Systems and methods provide real-time communication between website operators and website visitors including monitoring, gathering, managing and sharing of information. The features include: simultaneous chatting with system's website visitor while responding/submitting tickets/emails and searching through company knowledge base; operator communicating message to another operator directly in active chat session, while message remains hidden to visitors/customers; displaying advertising messages to visitors/customers within chat window during active chat sessions; growing knowledge base by adding information into knowledge base during chat session; providing real-time access to system's website visitor information by seeing the content of visitor's shopping cart or by passing information from system's server into visitor's information located in operator's panel; creating and branding multiple chat windows and selectively linking all or some to the account; tagging and grouping each chat sessions; parent-child ticketing for project management; lead scoring; and mobile live chatting.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally in the field of web-based computing and communication, and provides systems and methods for real-time communication between website operators and visitors to a website including monitoring, gathering, managing and sharing of information.
2. Discussion of the Background of the Invention
Providing requested information to users via the Internet is well known. In many instances, the information is provided in response to a user's request for information, such as requests for information from customers entering a retailer's website and seeking information about a product advertised on the retailer's website. Conventionally, a response to such a request is not communicated back to the customer in real-time but via, for example a reply email sent much later, with the only alternative for receiving real-time communication or support is calling the retailer directly.
Accordingly, one of the drawbacks of conventional web-based customer support is the delay in response. In addition, conventionally, visitors to a retailer's web-site are not engaged in a live real-time interaction with the retailer as would be the case in a brick-and-mortar store, which may decrease the retailer's chances for promoting and selling its products or services. Exemplary, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention address at least the forgoing drawback of conventional web-based systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method, system and apparatus for establishing and monitoring sessions with clients over a communication network


This invention provides a method and apparatus for transporting marine fuel by rail car directly to a fueling vessel, by loading rail cars loaded with marine fuel onto a specially equipped roll-on/roll-off rail barge and transporting the barge by towboat to a mooring, where it is moored/secured in position, after mooring the barge will have the capability for offloading marine fuel from its rail cars via a barge-included distribution system to fuel a vessel. The barge may operate and be regulated as a fuel terminal when secured to the mooring.

Conventional marine fueling operations generally comprise one of two main methods: in the first, a refinery sends its output fuel product into a tank on shore, typically by rail or pipeline. A fueling vessel then pulls up to a dock nearby to the tank on shore, and receives fuel from the tanks on shore by pipes and hoses and pumps. The fueling vessel then leaves the dock near the tank, and travels over water to meet a ship in a designated fueling mooring point within a port, where the fueling operation takes place and where the fueling vessel transfers fuel from its onboard store of fuel and into tanks or receiving means on the ship at the mooring point. The second conventional fueling method requires ships to fuel while they are moored at the ship's cargo unloading facility or dock, which must in that case also be equipped with fuel storage and handling facilities. This second case is rare as most modern ports do not allow fueling to take place at the same time or place as loading or unloading the ship's cargo, and the time and space for facilities is limited on these docks. Most typically, cargo-offloading facilities are very complex logistics operations with multiple cranes and gantries, with complex transshipment operations to, from and between truck, rail and ship. There is neither room physically nor in operational processes for ship fueling to take place.
In an example of the prior art, for instance U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,263, there is disclosed a method and system for loading freight cars while they are disposed on a barge. The boxcars in this disclosure arrive empty, and are parked on the barge, after which the barge is moved, with the empty cars, to a loading facility near to a production centre. Freight is loaded onto the box cars while they are on the barge at the production center from dockside warehouse facilities at the production centre, and then shipped over water, to a railhead (i.e. freight is loaded onto empty cars on railroad barges or railroad ferries, which are then moved to a destination railhead for further movement by rail over land). The track-carrying vessel (barge, ferry) which carries the boxcars, is also provided with a loading platform onto which forklift trucks carrying palletized freight can drive from a dockside warehouse facility associated with the production centre, and by which means the forklift trucks can move via removable runways for distribution of freight into the railway boxcars arranged in multiple rows. No boxcars are loaded prior to being loaded onto the track-carrying vessel. The loaded boxcars are driven off the vessel at the railhead and resume their voyage overland by rail to an eventual destination.
A type of vessel called roll-on/roll-off ("RORO") has been known for many years, with some examples being ferry boats designed for automobile and truck vehicles (complete with load and passengers) to "roll-on" to the ferry by a loading ramp at one terminal, be secured some way, transit a waterborne distance to a second terminal, and then "roll off" the ferry via a ramp onto land at the second terminal. RORO vessels of the prior art do not function to offload vehicle loads while away from a terminal.
The present invention aims to overcome at least some problems or limitations found in the prior art in a novel way.

Apparatus and method for marine fueling from rail cars on a dock


A hide-on washer module includes striker assemblies mounted for vertical displacement from hydraulic cylinders. When each hydraulic piston reciprocates vertically, the striker assemblies and T-shaped tracking plates are displaced concomitantly. Roller assemblies are mounted to floor-mounted vertical columns that are interconnected to one another by stabilizer plates. A first set of roller assemblies engages a first tracking plate, a second set of roller assemblies engages a second reciprocating tracking plate, a third set of roller assemblies are mounted to the rear side of a front column, a fourth set of roller assemblies are mounted to the front side of a rear column, a fifth set of roller assemblies is mounted to the rear side of a front column, and a sixth set of roller assemblies is mounted to the front side of a rear column. Each roller assembly is biased to bear against its associated tracking plate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to devices that clean animal carcasses. More particularly, it relates to a hide-on washer with rotating brushes that reciprocate in a vertical plane so that the entire hide is washed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The purpose of washing animal carcasses after slaughter and prior to hide removal is to reduce or remove organic matter and pathogens that are likely to be present on all carcasses, thus lessening the chances of cross-contamination from hide to raw meat. Hide-on washers are a necessity, but these washers are large machines that occupy a considerable amount of space. It includes multiple stations in longitudinal array and thus requires a substantial amount of space.
Accordingly, what is needed is an effective hide-on washer that occupies substantially less space than known washers. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
All referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.

Hide-on washer with reciprocating brushes


A beverage dispenser and methods of beverage dispensing include a dispenser with a beverage valve and a purge valve. The beverage valve is connected the dispenser body and is actively operable to control a flow of a base beverage into a flow path of the dispenser. The purge valve is selectively operable to control a flow of a purge substance into the flow path. A nozzle is configured to mix a flavoring from a flavoring nozzle with a base beverage from the beverage valve prior to dispensing a mixture of the flavoring and the base beverage from the nozzle.

The present disclosure is related to the field of beverage dispensing. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to the dispense of multiple beverages.
Beverage dispensers may be operated by either customers or food service providers. Available beverage dispensers enable custom and/or prescribed addition of flavor to beverages. These dispensers are commonly used with post-mix beverages where a diluent of still or carbonated water is mixed with a flavored syrup. Additional bonus flavors may be added during or after this mixing process to produce the custom and/or prescribed beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,370, which is commonly owned by the Applicant and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses an alcoholic beverage dispenser with additive injection.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,167,173 discloses a multi-stream draught beer dispensing system that uses a manually operable mechanical valve to select between multiple sources, yet relies upon self draining of the common faucet.
Such systems are limited in the dispense of multiple premixed beverages with the addition of bonus flavors as the premixed beverages leave behind flavor, residue, or other cross-contamination in all commonly used components of the dispenser. These problems are not experienced when still or carbonated water are the diluent. Therefore, new multiple flavor dispensers are desired to address these problems.


When an electrophotographic printer is manufactured, the initial electrical resistance of its transfer roller is measured and a corresponding value is stored in a memory device in the printer. During operation, the printer's control program estimates the resistance of the transfer roller from the stored value, taking aging into account, then measures the actual resistance of the transfer roller, and infers ambient conditions from the difference between the estimated and actual resistance values. The electrophotographic printer is controlled according to the inferred ambient conditions.

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic printer, more particularly to an improved method of controlling an electrophotographic printer.
Widely used in copiers, facsimile machines, and computer systems, electrophotographic printers have a photosensitive drum that is illuminated to form a latent image. The latent image is developed by application of toner, which is then transferred to printing media, such as paper, passing between the photosensitive drum and a transfer roller. The toner adheres to the photosensitive drum because of electrostatic attraction, and is also transferred by electrostatic attraction to the printing media.
A major factor determining the quality of the printed image is the transfer current flux between the surface of the photosensitive drum and the interior of the transfer roller. If the transfer current is too weak, the transferred image will be faint or patchy. If the transfer current is too strong, electrostatic forces may scatter toner particles on the paper, creating a fuzzy image. The transfer current is affected by ambient conditions such as temperature and humidity, which alter the moisture content and hence the electrical resistance of the printing media and transfer roller, and must be regulated by, for example, adjusting the transfer voltage applied to the roller.
One conventional method of adjusting the transfer voltage measures the combined electrical resistance of the printing media and transfer roller at the instant when the front edge of a page is caught by the transfer roller, and adjusts the transfer voltage according to the measured resistance. A problem with this method is that the high-voltage power supply that generates the transfer voltage has a limited response speed, so in high-speed printing, the transfer voltage cannot be adjusted quickly enough to prevent degradation of the image at the top of the page.
Another conventional method equips the printer with a temperature-humidity sensor, and sets the transfer voltage to a value determined from the ambient temperature and humidity. One problem with this method is the high cost of the sensor. Another problem is that the inherent electrical resistance of the transfer roller varies from one manufactured lot of rollers to another, and also changes over the life of the printer, making it difficult to determine the correct transfer voltage from ambient conditions alone.
To complicate the problem, an electrophotographic printer has other components that are affected by ambient conditions and require adjustment of applied voltages.

Electrophotographic printer sensing ambient conditions without sensors


A mechanical input/output selector is disclosed. The mechanical input/output selector can include a first terminal for a first transmission line. The mechanical input/output selector can also include a plurality of second terminals for a plurality of second transmission lines. The mechanical input/output selector can further include a first displacement device operable to selectively position the first terminal proximate to any one of the plurality of second terminals. Additionally, the mechanical input/output selector can include a second displacement device operable to move the first terminal relative to the plurality of second terminals to alternately connect and disconnect the first terminal and one of the plurality of second terminals. Associated systems and methods are also provided.

A wide variety of applications require switching of input/output (I/O) signals and power, which is traditionally accomplished using electrical multiplexers. Some applications require switching of a high volume of signals and high power (i.e., voltage/current), such as for testing various components in a test cell. Electrical multiplexers are capable of switching signal channels but are limited to low power applications. As a result, switching of high power lines typically requires the use of relays to control the path of current to the multiplexers and often requires human intervention. In some of these applications (e.g., testing components isolated in a test cell) autonomous switching is required as human interaction may not be desirable or feasible.
Reference will now be made to the examples illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.


A method of producing a thin film bulk acoustic resonator having a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode joined to a first surface of the piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode joined to a second surface of the piezoelectric layer, which is located at the opposite side to the first surface, including the steps of forming a pit on a surface of a substrate; filling the pit with a sacrificial layer; polishing a surface of the sacrificial layer so that the RMS variation of a height of the surface of the sacrificial layer is equal to 25 nm or less; forming the first electrode over a partial area of the surface of the sacrificial layer and a partial area of the surface of the substrate; forming the piezoelectric layer on the first electrode so that RMS variation of a height of the second surface of the piezoelectric layer is equal to 5% or less of a thickness of the piezoelectric layer; forming the second electrode on the piezoelectric layer; and removing the sacrificial layer from the inside of the pit by etching.

In order to meet the need of reducing the cost and size of electronic equipment, an effort of reducing the size of a filter as a circuit constituent element is being made continuously without changing its way. Strict requirements on both of the size and cost of constituent parts are imposed on consumer electronic equipment such as a cellular phone, miniature radio, etc. A circuit contained in such electronic equipment uses filters which must be tuned precisely to predetermined frequencies. Accordingly, an effort of supplying inexpensive and compact filters is being continuously made at every moment.
Devices using the piezoelectric phenomenon have been used in various fields. In the progress of miniaturization and power saving of portable equipment such as a cellular phone, etc., the application field of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices as RF filters or IF filters used for the above equipment is being enlarged. Enhancement of the design and producing technologies of SAW filters have satisfied user's strict requirements to specifications. However, as the frequencies being used are shifted to a higher frequency band, the enhancement of the characteristics is approaching to its upper limit, so that great technical innovation has been required for both of the microstructure of electrodes to be formed and securement of stable output.
Further, a thin film acoustic resonator using the thickness vibration of piezoelectric thin film, that is, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator or a film bulk acoustic resonator (hereinafter referred to as "FBAR") is constructed by forming thin film mainly composed of piezoelectric element and electrodes for driving the piezoelectric thin film on a thin support film formed on a substrate. FBAR thus constructed can perform fundamental resonance in gigahertz band. If a filter is constructed by FBAR, the filter could be designed in a remarkably compact size, and also it can be operated with low loss and in a broad band. In addition, it can be manufactured integrally with a semiconductor integrated circuit. Therefore, it is expected that FBAR will be applied to future ultraminiature portable equipments.
A simple construction of the thin film bulk acoustic resonator has such a sandwich structure that a piezoelectric (PZ) thin film material layer is sandwiched between two metal electrodes. The sandwich structure is supported by a bridge structure in which the peripheral portion thereof is supported and the center portion thereof is suspended in the air. When electric field is generated by applying a voltage across the two electrodes, the piezoelectric (PZ) thin film material converts some of the electrical energy to mechanical energy in the form of acoustic wave. The acoustic wave propagates in the same direction as the electric field, and reflects at the interface between the electrode and the air. In the following description, the piezoelectric element may be abbreviated to PZ.
When mechanical resonance is induced, the thin film bulk acoustic resonator serves as an electrical resonator due to the electrical energy/mechanical energy converting property of the PZ thin film material. Accordingly, the filter can be constructed by the thin film bulk acoustic resonator. The mechanical resonance of the thin film bulk acoustic resonator is induced at the frequency at which the thickness of the material through which the acoustic wave propagates is equal to a half of the wavelength of the acoustic wave. The frequency of the acoustic wave is equal to the frequency of an electrical signal applied to the electrodes. The velocity of the acoustic wave is smaller than the velocity of light by 5 to 6 figures, and thus the resonator achieved can be made extremely compact. Therefore, the resonator to be used in the GHz band can be designed in the structure having a plane size less than 200 micrometers and a thickness less than several micrometers.
In the thin film bulk acoustic resonator and stacked thin film acoustic resonators having a plurality of the sandwich structures as described above, that is, stacked thin film bulk acoustic wave resonators and filters (hereinafter referred to as "SBAR"), the center portion of the sandwich structure comprises piezoelectric thin film which is manufactured to have a thickness of about 1 to 2 μm by the sputtering method. The upper and lower electrodes act as electrical leads and are disposed so as to sandwich the piezoelectric thin film therebetween to give electrical field penetrating through the piezoelectric thin film. The piezoelectric thin film converts a part of the electric field energy to mechanical energy. In response to the applied electric field energy which varies with time, the time-varying (stress/strain) energy is formed.
A piezoelectric thin film element applied to a resonator, a filter or the like which uses such elastic wave is manufactured as follows.
By using various thin film forming methods, a base film comprising a dielectric thin film, a conductive thin film or a stacked film of the dielectric thin film and the conductive thin film is formed on the surface of a single crystal semiconductor substrate of silicon or the like or on the surface of a substrate constructed by forming polycrystalline diamond film or film of isoelastic metal such as elinvar or the like on silicon wafer or the like. Further, piezoelectric thin film is formed on the base film, and a desired upper structure is formed. After each film is formed or after all the films are formed, each film is subjected physical processing or chemical processing to perform micro-fabrication and patterning.
In order to operate FBAR or SBAR as a thin film bulk acoustic resonator, the sandwich structure containing the piezoelectric thin film must be supported by the bridge structure so that the air/crystal interface is formed to confine the acoustic wave in the sandwich structure. The sandwich structure is generally constructed by stacking a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer and an upper electrode in this order. Accordingly, the air/crystal interface has already existed at the upper side of the sandwich structure. In addition, the air/crystal interface must be also formed at the lower side of the sandwich structure. In order to achieve the air/crystal interface at the lower side of the sandwich structure, the following methods have been hitherto used.
According to a first method, as disclosed in JP(A)-58-153412 or JP(A)-60-142607 for example, etching away a part of wafer which constitutes a substrate is used. In the case where the substrate is composed of silicon, a part of the silicon substrate is etched away from the back side thereof by using heated KOH water solution to form a hole. That is, after a base film, a lower electrode, a piezoelectric thin film and an upper electrode are formed on the-upper surface of the substrate, a portion of the substrate located below a portion which will act as an oscillating portion is removed from the lower surface side of the substrate, thereby achieving a resonator having such a shape that the edge of the sandwich structure is supported by the silicon substrate at a portion surrounding the hole at the front surface side of the silicon substrate. However, the hole thus formed so as to penetrate through the wafer makes the wafer very fragile and easily breakable. Further, if wet etching using KOH is carried out at an etching inclination angle of 54.7 degrees with respect to the surface of the substrate, it would be difficult to increase the achievement amount of final products, that is, to increase the yield of FBAR/SBAR on wafer.
For example, the sandwich structure having a lateral dimension of about 150 μm×150 μm (plane size) which is formed on silicon wafer having a thickness of 250 μm needs a back-side etching hole of about 450 μm×450 μm. Accordingly, about only one ninth of wafer can be used for manufacturing. After a portion of the substrate located below the oscillation portion of the piezoelectric thin film is removed by anisotropic etching to form a floating structure, the wafer is separated every element to achieve thin film bulk acoustic resonators (which are also called as piezoelectric thin film resonators) corresponding to the PZ thin film elements.
According to a second method of providing the air/crystal interface below the sandwich structure, as disclosed in JP(A)-2-13109, an air bridge type FBAR element is formed. Normally, a sacrificial layer is formed, and then a sandwich structure is formed on the sacrificial layer. The sacrificial layer is removed at the end of the process or about the end of the process. The overall processing is carried out at the front surface side of wafer, and thus this method needs no positioning at the both sides of the wafer and no large-area back-side opening.
JP(A)-2000-69594 discloses the construction of an air bridge type FBAR/SBAR and a method of manufacturing the same using phospho-silicate glass (PSG) as a sacrificial layer. In this publication, a PSG layer is deposited on silicon wafer. PSG is deposited at a temperature of about 450° C. or less by using silane and P2O2 to form soft-glass-like substance containing a phosphorus content of about 8%. PSG can be deposited at a relatively low temperature, and it can be etched at a very high rate with dilute H2O:HF water solution.
It is described in this publication that variation of RMS (root mean square) of the height indicating the surface roughness of the PSG sacrificial layer is less than 0.5 μm, however, there is no description on RMS variation of an order of 0.1 μm or less. The 0.1 μm-order RMS variation is very roughly uneven at the atomic level. An FBAR/SBAR type thin film bulk acoustic resonator needs a piezoelectric material whose crystal is grown as prismatic crystal vertical to the plane of the electrode.
In JP(A)-2000-69594, it is described that a conductive sheet parallel to the surface of the PSG layer is formed, and the RMS variation of the height of the conductive sheet is less than 2 μm, however, there is no specific description on the RMS variation of an order of 0.1 μm or less. The 0.1 μm-order RMS variation is an insufficient surface roughness for the surface on which piezoelectric thin film for a thin film bulk acoustic resonator is formed. Various attempts to grow the piezoelectric thin film have been made. However, the crystal is grown in various directions due to the effect of various unevenness on the rough surface, so that the crystal quality of the piezoelectric thin film achieved is not sufficient.
There is a method of providing a proper solid acoustic mirror in place of provision of the air/crystal interface as described above. According to this method, as disclosed in JP(A)-6-295181, a large acoustic impedance comprising an acoustic Bragg reflection mirror is formed below the sandwich structure. The Bragg reflection mirror is formed by alternately stacking layers of high and low acoustic impedance materials. The thickness of each layer is fixed to one fourth of the wavelength of the resonant frequency. A sufficient number of layers enables the effective impedance at the interface between the piezoelectric element and the electrode to be still higher than the acoustic impedance of the element. Accordingly, the acoustic wave in the piezoelectric element can be confined effectively. An acoustic resonator achieved according to this method is called as solid acoustic mirror mounted resonator (SMR) because there is no cavity below the sandwich structure.
This method can avoid the problem of the first and second methods that there is formed such a film that the peripheral portion thereof is fixed and the center portion thereof is freely vibrated. However, this method has many problems. That is, since a metal layer forms a parasitic capacitor which degrades the electrical performance of the filter, it cannot be used as the layer of the Bragg reflection mirror. Therefore, selection of materials usable for the Bragg reflection mirror is restricted. The difference in acoustic impedance between layers formed of available materials is not large. Accordingly, a number of layers are needed to confine the acoustic wave. Further, in this method, stress applied to each layer must be controlled with high precision, and thus the manufacturing process is complicated.
Further, it is difficult to form a viahole penetrating a large number of layers such as the number of 10 to 14, and thus the acoustic resonators achieved according to this method are unfavorable to integration with other active elements. Further, according to-examples which have been ever reported, the acoustic resonators achieved according to this method have effective coupling coefficients still lower than those of the acoustic resonators having air bridges. As a result, the filter based on SMR has a narrower effective band width than the filter using the air bridge type acoustic resonator.
As described above, in the thin film bulk acoustic resonator, (stress/strain) energy that varies with time in response to time-varying applied electric field energy is formed in the sandwich structure. Accordingly, when the adhesion force between the substrate and the lower electrode of the sandwich structure is low, the substrate and the sandwich structure are exfoliated from each other, so that durability is lowered, that is, the lifetime of the thin film bulk acoustic resonator is shortened.
In JP(A)-2000-69594, etc., Mo is described as proper electrode material. However, there is no specific description on enhancement of adhesion force to silicon wafer, etc. serving as a substrate.
For example, JP(A)-2-309708 discloses that a lower electrode layer comprising two layers of Au/Ti or the like is used. In this case, the Ti layer exists as a layer for increasing the adhesion force between the Au layer and the substrate. That is, the Ti adhesion layer is not an indispensable electrode layer from the viewpoint of the original operation of the thin film bulk acoustic resonator. However, when no Ti adhesion layer is formed and only the Au electrode layer is solely formed, the adhesion force between the substrate and the Au electrode layer is insufficient, and occurrence of exfoliation, etc. remarkably reduces the durability of the thin film bulk acoustic resonator under operation.
In the thin film bulk acoustic resonators as described above, there exist not only required longitudinal vibration propagating in the direction vertical to the electrode surface, but also lateral vibration propagating in the direction parallel to the electrode surface. The lateral vibration contains a component that causes "spurious" in the required vibration of the thin film bulk acoustic resonator to degrade the characteristics of the resonator.
An object of the present invention is to provide FBAR/SBAR having improved performance.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance FBAR/SBAR that is excellent in electromechanical coupling coefficient, acoustic quality factor (Q-value), temperature characteristic, etc. by improving the crystal quality of piezoelectric (PZ) thin film.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance FBAR/SBAR that is excellent in electromechanical coupling coefficient, acoustic quality factor (Q-value), temperature characteristic, etc. by devising the shape of an upper electrode.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance FBAR/SBAR in which particularly spurious resonance is reduced.
Another object of the present invention is to improve durability of FBAR/SBAR and thus improve the lifetime thereof by increasing the adhesion force (bonding strength) between a lower electrode layer and a substrate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance FBAR/SBAR that is excellent in electromechanical coupling coefficient, acoustic quality factor (Q-value), etc. by increasing the adhesion force between the lower electrode layer and the substrate and enabling formation of piezoelectric thin film having excellent crystal quality and orientation on the lower electrode layer.
As the piezoelectric materials for piezoelectric thin film elements are used aluminum nitride (AlN), zinc oxide (ZnO), cadmium sulfide (CdS), lead titanate [PT] (PbTiO3), lead titanate zirconate [PZT] (Pb(Zr,Ti)O3), etc. Particularly, AlN has higher propagation speed of elastic wave, and it is suitably used as piezoelectric material of piezoelectric thin film resonator for a thin film bulk acoustic resonator or filter which operate in a high-frequency band.
FBAR achieves resonance by elastic wave propagating in the thin film, so that not only the vibration characteristic of the piezoelectric thin film, but also the vibration characteristics of the electrode layer and the base film greatly affect the resonance characteristic of FBAR. Various attempts have been hitherto made to apply the AlN thin film to FBAR. However, there have not yet achieved any thin film bulk acoustic resonator and any thin film filter which can exhibit sufficient performance in GHz band. Accordingly, there has been strongly required a piezoelectric thin film resonator, that is, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator in which the electromechanical coupling coefficient, acoustic quality factor and the temperature stability of the resonant frequency of a vibration portion containing not only the AlN thin film but also an electrode layer and a base film are improved.
Therefore, the present invention has an object to provide a piezoelectric thin film resonator, that is, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator in which the temperature stability of the resonant frequency is improved without reducing the electromechanical coupling coefficient and acoustic quality factor by taking advantage of the characteristic of the AlN thin film with high propagation velocity of elastic wave.

Method of producing thin film bulk acoustic resonator


A pressure suppression containment system includes a containment vessel surrounding a reactor pressure vessel and defining a drywell therein containing a non-condensable gas. An enclosed wetwell pool is disposed inside the containment vessel, and a gravity driven cooling system (GDCS) pool is disposed above the wetwell pool in the containment vessel. The wetwell pool includes a plenum for receiving the non-condensable gas carried with steam from the drywell following a loss-of coolant-accident (LOCA). The wetwell plenum is vented to a plenum above the GDCS pool following the LOCA for suppressing pressure rise within the containment vessel. A method of operation includes channeling steam released into the drywell following the LOCA into the wetwell pool for cooling along with the non-condensable gas carried therewith. The GDCS pool is then drained by gravity, and the wetwell plenum is vented into the GDCS plenum for channeling the non-condensable gas thereto.

A nuclear reactor plant includes a containment vessel surrounding a reactor pressure vessel and defining therewith a drywell which typically contains a non-condensable gas such as nitrogen. Disposed in the pressure vessel is a conventional nuclear reactor core submerged in water which is effective for heating the water to generate steam which is discharged from the pressure vessel for use in powering a steam turbine-generator for producing electrical power, for example.
Typically surrounding the pressure vessel within the containment vessel is an annular suppression pool or wetwell which serves various functions including being a heat sink during postulated accidents. For example, one type of accident designed for is a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in which steam from the pressure vessel leaks therefrom into the drywell. Following the LOCA, therefore, the reactor is shut down but pressurized steam and residual decay heat continue to be generated for a certain time following the shutdown. In one conventional safety system, the pressure vessel is depressurized by discharging the steam into the wetwell for cooling and condensing and for preventing unacceptably large pressure increases within the containment vessel itself. An, steam escaping into the drywell is also channeled into the wetwell through conventional horizontal vents disposed therein.
Improved nuclear reactor plants are being developed to reduce or eliminate the need for AC powered safety systems following a LOCA, for example. In one design designated a Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR), a Passive Containment Cooling System (PCCS) is provided for removing heat from the containment vessel during the LOCA. One example of a PCCS is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,385--Gluntz et al, assigned to the present assignee, wherein the wetwell, or suppression pool, is enclosed and separated rom the drywell within the containment vessel, and a Gravity Driven Cooling System (GDCS) pool is located above the wetwell within the containment vessel and is vented to the drywell. An isolation pool is disposed outside the containment vessel and above the GDCS pool and contains a heat exchanger (Passive Containment Cooling condenser, or PCC condenser) having an inlet disposed in flow communication with the drywell, and an outlet joined to a collector chamber from which a vent pipe extends into the wetwell and a condensate return conduit extends into the GDCS pool. The PCC condenser provides passive heat removal from the containment drywell following the LOCA, with steam released into the drywell flowing through the inlet into the PCC condenser wherein it is condensed. The non-condensable gas within the drywell, such as nitrogen, is carried by the steam into the PCC condenser and must be separated therefrom to provide effective operation of the PCC condenser. The collector chamber separates the non-condensable gas from the condensate, with the separated non-condensable gas being vented into the wetwell, and the condensate being channeled into the GDCS pool.
This system relies on the pressure difference between the drywell and the wetwell, and, therefore, a water trap is provided at the end of the condensate return conduit in the GDCS pool to restrict backflow of heated fluids from the containment vessel to the wetwell via the condensate return conduit which would bypass the PCC condenser.
Accordingly, this system is configured to transport the non-condensable gas from the drywell to the wetwell and then condense steam from the drywell in the PCC condenser. The non-condensable gas will remain in the enclosed wetwell until the condenser condenses steam faster than it is released from the pressure vessel. When this occurs, the PCC condenser is effective for lowering the drywell pressure below that of the wetwell which will cause conventional vacuum breakers joined to the wetwell to open, and allow the non-condensable gas stored in the wetwell to return to the drywell.
Furthermore, the non-condensable gas within the drywell is also carried directly into the wetwell by the escaping steam which is channeled through the horizontal vents. The steam is released underwater in the wetwell and condenses therein, while the non-condensable gas is buoyed upwardly through the pool water to vent into the enclosed wetwell air chamber disposed above the pool water for its retention. As the non-condensable gas accumulates in the wetwell chamber, the pressure therein correspondingly increases. Accordingly, the overall containment pressure remains relatively high after the LOCA due to the high pressure steam escaping into the drywell, and especially in the enclosed wetwell itself due to the accumulation of the non-condensable gas, which must be suitably accommodated by providing stronger, and therefore more expensive, containment walls for example.


A method for forming a field oxide film of a semiconductor device capable of minimizing the size of bird's beak and avoiding an occurrence of crystal defect at a semiconductor substrate. The methods comprises the steps of forming a first oxide film, a first polysilicon film and a nitride film, over a semiconductor substrate, and etching predetermined portions of the nitride film and the first polysilicon film to form a field oxide region, forming a first field oxide film in the field oxide region, etching the first field oxide film to form a round recess on the semiconductor substrate, and forming a second oxide film over the round recess of the semiconductor substrate, depositing a second polysilicon film over the resulting structure, and etching the second polysilicon film without using any mask to form polysilicon film spacers at side walls of the first oxide film, first polysilicon film, and nitride film forming the field oxide region, and growing a second field oxide film over the field oxide region, etching the nitride film and the first polysilicon film, etching the first oxide film and an upper portion of the second field oxide film, and smoothing the entire exposed surface of the resulting structure to form a third field oxide film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for forming a field oxide film adapted to isolate semiconductor devices formed on a wafer from one another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general semiconductor fabrication, devices having the same structure are fabricated in large quantities on a single wafer to perform a special function. For making such devices perform their function, it is necessary to isolate them from one another.
Examples of conventional methods for achieving such an isolation are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a semiconductor substrate, 2 and 7 oxide films, 3 a polysilicon film, 4 a nitride film, 5 a field oxide region, and 9 polysilicon film spacers.
One of the conventional methods will be described, in conjunction with FIG. 1.
In accordance with the illustrated conventional method, the oxide film 2 and the nitride film 4 are formed in this order over the semiconductor substrate 1. The oxide film 2 and the nitride film 4 are selectively etched to form the field oxide region 5 in which a field oxide film will be formed. For minimizing the size of bird's beak, the polysilicon film spacers 9 are formed on facing side walls of the oxide film 2 and nitride film 4 defining the field oxide region 5, respectively. The polysilicon film spacers serve as a field oxide film for providing a device isolation.
In this method, however, a crystal defect may occur at the semiconductor substrate 1 due to a stress caused by the polysilicon film spacers 9 which are in direct contact with the semiconductor substrate 1. Furthermore, there is a limitation on a reduction in bird's beak size because the field oxide film is produced by a local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) process.
Another conventional method illustrated in FIG. 2 is adapted to reduce the length of a bird's beak portion of the field oxide film and increase a volume rate of the field oxide film disposed beneath the surface of the semiconductor substrate. This method will be described, in conjunction with FIG. 2.
Over the semiconductor substrate 1, the oxide film 2 for pads and the nitride film 4 are formed in this order. The oxide film 2 and the nitride film 4 are then selectively etched to form the field oxide region 5 through which the semiconductor substrate 1 is partially exposed. A trench having a small depth is formed at the exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate 1. A polysilicon film 3 is then formed over the exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate 1. The resulting structure is then subjected to the same process steps as the method illustrated in FIG. 1.
However, this method also has the problem of crystal defect occurred at the semiconductor substrate because the trench is formed at the semiconductor substrate.

Method for forming a field oxide film of a semiconductor device

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


A programmable clock generator circuit receives control signals and a global clock and generates a pulsed data clock and a scan clock in response to gating signals. The clock generator has data clock and scan clock feed-forward paths and a single feedback path. Delay control signals program delay elements in the feedback path and logic gates reshape and generate a feedback clock signal. The global clock and the feedback clock signal are combined to generates a pulsed local clock signal. A scan clock feed-forward circuit receives the local clock and generates the scan clock. A data clock feed-forward circuit receives the local clock and generates the data clock with a logic controlled delay relative to the local clock signal. The feedback clock is generated with controlled delay thereby modifying the pulse width of the data and scan clocks independent of the controlled delay of the data clock feed-forward path.

Master-slave latches are employed commonly in integrated circuit design. In a master-slave latch, a master latch latches data in response to a first clock signal, and a slave latch coupled to the master latch latches data (latched by the master latch) in response to a second clock signal. Typically the first and second clock signals are approximately complimentary (e.g., 180 degrees out of phase).
While a pulsed mode of operation reduces power consumption, such a mode of operation is susceptible to a number of problems. If the pulse employed to latch data into the slave latch is too wide, the master-slave latch may be susceptible to early mode problems such as race through (e.g., as both master and slave latches are active simultaneously for the duration of the slave latching pulse). Likewise, if the pulse employed to latch data into the slave latch is too narrow, data may not be reliably latched by the slave latch. Accordingly, designing and implementing a pulsed mode of operation for a master-slave latch is difficult, and often requires multiple design and test iterations.
Many complex digital logic circuits, including processors, employ a technique called "pipelining" to perform more operations per unit of time (i.e., to increase throughput). Pipelining involves dividing a process into sequential steps, and performing the steps sequentially in independent stages. For example, if a process can be performed via n sequential steps, a pipeline to perform the process may include n separate stages, each performing a different step of the process. Since all N stages can operate concurrently, the pipelined process can potentially operate at N times the rate of the non-pipelined process.
Hardware pipelining involves partitioning a sequential process into stages, and adding storage elements (i.e., groups of latches or flip-flops, commonly called registers) between stages to hold intermediate results. In a typical hardware pipeline, combinational logic within each stage performs logic functions upon input signals received from a previous stage, and the storage elements positioned between the combinational logic of each stage are responsive to one or more synchronizing clock signals. The one or more clock signals control the movement of data within the pipeline.
Within an integrated circuit, a single global clock signal often provides a timing reference for the movement of data. Various circuits have been used to distribute a global clock signal across a surface of an integrated circuit and local clock buffers located at different points on the surface are used to generate local clock signals derived from the global clock signal.
A global clock distribution system is used to distribute a global clock signal across a surface of the integrated circuit. In one prior art example, a first local clock buffer and a second local clock buffer are located at different points on the surface of the IC and receive the global clock signal and generates exemplary first and second local clock signals, "CLK_A" and "CLK_B" respectively.
In general, the local clock signals CLK_A and CLK_B may be used to synchronize the operations of various logic structures (e.g., gates, latches, registers, and the like) of logic circuitry of the integrated circuit. The local clock signals CLK_A and CLK_B may be two different "phases" of a two-phase clocking scheme. As is common, the two-phase clocking scheme may be used to control the operations of master-slave latch pairs positioned between the combinational logic of pipeline stages. Such master-slave latch pairs form flip-flops. One of the local clock signals CLK_A and CLK_B may be provided to control inputs of the master latches of the flip-flops, and the other one of the local clock signals CLK_A and CLK_B may be provided to control inputs of the slave latches of the flip-flops. The local clock buffers may also use the global clock signal to generate a local clock signal to generate additional versions of CLK_A and CLK_B. The internal structures of the local clock buffers may differ leading to timing delays between the local clocks. Generating additional versions of the local clocks may lead to skews which adds to the timing problems.
As the local clock signals CLK_A and CLK_B are used to synchronize the operations of logic structures, the skews of the local clock signals CLK_A and CLK_B may result in timing problems that cause the logic circuitry of the integrated circuit to produce incorrect values. For example the local clock signal CLK_A may be provided to control inputs of master latches of flip-flops separating the combinational logic of pipeline stages, and the local clock signal CLK_B may be provided to control inputs of slave latches of the flip-flops. The skews of the local clock signals CLK_A and CLK_B may reduce an amount of time a signal derived from an output of a first flip-flop positioned at a beginning of a pipeline stage has to propagate through the combinational logic of the stage and reach a second flip-flop positioned at an end of the pipeline stage. If a cycle time (i.e., period) of the global clock signal is not made long enough, the signal may not reach the second flip-flop before the master latch "captures" the value of the signal at the input, and the flip-flop may capture an incorrect value of the signal. As a result, the logic circuitry of the integrated circuit may produce one or more incorrect values.
Therefore, there is a need for programmable circuitry to reduce or compensate for the skew in local clocks as well as generating a programmable pulse clock whose pulse width may be used to optimize local clock timing.

International Business Machines Corporation


A histogram-equalization method and circuit for enhancing an image signal represented by a predetermined number of gray levels is presented. The method calculates a cumulative density function and a mean level in a unit of a picture, and maps an input sample into a new gray level according to a transform function which is defined by use of the cumulative density function and the mean level. The method may also include a step of obtaining a compensated mean level by adding to the mean brightness level, so that the input sample is mapped into the compensated mean level according to the mean level. Thus, a brightness compensation may be carried out along with the contrast enhancement of the image.

A histogram of gray levels provides an overall description of the appearance of an image. Properly adjusted gray levels for a given image can enhance the appearance or contrast thereof.
Among the many methods for contrast enhancement, the most widely known one is histogram equalization, in which the contrast of a given image is enhanced according to the sample distribution thereof. The method is disclosed in the following documents: 1! J. S. Lim, "Two-dimensional Signal and Image Processing," Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1990, and 2! R. C. Gonzalez and P. Wints, "Digital Image Processing," Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1977.
Also, useful applications of the histogram equalization method, including medical image processing and radar image processing, are disclosed in the following documents: 3! J. Zimmerman, S. Pizer, E. Staab, E. Perry, W. McCartney and B. Brenton, "Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Adaptive Histogram Equalization for Contrast Enhancement," IEEE Tr. on Medical Imaging, pp. 304-312, December 1988, and 4! Y. Li, W. Wang and D. Y. Yu, "Application of Adaptive Histogram Equalization to X-ray Chest Image," Proc. of the SPIE, pp. 513-514, vol. 2321, 1994.
In general, since histogram equalization causes the dynamic range of an image to be expanded, the density distribution of the resultant image is made flat and the contrast of the image is enhanced as a consequence thereof.
This widely-known characteristic of histogram equalization is disadvantageous in some cases. That is, as the output density of the histogram equalization becomes uniform, the mean brightness of an output image approaches the middle gray level value. Actually, for the histogram equalization of an analog image, the mean brightness of the output image is exactly the middle gray level regardless of the mean brightness of the input image. It is obvious that this feature is not desirable in some real applications. For instance, an image taken at nighttime can appear to be an image taken in the daytime after histogram equalization has been performed. Meanwhile, too dark or too bright image signals result in a low contrast after the equalization.

Image enhancing method using mean-matching histogram equalization and a circuit therefor


A thermoelectric material includes a composition represented by the following formula (A):(Tia1Zrb1Hfc1)xNiySn100-x-y  (A)where 0<a1<1, 0<b1<1, 0<c1<1, a1+b1+c1=1, 30≦x≦35, and 30≦y≦35. The composition includes at least two MgAgAs crystal phases different in a lattice constant, and, assuming that X-ray diffraction peak intensity from a (422) diffraction plane of a first MgAgAs crystal phase having a smallest lattice constant and X-ray diffraction peak intensity from a (422) diffraction plane of a second MgAgAs crystal phase having a largest lattice constant be I1 and I2, respectively, a value of I1/(I1+I2) is in a range of 0.2 to 0.8.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermoelectric material and a thermoelectric device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, from increasing concerns to global environmental problems, thermoelectric cooling devices making use of the Peltier effect are highly interested as CFC-free coolers. In addition, in order to reduce carbon dioxide emission, thermoelectric generating devices making use of the Seebeck effect that can provide power generators using unused waste heat energy are highly interested.
Conventionally, typical thermoelectric materials used in room temperature include Bi—Te-based single crystal and polycrystal materials for their high efficiency. When a thermoelectric device is fabricated using both of p-type and n-type Bi—Te-based thermoelectric materials, Bi—Te added with Se is generally used as the n-type Bi—Te. On the other hand, typical thermoelectric materials used at temperatures higher than room temperature include Pb—Te-based materials for their high efficiency. Elements such as Se (selenium), Pb (lead) and Te (tellurium) used in the Bi—Te-base or Pb—Te-based thermoelectric devices are toxic and harmful to human bodies and further undesirable to the global environmental problems. Accordingly, harmless thermoelectric materials have been studied in place of the Bi—Te-based and Pb—Te-based thermoelectric materials.
A figure of merit Z of a thermoelectric material is represented by the following equation (1):Z=α2/(ρκ)  (1)where, α denotes a Seebeck coefficient of the thermoelectric material, ρ denotes an electrical resistivity of the thermoelectric material and κ denotes a thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric material. The figure of merit Z has a dimension of an inverse of temperature, and thus the product of Z and an absolute temperature T has a dimensionless value. The ZT value is referred to as a dimensionless figure of merit. A thermoelectric material having a higher ZT value has higher thermoelectric conversion efficiency. As will be seen from the equation (1), the thermoelectric material is required to have higher Seebeck coefficient, lower electrical resistivity and lower thermal conductivity.
As one of thermoelectric materials in which the toxic materials such as described above are not contained or reduced as far as possible, half-Heusler compounds having a MgAgAs crystal phase are known (see, for example, Proc. of 18th International Conference on Thermoelectrics (1999), p. 344). Conventional half-Heusler compounds have not exhibited sufficient ZT values, however, and therefore an improvement in the ZT value is demanded.

Thermoelectric material and thermoelectric device


A precursor for forming an aluminum oxide film comprises a liquid solution of an aluminum organic precursor compound in an organic solvent. In a second embodiment, the precursor comprises a suspension of aluminum oxide powder in a solution of an aluminum organic precursor compound. A precursor according to the invention is deposited on a substrate by dipping, rolling, spraying, misted deposition, spin on deposition, or chemical vapor deposition then heated to fabricate transparent aluminum oxide films. The electronic properties of the aluminum oxide films may be improved by depositing a plurality of layers of the precursor and annealing the precursor between layers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to aluminum oxide layers in integrated circuits, fluorescent lamps, flat panel displays, and other electronic and electrooptical devices, and more particularly to nonaqueous organic precursors for making such aluminum oxides and methods for making such precursors and aluminum oxide layers.
2. Statement of the Problem
A fluorescent lamp typically comprises a cylindrical glass tube, or envelope, containing a fill gas of mercury vapor and a phosphor layer covering the inside of the tube wall. Often, a transparent conductive layer is located between the inner surface of the glass tube wall and the phosphor layer. A protective layer of aluminum oxide, often called alumina, is located between the conductive oxide layer and the phosphor layer to inhibit or delay discoloration and other appearance defects in the phosphor layer and the conductive oxide layer. A conventional technique of the art of forming transparent aluminum oxide layers in fluorescent lamps involves: dispersing a solid powder of aluminum oxide in a liquid medium to make a colloidal suspension of the oxide; applying a coating of the suspension onto a surface of the lamp; and drying the coating to form the aluminum oxide layer. Generally, it is difficult to achieve a uniform, continuous thin film by applying a colloidal suspension of powdered particles. Another technique involves dissolving a metal alkyl precursor compound in a solvent and spraying the precursor solution onto a hot surface having a temperature above the crystallization temperature of aluminum oxide, whereby the precursor compound is immediately pyrolyzed. It is generally difficult to form a uniform, continuous aluminum oxide thin film by the conventional pyrolysis method of the prior art because pyrolysis of the sprayed precursor compound on the hot substrate results in a broken, uneven surface on the microscopic level.
Transparent thick films of metal oxide are used as dielectric layers and buffer layers in flat panel displays. Using conventional techniques, it is difficult to achieve thick film layers having uniform thickness. In order to form a thick film layer that sufficiently adheres to the underlying substrate, it is necessary to form a coating from metal oxide powder and then heat the coating above the sintering temperature of the metal oxide. High process temperatures are usually incompatible with other materials commonly used in flat panel displays.
Thin films of aluminum oxide are formed in integrated circuits for use as protective xe2x80x9ccapxe2x80x9d layers, diffusion barrier layers, and dielectric insulators. An aluminum oxide capping layer formed on an underlying metal layer, such as aluminum or gold, protects the metal layer against xe2x80x9cnotchesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cmouse bitesxe2x80x9d, which are caused during etching of the wafer during typical fabrication steps. Aluminum oxide also functions well as a diffusion barrier against high-performance metals, such as copper, gold, and silver, which can be used as metallization layers and local interconnects in integrated circuits. Aluminum oxide may be deposited on integrated circuit substrates to function as insulating layers and to fill insulator gaps and recesses. Very thin films of aluminum oxide function well as insulators and diffusion barriers. Thin films in the range of from 5 nm to 300 nm are typically desired in integrated circuits. Aluminum oxide adheres well to common semiconductor substrates, such as silicon and silicon oxide. Often a layer of aluminum is deposited, which is then oxidized by thermal oxidation. Anodization of aluminum using electrolytic solutions is also used in conventional processes. Aluminum oxide in integrated circuits is also commonly formed using sputtering and evaporation techniques. These conventional processes are complex and do not reliably produce structurally and chemically uniform aluminum oxide films.
For the above reasons, it would be very desirable to have a method of forming aluminum oxide that provides uniform thin and thick films without defects and with good electronic properties, and which lends itself to a commercial manufacturing environment.
The present invention provides a method of forming an aluminum oxide thin or thick film utilizing a liquid precursor containing aluminum. The invention further provides novel nonaqueous organic precursors for forming aluminum oxide films, and methods of making such precursors. The invention may be used for forming aluminum oxide layers in an integrated circuit, a fluorescent lamp, a flat panel display or other electronic or electrooptical device.
One embodiment of the invention is a nonaqueous organic precursor comprising an aluminum organic liquid precursor solution (xe2x80x9cprecursor solutionxe2x80x9d) for forming an aluminum oxide thin film layer. In this embodiment, the liquid precursor is a solution in which one or more aluminum organic precursor compounds are dissolved in one or more organic solvents. A liquid precursor solution of the invention is usually applied to a substrate surface using a liquid source deposition technique. The liquid precursor solution contains one or more aluminum organic precursor compounds that lead to formation of the desired aluminum oxide layer upon reaction and crystallization on the substrate surface. The precursor is applied to the substrate surface and treated, usually by one or more heating techniques. As a result, the organic precursor compound or compounds react to form a solid layer having the desired composition on the substrate surface.
A second embodiment of the invention is a nonaqueous organic precursor containing a suspension of aluminum oxide (xe2x80x9cprecursor suspensionxe2x80x9d) for forming an aluminum oxide thick film layer. In this embodiment, the precursor suspension comprises both a suspension of aluminum oxide powder and an aluminum organic precursor solution. The aluminum oxide powder is suspended in an organic liquid medium. The aluminum organic solution includes one or more aluminum organic precursor compounds dissolved in one or more organic solvents. The organic liquid medium of the precursor suspension is selected to be identical with or soluble in the organic solvent of the aluminum organic solution. The aluminum oxide powder, the aluminum organic precursor solution, and the organic liquid are mixed to form an inventive precursor suspension. The resulting slurry of the precursor suspension provides a chemically stable, long-lived suspension suitable for depositing a coating on a substrate by screen printing or other thick film deposition methods. The aluminum organic precursor compound or compounds dissolved in the organic liquid medium of the precursor suspension are dispersed throughout the coating. The deposited coating is heated at relatively low temperatures, less than the sintering temperature of aluminum oxide. Thermal decomposition and reaction of the aluminum organic precursor compounds that permeate the aluminum oxide powder in the slurry coating result in formation of a homogeneous aluminum oxide solid thick film and interconnected uniformly homogeneous aluminum oxide solid thick film. The presence of organic compounds in the deposited coating that react to form aluminum oxide upon treating promotes necking which facilitates the low temperature formation of a continuous and highly cohesive phase of the solid. Without such necking, a continuous cohesive solid can be formed only by approaching or reaching the melting point of the solid. In addition, utilizing the prior art methods that start with a powder, significant voids remain in the solid even after sintering. The reaction of the organic compounds, on the other hand, results in a lesser number of voids, and, in fact, tends to fill any voids present, resulting in better breakdown strength as well as enhanced electrical and other physical properties. The necking also assists in adhering the aluminum oxide material to the underlying substrate.
A layer of aluminum oxide, in particular a thick film of aluminum oxide, is useful as a buffer layer in flat panel displays. A layer of aluminum oxide has a lower leakage current and a higher breakdown voltage than lead oxide having the same layer thickness. Thus, both thin film layers and thick film layers containing aluminum oxide are useful in flat panel displays, serving as insulators or protective coatings in the display. An inventive precursor suspension is especially useful for forming a thick film containing aluminum oxide because the aluminum organic precursor compounds in solution permeating the coating give rise to a homogeneous material and good adhesive xe2x80x9cneckingxe2x80x9d to the substrate.
In the fabrication of an aluminum oxide layer, a substrate, such as a lamp envelope, may be dipped or rolled in liquid precursor to form a liquid coating of precursor, which is then treated; the liquid precursor solution may also be applied using a liquid spraying method, which is typically used in the fluorescent lamp art. In the fabrication of aluminum oxide thin film layers in integrated circuits, flat panel displays, fluorescent lamps and other electrooptical devices, an inventive liquid precursor solution may be applied by a liquid misted deposition method, in which a very fine mist of liquid particles is formed in a carrier gas and deposited on the substrate surface.
According to the invention, the liquid precursor solution or a precursor suspension is applied to the substrate surface, and then a solid metal oxide is formed in heating steps subsequent to the precursor application step. Electrical properties of an aluminum oxide film can be improved by adjusting the temperature and the duration of the heating steps.
Precursors according to the invention can be manufactured reliably. Their composition can be easily controlled and varied, if necessary. They are chemically stable, so they can be prepared in advance and stored safely for relatively long periods, up to six months. They are relatively nontoxic and nonvolatile, compared to precursors of the prior art. Metal oxide thin film layers formed using liquid precursors of the invention have smooth, continuous and uniform surfaces, especially compared to oxide layers of the prior art. They can be reliably fabricated to have thicknesses in the range of 5 nm to 1000 nm, maintaining important characteristics such as transparency and desired electrical properties.
Numerous other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Liquid precursors for aluminum oxide and method making same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Interworking in a multi-protocol revision based Evolution Data Only/Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) communication system is described. In this scheme, an access terminal (AT) and an access network (AN) perform session configuration in multi-protocol scenarios. The AT maintains a set indicating all the protocol revisions it supports. The AT and AN start their session negotiation with the subtypes corresponding to the highest protocol revision supported by AT and AN. There are two scenarios in which AT sends the Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI) request message with protocol revisions: power up and idle handoff.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to the field of mobile communication technology. The invention relates to Evolution Data Only/Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) and its evolved communication systems having multiple protocol revisions. It describes a system and method for efficiently operating in a system in which the access terminal is moving across access networks supporting different protocol revisions. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for inter-working in a multi protocol revision based EVDO communication systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following terms are used throughout this application as follows:
Access Network: The network equipment which provides data connectivity between a packet switched data network (typically the Internet) and access terminals.
Access Terminal: A device providing data connectivity to a user. An access terminal may be connected to a computing device such as a laptop personal computer or it may be a self-contained data device such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). An access terminal is equivalent to a mobile station.
EV-DO: CDMA2000 1× evolution-Data Optimized system.
MAC: Medium Access Control Protocol
The EVDO communication system consists of several protocols and applications, which define the procedures to be followed by the Access Network (AN) and the Access Terminal (AT) to communicate with each other. Each protocol/application has several subtypes. A subtype of a protocol/application defines a distinct procedure to be used for the operation of that protocol/application. Each subtype of a protocol/application contains several configurable attributes, which govern its operation. The EVDO communication system provides procedure to negotiate and configure the protocol/application subtypes and their corresponding attributes between the AT and AN. Configuration Request and Configuration Response messages are exchanged between AT and AN to negotiate protocol/application subtypes and their corresponding attributes.
The set of negotiated and configured protocol/application subtypes and the corresponding attributes constitutes an EVDO session. In other words, an EVDO session refers to a shared state between the AT and the AN. This shared state stores the protocols/applications and the protocol/application configurations that were negotiated and are used for communications between the AT and the AN. Session Configuration Protocol (SCP) defines the procedure to negotiate and configure multiple EVDO sessions. These multiple EVDO sessions negotiated and configured by SCP are also referred to as multiple personalities. Each personality configured is identified by a personality index. At a given point of time only one personality will be in use between the AT and AN. The personality index in use is stored in a Session Configuration Token (SCT).
Each protocol/application can have two instances, InConfiguration and InUse instances. An InUse instance is the working instance of a protocol/application. At power-up, an EVDO session constitutes default set of Protocol and Application subtypes and also default values for attributes of these Protocols and Application subtypes. An InConfiguration instance of each protocol/application is created by the SCP when the session negotiation is initiated. Once the session negotiation is complete, the configured values of the InConfiguration instances are stored by the AT and AN at a given personality index. After configuring the multiple sessions, the AN informs the AT about the session to be used using a configuration complete or soft configuration complete message (personality index corresponding to the session to be used is encoded in session configuration token which is sent in configuration complete or soft configuration complete message).
Session configuration can be initiated by the AT or AN.
A protocol revision defines a default set of protocol/application subtypes, which are used by the AT until the session configuration. In the current EVDO system, only one default set of protocol/application subtype exists. At Power Up, the AT creates InUse Instances corresponding to this default set of protocol subtypes. AT's InUse instances are changed from the default to non-default subtypes only by session negotiation.
In the current EVDO communication system only one default set of protocol/application subtypes exists. At power up the access terminal creates InUse instances corresponding to the default set of protocol/application subtypes. AT's InUse instances can be changed from default to non-default subtypes only by session negotiation.
In a multi-protocol revisions system, there is a need to have multiple default sets of protocols. So that the new deployments can directly operate on a system specific to a protocol revision without having to support all previous revisions of the system. Even AT's can be implemented only for some protocol revisions.
In the current system there are no defined procedures for interworking in a system in which the AT is moving across the ANs supporting different protocol revisions of the system.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for techniques or mechanisms which will allow the AT and AN to operate efficiently in a multi protocol revision system.

System and method for inter-working in a multi protocol revision based evolution data only/evolution data optimized (EVDO) communication systems


A shovel device having a base region and a transverse blade, the transverse blade having a longitudinally positioned forward blade edge that is operatively configured to cut the earth and trim a portion thereof. The shovel device is adapted to create an edge portion and further has a rearward wall so as to more easily allow the repositioning of removed earth from the edge region.

The disclosure relates to shovels and edging devices for molding the edge between walking surfaces, and landscaped surfaces such as lawns, graveled areas, beauty bark, and other similar areas. Shovels have been in use for much of recorded history, demonstrated by patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,690,944 which discloses a shovel-like mechanism with a very broad flat main blade having a front cutting edge, a handle and a side blade. This patent includes a side blade of less width than the main blade. Furthermore, piece connecting the handle to the flat blade is very narrow.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,801 discloses and claims a sidewalk edger for cutting a shallow groove and vertical trench in the turf along the edge of a sidewalk. U.S. Pat. No. 1,891,066 claims a lawn trimmer handheld device configured to require that the user's body be near the ground, with a handle that is relatively short in comparison to the height of an individual. While the patent discloses very broadly a lawn trimmer including a flat blade handle and a grass-trimming side member, the patent relates to a blade and arm being cut from a single blank sheet folded into the correct orientation. Furthermore, the material being trimmed is delivered rearwardly through the trough-like guide, and a second step must be taken to remove the trimmings from the edge of the lawn. Furthermore, the cutting edge of the '066 patent includes the cutting heel protruding perpendicular below or beneath the lowermost portion of the guide to assure severance of flattened grass.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,009 includes a horizontal plate, a forward cutting edge, a second plate vertically perpendicular to the horizontal plate, and a fourth plate adjacent to the rear of the edger. This patent also includes an extension of the vertical member below the horizontal member and the rear plate being angled to directly cut material away from the vertical member. For example, on a raised edge being cut adjacent to concrete, the cut material would be projected onto the concrete, such as a sidewalk. Furthermore, the '009 patent discloses a third plate lying lateral to the horizontal plate being disposed of at an oblique angle to said vertical plate, the lateral plate having a lower edge connected to and having a forward cutting edge and a rearward edge. The intermediate plate is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the lateral plate. This relationship of plates creates a trench alongside the shovel as it is being used. U.S. Pat. No. 913,790 is designed to cut a channel of a consistent width and depth, and involves scraping a horizontal area adjacent to a walkway or path. Furthermore, the '790 patent shows a three-sided cutter formed of sheet metal.
The U.S. Pat. No. 1,082,570 is designed to cut a groove or trench in the sod and trim the edge of a lawn. Furthermore, the '570 patent discloses a single piece of steel being dented and formed to a plurality of digging surfaces attached to an extended handle. The U.S. Pat. No. 1,329,176 teaches a flat shovel blade and a handle, with one side of the flat shovel blade being bent upwardly. This patent includes a concave notch portion of the side cutting edge of the lawn edge patent.
The U.S. Pat. No. 1,546,463 discloses a lawn trimmer including a side wall, a bottom cutting portion and a handle. This patent teaches a projection to be used as a knife in some instances, the parts of the patent being created from a bent sheet of sheet metal, in addition to an incline wing on the patent and corresponding flange. The patent is configured to create a trench adjacent to a walkway.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 1,552,517 is very similar to the previous reference; however, it includes the addition of a tray for receiving material cut with a tool to the end of the device. Furthermore, the patent includes a shoe or bent portion configured to ride along a surface adjacent to the lawn to be trimmed and a blade configured to create a trench between the sod and the sidewalk, roadway, or surface to be trimmed.


A recording medium drive unit includes an insertion opening through which a recording medium is inserted, a holder receiving the recording medium inserted through the insertion opening, a connector, a holder drive part moving the holder to a loading position so that the recording medium is connected to the connector, and a clamp mechanism pressing opposing sides of the recording medium when the recording medium is inserted into the holder. The clamp mechanism is provided to a side of the holder so as to be slidable thereon, and holds the recording medium by the opposing sides thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to recording medium drive units, and more particularly to a recording medium drive unit configured to automatically draw a recording medium inside when the recording medium is inserted through an insertion opening in a front panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been provided a recording medium drive unit housed in an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer so that a recording medium can be inserted into and extracted from the recording medium drive unit. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-236751 discloses such a recording medium drive unit.
This type of recording medium drive unit facilitates data management or data movement by selectively causing a recording medium on which data is recorded to be inserted into or extracted from the recording medium drive unit.
On the other hand, the recording medium is formed of a cartridge of a predetermined size and shape containing a recording medium such as a magnetic disk. A recording method and storage capacity are also standardized. It has been studied to increase storage capacity by, for instance, increasing the diameter of a magnetic disk by enlarging the outside shape of the recording medium.
In this case, in order to ensure compatibility with an already employed recording medium, it has been studied to increase the depth of the recording medium while making the width and a connector common to both recording media.
In the case of configuring the recording medium drive unit so that recording media of different sizes are loadable thereinto, it is desired that the drive unit allow smooth loading of any type of recording medium irrespective of the difference in size between recording media.
Further, in the case of connecting a recording medium inserted into the drive unit to the internal connector thereof, it is desired that the connection be made smoothly. In this case, it is also desired that a holder be driven to stop at an ejection position so that a recording medium of a great depth is prevented from falling off the holder and the rear end of a recording medium of a small depth is ejected to a position where the recording medium is extractable through an insertion opening.


In order to simplify the installation of an angle-of-rotation sensor and to prevent destruction or function impairment caused by temperature variations, a stamped lead assembly (25) is at least partially embedded into a shaped holding bracket (24) forming a holder unit (23) which holds a stator unit (2), a sensor element (4, 5) and an output unit (26, 51). An expansion unit (30) is positioned on the lead lines of the stamped lead assembly (25) and at least partially positioned in the shaped holding bracket (24). The expansion unit (30) consists of lead lines exposed through a window of the shaped holding bracket (24). The window is limited by at least one shaped holder strip. At least one expansion notch is incorporated into the lead lines.

The present invention relates to an angle-of-rotation sensor that includes at least the following elements:
(1) a rotor unit positioned on shaft for rotation about an axis;
(2) a stator unit disposed on the rotational axis and having at least one sensor element which creates a signal that corresponds to the rotational position of the rotor unit with respect to the stator unit;
(3) a stamped lead assembly at least partially imbedded in insulating material comprising at least one lead line by means of which the signal is passed to an output unit; and
(4) at least one circuit component connected to the lead assembly.
A device of this type is known from EP-A-1 054 237 which corresponds to DE-U-20 002 719, DE-U-20 003512 and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/702,342 and 09/788,630.
Two Hall sensors are arranged in a gap recess between stator elements of the stator unit. The rotor unit with a magnet is free to move within an air gap with respect to the stator unit. The stator and rotor units are at least partially surrounded by a housing body. The housing body includes a plug unit with plug contacts. The Hall sensors are connected to the plug contacts of the plug unit via a stamped lead assembly (lead frame). Components are mounted on the lead frame, which consists of several lead lines. When the housing body is formed, the lead frame and the components are at least partially incorporated into the housing parts consisting of plastic.
Installation of the individual parts of the angle-of-rotation sensor has turned out to be difficult. Also, the stamped lead assembly and the parts of the housing in which the lead assembly is embedded possess different coefficients of expansion. When such a device is installed in the engine compartment of an automobile, the Hall sensors may be displaced because of the prevailing temperatures of from minus 40xc2x0 C. to 140xc2x0 C., with results ranging from measurement inaccuracy and materials expansion problems to cracking of the stamped lead assembly and/or the housing body.
An angle-of-rotation sensor is also known from the International Patent Publication No. WO-A-9 514 911. It consists of a stationary part and a rotating part. The stationary part comprises two half-moon-shaped stator elements between which a gap is located. A Hall sensor is located in the gap. The rotating part includes a ring-shaped magnet that is held in place by a bracket and is free to move around the stator elements within the gap.
This angle-of-rotation sensor has proven itself, but its installation is relatively expensive.
The principal object of the invention is therefore to develop an angle-of-rotation sensor of the above-mentioned type to the extent that its installation is simplified, and that the temperature variations may be managed without device destruction.or function impairment.
This object is achieved by the invention wherein the stamped lead assembly is at least partially embedded in a shaped holding bracket by means of which, forming a holder unit, the stator unit is held together with the sensor element and the output unit, and wherein an expansion unit is positioned at least within the lead lines of the stamped lead assembly and at least partially in the shaped holding bracket.
The advantages realized by the invention result primarily from the fact that the expansion unit positioned in the bracket between the stator elements and the output unit allows compensation for the variations in expansion between the lead lines made of metal and the holding bracket made of plastic. A further advantage is the fact that the sensor element is already combined with the output unit and that the stator unit is combined with the sensor element and the output unit as an assembled piece by the holding unit. This allows reduction of installation costs during assembly of the position sensor device. Also, the main parts of the position sensor device are pre-adjusted, and require no further adjustment after installation.
At least one electronic component may be embedded into the shaped holding bracket. The stator unit may be held together by the shaped holding bracket with the sensor element and the output unit as described above.
The shaped holding bracket, as mentioned above, may be manufactured from insulating material. It is also possible to manufacture the shaped holding bracket of metal, whereby the stamped lead assembly is insulated by the insulation within the metal holding bracket.
Each sensor element may include at least one connection element that is connected with the lead lines of the stamped lead assembly. At least one additional component may be connected to at least one connection element. Production costs may be reduced by positioning components directly onto the connection elements of the sensor elements. The electronic components may be checked before installation by the sensor elements. If the components or the sensor element itself is defective, only one part of the position sensor device need be replaced.
At least one conductor expansion notch may be included in the connection element. The manner of installation of line conductor expansion notches depends, of course, on the design of the connection line elements. Additional components may be soldered to two adjacent connection line elements. This allows the use of inexpensive connection equipment.
The components and additional components may be arranged parallel or offset to one another on the lead lines and on the connection line elements. The electronic components and additional components may be separate or mounted on a printed circuit board. The manner of arrangement of components and/or printed circuit boards with one or more components depends on the particular requirements or possibilities.
The expansion unit may take various forms.
A first embodiment of an expansion unit includes an expansion arch arranged within the stamped lead assembly and a shaped holding bracket expansion arch in the shaped holding bracket compatible with it. An expansion arch used here, as known from tubing construction, is completely included into the holding bracket. This expansion arch may be semi-circular, U-shaped, xcexa9-shaped, or similar. Such an expansion arch compensates for all length alterations of the stamped leads and the shaped holding bracket of the holder unit surrounding it. It is distinguished by its simplicity and by a high resistance to external influences such as dirt and moisture.
A second embodiment of an expansion unit is shaped more suitably. For it, a lead window is included in the shaped holding bracket that exposes the individual leads in this area. The lead window may be limited by at least one shaped holding strap. The expansion notches in the leads accept material shrinkage or expansion. In the area of the expansion notches, the leads may deform laterally or upwards during material expansion. During shrinkage processes, on the other hand, the material of the leads is stretched in the area of the lead recesses. Plastic is more flexible than metal in elongation or compression. That is why the straight shaped holding strap of the grid window can accept slight elongations or separations.
So that the material alterations need not be compensated only by materials properties, the shaped holding bracket or the exposed lead lines may be more expansion-intensive. A shaped expansion arch may be used here. The shaped expansion arch easily compensates for all materials alterations that may result from the broad range of temperatures between minus 40xc2x0 C. and 140xc2x0 C. occurring in the engine compartment of an automobile.
For a third embodiment of an expansion unit, two expansion units of the second type are arranged one after the other.
The expansion arcs may be bent either upwards or downwards in the second and the third expansion unit with respect to the lead lines of the lead assembly that run straight through them.
A stepped expansion piece may be positioned between the first and the second lead window of the third expansion unit. This allows the third expansion unit to act, in part, as a fourth expansion unit.
The stator unit may comprise two stator elements that are arranged together by means of at least one separation recess. At least one Hall sensor may be arranged in one of the separation recesses as a sensor element. The rotor unit may consist of at least one magnet segment that is positioned on the shaft. The shaped holding bracket may be so positioned within a housing body so that it is perpendicular to the rotor axis, that the stator segments are arranged facing the magnet across an air gap, and so that the output unit is properly arranged within the housing. Thus, the position sensor device is installed using only a few hand motions. The entire installation is thus reduced to a few hand motions because the main parts are already properly installed and positioned. The output unit may consist of a plug unit and a drive unit. The plug unit may be properly positioned within a plug recess in the housing body. The drive unit may be properly installed by placing it in a drive housing of the housing body.
The connection line elements may be at least partially bent along a curved line. Two Hall sensors are provided. These Hall sensors are bent at about a 90xc2x0 angle from the curved line so that they may be positioned properly and accurately in the gap recesses between the two stator elements. The various embodiment options of the expansion unit ensure that the two Hall-sensors always remain in the proper position in the gap recesses. Thus, accurate measurement value determination of the rotation of the rotor unit with respect to the stator unit is possible.


A papermaking fabric with increased stability is provided, due to the use of beam construction yarns which resist lateral, vertical and torsional deflection as well as compression when interwoven. The yarns are generally non-circular in cross-section and are preferably I-beam, H-beam, box-beam or a hybrid construction. Each type has certain advantages, with the hybrid construction being capable of multiple combined advantages.

The present invention is directed to papermaking fabrics having shaped yarns, and more particularly to papermaking fabrics made with structural yarns shaped for enhanced lateral, vertical and torsional stability.
Papermaking fabrics are subjected to harsh environments through every stage of the papermaking process. Forming fabrics are exposed to high moisture and caustic chemicals in the forming section as the paper web is formed on the fabric surface. Press fabrics are also exposed to high moisture and high contact pressure in the nip between press rolls in the press section where the paper web is de-watered. Dryer fabrics are subject to both high heat and humidity in the dryer section as the paper web is dried to form the final paper product. All of these papermaking fabrics must maintain dimensional and structural stability throughout the fabric life in order to support the paper web. Movement through the various machine rolls causes a great potential for lateral (Y), vertical (Z) or torsional (rotation) displacement of circular yams typically used in papermaking fabrics.
Traditionally, papermaking fabrics were woven with yarns having circular cross-sections. Their uniform shape negated worries about rotational distortion-except for twist problems. These yarns, however, were subject to lateral displacement where one yarn slides toward another yarn, creating an open area and a bunched area, rather than uniform contact and open areas. The fabric therefore suffered from lack of control of contact surface area and permeability.
To combat lateral displacement of structural yarns, shaped yarns (such as I, U or X-shaped yarns) have been used to cradle structural yarns to lessen the amount of displacement relative to one another in multilayer fabrics. Yarns having X or Y shapes or otherwise having flexible leg portions have been used in the weft position to enhance permeability control and for stabilization against distortion. Shaped yarns have also been used as stuffer yams to fill voids in spiral fabrics to reduce the fabric permeability.
A common theme with the prior known shaped yarns is that they deform during the weaving process to lock themselves into position. In the deformed shape, these yarns are more stable and also act to stabilize the cross-direction yarns. This is seen in both hollow and shaped yarns. Many of these shaped yarns (X, I, H, Y) as well as hollow yams accomplish goals of increased stability, reduced displacement and permeability control. However, they do not directly address lateral, vertical and torsional displacement in the structural yarns of a papermaking fabric.
It would be desirable to provide a papermaking fabric which will withstand the ravages of a papermaking machine and resist lateral, vertical and torsional displacement.
Generally, the present invention is a papermaking fabric which has increased stability due to the use of beam construction yarns which resist lateral, vertical and torsional deflection as well as compression, when interwoven as structural yams. The yarns are generally non-circular in cross-section and are preferably I-beam, H-beam, box-beam, or a hybrid construction. Each type has certain advantages and disadvantages with the hybrid construction being capable of multiple combined advantages.

Shaped yarns for use in papermaking fabrics