound in attempts to enhance reaction rates on semiconductor substrates. For example, Hembree et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,713, describe a method and apparatus that uses ultrasonic waves to wet etch silicon substrates to provide defect-free silicon structures. But, these methods have applied ultrasonic energy to traditional reactions carried out in conventional liquids. It is well known that the application of ultrasonic energy to conventional liquids causes cavitation and/or microbubble formation. It is these mechanisms that enhance mixing of reactants to increase reaction rates. However, cavitation and microbubble formation are not possible using supercritical fluids. By definition, cavitation and gas bubble formation cannot occur in a fluid maintained at or above its critical point.
Accordingly, the need still exists to enhance reaction rates in supercritical fluids and to enhance reaction rates on or in semiconductor substrates. The need also exists for processes that produce uniform and precise results in the deposition or removal of materials from the surfaces of semiconductor substrates.

Process for enhancing solubility and reaction rates in supercritical fluids


A cartridge for a food processing machine includes a base member, a stock roller drag brake, a nip roller, and a chute. The stock roller drag brake is rotatably attached to the base member. The nip roller is rotatably attached to the base member. The chute is attached to the base member.

Food processing machines are used to process food such as to slice, weigh, classify, and package food products. Food processing machines are sometimes used to dispose stock, such as paper or film, underneath a food product, and to subsequently slice the food product and the underlying stock. However, these food processing machines often utilize a complicated assembly of separate components to achieve this task. The separate components are typically not easily adjustable to accommodate a varied number and/or position of stock rollers unspooling the stock to meet the food processing needs.
A food processing machine, and method of its use, is needed to overcome one or more of the issues associated with one or more of the existing food processing machines.


Embodiments are provided to create and maintain one or more links or associations to different types of data and other information. In an embodiment, one or more links can be created and maintained, wherein the one or more links provide one or more pathways between structured information. A user can use a link to locate desired information, such as a notebook, section group, section, page, and/or page object for example. In one embodiment, a user can create a link to locate desired information, such as a notebook, section group, section, page, and/or page object, wherein user actions can be used to automatically determine a potential link target.

Note-taking and tablet applications are becoming more popular for users who prefer to use a straightforward interface and tools when interacting and communicating with others. Currently, users can use note taking applications to create and organize ideas, correspondence, and other information. For example, users can use a note-taking application to create notebooks, folders, sections, pages, etc. However, it is difficult to link and relate information using current note-taking applications. Users become frustrated when they are unable to link and relate information in a meaningful and resilient manner. A user may have to perform lengthy and sometimes unsuccessful searches to find relevant information, such as notebooks, sections, pages, notes, and other information.


The disclosed technology may include systems and methods that provide a secure mobile edge computing eco-system employing end-to-end encrypted communication and edge functions capable of withstanding compromised operating systems. A secure mobile edge computing eco-system may include a use, an edge, and a backend. The backend may upload functionality to the backend onto secure edge functions (EFs). The functionality may be used to respond to user request at the edge in order to reduce bandwidth requirements and latency effects on a system. The secure edge functions (EFs) employing trusted execution environments (TEEs) to provide for secure execution and storage of functionality uploaded by the backend. The secure mobile edge computing eco-system may also include secure protocol extensions (SPX) for ensuring end-to-end encryption of user requests from the user to the backend and through the edge.

The context aware, on-demand and distributed nature of next generation applications designed for mobile-cloud and internet of things (IOT) and other 5G technologies, puts high pressure on devices and infrastructure due to the sheer amount of generated traffic while simultaneously requiring even lower-response latencies for their interactive nature. Users want faster access to more content or want to be able to integrate more IOT devices into a system. The resource constraints in terms of computation, storage, and I/O extension, among others, are inherent to the mobile and end-user devices and pose additional challenges to meet the above demands. Edge computing has emerged as a solution in response to these demands. Edge computing is the use of computational resources closer to the end-user devices at the edge of a network. Edge computing places data acquisition and control functions, storage of high bandwidth content, and applications closer to the end-user. It typically is part of a larger cloud computing architecture.
An architecture employing edge computing differs from a traditional client-server architecture in that it adds an edge between the client and the server. The edge includes a combination of hardware and software infrastructure, and it is located nearer the end-user than the server. Some edges may be offloading systems that are used to overcome resource constraints on the end-user, while others may be onloading systems that allow backend servers to onload benefits or functionalities to the edge nearer to the end-users. Onloading edges are a more pragmatic solution as they have access to practically unlimited computational capability and they are powered by the cloud, which makes them suitable to support many different types of devices.
When a backend server, such as a web service, employs an onloading edge, the backend server onloads a service to the onloading edge. For example, a backend server such as a content provider or streaming service can onload a cache of popular videos to the onloading edge. This service (e.g., the cache of popular videos) is known as an edge function (EF). The EF is enabled by a combination of hardware and software infrastructure. The underlying software stack is known as an edge function platform (EFP). The backend servers that upload EFs to an edge must be assured that their server-specific logic, which is placed in their EFs, will be protected. For example, the backend servers want protections to prevent their content will not be leaked, that the valuable content they store in their EFs will not be stolen, and that the confidential information they have about their users will not be compromised. Because the edge is by definition deployed outside the control of the backend servers and near end-users, the backend server cannot trust the EFPs or any other software running on the edge for these assurances.
Use of edges in the traditional client-server architecture also present challenges to conventional end-to-end encryption. Web services have traditionally been delivered on end-to-end encrypted channels. But edge functions cannot access and process end-to-end encrypted traffic without first decrypting it, which violates the end-to-end security. Similar problems (i.e., establishing trustworthiness of an execution environment controlled by another entity) also manifest themselves in other configurations, such as cloud computing. But the solutions developed for cloud computing are inapplicable for edge computing because of the performance constraints on edge computing and the magnitude of the security risk. For example, high-performance overhead for us of mechanisms in end-to-end encryption would forfeit the latency benefits expected from the EF because of high-performance overhead. Additionally, because an edge has the ability to host multiple, unrelated tenant EFs, a compromised EF could pose risks to all other tenant EFs and their associated backend servers.
Homomorphic encryption-based applications or protocols have been studied as potential security solutions for edge devices. But these solutions require, however this requires substantial overhead which, as discussed, defeats the purpose of an edge function. Solutions that provide a trusted execution environment (TEE) by reducing the trusted entities to a small verifiable code and trusting only hardware have also been studied. These environments work by employing a remote attestation feature, which allows a host to verify its hardware and software to a remote host. But solutions employing TEEs have failed to bind the TEE and the communication channel, which makes the communication vulnerable to two well-known types of attacks: the time-to-check-to-time-to-use (TOCTTOU) attack and the cuckoo attack. A communication channel is vulnerable to a TOCTTOU attack if the attestation is performed before establishing the communication channel. And a channel is vulnerable to a cuckoo attack if the attestation is performed after establishing the communication channel.
Therefore, there exists the need for systems and methods that provide a secure mobile edge computing eco-system employing end-to-end encrypted communication and edge functions capable of withstanding compromised operating systems.

Methods and systems for providing secure mobile edge computing ecosystems


Provided is a colored photo-sensitive composition having a high sensitivity and a good developablity, even if the ratio of content of a pigment, relative to the total solids of the colored photo-sensitive composition, is 20% by mass or more. The colored photo-sensitive composition includes (A) a resin which is increased, by action of an acid, in solubility into an alkali developing solution; (B) a pigment; (C) a compound which produces an acid upon irradiated by active light or radial ray; and (D) a solvent, wherein the ratio of content of the (B) pigment, relative to the total solids of the colored photo-sensitive composition, is 20% by mass or more.

Color filter is an indispensable constituent of liquid crystal display device and solid-state imaging device. In recent years, the liquid crystal display device has been required to achieve higher image quality, improved contrast and improved color purity, as compared with the devices required for the conventional ones having been used for television set and monitor. As for a colored photo-sensitive composition used for the color filter, efforts have been made on improving the contrast, by using a pigment particle of smaller size (see Patent Literature 1, for example). Also the color filter for the solid-state imaging device has been required to reduce non-uniformity of color for higher resolution, so that the color filter has been becoming more important to disperse a fine pigment having a small particle size without producing secondary aggregate.
Recent color filters, in particular the color filters for the liquid crystal display device, have been required to improve the color purity, and this needs increase in the content of pigment. Meanwhile, the color filters for solid-state imaging device have been required to reduce stray light due to scattering, as one measure for improving the resolution. It has therefore been a strong demand to thin the colored layers, so that increase in the content of pigment is also necessary in manufacture of the color filters for solid-state imaging device.
In order to increase the content of pigment, it is necessary to increase the pigment concentration in the colored photo-sensitive composition. However, too high pigment concentration inevitably decreases the content of a resin dispersant or a photo-sensitive component (monomer, polymerization initiator, etc.) in the colored photo-sensitive composition, so that the developability may degrade, and the patternability may degrade. In particular, the color filters for the solid-state imaging device, with an extremely reduced pattern size aimed at increasing the number of pixels and reducing size, have been suffering from degradation in developability (suppressive performance for residue in unexposed area).
Meanwhile, there have been known techniques of applying a comb-shaped resin composed of a trunk polymer having a cationic group, or a graft polymer composed of polyallylamine (see Patent Literatures 2, 3, for example). As a method for forming a pattern, there has been known a method for forming a positive pattern using a photo-acid generator and a resin which is improved, by action of an acid, insolubility into an alkali developing solution (see Patent Literature 4, for example).

Colored photo-sensitive composition, color filter, and method for manufacturing color filter


A donor substrate and a method of forming an organic semiconductor layer pattern using the donor substrate, whereby a donor substrate is formed using an organic semiconductor precursor having a thermally decomposable substituent through a wet process, the organic semiconductor precursor substrate in the donor substrate is transferred to a receptor substrate as a pattern and heated, and thus is changed into an organic semiconductor. As a result, an organic semiconductor layer pattern is obtained. The method can be used in the manufacture of various devices such as organic light emitting diode and organic thin film transistor. A low-molecular weight organic semiconductor layer pattern can be formed through a wet process, not through deposition. Thus, using the method, a flat display device can be conveniently manufactured at low cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of forming an organic semiconductor layer pattern, and more particularly, to a method of forming an organic semiconductor pattern that can be used in the manufacture of various devices including display devices such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various flat display devices that can overcome drawbacks of cathode ray tubes, i.e., heavy weight and large volume, have been developed. Presently available flat display devices include plasma display panels (PDPs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), field emission displays (FEDs), etc.
PDPs, among these flat display devices, are lightweight, thin and small and can be manufactured through simple processes and thus are drawing attention as the most suitable display for large screen display. However, PDPs also have drawbacks of low light-emitting efficiency, low brightness, and high power consumption. Contrary to this, although active matrix LCDs in which thin film transistors are used as switching devices are difficult to be used for large screen display because semiconductor manufacturing processes are used to manufacture the active matrix LCDs, the demand for the active matrix LCDs are increasing due to its use as display devices for laptop computers. However, LCDs have drawbacks such as high power consumption due to the use of a backlight unit. In addition, LCDs lead to a lot of light loss due to the use of optical devices such as a polarizing filter, a prism sheet, and a diffusion plate, etc. and have a small viewing angle.
A new display market trend in the information society will be lead by displays such as paper-like flexible displays, which can provide high quality display and pursuit user's convenience in the mobile field. In order to implement such displays, flexible and durable active driving devices should be made with low-cost processes that can be easily applied to develop active driving device arrays.
In the development of such flexible display devices, a patterning process using an organic semiconductor material is one of the important fields involved. Since the development of polyacetylene that is a conjugated organic polymer having semiconductor characteristics, due to the advantages of organic materials such as the diversity of synthesis methods thereof, the ability to be easily molded in fiber or film form, flexibility, conductivity, low-production cost, etc., research into organic semiconductors as new electric and electronic materials has been intensively performed in various fields, for example, in the functional electronic device field, optical device field, etc.
Processes using an organic semiconductor material can be roughly classified into polymer semiconductor processes and organic semiconductor processes. In polymer semiconductor processes, polymer is used as a semiconductor material. In particular, a polymer semiconductor process is a technique including dissolving a polymer material in a solvent, coating the resultant solution on a substrate using, for example, spin coating, evaporating the solvent, and patterning the coated film. Meanwhile, an organic semiconductor process is a process using a low-molecular weight organic material, not polymer, and includes a patterning process using, in most cases, vacuum deposition. Pentacene is a representative low-molecular weight organic material.
For a monochromic device, organic light-emitting diodes using polymer can be simply manufactured using a spin-coating process and have a low driving voltage. However, the organic light emitting diodes using polymer have a low luminous efficiency and short lifetime. For a full-color device, polymer patterning is performed using an inkjet technique or a laser transfer technique to obtain red, green, and blue patterns. However, luminance characteristics such as efficiency, lifetime, etc., have to be optimized when applying an inkjet technique or a laser transfer technique. Especially, when using a laser transfer technique, most single polymeric materials are not easily transferred.
A low-molecular weight organic semiconductor such as pentacene hardly dissolves in a solvent and thus cannot be coated in film form. For this reason, when forming a pattern of such a low-molecular weight organic semiconductor on a substrate, a shadow mask method is used in most cases. In the shadow mask method, deposition is performed with a patterned shadow mask disposed adjacent to the substrate. The method of using a shadow mask is advantageous in that there is no need to perform a lithography process but has the following problems.
In particular, the shadow mask has to be thin enough to form a fine pattern therein. Accordingly, it is difficult to handle the shadow mask. In addition, the shadow mask is expensive and cannot be unlimitedly used since the shadow mask is disposed very close to the substrate on which a pattern will be formed. Furthermore, the radiation heat generated by a device used to heat a deposited material expands the shadow mask, thereby causing sagging of a center portion of the shadow mask. The sagging of the shadow mask become more serious as a larger substrate is used, thereby blocking the manufacture of high-definition, large-screen displays.
Therefore, there is an increasing need for a method of patterning a low-molecular weight material such as pentacene, not through deposition. Furthermore, if patterning can be performed at a temperature lower than a temperature required for deposition, it would be very attractive to manufacture future-oriented displays, etc.

Method of forming organic semiconductor layer pattern

Nongseo-Dong, Giheung-Gu, Yongin, Gyunggi-Do


A method for automatically calibrating intra-cycle timing relationships between command signals, data signals, and sampling signals for an integrated circuit device. The method includes generating command signals for accessing an integrated circuit component, accessing data signals for conveying data for the integrated circuit component, and accessing sampling signals for controlling the sampling of the data signals. A phase relationship between the command signals, the data signals, and the sampling signals is automatically adjusted to calibrate operation of the integrated circuit device.

The design and fabrication of high-performance signaling mechanisms for digital integrated circuit devices has become a significant challenge. For example, with respect to high-performance memory integrated circuit devices (e.g., DDR memory), ensuring the reliability in the design and fabrication of high performance memory modules has become problematic for many OEMs. In the past, slower memory bus speeds allowed significant specification margins in the design and fabrication of a given memory module. However, modern memory integrated circuit designs require exacting control of critical timing specifications, and design parameters must be strictly maintained to keep the entire system in balance. A stable DDR memory module must provide reliability, speed, and proper timing to insure the overall system (e.g., CPU, bridge components, peripheral busses, etc.) operates at peak performance. Thus what is required is a solution that can ensure critical timing specifications remain within certain specified parameters.

Method and system for automatically calibrating intra-cycle timing relationships for sampling signals for an integrated circuit device


A protecting casing for a portable electronic device has a shell and a detachable actuating panel. The actuating panel has a curved clamping sheet crossing over a front edge of the portable electronic device. A lock cylinder is mounted between the shell and the actuating panel. When the lock cylinder is locked, the actuating panel is secured. When the lock cylinder is unlocked, the actuating panel is detachable. Therefore, the actuating panel increases the stability for the protecting casing to be mounted around the portable electronic device. Further, a bolt is connected detachably to the actuating panel and the shell to selectively fasten the protecting casing and the portable electronic device at a fixed position so that the portable electronic device is kept from being stolen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protecting casing, especially to a protecting casing for a portable electronic device.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Portable electronic devices such as tablet PCs, cell phones become necessary items for people in modern lives. To enhance the visual effect or to protect the portable electronic device, a protecting casing is mounted around the electronic device.
A conventional protecting casing comprises a base. A peripheral edge of the base is bent to form a surrounding wall. A peripheral edge of the surrounding wall is bent to form an annular flange. When the conventional protecting casing is mounted around the electronic device, the base covers the bottom of the electronic device, and the annular flange abuts the peripheral edge of the top of the electronic device to position the conventional protecting casing on the portable electronic device. However, the conventional protecting casing only uses the annular flange to position the portable electronic device so that the stability for the conventional protecting casing to position the portable electronic device is insufficient. When external forces accidentally act on the portable electronic device with the conventional protecting casing, the conventional protecting casing may be easily separated from the portable electronic device so that the portable electronic device loses the protection.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a protecting casing for a portable electronic device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

Protecting casing for a portable electronic device


Embodiments of the invention include methods for in-situ chamber dry cleaning a plasma processing chamber utilized for gate structure fabrication process in semiconductor devices. In one embodiment, a method for in-situ chamber dry clean includes supplying a first cleaning gas including at least a boron containing gas into a processing chamber in absence of a substrate disposed therein, supplying a second cleaning gas including at least a halogen containing gas into the processing chamber in absence of the substrate, and supplying a third cleaning gas including at least an oxygen containing gas into the processing chamber in absence of the substrate.

Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and apparatus for in-situ cleaning a plasma processing chamber utilized to etch a substrate. Particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatus for in-situ chamber dry cleaning a plasma processing chamber utilized to etch a metal gate structure formed in semiconductor devices on the substrate.
Description of the Related Art
Ultra-large-scale integrated (ULSI) circuits may include more than one million electronic devices (e.g., transistors) that are formed on a semiconductor substrate, such as a silicon (Si) substrate, and cooperate to perform various functions within the device. Typically, the transistors used in the ULSI circuits are complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistors. A CMOS transistor has a gate structure comprising a polysilicon gate electrode and gate dielectric, and is disposed between a source region and drain regions that are formed in the substrate.
Plasma etching is commonly used in the fabrication of transistors and other electronic devices. During plasma etch processes used to form transistor structures, one or more layers of a film stack utilized to form a gate structure (e.g., layers of silicon, polysilicon, titanium nitride (TiN) or titanium oxide (TiO2), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), silicon dioxide (SiO2), metal materials, and the like) are typically exposed to etchants comprising at least one halogen-containing gas, such as hydrogen bromide (HBr), chlorine (Cl2), boron chlorine (BCl3), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), ethylene (C2H4) and the like, supplied in a processing chamber. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1, a semiconductor device 100 is disposed on a substrate 102. A gate dielectric layer 104, such as SiO2, is disposed on the substrate 102. Subsequently, a high-k material 106, such as a hafnium containing layer, is disposed on the gate dielectric layer 104 followed by a capping layer 108. Suitable examples of the capping layer 108 may be metal layers, such as aluminum metal or lanthanum (La) metal. A metal gate electrode layer 110, such as a TiN or TiO layer, and a poly silicon gate electrode layer 112 is then consecutively formed on the capping layer 108. After etching of the metal gate electrode layer 110, metal containing etching by-products, such as titanium containing residuals or hafnium containing residuals, may be formed during the etching process. The metal containing etching by-products may gradually build up on the surfaces of the substrate 102 as well as chamber components of the processing chamber. The metal containing etch by-products may also attack the surfaces of the chamber components, which in turn detrimentally affects the ability to maintain process control during circuit fabrication. Furthermore, metal containing etching by-products accumulating on components and surfaces of the processing chamber may impact recombination and surface reactions on the chamber walls, thereby affecting the overall substrate etching performance as well as becoming a source of unwanted particles that may contaminate the substrate 102. When the deposited metal containing etch by-products reach a certain thickness, the by-products may peel off from the inner wall of the plasma chamber and contaminate the substrate 102 by falling onto the substrate, causing irreparable defects to the device structure formed on the substrate. Accordingly, it is important to remove and clean such metal containing etching by-products periodically.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved process for cleaning plasma chamber after etching of a substrate.

Methods for in-situ chamber clean utilized in an etching processing chamber


Analogues of the active metabolite of leflunomide, and to the use thereof as immunosuppressive and/or antinflammatory agents.

Leflunomide, i.e. 5-methyl-N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)isossazole-4-carboxamide), is a molecule described in EP-B-0 013 376 as an antinflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic agent in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as it also has immunosuppressive activity. Ann. Rep. Med. Chem., 18, 177 (1983) states that its activity is actually exerted by a metabolite, A-77-1726 N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1-cyano-2-ketopropyl-carboxamide!, in particular by the .beta.-ketonitrile system (which is liable to keto-enol tautomerism) contained therein. In fact, when replacing the cyano group with an ester group, the activity dramatically decreases or even disappears (J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans, 1, 2203 (1992)!.


A hierarchical packet scheduler using hole-filling and multiple packet buffering. Packet references are enqueued into a hierarchical packet scheduler, wherein the hierarchical packet scheduler includes one or more levels, each level including one or more schedulers being served by one or more threads, wherein the number of threads serving a particular level is not dependent on the number of schedulers on the particular level. Packet references are dequeued from the hierarchical packet scheduler at a root level scheduler of the one or more schedulers.

1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of networking and more specifically, but not exclusively, to a hierarchical packet scheduler that uses hole-filling and multiple packet buffering.
2. Background Information
Networks provide the infrastructure for many forms of communication. LANs (Local Area Network), WANs (Wide Area Network), MANs (Metropolitan Area Network), and the Internet are common networks. Packets sent on networks are often handled by various network devices such as bridges, hubs, switches, and routers.
Typically, a packet flow in a network is routed between routers until the packets reach their destination. At any time, there may be many packet flows traversing the network between sources and destinations. When packets enter a network device, logic within the network device schedules the packets for forwarding onto their destinations.
As bit rates across networks increase, the speed of packet flow through network devices becomes a key to transmission speed between source and destination. When a network device processes multiple packet flows at the same time, packets are scheduled to maximize the rate of flow through the network device. Many current scheduling designs fail to maintain packet scheduling at the line rates of network devices.

Hierarchical packet scheduler using hole-filling and multiple packet buffering


A lock re-pinning assembly including two or more housings and a mounting block. Each housing is configured for use with a corresponding one of a plurality of lock cylinder shells. Each of the housings includes a cylindrical chamber and a channel. The chamber is configured to receive the body of the corresponding shell, and the channel is configured to receive the tower of the corresponding shell. The mounting block includes a mounting block having two or more sections. Each section is configured for use with a corresponding one of a plurality of lock cylinder plugs. Each section includes a cavity configured to receive an end of at least one of the housings, and a cylindrical follower bar having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the corresponding plug. Each of the housings is releasably engageable with the mounting block at each of the plurality of sections.

Re-pinning a lock cylinder can pose certain difficulties. Persons that are inexperienced or inattentive to the task may unintentionally eject one or more pins that are not intended to be removed. This can result in a difficult and time consuming task that the consumer often foregoes in favor of returning the disassembled lock to the manufacturer as damaged goods. These issues may be of particular concern to lock manufacturers to whom an otherwise operational lock cylinder may be returned as a damaged product. Therefore, a need remains for further improvements in this technological field.


A transport ship (20) having a hull includes a sheathing (22), a weather deck (23, 23') and a hold (28, 28', 30), and having a front part (35), a rear part (25) and a central part (29). The ship is unique in that the front part (35) of the ship includes a hold section (28') defined by the hull and the weather deck (23'), and access hatches provided in the weather deck (23') to give access to the hold section (28'), that the rear part (25) of the ship includes a hold section (28) defined by the hull and the weather deck (23), and access hatches provided in the weather deck (23) to give access to the hold section (28), that the central part (29) of the ship includes a refrigerated hold section (30) defined by an upper thermally insulated refrigerated hold deck (130), a thermally insulated bottom and by thermally insulated walls (132, 133 . . . ) extending in the transverse direction and longitudinal direction of the ship, and in that the weather deck (23, 23') is adapted to support a cargo.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transport ship having a hull includes a sheathing and a weather deck and having a front part, a rear part and a central part.
2. The Prior Art
A large number of different types of transport ships of the above-mentioned general kind are known in practice. Usually, the rear part of the ship includes a deck superstructure with the navigating bridge of the ship and the means necessary for the propulsion of the ship, including machinery and fuel tanks, while the front part of the ship includes the stem and store rooms, if any. The central part of the ship includes the hold, which is constructed in accordance with the specific type of goods to be transported. The hold may thus be constructed specifically for the transport of one specific type of goods, including e.g., cooled goods, liquid gas, dry cargo, oil or containers. Particularly in former times, the possibilities of utilizing transport ships for carrying combinations of the above-mentioned types of goods were very limited.
To achieve an increased flexibility of goods transport ships to a certain degree, the so-called Ro-Ro ships have been developed in the past twenty years, with a weather deck for the transport of particularly containers and with a plurality of tween decks that may be used for the transport of trailers or e.g., cars which may be loaded using stern ramps.
However, as far as the so-called refrigerator ships are concerned, specifically adapted to transport refrigerated goods, it has not been possible to achieve optimum flexibility and capacity in the past. In particular, the conventional structure of the refrigerator ships and stability deliberations have set a limit to the amounts of additional types of goods that can be carried and to the conditions under which such goods may be carried. Refrigerator ships are typically provided with an internal refrigerated hold over the greater part of the length of the hull, see e.g., European Patent Application No. 0 601 233, the refrigerated hold accommodating a relatively large number of tween decks with a small free height. The reason is that the goods are usually stored on pallets and do not stand stacking in the height. The goods may e.g. be bananas, lemons or vegetables which are to be kept refrigerated during the transport. The goods are typically cargoes which are to be transported over great distances, e.g. from South America to Europe.
In view of the above, it has been attempted to construct the refrigerator ships so as to enable them to carry standard containers which are stacked on the weather deck of the ship. This results in some increased flexibility, as the ship can then be utilized for the transport of refrigerated goods as well as a surface cargo, which may produce increased earnings per voyage. These refrigerator ships, however, are inexpedient, because certain loading situations give rise to stability problems during the voyage of the ship. These problems may occur when the ship, when bound for return, is to sail without refrigerated goods, but with a surface cargo, such as containers. Since the typical surface cargoes are formed by containers of a much greater weight than a corresponding volume of the refrigerated goods, stability deliberations set a limit to how high the containers may be stacked on the weather deck, also when sailing with refrigerated goods.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved transport ship by means of which, with fewer stability problems, different combinations of goods may be transported, at least one type of which should preferably be capable of being transported in refrigerated form, while allowing greater amounts of the other goods to be transported at the same time. In this connection, different combinations of goods are taken to mean sailing with or without the refrigerated goods, and it must also be possible optionally to transport at least one other type of goods, particularly in the form of standard containers. This provides a high degree of flexibility, so that the owner of the ship can obtain greater earnings per voyage in relation to the known refrigerator ships.


A method for fabricating an integrated circuit device, an electrically conductive substrate being provided, an insulation layer being deposited on the substrate, the insulation layer being etched in structures, a contact-making layer being deposited on the patterned insulation layer and on the substrate in depressions which have first and second lateral dimensions, the contact-making layer being etched back in such a way that the contact-making layer is preserved in the structures with the depressions which have first lateral dimensions of the order of magnitude of the structure depth of the insulation layer and the contact-making layer is removed in the structures with depressions which have second lateral dimensions significantly greater than the structure depth of the insulation layer.

Metal planes, which are also referred to as metal layers, are electrically interconnected by means of so-called through-plating elements also referred to as via contacts.
In addition to customary via contacts or through-plating elements, so-called high-power through-plating elements are also of importance in integrated circuit technology in order to be able to recognize applications which require a high current-carrying capacity.
Furthermore, high-power through-plating elements provide a low-impedance transition between different metal plates. Low-impedance contact-making is required in particular for electrically connecting a final to a penultimate metal plane or metal layer. Preferably in a process sequence terminal units for connecting external circuit units are formed together with through-plating elements and accommodated in a housing of an integrated circuit device.
An essential problem in the fabrication of through-plating elements, high-power through-plating elements and terminal units in a single process sequence is that the through-plating elements, the high-power through-plating elements and the terminal units have structure sizes that differ considerably. However, it is necessary for cost reasons that no additional processes or even additional process levels must be with respect to a process sequence or in a process sequence. In particular the abovementioned problem arises in the context of increasing miniaturization in future technology generations.
Conventional fabrication technologies produce through-plating elements, high-power through-plating elements and terminal units by means of hot aluminum sputtering (aluminum reflow). In the context of a required decrease in size (miniaturization requirement) of the through-plating elements, this process, in a disadvantageous manner, no longer operates viably for future technology generations.
FIG. 2 shows two process steps of a conventional method for fabricating through-plating elements (a), high-power through-plating elements (b) and terminal units (c).
Process step (A) shows how an insulation layer 102 is applied on a substrate 101, the structures of the applied insulation layer 102 having different lateral dimensions. In the case of a conventional filling of the depressions between the structures of the insulation layer 102 and onto the insulation layer 102 by means of a terminal or connecting layer 104 the problem arises that, in the case of small structure sizes and in particular in the case of relatively large structure depths, an unreliable filling of through-plating arrangements arises as indicated by the arrows (I) in FIG. 2.
Consequently, this type of hot aluminum sputtering is suitable for high-power through-plating elements and terminal units of a relatively large lateral dimension in the structure size while the through-plating elements of a smaller structure size that are always present cannot be reliably formed. Furthermore, a disadvantage of the conventional methods for fabricating integrated circuit units is that the hot aluminum sputtering impedes a subsequent lithography step owing to the resultant high degree of roughness of the metal surface in the course of alignment. This is becoming more and more critical, particularly in future technology generations.
In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed to provide the through-plating elements by filling the depressions of the patterned insulation layer 102 with tungsten as shown in FIG. 3, process step (B). The contact-making layer 103 formed from tungsten material then fills all the structures and the corresponding depressions.
Process step (C) shown in FIG. 3 then provides for the contact-making layer 103 to be polished back to a structure size of the insulating layer 102. While the polishing-back process, also referred to as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), can be carried out satisfactorily in the case of the through-plating elements of a small structure size, as shown in FIG. 3(a), considerable problems arise in the case of the high-power through-plating elements (FIG. 3(b)) and the terminal units (FIG. 3(c)). The disadvantages in the case of the high-power through-plating elements and terminal units consist in the fact that tungsten inexpediently represents a high contact resistance, as shown by an arrow (II) in FIG. 3(b) and an arrow (III) in FIG. 3(c), with the result that the desired current-carrying capacity of the high-power through-plating elements is reduced.
It is furthermore disadvantageous that the terminal units exhibit a so-called "dishing" effect, as shown by an arrow (IV) in FIG. 3(c), i.e. dish-shaped depressions form during the CMP process, the dish-shaped depression, in a disadvantageous manner, not being reproducible, moreover. This results in the disadvantage that the CMP process produces particles that adversely affect the fabrication process of the integrated circuit device. Furthermore, a later bonding by the contact-making layer 104 formed from tungsten material is disturbed (arrow (III) in FIG. 3(c)).
Process step (D) shown in FIG. 3 includes a coating of the structures with which contact is made by tungsten by means of a connecting layer 104 formed, for example, from aluminum. This connecting layer, in a disadvantageous manner, likewise has a "dishing" effect in the case of the high-power through-plating elements and the terminal units, as shown by the arrow (IV) in FIG. 3(c).
In order to solve this problem that occurs as a result of the processing of different structure sizes it has been proposed to provide small structure sizes which are used uniformly for through-plating elements, high-power through-plating elements and terminal units as shown in FIG. 4.
The disadvantage that arises in this case, however, is that the high-power through-plating elements have an impaired current-carrying capacity since a contact-making layer 103 formed from tungsten is used for making contact in the lateral structures (now reduced in size) of the insulation layer 102, as shown by means of an arrow (V) in FIG. 4(b). FIG. 4(c) shows that disadvantages also arise with the terminal units which by means of small structure sizes which correspond to those of the through-plating elements (FIG. 4(a)). These disadvantages consist in the fact that tungsten is once again used for making contact, and impedes a necessary bonding of terminal devices such as wires, for example, to the terminal units of the integrated circuit device, as shown by an arrow (VI) in FIG. 4(c).
Therefore, with the conventional methods shown with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it is not possible to achieve a cost-effective and reliable provision of through-plating elements, high-power through-plating elements and terminal units in a uniform process sequence.

Method for fabricating an integrated circuit device with through-plating elements and terminal units


A femoral stem for hip prosthesis is disclosed comprising: a main body with a mainly longitudinal development and a generally wedge shaped, which is inserted into the femoral canal present in the body of the femur; a central body of a generally trapezoidal shape integral with the main body, located in the proximal zone of the femur; an appendix projecting from the central body provided with a terminal pin receiving spherical head of joint into the cotyle belonging to the prosthesis and inserted into the acetubular zone of the pelvic bone. The main body and the central body are defined by a shaped surface on one side and a mixtilinear surface on the opposite side from which a shaped notch is starting involving the central body and extending up to the proximity of the projecting appendix.

The present invention relates to a femoral stem for hip prosthesis used for replacing the diseased natural joint of the hip with an artificial device taking its functions.
It is well known that in the orthopaedic field surgery of the hip joint is generally carried out for old people to treat pathologies such as arthrosis, arthritis or hip luxation generating a progressive wear of the hip joint.
It is well known that the hip joint connects the femur to the pelvis and comprises the femur head engaged in the acetabulum which is a joint cavity on the outer face of the pelvic bone.
In the femur in addition to said femoral head there are the neck connecting the head to the femoral body, having a rather longitudinal development, and a couple of protrusions, the greater and the lesser trochanter, arranged on opposite sides on the femoral body.
On the basis of the natural shape of the hip, the prosthesis to be implanted comprises therefore a femoral part called stem and made of metal, generally of a titanium alloy or stainless steel, inserted into a longitudinal cavity made in the femoral body and an acetabular part called cotyle which is applied into a seat made in the pelvis.
The cotyle is generally consisting of two parts, the first made of metal, titanium or its alloys, and the other facing the stem made of polyethylene of high molecular weight or ceramics.
The cotyle is coupled with a spherical head also made of metal or ceramics, which is fixed to the stem and is the pivot of the artificial joint.
More particularly the femoral stem comprises a main body known also as shaft which is inserted in the femur body. Such a shaft ends at the trochanter zone with a shoulder while continuous medially with a neck projecting from the shoulder to the cotyle of the prosthesis and having a terminal cone to which the above mentioned spherical head is applied.
The surgical operation to the patient's hip therefore consists in preparing in the acetabular zone of the pelvis using proper spherical mills, a seat in which the cotyle is then applied.
Then the neck is being cut with a saw, said operation being called resection or ostheotomy and in the subsequent preparation through proper rasps, of the internal canal of the femoral bone where the prosthetic stem is then inserted.
Finally the spherical head is assembled with the femoral stem thus assembling the prosthesis and restoring the original configuration of the limb.
In this way once implanted, the femoral stem and the cotyle reproduce almost faithfully the original shape of the femur and the acetabulum respectively, replacing the diseased parts, allowing a pain relief and a recovery of the joint function so as to allow patient to have a normal life for many years.
The prosthesis is anchored to the bone through two main methods, the first consisting in solidification during surgery of a liquid polymer that in this way acts as a glue, connecting firmly the bone to the prosthesis. In this case a cemented prosthesis is obtained.
The prosthesis of most modern conception are however pressure applied into the bone, to which they are stably anchored through a natural process of bone integration occurring with time, enhanced also by the fact that the metal stem is rather sanded, that is has a rough outer surface, thus increasing the anchoring ability of the bone to the stem.
The present invention intends to address this second kind of prosthesis.
A wide variety of embodiments of femoral stems for hip prosthesis are presently available on the market, performing in different ways the object aimed to.
The main limitation of the femoral stems of the prior art consists in that they are rather rigid, above all in relation to the intrinsic elasticity characteristics of the bones of the human body and more particularly of the femur.
The application of a rigid metal body inside the femur generates indeed physical decompensations to the person, above all in their areas of greater load transmission such as the cortical medial areas which become therefore particularly critical areas.
The transmitted stresses are not properly absorbed by the cortical bone which is of the compact kind, with the consequence of causing pain to the person but more particularly causing degeneration or even progressive disappearance of the bone in the less stimulated zones, among which a particular place is to be given to the Calcar located immediately above the lesser trochanter.
Another limitation of the femoral stems of the prior art is their high dimension, more particularly at the shoulder, contributing to making the entire structure stiff.
The solution to make less cumbersome stems reducing the shoulder dimension, is not always possible because at this point the torsional stability of the prosthesis is strongly reduced.
Moreover post operative radiographs show for these constructional types a line of detachment between bone and prosthesis at the lateral shoulder of the stem.
It is clear that this aspect has a negative influence on the performance of the prosthetic implant because the stem results to be partially detached from the femur, not to speak of the clear troubles that this situation causes for the patient's health.
A further attempt to solve the problem of the stiffness of the prosthetic stem inside the femur is disclosed in the document EP 308297, wherein the stem has a notch of different shape made starting from the surface connecting the shoulder with the neck and developed downwards in the proximal zone.
Laboratory test of mechanical resistance show however that after having being subject to a set of load cycles, this femoral stem fails by fatigue at the notch end, where a critical section is generated caused by an excessive concentration of stress. In this connection it is to be recalled that there is a European regulation (UNI7206) according to which the femoral stem of hip prosthesis must withstand five millions load cycles to be approved.
A second drawback of the stem disclosed in said document is that during the load only the part facing the lesser trochanter bends downwards, while the shoulder remains stationary thus preventing to keep the greater trochanter reactive.
Another drawback of this stem is due by the fact that the notch as shaped allows that chips produced by rubbing of the spherical head against the cotyle, to deposit by gravity inside through the upper opening, this leading with time to prosthesis failure.


A generic cell rate monitoring algorithm (GCRA) which is implemented in an ATM network element must be tested during operation. The method uses a second GCRA of the same kind which is synchronized with the first one, and a conformity test is carried out by comparing the results of both GCRAs. The synchronization is preferred when both GCRAs are in a regeneration state. This is artificially produced during operation of the GCRA to be tested by temporarily changing a parameter of the agreement in such a way, that a contract violation can no longer occur. The time of reaching the regeneration state can be limited by special steps of the method. An apparatus for carrying out the method (30) comprises a conformity decision unit (20), which counts arriving cells and compares counter positions, an implementation of the second GCRA (14) and a circuit (13) for synchronization, together with a return line (15) to an insertion circuit (16) for the cell stream in the line (1). The cell stream is directed to both GCRA implementations (4, 14) via a branch (10). The difference in running time from the branch to the two implementations cannot be longer than one cell transmission time.

When information of any kind is transmitted by means of digital data units in a network, the transmission media and data units are suitably defined for each other, or even standardized. An example is the ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) where the ATM cell is the basic data unit. This is concretely referred to in the following for explanation purposes; the basic concepts illustrated in this manner also apply to other transmission installations.
The transmission medium (ATM) is designed so that the information from several sources is able to use the same physical transmission device simultaneously. Agreements are reached with the users about the transmission modalities in order to attain a good utilization rate or to prevent traffic jams. Parameter monitoring is required at an interface, either at a user interface or at a network interface, in order to make it possible to test the maintenance of the agreement on the side of the transmission device, and to ensure it if necessary. In the technical literature such traffic monitoring and control through the network is called "Usage/Network Parameter Control" (UPC/NPC). The parameter monitor responds to a violation of the agreement by discriminating the nonconforming data unit, usually by rejecting it or marking it for subsequent special treatment, for example subsequent elimination.
An agreement per virtual connection is negotiated during the connection phase, or it is renegotiated during a subsequent phase (so-called Connection Admission Control, CAC). At that time the parameters to be maintained are established. Probably the most important parameter is the number of data units that can be transmitted per unit of time, the so-called cell rate, respectively its complement the cell distance, which is also called intermediate arrival time. Different types of cell rates are defined: maximum, sustainable (as the upper limit for a mean) etc. The profession mostly uses the English expressions: "peak cell rate", "sustained cell rate", "mean cell rate". Other parameters are "cell delay variation" CDV, "burst tolerance" etc., where certain mutual dependencies may be present. In theory, the agreement between the network operator and the user can concern any parameters. The decisive ITU recommendations for the present status leave room for many possibilities. Only a single generic algorithm is presently defined for discriminating the data cells of a virtual connection in a cell stream, which do not correspond to the agreed parameters regarding the timely arrival of such data cells. It considers two contract parameters, the "Peak Cell Rate" or its complement the "Increment I", and the "Cell Delay Variation CDV" or the "Limit L". It is called a "Generic Cell Rate Monitoring Algorithm", GCRA, and is illustrated in two configuration forms as the "Virtual Scheduling Algorithm" and as the "Continuous-State Leaky Bucket Algorithm".
This GCRA "Generic Cell Rate Monitoring Algorithm", which is based on the increment I and the limit L, is usually used to perform a UPC/NPC in practice today. It must be able to test a cell stream for its conformity, meaning the maintenance of the contract (GCRA, I, L). The arriving traffic is considered to be GCRA, I, L-conformant (conforming to the contract), if no cells are rejected or marked during the pertinent UPC/NPC. If too many cells are lost from a connection, the question arises whether this can be attributed to a GCRA, I, L violation by the customer, to a malfunction of the implemented GCRA, or to a lack of resources in the network. In such a case it is important for legal considerations to have instruments which can clearly determine who is responsible for the deterioration of the service quality. The need exists therefore to be able to test the function of the traffic monitoring and control during operation ("in service, on-line"), namely without any special testing connection.
Such a test cannot be performed as is. The name "Continuous-State Leaky Bucket Algorithm" illustrates the problem correctly. It is derived from the analogy of the bucket which is constantly filled with liquid at alternating inflow rates, while the liquid runs out constantly according to the size of the leak as long as the bucket still contains any liquid. The GCRA has therefore the attribute of having a "memory" for events which can be considerably behind in time, until the leaky bucket is entirely empty. The arrival time of a cell which places the GCRA into this condition is called the regeneration point; in the following the condition itself is called a regeneration state. The momentary condition of the GCRA in a UPC or NPC is not tangible, and even if the regeneration points could be made determinable, a conformity test during operation could not be expected to have to wait for it, since it could be possible that none occurs before the end of the connection.

Method for testing the conformity of an algorithm called GCRA for discriminating data cells, and an apparatus for executing the method


A mobile communication device (100) uses a local wireless transceiver (108) to establish an asynchronous link (202) with a remote audio processor (110) which is typically operated in a low power mode and that maintains an association between the mobile communication device and remote audio processor. When the mobile communication device receives an incoming call page (210), the mobile communication device initiates a synchronous link with the remote audio processor, and responds to the incoming call page at a time when the call will be connected only after the synchronous link is established.

Mobile communication devices are in widespread use throughout the world, and in particular in the metropolitan regions of the world. The cost of these devices and communication service has decreased so much over recent years that they are nearly as common as landline telephone communications. To remain competitive manufacturers have added functionality to their mobile communication device product to distinguish their products over those of other manufacturers.
One feature that has proven popular is the so called push to talk or dispatch mode of communications. In addition to conventional mobile telephony service, referred to as interconnect calling, these devices and systems support dispatch calling. Dispatch calling is a half duplex mode of calling resembling two way radio or walkie talkie operation. Furthermore dispatch calling is controlled by a push to talk operation where, when the party, for example, presses a push to talk button and begins speaking. Therefore the dispatch mode requires a low call set up latency so as to be as near instantaneous as possible. At the receiving device, as soon as an incoming dispatch call is received, unlike an interconnect call, the receiving device, upon responding to the incoming call page from the communication system, quickly unmutes a loudspeaker and begins playing the received audio information without any action on the part of the user of the receiving device.
A variety of accessories are available for mobile communication devices, and one particular type that has proven popular recently is a wireless earpiece. A wireless earpiece is worn on a user's ear, and connects to the mobile communication device via local wireless link, such as that known by the name Bluetooth. Since these accessories operate wirelessly with the mobile communication device, they must have their own power source, but because they are worn on the user's ear, they must also be small, so a large battery cannot be used. Consequently it is desirable to operate the earpiece in low power mode as much as possible. One way to achieve power saving operation is to have the earpiece go into a "sleep" mode and check periodically to see if the mobile communication device is transmitting anything to it. Such operation works fine with interconnect calling because in interconnect calling, before any audio information is received, the user of the receiving device must first answer the call, which gives the mobile communication device time to wake up the earpiece to an active state. However, with dispatch calling, the latency in waking up the earpiece becomes critical. If the mobile communication device responds to the incoming dispatch call and the incoming dispatch call is set up before the earpiece is awake, a portion of the transmitted speech may be lost or not heard by the user. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the time it takes to wake up the earpiece from a low power state to an active state for handling dispatch calling.

Method for reducing apparent latency in linking a call received at a mobile communication device to a remote audio processor


A fastening clip comprises a base body and at least one holding portion which is integrally but flexibly connected to the base body, the base body as well as the holding portion comprising at least one receptacle for an elongated member. The holding portion is reversibly movable with respect to the base body in a predefined range, however, a rotation of the holding portion relative to the base body is limited by first stops.

Fastening clips are used, for instance, in vehicles in order to position and fix cables of the vehicular electric system relative to one another or to arrest cables on the vehicle body. In many cases, the cables extend at an angle relative to one another so that fastening clips have been developed which comprise two cable mounts that can be rotated relative to each other. The rotatability is achieved, for instance, in that two separate cable mounts are connected to each other so as to be rotatable. The separate production and subsequent assembly of the two cable holders increases the manufacturing expense and hence increases the price of the member.
EP 1 101 988 A2 shows a fastening clip having two portions with one receptacle each, the portions being connected by a flexible web with a rectangular cross-section. To limit a bending movement of the web, two supporting plates are provided that serve as stops.

TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH


An electromagnetically activated jacquard control arrangement comprising a plurality of control elements each combined with a lifter element (16) and each provided with an electromagnet (19) with an armature (21). There is further provided a lifter plate (7) which, in each working cycle, lifts the lifter element (16) out of a rest position into a working position and which thereafter is again lowered so that the lifter element, in dependence upon the activation condition of the electromagnet, remains in the working position or returns to the rest position. Every lifter element (16) comprises a hook (26) which operates together with a counterhook held in a predetermined elevation. Each armature (21) is rotatably mounted on an axis (24) and by its swinging movement, displaces the counterhook into or out of the path of the lifter element hook. The lifter plate (7) can lift the lifter element beyond the working position into a predetermined zone. Further lifter plate (7) carries a dog plate (29) which swings the armature against the appropriate electromagnets (19) when the lifter element is located in the aforesaid predetermined zone. This mode of construction requires relatively little magnetic force. Thus small magnets may be used.

The present invention is directed to an electromagnetically activated jacquard control arrangement having a plurality of control elements. Each control element is connected with a lifter element, each having an electromagnet with an armature and a lifter plate. The lifter plate, in each working cycle, moves the lifter element out of a rest position into a work position, wherein the armature is drawn to the electromagnet and thereafter lowered so that the lifter element, in dependence upon the activation condition of the electromagnet, remains in the working position or returns to the rest position.
In known jacquard control arrangements of this type (Kettenwirk Praxis #2/88 pages 11 and 12) the lifter elements are connected to the armature so that when the lifter element is moved into a working position, the armature must also be moved into contact with the appropriate electromagnet. In this reference stronger and larger electromagnets are required because the electromagnetic forces must be sufficient to hold the armature in the upper postion despite the downwardly acting forces on the harness cords.
In EP OS 108 700, the harness cords are mechanically held in the upper position by hook 25a. Nevertheless, strong electromagnets are required because it is not possible to avoid an air space between the armature 25 and the electromagnet 27 on the one hand because the armature is formed by a bendable leaf spring, and on the other hand because the angle surface 18c along which the hook 25a slides, gives rise to frictional forces.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetically activated, jacquard control arrangement of the type found in the prior art, but refined to enable operation with smaller electromagnets, thereby achieving a more compact construction.

Electromagnetically activated jacquard control arrangement


A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes: a ceramic body including a dielectric layer and first and second internal electrodes stacked to be alternately exposed to one side surface and the other side surface with the dielectric layer disposed therebetween; and first and second external electrodes disposed on an external surface of the ceramic body to be connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively, in which the ceramic body includes an area of overlap in a thickness direction of the first and second internal electrodes, margin region, and/or cover region, and the margin region in the width direction and/or the cover region includes a phosphoric acid-based second phase.

A multilayer ceramic electronic component has been widely used as an information technology (IT) component of a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, and the like, since it has a small size, implements high capacitance, may be easily mounted, and has been widely used as an electrical component, and since it has high reliability and high strength characteristics.
Moistureproof reliability and hardness of a ceramic body included in the multilayer ceramic electronic component may deteriorate due to shrinkage after sintering of internal electrodes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention provides a polymer compound which can constitute a photoresist composition which is capable of having an excellent resolution, forming a fine pattern with a good rectangularity, obtaining favorable resist characteristics even when acid strength of a acid generated from an acid generator is weak, and having favorable sensitivity; a photoresist composition including the polymer compound; and a resist pattern formation method using the photoresist composition. The photoresist composition and the resist pattern formation method use the polymer compound including an alkali soluble group (i), wherein the alkali soluble group (i) is at least one substituent group selected from an alcoholic hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, or a phenolic hydroxyl group, and the substituent group is protected by an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group (ii) represented by a general formula (1):—CH2—OCH2nR1  (1)                (wherein R1 represents a cycloaliphatic group which contains no more than 20 carbon atoms and may contain an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, or a halogen atom, and n represents 0 or an integer of 1 to 5).

It is no exaggeration that miniaturization of a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern has been accomplished due to the progress of photolithography and peripheral techniques thereof. This photolithography includes two generally known main techniques. One is a technique on an exposure wavelength or a numerical aperture of a reduction projection exposure apparatus known as a stepper or a scanner. The other is a technique on resist characteristics such as printing resolution of a photoresist composition in which a mask pattern is printed by the aforementioned reduction projection exposure apparatus. These have improved processing accuracy of a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern by means of photolithography.
The wavelength of light sources used in the reduction projection exposure apparatus has been increasingly shortened in response to a demand for high resolution circuit patterns. In general, the g-line (436 nm) or i-line (365 nm) of a mercury lamp is used in the case of a resist resolution of about 0.5 μm or 0.30 to about 0.5 μm, respectively. The main spectra of the g-line and i-line are 436 nm and 365 nm, respectively. Also, a KrF excimer laser (248 nm) and an ArF excimer laser (193 nm) are used in the case of a resist resolution of 0.15 to about 0.30 μm, or about 0.15 μm or less, respectively. Furthermore, use of an F2 excimer laser (157 nm), an Ar2 excimer laser (126 nm), and EUV (extreme ultraviolet light, wavelength: 13 nm) is being investigated in order to further miniaturize a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern.
As far as a photoresist composition is concerned, the life of a photoresist for KrF in lithography using a KrF excimer laser is currently prolonged by combining this photoresist with an organic or inorganic anti-reflective film or by devising an exposure system, and the photoresist composition with an eye to about 110 nm, which is below λ/2, is being developed. Also, provision of a photoresist composition for ArF has been desired, which is preferable for the mass production of a prospective fine pattern with a node of about 90 nm or less in lithography using an ArF excimer laser. Furthermore, lithography using the aforementioned F2 excimer laser has drawn attention as a technique for processing a prospective fine pattern with a node of 65 nm or less, and a photoresist composition is being developed which is applicable to fine processing by lithography using an F2 excimer laser.
Since it is difficult for a conventional positive photoresist including an alkali soluble novolak resin and a quinone diazide group-containing compound as main components to achieve such a fine pattern, a photoresist applicable to a far-UV ray with a further shortened wavelength (200 to 300 nm); an excimer laser such as KrF, ArF, or F2; an electron beam; and X ray has been desired to be developed. As such a photoresist, a chemically amplified resist has drawn attention and is being actively developed, in which a catalytic reaction and a chain reaction due to an acid generated on exposure to radiation can be realized, the quantum yield is 1 or higher, and high resolution and sensitivity can be achieved.
A resin containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group is mainly used in a positive chemically amplified resist.
Examples of an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group used in the chemically amplified resist include an acetal group, a tertiary alkyl group such as a tert-butyl group, tert-butoxycarbonyl group, and tert-butoxycarbonylmethyl group as an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group for a fluorinated alcohol as disclosed in the following non-patent references 1 to 3.
Also, as described in the following patent reference 1, a structural unit derived from a tertiary ester compound of (meth)acrylic acid, for example 2-alkyl-2-adamantyl (meth)acrylate, is generally used as a structural unit containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group in a resin component of a conventional ArF resist composition. In the present specification, "acrylic acid" and "methacrylic acid" are collectively referred to as "(meth)acrylic acid", "acrylic acid derivative" and "methacrylic acid derivative" are collectively referred to as "(meth)acrylic acid derivative", and "acrylate" and "methacrylate" are collectively referred to as "(meth)acrylate".
However, an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group used in these chemically amplified resists disclosed in non-patent references 1 to 3 has a problem in terms of the improvement of resolution and the formation of a fine pattern with a good rectangularity because an alkali dissolution inhibiting effect in a unexposed part is insufficient (thickness loss occurs in a resist pattern). Provided that an introduction rate of an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group is increased to improve an alkali dissolution inhibiting effect in a unexposed part, there is another problem in that the risk of defect is increased.
Also, as described in the patent reference 1, a compound forming a cyclic or linear tertiary alkyl ester with a carboxyl group of (meth)acrylic acid is well-known as a compound forming an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group. However, there is a limitation to the number of types of an available acid generator. In other words, there is a problem of not working as a chemically amplified positive resist because an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group is not dissociated unless an acid generator is used, in which acid strength of a generated acid is strong, for example an onium salt containing a fluorinated alkylsulfonic acid ion at an anion part. Also, there is another problem in that sensitivity is not sufficient when an acid generator is used, in which acid strength of a generated acid is weak. The improvement of these problems has highly been desired.
[Non-Patent Reference 1]
T. Hagiwara, S. Irie, T. Itani, Y. Kawaguchi, O. Yokokoji, S. Kodama, J. Photopolym. Sci. Technol. Vol. 16, Page 557, 2003
[Non-Patent Reference 2]
F. Houlihan, A. Romano, D. Rentkiewicz, R. Sakamuri, R. R. Dammel, W. Conley, G. Rich, D. Miller, L. Rhodes, J. McDaniels, C. Chang, J. Photopolym. Sci. Technol. Vol. 16, Page 581, 2003
[Non-Patent Reference 3]
Y. Kawaguchi, J. Irie, S. Kodama, S. Okada, Y. Takebe, I. Kaneko, O. Yokokoji, S. Ishikawa, S. Irie, T. Hagiwara, T. Itani, Proc. SPIE, Vol. 5039, Page 43, 2003
[Patent Reference 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei10-161313

Polymer compound, photoresist composition including the polymer compound, and resist pattern formation method


A full-color liquid crystal display which is simple in construction and low in costs, also providing high quality of display performance. The liquid crystal display has a color filter substrate, an opposing substrate, and a liquid crystal charged between both the substrates. The color filter substrate includes a transparent substrate. A transparent electrode is mounted on one surface of the transparent substrate. A color filter is electro-deposited on the transparent electrode. A light-shielding film is formed in clearances provided for the color filter. An inorganic dielectric film is mounted on the surfaces of the color filter and the light-shielding film. A transparent electrode film is deposited on the dielectric film. On the other hand, the opposing substrate is constructed of a transparent substrate and a transparent electrode adhering to one surface of the substrate. As the liquid crystal, a nematic liquid crystal whose molecular longer axis is progressively twisted at 90.degree. between the transparent electrode films provided for the color filter substrate and the opposing substrate, respectively, is charged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color liquid crystal display and, more particularly, to the structure of a color filter substrate having a color filter
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the construction of a conventional full-color liquid crystal display. FIG. 2 shows that this liquid crystal display largely comprises a color filter substrate 21, an opposing substrate 22 and a liquid crystal 23 disposed between both the substrates 21 and 22.
The color filter substrate 21 comprises a transparent substrate 24, a transparent electrode 25 formed on one surface of the transparent substrate 24, a color filter 26 electro-deposited on the transparent electrode 25, a light-shielding film 27 formed in clearances provided for the color filter 26, a flattening film 28 mounted on the surfaces of the color filter 26 and the light-shielding film 27, an inorganic dielectric film 29 stacked on the flattening film 28, and a transparent electrode film 30 adhering onto the inorganic dielectric film 29. On the other hand, the opposing substrate 22 is constructed of a transparent substrate 31 and a transparent electrode 32 formed on one surface of the transparent substrate 31.
The flattening film 28, which is formed from a transparent resin material, such as polyvinyl alcohol, an ultraviolet-curing resin or the like, is provided for flattening the surfaces of the color filter 26 and the light-shielding film 27 and also keeping at a constant spacing (gap) between the transparent electrode film 30 and the transparent electrode 32, thereby improving nonuniformity in color and inconsistencies in the display and response performance. In contrast, the inorganic dielectric film 29, which is formed from a transparent inorganic dielectric, for example, SiO.sub.2, is disposed for enhancing the adhesion of the electrode film 30 and other characteristics.
However, the conventional full-color liquid crystal display discussed above presents the following problem. After the formation of the color filter 26 and the light-shielding film 27, the resin-formed flattening film 28 and the inorganic dielectric film 29 are required to be sequentially mounted on the surfaces of the color filter 26 and the shielding film 27. This increases the complexity of the manufacturing process and raising the manufacturing costs.

Liquid crystal display having an SiO.sub.2 flattening layer


An image display has gate-lines and signal-lines in a matrix shape, and has thin film transistors each having: an island-shaped semiconductor layer having source region, drain region, and channel region sandwiched between them; a first insulation film formed between the semiconductor layer and a gate electrode of the same layer as that of the gate-lines; an interlayer insulation film formed above the semiconductor layer; and a source electrode and a drain electrode existing in the same layer as that of the signal-lines. Each capacitor has: a storage electrode of the same layer as that of the gate-lines; an insulation film formed on the storage electrode and being in contact therewith; and an electrode formed on the insulation film and being in contact therewith and existing in the same layer as that of the signal-lines.

The invention relates to an image display of high contrast and a low cost and its manufacturing method.
Since a polysilicon thin film transistor (hereinafter, referred to as TFT) has excellent performance, a circuit can be constructed. As an example which utilizes such a feature, the active-matrix liquid crystal display disclosed in "Society for Information Display International Symposium Digest of Technical Papers", p. 172, 1999, can be mentioned. According to such a display, by constructing a part of a peripheral driver circuit by the polysilicon TFT, the number of connecting terminals of a pixel portion and the peripheral driver circuit can be reduced, and an image can be displayed at high precision. FIG. 2 shows a constructional diagram of the conventional liquid crystal display using the polysilicon TFT. FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a layout of a pixel 40.
The display of FIG. 2 comprises a gate driver circuit 30, a drain driver circuit 31, and a display area 32. The gate driver circuit 30 and drain driver circuit 31 are constructed by CMOS TFTs 33. In the display area 32, gate-lines 37 and signal-lines 38 are formed in a matrix shape. Each pixel in the display area 32 is constructed by a pixel TFT 34 and a storage capacitor 36 for holding a voltage which is applied to the liquid crystal. Each of those elements has the following functions. First, a voltage is applied to a gate of the pixel TFT 34 from the gate driver circuit 30 and a circuit between a source and a drain is made conductive.
An image signal from the drain driver circuit 31 is supplied to the liquid crystal via the pixel TFT 34, so that the liquid crystal enters a display state corresponding to the signal voltage. The voltage is stored in a liquid crystal capacitor 35 and the storage capacitor 36 until a selective voltage is applied to the gate again at the next period. By providing the storage capacitor 36, a drop of the voltage applied to the liquid crystal due to a leakage current of the TFT can be suppressed and the liquid crystal display having high contrast can be provided. FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view taken along the line A–A′ in FIG. 3. The liquid crystal capacitor 35 is a capacitor comprising a pixel electrode 13—a liquid crystal layer 21—an opposite electrode 22. By applying a signal voltage to the pixel electrode 13 and changing alignment of the liquid crystal, transmittance of light from a backlight 26 is controlled and a video image is displayed.
According to the conventional liquid crystal display using the polysilicon TFT, since the backlight 26 is irradiated to a polycrystalline silicon layer 4 and a photogenerated carrier is excited, the leakage current increases and the voltage applied to the liquid crystal drops, so that the contrast deteriorates. It is necessary to increase the storage capacitance in order to suppress the drop of the voltage applied to the liquid crystal. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the conventional storage capacitor 36 comprises: a first capacitor which is formed by a polycrystalline silicon layer 14—an insulation film 3 of the same layer as that of a gate insulation film—a storage electrode 8 of the same layer as that of the gate-lines; and a second capacitor which is formed by the storage electrode 8 of the same layer as that of the gate-lines—an interlayer insulation film 10—a passivation film 12—the pixel electrode 13. Since an interval between the electrodes of the second capacitor is 10 or more times as wide as that of the first capacitor, a capacitance of the second capacitor is smaller enough than that of the first capacitor to be ignored. Further, since the interval between the electrodes of the first capacitor is determined by a thickness of gate insulation film, an area has to be increased in order to increase the capacitance. If the area of the storage capacitor is increased, however, an aperture ratio of the pixel decreases and the contrast further deteriorates. The more a pixel area is reduced in order to raise resolution, the more such a problem becomes worse. Therefore, a technique for increasing the capacitance per unit area is necessary.
As a countermeasure against the problem, as disclosed in JP-A-11-271812, there is a method whereby by laminating metal films forming a gate electrode and a storage electrode and the insulation films and patterning them at the same time, insulation films are previously formed onto gate-lines, gate electrode, and storage electrode, and a passivation film and an interlayer insulation film above the storage electrode are etched, thereby forming a storage capacitor comprising the storage electrode, insulation film, and pixel electrode (ITO). According to such a method, the storage capacitance can be increased by thinning the thickness of insulation film constructing the second capacitor. There is, however, a case where the thickness of insulation film forming the capacitor becomes uneven due to an ITO etchant. There is also a case where a reactant layer of the ITO and the insulation film is formed and the storage capacitance decreases.
To prevent the above drawbacks, it is necessary that a barrier metal is formed between the insulation film and the ITO. As disclosed in JP-A-11-271812, there is a method whereby the insulation film and metal film are previously laminated onto the storage electrode, the passivation film and the interlayer insulation film are removed, and thereafter, the pixel electrode is formed. According to such a method, since the metal film plays a role of an etch stopper, the uniform thickness of insulation film under the metal film can be maintained. According to such a method, however, the step of laminating the storage electrode film, insulation films, and metal film and patterning the laminate film and the step of etching only the metal film and the insulation films when a contact hole for connecting the signal-lines and the gate-lines is formed are further added.
According to the method disclosed in JP-A-11-271812, a stairway over which the pixel electrode constructing the storage capacitor rides enlarges, and there is a case where the pixel electrode is disconnected due to such a large stairway.

Image display and manufacturing method of the same including a thin film transistor and a storage capacitor


This invention is directed to a data base which contains data for HDL2b, LDL IIIa & LDL IIIb and LDL IVb subclasses all in mg/Dl and which is correlated to cardiovascular disease.

According to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals and criteria for Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes and Drug Therapy in different risk categories are as follows:
LDL levelRiskto initiateCategoryTherapeuticLDL level toCHD orLDLLifestyleconsider DrugCHDGoalChangesTherapyRisk<100≧100 mg/dL≧130 mg/dL(10 yr risk 10-20%)Equiva-mg/dL≧160 mg/dL(10-yr risk <10%)lents2+ Risk<130≧130 mg/dL≧130 mg/dL(10 yr risk 10-20%)Factorsmg/dL≧160 mg/dL(10-yrrisk <10%)0-1 Risk<160≧160 mg/dL≧190 mg/dLFactormg/dL
The invention utilizes the health care management system described in WO 01/41037A3 to study data from patient populations for cardiovascular risk factors especially those factors related to LDL and HDL subclasses. WO 01/41037AC is incorporated herein in its entirety. The text, Heart Disease Breakthrough, by Thomas Yannios, M.D. John Wiley & Son, Inc., New York, 1999 discusses management of heart disease and the role of HDL and LDL subclasses and is incorporated herein by reference.
Williams, PT, Superko, HR, Alderman EA, Small Low Density Lipoprotein III but not Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol is Related to Arteriographic Progression, Circulation 2000; 102:II-848

Method for identifying at risk cardiovascular disease patients